How Far Does $2000 Go: I Bought a Super Cheap Jeep To Find Out! 

Who is that red bearded Viking of a man!? More of this guy, he's so chill.

Most interesting tfl vid for me in a while. Behind the scenes at a dealer auction was cool. Love seeing the super budget options. Wish I knew more about fixing up these older working class cars because it would be cool to flip a few here and there.

This is the type of actual budget content that I love to see! And with the ZJ 4.0, almost everything is dirt cheap even if it eventually fails. The ZJ offers a combination of comfort and off-roading ability that is hard to beat

Congrats on your ZJ! I have a '95 4.0, same color, that I pulled out of a field on my moms farm. A farmhand parked it there for an electrical drain he couldnt figure out. Turns out it was the Walmart head unit he installed. That was 7 years ago and she's still running strong. Its basically stock and has been flawless on some pretty gnarly Virginia trails. Excited to see what you guys do with it!

The Jeep ZJ's are amazing! In my oppinion the best Jeep ever made as well as one of the most over looked. I have a 95 with around 270 thousand miles on it and it is still reliable.

This looks like a great series. Keep it cheap and affordable without expensive high end parts .

This is a great idea for a series. Go to an auction and buy something, then see what you end up with. Auctions are a lot of fun. Use to go with my uncle. One of the auctioneers was always saying "I'll eat that car if it ain't worth $1000." Lol. Really shady business too. One guy was selling for a dealer one week then the next week he was bidding on that same dealer's cars, so he was running the price up. Most of the vehicles had some issue or another but it was really fun trying to guess what a car would go for. You really should make a series out of this.

Great buy! I love these ZJs, I used to have a '97. I'd love to have another one, but they don't really exist anymore in New England. I like the idea of the resto series with some minor mods. Just a suggestion, some krylon fusion spray paint will really bring that gray cladding back to life, I used satin black on mine and it looked fantastic.

Great video, you guys should do more of these auctions!

Keep the rims! They're really cool and fit the car well. 31s with a 2" lift would be perfect. The ZJ is a really underestimated off-roader, I love mine to death despite the issues it has. Will be interesting to see what you do with this one 👍🏻

Funny to see this here today, I've been in the market for a cheap 96-98 4.0 ZJ for awhile! Interested to see where you go with this one. And don't sleep on the AWD Astro, you can convert those into a true 4x4 with a couple of relatively easy mods - namely a junkyard NP233C and Journeys shifter kit.

I'll echo most everyone else in the comments in saying you should make at least two different series out of this. I always like the 'soup up a cheap vehicle' video series so I am really looking forward to that one with this Jeep, and hopefully others bought at auction in the future. I think this style of build series is always eventually what "For a Few Bucks Less" should end on, where the guys get to spend a bit more money building their selection out and souping everything up, to see what a cheap vehicle can become with some planning and a bit more cash. I also think you should expand on the dealer auction thing, and make a full series out of that. It looked like an interesting world, and we just started to see Brendon get into his element. It was cool to see him play the auction game, and I would like to know more about how he picks candidates, and sets wager limits on those candidates. I bet you could easily make 6 vids out of seeing him in action at 2 different auctions. You could also see that Tommy really liked it. His elation at buying it shows he would probably really dig a role in making that series, and it is right up his wheelhouse since TFLClassics is his baby. Lastly, Roman would disown Tommy if he brought back an Astrovan? What the hell; and why? Is this another one of those situations where Roman is just wrong about something, and takes it out on Tommy when he points out Roman is wrong about something? Or maybe one of those situations where Tommy is wrong about something, but really he is just wrong about how he thought Roman would react to something, because Roman was already wrong about something. Eh, who knows...or cares...but I think Tommy should totally buy a clean Astrovan at some point, and build it into something cool, just to prove, once again, that Roman is probably wrong about something.

TFLclassics is quickly becoming my favorite spot on YT. This project should be fun!

Will look forward to seeing more of this Jeep! Love seeing interesting and different video topics such as this one, especially since it's so much more relatable to those of us who aren't buying $75+k trucks with butt heaters, coolers, or bidets.

Congrats! A great-looking Jeep! We got our daughter a WJ as a "first car school permit vehicle" after watching the last budget series and seeing how much you enjoyed your turn-of-the-century GC.

Hey Tommy, I had a ‘98 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a problem I had on a recall was the sending unit. Might want to look into it as it may leave you stranded with no gas. Mine was new when I bought it.

Best stock off-road suspension, very capable off-road , excited to follow the ZJ series

The crank shaft and cam shaft means it needs a timing chain. The two sensors are reading to far off because of the slap in the chain. To do one on a vortec v6 would take 2 hours if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Got a 98 ZJ with the 4.0 right under 192k, been a good vehicle for rhe most part. The ZJ has always had a special place in my heart.

Tommy. I just bought my girl friend the same Dakota. 2wd v6. I’m currently solid axle swapping it and swapping in a np435 3 speed with a granny gear. I’ll send pics when it’s done. I sent you pics of my s10 that I solid axle swapped previously

One of the most interesting videos you've done in a while. I would have LOVED to see the AWD van but i get it... really really cool video, congrats boys

These auctions are so much fun but there is a lot of junk out there. We always bring an OBDII scanner, paint gauge and magnet (to scope out bondo jobs).

Lets go Brenden!

That jeep will run forever mine had over 500 k on it before I had to get rid of it for the frame was rusted. I had the straight 6 that engine was awesome. I loved my grand Cherokee Zj I had a 97 the trans is good just have to change the trans oil every 40k to 50k

Get the astro van and paint it like the a-team van

I had a 93 with a 318 in that same colour and trim! Loved that jeep

You can get some inexpensive suspension lifts that make those Jeep ZJ Grand Cherokees great off-road.

Thank you for pointing out the number 1 thing most people do wrong at a auction. GO THE DAY BEFORE!!!!!! Never show up the day of the auction and think your going to score big. Day before. Drive the car. Bring a scanner. Bring a jack. Do your home work. The smart people are. Thats how you find a good car. If there is a issue after purchase, its your own fault. The used car hustle is not easy, so dont be that guy that takes your last 3 grand and thinks they are going to score a car to double their money on in 10 mins. That does not happen in real life. Only on TV. And with 1500 cars every week, if there is nothing the week you go, dont rush. Come back the next week.

Great buy you can do a 2 0r 3 inch lift really cheap ,steel d slot wheels and 31's and have yourself a nice little overlander.

ik its not the same, but i had an 01 XJ and i loved it. got it unfer 2k too

Oh God! Thank you guys! You fulfilled my wish. Since then I started watching your channel, I have been waiting for this car. I am looking forward the next ZJ episode !!!

Love your videos and where you have taken the channel Tommy. It’s always been great, but you really come up with great new ideas instead of just reviews of new stuff the average person can’t really afford. I’m glad that you’re the “frugal guy” and have a taste for what I myself like. I’m a Toyota and Jeep guy too. Check out a set of Rusty’s budget springs and put some used all terrain take offs on it. See where it takes you. You’ll have more flex that a “budget boost” and not a lot of money in it.

My dad had one same year. Sold it for 2500 with 350000 on that engine no problem with transmission no problems with the engine just kept it up.

As soon as I heard the 4.0 start up I knew that thing was yours. Cool video!

I have a zj just like that with some work done to it by myself, dude its an amazing jeep

This is a great idea for a series. Speaking of SERIES, why on EARTH didn’t you go the 80 Series???? You really missed an opportunity to grab that, even if you ended up investing a total of $10k in that thing (the codes it threw are no big deal. I have a 95 and my o2 Sensors need attention and it’s nothing major) you could have sold it at a massive profit, put together an incredible series around it, and illustrated just why the 80 is the absolute pinnacle of an iconic run of Land Cruisers. Sigh.

Glad you all are doing a Grand Cherokee of that generation. It's my first vehicle and I owned 2 others after that. I would buy another if wife let me

Rust Oleum Hammered Bright Red spray bomb paint job 31 x10.50s 2" budget boost lunchbox lockers $4000 all in

Thank you TFL!!! The ZJ is an absolute beast off road. Great decision!

I really like this style of video!

Finally, a ZJ hits TFL...Thank you

Love the zj… probably the best cheap off road capable vehicles you can buy.

We have the same jeep ,ours is 94 with a V8 auto same color. Looking forward to what you do

If you decide to get a cheap paint job, try to get them to match the original color as close as possible. You will kick yourself if you go with a different color. They are not going to do the door jams or engine bay and you will hate yourself every time you see the color difference.

My first car was a 1996 ZJ I got for $2500 in 2014, good times

Thoes codes were easy fixes in the s10 and that one looked like a gem

There’s a local auction company here in the Boise area with a 94 XJ Cherokee and 05 Grand Cherokee that I’m looking at as cheap project off-roaders so I appreciate this videos timing. They also do the bidding online but I’d prefer doing a walkthrough of the vehicle like you did. Great job!

Great pickup guys!

I would’ve put money on it that you were going to buy the Jeep it was no question in my mind I’ve had three grand Cherokees ZJWJWK I love all of them my first she was a 96ZJ I can’t wait to see what you do with this hopefully when I get some spare time and money I will buy a $2000 ZJ and fix it up also

You are missing the half-a-pack of cigarettes and the sunglasses . . . . . . . . . (if you don't know, ask Nathan.)

When did this channel start? 🤔 My dad would kill me! What the hell! I liked this and then I heard that! Holy cow! This is a person I personally probably not get along with!

P.S I owend a Durango like that one, power....power....power....but was thirsty

cute!! ive got a ‘95 laredo, 235k on it. fantastic car tbh, im hoping to get her to 300k! also funnily just replaced a stolen cat lol

I loved my ‘98 Grand Cherokee; when I bought it back in 1998, I preferred the 4.0 L straight 6 over the V-8, as it was not sluggish and had much more pick-up than the V-8. Sometimes, if the AC isn’t blowing cold, it’s a simple matter of tightening up the serpentine belt. I got a tad shy of 200,000 miles on it, when a crack appeared on the transmission. One of the best Jeeps I ever had…

Great job keep’m coming

Pretty awesome how they set this up so that they can pay super cheap prices for cars and rip people off on their lots later.

i still have two Zj’s by far my favorite jeep ever made. The v8 pulls like a train even with 251k We also have a durango with the 4.7 and that has been the best vehicle we’ve ever owned

My little brother still drives a 92 grand cherokee as his daily, guy has made like 100 Grand /yr for the last decade, he can easily afford something nicer, its just the jeep wont die, and we salt our roads 6 months of the year so its not worth buying anything new really

I love these videos! Can’t wait to see the rest of the series.

Durango are cheap to buy compared to a Dakota. The Durango are easy to work on are a good solid vehicle.

That car auction in the rockies are out of there mind the price are out this world. To much money

I wish you would have e followed the Astro Van, Lexus and Cherokee and told us what they went for

That auction has a lot of landfill material

ZJ is a great budget jeep!

a weld in universal magna flow cat will work fine. I love ZJ's. Comfortable, capable, cheap to fix, and parts everywhere. Good buy.

I was really hoping you’d get the red xj but the zj cool too!

This was a cool video. The ZJ should be a pretty good rig. Sadly the ZJ only got the AW4 automatic for one year, then it had the 42RE put in it. The XJ kept the AW4 through 2001. Outside of the clear coat going away, and that rust bubble, (and the cat), it should be a good cheap 4x4.

Love the choice, I figured it would come up, since we saw it in Nathan's and the Santa Cruz update video. Looks like a combination of mine and my aunt's, as we both had ZJs. Mine was a 94, with the exact same colour and I put the same rims on it. While my aunt's was a 97, with the same interior upgrades. Her's had a slight coolant leak, mine was oil and aging transmission that didn't downshift on hills. But we loved them.

Great content! Can’t wait to see how it progresses

Tommy bought a jeep product? Never would have guessed.

Do more auction videos 👍

So, I had one almost identical. My thoughts are repaint, pick a diferent color. New carburetor Jeeps don't need speed but power to the engine and maybe a larger radiator. Of course you know tires and wheels better tha I...

When I see a Cherokee that old I think of The Goonies. “Buckle up, I’m gonna put it into 4 wheel drive”. Zooms in on shifting 4 wheel drive lever. “An RV. Bullet holes…. Bullet holes!?” Love that chunk calls the Cherokee an RV. Now I refer to my Honda CRV as an RV because of that movie.

I can already tell you I’m really gonna enjoy this series! I’d love to see you guys get a Jeep Grand Cherokee WK (3rd Gen)

Locker ?

Not a bad little buy for just over $2000

6:15 that be sweet if it was a v6

Love ZJs, bought mine for $2k with the 5.2 V8 and a 6 in lift

Just send this thing to a Maaco and get the least expensive paint job, in black. Then start working on that check engine light and maybe a budget lift, something small that would allow slightly bigger tires.

An old mini van off-roader would be awesome

Ok Tommy my ZJ vs your ZJ at the ranch!!

I drove a mechanic dealer out to inland California to one of these dealer auctions... He would work on Land Rover and double his money, and other high value cars

This could be a new TFL channel. Sign up Brenden. Fun watching car auction.

Those aren't high miles for a 4.0 ZJ. She's just getting broken in.

I just gave one of those away a couple months ago he payed way to much for that high of mileage

I like this series, more auctions!

Wow, I have a 98 ZJ, but my headliner don’t look like that 😭

It's funny how critical of rist people not from the northern midwest are. Out here we would be impressed how little rust it had and how easily those small spot could be fixed.

My father and I picked up an 2001 WJ with the 4.0 120,xxx miles needed a trans sensor leather and all asking and paid $900! Never know... great vehicle now.

Very cool. Man those auction fees are high. On 1900 bucks the fee is 285 at DAA south

Bought my son one for his first car. 1998 Grand Cherokee Laredo 2wd. Owned by an old friend of the family who does all the maintenance and reslly took good care of it. 140k miles. $2500 custom leather interior. Amd we only paid $1200. And it was probably a mistake. In the first year we put about $5k into it just for repairs. He's been driving it for about three years now, and about every three months it still manages to find some new sensor, switch, or other thing to break. The 4.0 engine is built like a tank. But every other part of it,. especially the electrical system, is just absolute garbage. Eventually we'll have replaced the entire vehicle, one part at a time. Maybe then it might be more reliable.

You gotta Keep it and do a series on it. I love my 96 grand Cherokee

Yet another Jeep,,,,,,yay, was hoping for something a little more fun

One challenge with that generation of XJ. The PCM. Problem presents with "unscheduled" intermittent stalling. The circuit board in the PCM cracks, solder joints, due to time/weight/stress of 3 large wire lug connectors hanging. PCM is located on the fire wall, passenger side, under the hood. PCM is repairable. Not available at dealer/no longer manufactured.

My liberty crd has 250,000 and still lights them up and rolls coal like a big boy. It's temperamental. Kinda sucks. Definitely leaks. Always wanting new stuff. No heat in the winter. But at least diesel smells bad

Buy an astro! But a pre 98 one with mechanical awd NOT electric engagements old school viscous coupling. Avoid popet valve 4.3's. Get a throttle body intake one

Build a Cherokee Chief tribute

Pretty cool and congrats. Add a new display console with backup camera and apple car play. Thinking about doing it with my 2010 xterra.

Build this zj into a concept suv. The Larry Shinoda concept (designer of mid year Corvette and the Boss Mustang)which he never got credit for.

I could tell from the thumb silhouette it was a ZJ. I have a '98 ZJ Laredo with the 5.2, looks exactly like yours. I bought mine 2 years ago for an off road toy. I expected it to break down a lot being a 24 year old Chrysler product but it has been rock solid! I did the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route last year and hauled an off road trailer for a group of motorcycle riders (see my video of it here on RU-vid). 1200 miles off road and I really did abuse it, I was able to keep up with the motorcycles thanks to the V8 power and the great AWD system. I was hauling ass and hitting stuff faster than I probably should have. Not one issue! Actually the check engine light came on for an hour and then it turned itself off but who cares. I have towed another ZJ on a car dolly (not recommended), taken countless off road trips, and it has performed great. Mine has 31" tires on Ford Explorer wheels (0.5" more backspacing than the stock wheels for no rubbing) and 2" spacer lift that was $40 on ebay. Excellent off road performance with the short wheelbase although a locker would be nice. Mine was only $1000 but that was a different time for car values. Also mine had a bad NP249 transfer case when I got it and I swapped it out for a NP242. I love the way it looks and I love driving it. The only thing I don't like is the gas mileage. A manual transmission would be a huge improvement but for the price of the rig I am completely satisfied. I'll be watching to see what you do with it.