Offered Jeep for 4Runner

[TannerW]

A couple of days ago I was offered a Jeep for my 4Runner.
Here is the jeep.



I know it has a Chevy 350 in it and judging by the head lights and blinkers its an 86 or older. He says he is going to put all new fenders on it and new mirrors and he has a bikini top and back seats for it. He says the motor only has 10k on it.
And here is my 4Runner. Its a 96 SR5 with 200,000 miles.



So basically Im asking should I even consider the trade. I don't know anything about Jeeps but I also have always wanted one. This would also be my DD.
Thanks for your input!

 

[snow junky]

Maybe if it's worth more. Sell it soon after and get a toyota

 

[paddlenbike]

If I was a Jeep owner I'd want to trade for a 4Runner too. If you like repairing rigs all the time, get it.

 

[SweetWaterSurprise]

CJ jeeps in good shape can hold value. I'm in the process of looking for a Wrangler for my wife as a beach toy. I am kinda shocked what people ask for Wranglers in just about any shape. Saw one that was rolled and they still wanted $5k

 

[MojaveMadMan]

Not gunna tell you what to do, but I do have a friend who had a similar Jeep so I will add these few things I noticed.

They are bouncy! The Jeeps that are on leafs front and back are super bouncy. Be prepared for a ruff ride on the road. However the short wheel base is great for parking in very tight places, he could fit that thing anywhere!

They are load! They have very little to no noise deadening so they are very load inside. You hear all the road and tire noises. Add in that soft top and it's almost defining at highway speeds. Those thing flop in the wind no matter how tight you get them and there are always air leaks everywhere. If it's cold out and your going fast, your heater won't keep up so pack a jacket. If it came with a hard top, that would be a huge win. That said, it's very cool to be out with the top off while off-roading, you really get that all inclusive feel of being outdoors vs. the stiffness of the inside of a 4runner.

Overall, it really depends on what you are using it for. DD, no Fing way I would consider it personally. Short drives on a nice day or one day weekend trips to the trail, or towing it to a camping spot, they are hard to beat. Jeeps are just so capable with very little modification because of their short wheel base and simple design. You could take that thing and do stuff we wouldn't want to do in a 4runner (unless it's very well modded). The 4runner is IMO the best platform for a "one size fits all" approach because you can take a modded 4runner and still use it as a DD, get through some moderate type terrain, go on long trips on or off-road, and still haul the wife and kids in it with little to no complaining. So really, what are you using it for? Value wise, your 4runner isn't gunna go up in value, I view them as comparable if the Jeep is in a decent mechanical shape that won't require too much wrenching other than normal older vehicle stuff.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

A jeep as a daily driver, a CJ especially, is not a good idea unless you wrench on your own stuff. However, most of the stuff that goes wrong was removed with the stock powertrain.

Do you have emissions in your area?

The Toy is much warmer in winter. And I'd want to take that jeep on a 100 mile drive before thinking about it.

Is the V8 carb'ed or injected? What Trans and transfer case is mated to the SBC.

If you know nothing about the jeeps I'd walk away and hop on the JeepFourm and start reading. There I'm 86cj74.2l

My mother in law has a 86 CJ7 that was her DD since new until last summer when I found a 04 Grand Cherokee Limited.

Also how is the rust. They like that. Rusting that is. The drivers rear frame likes to rot away between the rear tire and the bumper.

Just so you know. The rear tail gate will tell you a little about what years it's from. If it has a drop down like a truck its a CJ (doors are not CJ in your picture) if it's swing out its the wrangler body. But there can be combinations of both.

 

[TannerW]

Thanks for all the input! With the information you all have given me right now I'm leaning more towards the no side but I will do more research and hopefully soon I will get some more pictures posted up. I live in Alabama no emission testing. Thanks again!

 

[white_n_slow]

Jeeps make terrible DD's, I have no idea why people even buy the things as anything other than a dedicated wheeler. No room for camping gear, home depot runs, etc. Loud as hell, totally unpleasant in cold weather (maybe not a big deal since you are in Alabama).

Also "has a chevy 350 in it," can mean a lot of different things. Is it carbed? TBI? Vortec? A lot of vehicles that have had a drivetrain swap are booty fab (hacked wiring, missing equipment, suspect motor mounts and crossmembers, etc). Don't be fooled into thinking 10k on the motor will mean any less maintenance and baselining. Also, without receipts for the motor, assume it has 160k and plan accordingly. If you're not real mechanical, find someone who is (or better yet, is familiar with CJ's) and have them take a look at it.

If the guy is looking to trade for a 4Runner, odds are he has already come to the conclusion that the jeep is a lousy DD or needs more work than he is willing to put into it. Just sayin'

 

[csp]

I've owned at least one CJ at any given time since 1982 and I will echo the above sentiments. You do not want to trade a dependable DD for a CJ, especially if you know nothing about them.

 

[SweetWaterSurprise]

CJ as a DD, No Way

 

[ajonesnv]

No way!!!

 

[gamefreakgc]

I already knew the response this would gather before even reading the thread. Asking on whether or not to trade a 4Runner for a Jeep on the largest 4Runner enthusiast forum on the web is only going to get one kind of response

I do agree that Jeeps make a bad DD, but if you want it bad then the decision is your to make. I would compare values first though, just because someone offered to trade doesn't make it a fair deal. I would also post up on Jeep CJ Forum - JeepForum.com or a similar Jeep site and see what they say for the other side.

 

[TannerW]

Thanks for all the info. I think I am going to go ahead and pass this one up. Maybe if I had another DD I would consider it more. But it's hard for a 17 year old to come up with enough money to buy a 2nd car.

 

[snow junky]

 

[MStudt]

Looks like a late 70's CJ-7.

Coming from a Jeep myself. I'd never go back to one!

 

[mxer]

You're 17 what is your daily round trip? You only live once, having a topless V8 Jeep in HS would be sweet.

That Jeep is worth more than your 4runner and it appears to be in pretty good shape. I wouldn't want the chevy engine but that's just me. The parts are dirt cheap and it already looks like it has some nice mods like newer doors and brand new top. Get new steel wheels and it would be the tits.

 

[UnderFire]

I would never want something that somebody else did something major like an engine swap to, I've worked on junk for other people that had been swapped before they bought it, and you never can be 100% sure that everything was done right.

 

[TannerW]

You're 17 what is your daily round trip? You only live once, having a topless V8 Jeep in HS would be sweet.

That Jeep is worth more than your 4runner and it appears to be in pretty good shape. I wouldn't want the chevy engine but that's just me. The parts are dirt cheap and it already looks like it has some nice mods like newer doors and brand new top. Get new steel wheels and it would be the tits.

You have a VERY valid point. Daily I drive 20 min to school. Sometimes making about a 2 hour trip to Atlanta Georgia or a 3 hour trip to Starkville Mississippi.

 

[mxer]

I would never want something that somebody else did something major like an engine swap to, I've worked on junk for other people that had been swapped before they bought it, and you never can be 100% sure that everything was done right.

That's a pretty common straight up swap. Pretty basic stuff.

 

[mxer]

You have a VERY valid point. Daily I drive 20 min to school. Sometimes making about a 2 hour trip to Atlanta Georgia or a 3 hour trip to Starkville Mississippi.

Maybe you can borrow your parent's car for those long trips. I had a CJ7 and regret selling it everyday. You have to be mechanically inclined though to own it.