My new 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee (WJ)

The 1999 Jeep WJ after cleaning

On April 1, 2011, my friend found a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee on craigslist for $850. It had a 6 cylinder, 4X4, leather interior, sunroof and all the bells and whistles. The only problem was reverse didn’t work.  So I checked it out, and it looked to be in pretty good shape (no visible rust, the interior was in good condition, only dirty).  So I negotiated down to $800 because the battery didn’t seem to want to charge.  Turns out the problem was the seller’s charger, there was nothing wrong with the battery.  I got a junkyard transmission for $500 with a 6 month warranty, and spent some time installing it.  I started and finished the project in May, 2011 because I had another project going on in April.  Over the next few months, i fixed things like the brakes and put in a new rear axle, since the one that came with the jeep was very noisy.  I think the owner ran it dry and screwed up the bearings, because it had a pretty consistent leak out the pinion seal.  I also had the truck professionally cleaned inside and out, but I was not very satisfied with the results.  I paid a lot for this service and I could have taken it elsewhere for less money and probably the same mediocre results.  They did a good job defrosting the headlights though. Overall, I like my jeep.  I get around 21mpg normally, with my best tank at 24.5 mpg when i drove from New Hampshire to Philadelphia. Since this vehicle doesn’t do nearly as well on gas as my car, I only use it to haul things, tow a trailer or to go on short trips to the store.