First, I want to thank everyone for their amazing help on this new path. Even the jerks that call me out when I ask a stupid question (and I say that with all respect and admiration). Thanks for letting an old Jeep XJ guy fumble is way through this... well there is only one way to say it. Addiction.
This forum has officially replaced my morning online news feed. I have the shop manual and original owners manual beside my bed. And yes, I make excuses to go sit in it. I will spend too much on it, for a truck of it's age and milage. So, by definition. It's an addictive substance, at least.
I've spent my life working in and around the entertainment and broadcast television businesses, toured with the Grateful Dead in college, lived on tour buses with bands and traveled to places where drugs where, well let's just say drugs were readily available... and never became an addicted to anything. Until now. Well played Toyota.
That being said, I've devoured information on the truck like every young addict. The history, the over engineering and commitment to utilitarianism and explained in detail my reasoning for getting the LX 470 in my first post in the forum. Having seen probably every private seller listing from coast to coast over the span of a couple months (Jan 21 to Present) and having now made my purchase I've realized a couple of things about the current "explosive" market for good used LX 470's.
My first introduction or awareness I might say of the LC was through a high school friend who drove an early 1970's FJ 40 in the mid-80's. Fast forward to 1998 and my best friend was given his dad's loaded 1996 80 series for his college graduation. It had ever bell and every whistle.... and only 63K. He put another 100k on it and sold it to put a downpayment on his first house. I watch that market go nuts, much like the LX 470 now. I watch the Jeep Wagoneer market go crazy with custom "remanufactured and updated versions" going for 65 to 100k! Now that's insane. The hockey stick is heading up and I think will continue to rise as people realize the vehicles value.
So I've realized a couple of things having purchased my ticket to this crack house at $4100. That's a 1998 LX 470 with 237K on the clock, pretty good maintenance records and some rust. Some even marginally bad in the wheel wells but, totally solid frame and tubs. I suspect I'll be dealing with a lot of corroded brackets and hangers, etc.. But, overall - I'll Take it! That's why God Made Wire brushes and Navy Jelly. Yes I'll have some patches here and there but, my point is there are still gems in the market because people want the best when they are paying over inflated values. I get it. If If I had an extra 10K laying around I would have bought a rust free, pristine example. But, I didn't. I had $4300 so I came in $200 under budget! I've yet to see anything close offered within 500 miles. I routinely see models with as many or more miles in roughly the same condition for much more. I've even seen talk of salvage titled LX's going for over 10k.
What's the point? Find a barn and start buying! Seriously, these prices are out pacing the stock market. I've already had offers on mine for much more than I paid. I'd consider any reasonable business plan that involved buying LX's and storing them. I regret not doing it with the many XJ's and Wagoneer's I passed on back in the day. Rust buckets every one I ever saw... But today those, same trucks I passed on, someone bought ten years after I passed it with more rust and paid 3x as much. Some of them sold them for A LOT of money. And news flash the Wagoneer isn't half the truck the 100 series is / was (Forgive Me JEEP GODS). Although I'll end every Jeep bash with the asterisks, I was a storm chaser for years covering A LOT of destruction and the XJ with the strait Six 4.0 was one of the most bullet proof machine I every drove - and I drove / killed a few.
So any takers? Anyone with a barn in the desert? It may be too late - but I'd sure like to lock down a supply
!
This forum has officially replaced my morning online news feed. I have the shop manual and original owners manual beside my bed. And yes, I make excuses to go sit in it. I will spend too much on it, for a truck of it's age and milage. So, by definition. It's an addictive substance, at least.
I've spent my life working in and around the entertainment and broadcast television businesses, toured with the Grateful Dead in college, lived on tour buses with bands and traveled to places where drugs where, well let's just say drugs were readily available... and never became an addicted to anything. Until now. Well played Toyota.
That being said, I've devoured information on the truck like every young addict. The history, the over engineering and commitment to utilitarianism and explained in detail my reasoning for getting the LX 470 in my first post in the forum. Having seen probably every private seller listing from coast to coast over the span of a couple months (Jan 21 to Present) and having now made my purchase I've realized a couple of things about the current "explosive" market for good used LX 470's.
My first introduction or awareness I might say of the LC was through a high school friend who drove an early 1970's FJ 40 in the mid-80's. Fast forward to 1998 and my best friend was given his dad's loaded 1996 80 series for his college graduation. It had ever bell and every whistle.... and only 63K. He put another 100k on it and sold it to put a downpayment on his first house. I watch that market go nuts, much like the LX 470 now. I watch the Jeep Wagoneer market go crazy with custom "remanufactured and updated versions" going for 65 to 100k! Now that's insane. The hockey stick is heading up and I think will continue to rise as people realize the vehicles value.
So I've realized a couple of things having purchased my ticket to this crack house at $4100. That's a 1998 LX 470 with 237K on the clock, pretty good maintenance records and some rust. Some even marginally bad in the wheel wells but, totally solid frame and tubs. I suspect I'll be dealing with a lot of corroded brackets and hangers, etc.. But, overall - I'll Take it! That's why God Made Wire brushes and Navy Jelly. Yes I'll have some patches here and there but, my point is there are still gems in the market because people want the best when they are paying over inflated values. I get it. If If I had an extra 10K laying around I would have bought a rust free, pristine example. But, I didn't. I had $4300 so I came in $200 under budget! I've yet to see anything close offered within 500 miles. I routinely see models with as many or more miles in roughly the same condition for much more. I've even seen talk of salvage titled LX's going for over 10k.
What's the point? Find a barn and start buying! Seriously, these prices are out pacing the stock market. I've already had offers on mine for much more than I paid. I'd consider any reasonable business plan that involved buying LX's and storing them. I regret not doing it with the many XJ's and Wagoneer's I passed on back in the day. Rust buckets every one I ever saw... But today those, same trucks I passed on, someone bought ten years after I passed it with more rust and paid 3x as much. Some of them sold them for A LOT of money. And news flash the Wagoneer isn't half the truck the 100 series is / was (Forgive Me JEEP GODS). Although I'll end every Jeep bash with the asterisks, I was a storm chaser for years covering A LOT of destruction and the XJ with the strait Six 4.0 was one of the most bullet proof machine I every drove - and I drove / killed a few.
So any takers? Anyone with a barn in the desert? It may be too late - but I'd sure like to lock down a supply
!
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. After that you will think the 100 is the cheapest drug on earth. And do not get me started on maintaining a Lamborghini...
