You’d be hard pressed to spend a day on the road without seeing the XJ chassis of Jeep’s Cherokee SUV, which was on the U.S. market from 1983 to 2001. Additionally, if your adventures take you off-road, you’ll still probably spot an XJ on your journey. These Jeeps may be everywhere, but they are usually in rough shape, which brings us to this 1993 Cherokee Sport that is available here on eBay with no reserve.
Though this Cherokee spent its whole life in Massachusetts, the advertisement lists the SUV’s location as Aberdeen, Maryland. The seller provides a Carfax within the advertisement that provides some insight into this XJ’s history, showing there are no reports of accident or damages. Though there are no records from 1999 to 2000, the SUV covered around 20,000 miles during the timespan, and there is plenty of information regarding the maintenance performed between 2000 and now.
Inside, you’ll find this XJ has a very simple interior, and it’s impressive seeing one in complete and immaculate condition. The SUV still has its original cassette radio, working heat and air conditioning, blemish-free grey cloth seats, and clean carpets.
This Cherokee has only traveled 52,816 miles. That sure seems low for a vehicle that’s known to go triple that without breaking a sweat.
Under the hood, you’ll find a 4.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine, which pairs to an automatic transmission and a 4-wheel-drive system.
Despite providing a plethora of interior and exterior photos, there is only one photo of the Cherokee’s undercarriage, which does not provide peace of mind. While this Jeep looks very clean on the surface, it did spend plenty of time in Massachusetts, and this chassis can often experience serious rust issues.
Bidding for this XJ is currently at $5,600 with plenty of interest. Would you spend for this insanely clean Jeep, or would you rather find a rougher, dime-a-dozen example to use for its capabilities?
Depending on what you plan to do with it this could be a great “drive it until the wheels fall off” ride-a modern rendition of the Willys wagons!
Good modern classic. And that straight six is exceptionally powerful for the time. I believe it was rated at 190 hp in 1993.
I have one of these, though it is one of the later models updated by Chrysler. This one retains its original AMC design inside and out as well as the Renault Renix fuel injection system.
AMC and Chrysler sold a ton of these Jeeps. Even out here in the rust belt I see quite a few every day on the road and the newest one old enough to vote!
The engine is the last iteration of the Rambler Six that debuted in 1964. Many engineering changes, of course, but engine mounts are in the same place and some internal parts are the same – a popular upgrade with the Jeep crowd is to swap a 258 crank into the 4.0, which brings the Jeep engine up to about a 4.6. Additionally, more than one AMC fan has retrofitted a Jeep 4.0 into an earlier AMC product to give it more go. (Even a Pacer with a 4.0 would have a decent amount of kick.)
I can’t tell from the interior photo whether this vehicle has the part-time 4WD system (NP231 transfer case) or the full-time option (NP242).
You really have to work at it to kill or wear out one of these engines. The AW4 automatic transmission is also very robust and rarely gives any problems.
My Cherokee XJ has over 250K miles and runs like a top. This one is barely broken in and is so nice you wouldn’t want to use in bad weather or lift it and drive through a trail of boulders and ravines.
Last year for renix was 91 and this has nothing to do with the rambler six.. This was a new design by amc Renault.
I stand corrected on Renix (I thought that was the case for all pre-OBDII models), but seeing as how cranks will interchange and a 4.0 will happily drop right into place in an old Rambler it’s not a stretch to say the 4.0 is at least heavily based on the old design.
I believe that the Chrysler fuel injection replaced the Renix in 1991. I owned two 1988 Cherokees with the 4.0 liter and Renix MPFI. If this is the vehicle you are looking for, then the price is fair. As far as rust, you need to check it out but I never had much rust in either of mine.
What a nice XJ. I had a 99 limited. It was running beautifully when I sold it at 170k 7 years ago. We swear by Toyota these days and have had 6 of them, but I’ll still say that Cherokee was the best damn vehicle I’ve owned. I had it ten trouble free years. These are rude and crude, electrical connections tend to rattle loose over time, and they are noisy, but mine had everything I needed and nothing I didn’t. The Select track full time 4×4 is a big advantage over the quad track part time system. Not sure which this has, but these will go anywhere with either system.
I finally looked at the detailed photo gallery and the photo of the transfer case lever clearly shows it has the part-time 4WD system. (Otherwise there would be an additional position for the full-time feature.)
That’s what mine has. It works fine, you just have to shift it in and out of 4WD as needed which can be done on the fly without stopping. Converting to the full-time system is doable (transfer case and linkage is a direct swap) but I’d think a survivor like this should be left stock.
https://stored-edge.slickpic.com/MjI5MzQ2ZDkwNWEwN2E,/20190314/MTU4OTk4Mzg1MDUw/p/1300/IMG_9698_edited.jpg
Good eye AMC. I also agree a Jeep like this should be left original.
At every impound sale, there are usually several of these. They go for $250-$400 each.
Three years ago, I purchased a 92 Jeep Cherokee Laredo for my son. It had 16,000 original miles on it and it was in pristine condition. It still had the original tires (with no age/stress cracks). The older couple that owned it only used it to drive to their vacation cabin in the mountains. It was always stored inside. They died and their kids couldn’t settle the estate so the courts stepped in and told them to sell everything. I paid a premium price for an older, slightly used vehicle, but it was far cheaper than buying a new vehicle. After replacing all the hoses, belts, tires and fluids, I was into it for about $9,500. The vehicle now has slightly over 37,000 miles and going strong. My son is taking very good care of it.
Lance, You got a real bargain. The prices of clean, stock Cherokees are skyrocketing. Please convince you son not to lift it or modify in in anyway. It may very well pay for his first year of college when the time comes.
Thanks, RobJ… my son is finished with college. He just started working for Daimler in Portland as a mechanical engineer. Although he can get an unbelievable deal on a Mercedes lease, he is opting to stick with the Jeep (and keeping it bone stock).
I’ve owned 2 of these so far. Thje first one I bought in Beijing, China where the ones with the big 6 and 4WD are knock-down kits imported from the states. There are a tone of them in China that were made there with the 4 cylinder motor, and 2 WD. The only issue I had was with the cooling system. Fast forward 10 years and I bought a 2nd one here in the states. The engine let go at about 170,000, and it also had cooling system issues.
certain years had a pressurized coolant overflow tank (really not an overflow tank since it is part of the pressurized system). These will develop a crack in the bottom, sometimes the bottom will break out. I did have this happen once on one of my 1988 Cherokees. but you can cut the heater hose and loop it back to the other side. I manage to get it home by doing this, and replaced the tank later. Sold the vehicle many years later at 265k miles and never had another issue.
Jimbo mine had some cooling issues also. Namely a water pump and thermostat followed by a dead auxiliary fan. Around 150k..I figured that was pretty reasonable. Also the radiator tanks tend to leak on these in the cold weather due to warpage..
I had one of these and was happy to be rid of it. Biggest gas hog I’d ever owned. I replaced it with a Subaru Forester that had more interior space, quieter and still towed my boat with much better gas mileage. I never looked backed.
I passed on a Suburu Outback to buy my Cherokee. Everything about the Jeep made sense to me. I imagine I would have been happy with either vehicle. I averaged 16mpg in my Jeep, not great, but better than my current V8 Tundra.
I had two 1988’s with the 4.0 liter. The one with the automatic average around 16 mpg. The one with the 5 speed manual always got between 19-22 mpg.
These make great plow trucks, especially with that inline 6. This one is way too nice to do that to. I would have a hard time buying one of these without making it into a plow truck. I am also VERY broke right now, so this one can stay on the east coast.
I have a customer who has 4 or 5 (I lose track) Cherokees that he uses in his landscape/snow plow business. The get beaten to death and keep right on going. He takes them to a cheapo body guy every year so that they look presentable in front of his customers house. The 4.0 engine will run forever.