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Bidder Beware: 1983 Jeep Cherokee Laredo

It was Yogi Berra that coined the phrase “Its like deja vu, all over again.”  Well, maybe Yogi was talking about this 1983 Jeep Cherokee Laredo that is currently for sale on eBay out of Burnettsville, Indiana.  As of this writing it has garnered five bids, with the highest being $18,700 with just three days to go.  This gorgeous Jeep is being sold by a seller with no feedback that joined eBay on January 27 of this year.  Or is it?  Is this the same Jeep Cherokee Laredo located in Raleigh, North Carolina that sold for $51,360 back in November of 2019 on Bring A Trailer?  Maybe not.  However, why would the pictures be the same, down to the burned rubber donuts scuffed into the pavement?  What is going on here?  Thanks to T.J. for the tip on this neat old Jeep.

Let me first start by saying I have no direct evidence that anything suspicious is going on here.  There are no claims by myself or Barn Finds that this is a scam.  For all we know, someone may have purchased this minty Jeep in 2019 and promptly garaged it.  As the economy declined, perhaps that expensive Jeep just sitting in the garage started looking like it needed a new home.  In the ad, the seller states that they really don’t use it anymore and that it deserves a better home.

Of course, there are a lot of folks that would want to give this beautiful Cherokee a home.  Designed by Brooks Stephens for Kaiser Jeep way back in 1963, the two door and four door models of this particular Jeep have always been desirable.  From folks like my uncle Steve who lived in Western North Carolina to yuppies looking for something new in the 1980s, these Jeeps not only found homes when new but whole cottage industries have sprung up to keep them on the road.  They are roomy, stylish, and can claw up rough roads like a billy goat.

A look inside this one shows just how pristine it is for a vehicle with 66,405 miles on the odometer.  Oddly, that is the mileage listed in both ads.  The steering wheel looks to be leather wrapped and shows no sign of wear.  The (what is assumed to be) vinyl  seats are also in spectacular condition.  Only the armrest shows signs of being used for precisely that purpose.  There seems to be a little bit of a sag and a lean to it.

At any rate, the CB radio that is in both ads gives you a glimpse back to the era when this Jeep was new.  In the era before cell phones, sometimes referred to as the Mesozoic era, folks that might find themselves in a spot of trouble often equipped their vehicle with a CB radio.  Channel 9 was, and supposedly still is, monitored by local law enforcement and oftentimes others with CB radios that were open to helping out.  If this Jeep ever went to offroad to help someone out, the owner must have been very careful and quick with a wash and a wax.  It is hard to find any nicks, scratches, or even dust on this beautiful machine.

All and all, this is a beautiful Jeep that may need a new home.  Perhaps all that is going on here is that the person who bought it off the Bring a Trailer ad just stored it away unused.  Maybe they don’t understand that things like having no feedback and an eBay account created a few days ago scares folks these days.  It would be nice if some new pictures, perhaps one with the seller holding up a newspaper with today’s date while standing in front of the Jeep.  You know, proof of life and all of that.

What do you think is going on here?  Is this a great bargain or something else?  Please let us know your thoughts in the comments.

 

Comments

  1. Avatar Todd J. Member

    It’s a scam. Seller says it has driver and passenger airbags (!) and some of the wording is odd. For example, seller says it has a “5.9L liter engine V8” and “It is very well made, runs and works the very best.”

    Like 11
    • Avatar Davey Boy

      He must read BF because the part about airbags is no longer in the description. Really buyer beware

      Like 8
    • Avatar MisterBlue

      And it just sold to some poor schmore for $40k!

      Like 1
      • Avatar Nevadahalfrack Member

        🪝🎣

        Like 1
  2. Avatar Nevadahalfrack Member

    “Somethin’ don’t smell right..”🦨🦨

    Like 5
  3. Avatar angliagt Member

    Yep – looks like they took the pictures from the BaT listing.
    Odd chance that it could be the BaT buyer’s reselling it?

    Like 4
    • Avatar Art Engel

      I smell a rat for sure. I wouldn’t bid or send this guy a penny, and I’d have to have a police escort if I went to pick it up. Doesn’t appear to have a reserve either which I find strange on something that went for 50k a few years ago. I think your deposit might be gone in a flash.

      Like 1
  4. Avatar Harvey Member

    Maybe found out how far it would go on a tank of ⛽

    Like 1
  5. Avatar CCFisher

    Nice backstory, but odds are strong it’s a scam. The biggest clue is that there’s no reserve at barely a third of the last sale price.

    Like 3
  6. Avatar Rw

    Or I’ve seen many of these beautiful on top , crumpling on bottom, people with money will buy with out actually inspection of vehicle, just my experienced opinion.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar JustPassinThru

    Airbags on a 1983 truck? Yeah, right.

    It’s obvious he never sat in this one; knows nothing of the airbag history; and is just filling copy. 5.9 litre engine? The 360 AMC engine was never sold by the litre.

    It’s not only a scam, IMHO, it’s the crudest sort of scam. There’s a method to this madness: He wants the LOWEST common denominator to bite…that he can fleece the gull, easily.

    Disclaimer: I know nothing about this provider. I am only providing conjecture, based on my knowledge of the model, of automobile regulation history, of evolving scamming trends on various public sites.

    Like 1
  8. Avatar angliagt Member

    And the seller has 0 feedback.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Frank Sumatra

      Doesn’t every 1st time seller on eBay have 0 feedback? Not defending, just wondering.

      Like 1
      • Avatar JustPassinThru

        Does every first-time seller completely mis-describe his offering?

        And use photos he got off the Web?

        Like 1
  9. Avatar Mike

    The buyer of the Jeep back in 2019 mentioned where it was going to go. “She’s going to where she belongs. New England Sea Shore.” I highly doubt in the last 3 years he decided to move to Indiana and is now having a fire sale of his toys. Maybe someone could ask to see it in person and see what the response is?

    Like 5
  10. Avatar DA

    Very fishy. Identical pictures, but the eBay ad omits the VIN (all zeros); Why? In three years not one mile on the odometer, same to the tenths? Right.

    Like 3
  11. Avatar Poppy

    eBay auction ended with a $40K bid from a high feedback buyer (friend of the seller perhaps?) If a legit bid, the buyer will hopefully go see the car in person before any money changes hands. We’ll see if it pops up again in the near future.

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Lowell Peterson

    I always recommend that potential buyer call any car business in the area even dealer and offer to pay a nominal fee to go have a look. Then ask the seller to take it there or accept an appointment from the inspector. It works, every time.

    Like 5
    • Avatar Nevadahalfrack Member

      Good advice! Thank you.

      Like 0
    • Avatar angliagt Member

      Unless they’re close friends with the (scammer) seller.

      Like 0
  13. Avatar NT

    The seem to have kicked it off eBay,.or the seller pulled the ad.

    When you
    Click on the link now it says “this item has been remived or thus item is not available.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar wes johnson Member

    Come on guys, those ex-pats from the Baltic states gotta make a living.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Keith

    Why is it even Posted if there are so many read flags? Perhaps for entertainment? Seems like a waste of space that could of been used for another Barn find.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Chris Cornetto

    Oh yes…a wire transfer of cash and I will wait for the movers to pick up. Please hurry as we are in the process of moving….blah,blah, blah…

    Like 1
  17. Avatar Richard Flett

    Mileage would have to change you can’t move a car without moving the wheels

    Like 0

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