- Seller: Peter M
- Location: West Palm Beach, Florida
- Mileage: 99,340 Shown
- Chassis #: 1J4FY49S4WP720362
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 4.0-Liter Inline-6
- Transmission: Automatic
Since I can’t spend all of my time in the garage, I spend a fair bit of it watching car-themed TV shows. I can’t watch shows predicated on the hopes of prepackaged drama, but shows like the now-defunct Dirt Every Day on the Motor Trend channel are good for a laugh or two; not to mention, I can learn something about a corner of the car world that I don’t personally inhabit: the off-road world. It looks like a fun combination of nature trails and gasoline that would probably suit my personality well if I would have had a shove in the right direction. Thus, I’ll always look at a hopped-up Jeep Wrangler with a little envy, because it can leave the road and leave it all behind. This one has benefited from a frame-off restoration with numerous upgrades to make your off-road adventures safer and reliable, and it’s being offered now as a Barn Finds Auction.
For some reason, I’ll always think that a proper Jeep should have an AMC-based inline six, such as this 4.0 liter. I know, modern Jeeps have moved on and people have retrofitted any number of V8s into Jeeps for years, but that six just looks right under the hood of a Wrangler. The seller of our auction Jeep says that this one has been fully rebuilt along with its automatic transmission. For those of you who like to keep the doors attached, it has a full load of new air conditioning components, including a compressor, condenser, filter/drier, and various hoses. Also notice the new aluminum radiator to keep things cool on a hot day crawling through the woods with the air on.
Underneath, there’s more good news. Not only is everything cleaned and painted, there are also plenty of enhancements:
- Rebuilt Dana 30 front axle and Dana 44 rear axle with 4.11 gears
- Four-inch lift with Teraflex components
- Rebuilt transfer case with a slip yoke eliminator kit
- Powerstop four-wheel disc brakes
There are several more pictures of the undercarriage in the gallery below.
Inside, there’s new carpet and a Kenwood stereo with an amplifier, so you can listen to whatever gets you in the mood to commune with nature and drive through mud pits.
On the other hand, you may want to avoid the mud and keep it on some gentle two-tracks, because this ’98 Wrangler has a new paint job in addition to new 35-inch wheels and tires. It’s an off-roader that’s almost too nice to off-road, but that won’t stop you, will it? If you want to get off the couch, turn off the TV, and do some exploring of your own, bid now on Barn Finds Auctions.
Bid On This Auction
dbux bid $7,650.00 2025-03-18 09:34:45
Joseph Walker bid $7,000.00 2025-03-17 12:27:02
Suave79 bid $5,500.00 2025-03-17 03:53:36- Joseph Walker bid $5,000.00 2025-03-15 09:52:01
PapaBear bid $3,500.00 2025-03-15 09:46:58- Joseph Walker bid $3,000.00 2025-03-15 08:54:54
- PapaBear bid $1,500.00 2025-03-15 08:49:49
KRL bid $1,000.00 2025-03-14 22:51:10
BobM bid $500.00 2025-03-14 10:57:38
Jeeps are among those vehicles that I always wanted. I finally got a convertible after I retired, that’s one for the bucket list, but still no jeep. And I think I dodged that bullet of bad gas mileage and poor reliability.
They are tiring to drive on a freeway. But unlike most poser 4WD, they are capable for off-road use.
The death wobble was my biggest concern, never had driven a jeep before, I bought this for my 16yo granddaughter, after driving it around decided against it. So I built this, have driven about 400 mi on the freeway between palm beach and ft Lauderdale and was surprised how well it drove. At about 70 mph rpms at 2500, was real pleasant to drive, certainly not like my explorer because of the all terrain tires but surprisingly not bad.
The death wobble was my biggest concern, never had driven a jeep before, I bought this for my 16yo granddaughter, after driving it around decided against it. So I built this, have driven about 400 mi on the freeway between palm beach and ft Lauderdale and was surprised how well it drove. At about 70 mph rpms at 2500, was real pleasant to drive, certainly not like my explorer because of the all terrain tires but surprisingly not bad.
Bought my 05 Wrangler 4.0/6spd new, by far my favorite vehicle overall of the 15 or so I’ve owned (not counting flips) in my 65 years. 102k miles, still running strong, knock on wood. I remember before I bought it my girlfriend at the time told me to read Consumer Reports first because they gave it an unfavorable rating. With the exception of relatively minor auto transmission issues the only complaints were that it didn’t drive or handle like a car, basically that below average drivers might struggle with that. Sure glad I ignored that advice. However, from 07 on things have gotten considerably worse regarding reliability. I’d buy a TJ again anytime and this looks like a nice one.
Consumer Reports magazine is great for lining your bird cage with.
Nice rig, if it were closer I’d be thinking hard about bidding.
Unlike most “poser” 4WD vehicles, this one’s a poser that can do what it says. Nice rig!