trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

[fishingman220]

i need something to get back and forth to work, i do clearing and grade work so i need 4x4 and it doesnt have to be preatty, is there anything out there i need to stay away from? i know full size truck fairly well but never have messed with smaller trucks, i have been looking at cherokees, grand cherokees, blazers pathfinders, anything like that.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

I think you might do ok going with a late 80's early 90's S10 Blazer or Jeep Cherokee or even the Grand Cherokee. You wont beat the 4.0 and 4.3 6 cylinders in those trucks. Most will have rust and need some work.
IMO usually a thousand dollar ride needs another thousand in stuff to make it roll. Hopefully not all at once, good luck.

 

[phwrd]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

Good Luck,

I have a 2007 Tacoma with a 5 speed manual and 4 cylinders. Pulled my 16 ft boat, but not my new 20 ft boat.

Wanted a 4x4 to pull it out of the water, low tide, sandy ramps, just read too much about vehicles being pulled into the water.

I won't own a Ford, so kind of narrowed things. There are a lot of Used Ford SUV's out there if that is what you want. Papa always referred to those as ?Fix or Repair Daily?. He was a mechanic.

Looked at Jeeps but with Chrysler going down, worried about parts. Ended up with a Toyota 4-Runner that will pull the boat. But ended up paying 10K for it and still paid $1000 for replacement parts.

I had my mechanic look it over before I bought it, so I knew what I was getting into.

Point being, if you pay 5 grand for it, expect to pay another 2-3 k to make it dependable.

If you pay 1000 for it, you will pay 5k just to get it running as an everyday vehicle.

Not trying to rain on your parade but this is what I learned in 8 months of looking here in Florida, where we don?t salt the roads.

 

[j_martin]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

I'm there too. My insurance man once told me he figured it was against my religion to pay over $500 for a car. The 99 Caravan I'm retiring at 250,000 was purchased with 173,000 on it for 500. I paid 700 for an astro with 153,000 on it and drove it to 326,000. Still runs good, but all the doors fell off. Up until now, these vehicles were plentiful, and major parts, like transmissions could be had in top shape for a few hundred bucks.

As I have begun to search anew, I find that most of what I would buy has been oiled with sodium silicate. It's going to cost me 3-5 grand to get into something as nice as that $500 Caravan.

 

[fishingman220]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

i can fix just about anything on a truck, just need to pay for parts.

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

I like the Jeep cherokee's. I have one and love it. make sure it has the inline 6 4.0 liter motor cause those things are bullet proof!

I also have had a couple explorers with the 4.0 liters in them, and they are good rigs as well, although the 4x4 systems on these can be more troublematic than in the jeeps.

A friend of mine has a pathfinder with the v6 and loves it.

There are options out there, I would find a good cherokee though, pick it up for $1,000 and they will run forever.

 

[HappierWet]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

I bought a 90 Bronco II, with 5 speed and a 2.9 motor. had 75000 miles on it paid 1000 bucks for it and put maybe 400 bucks into it for exhaust and tires.
Ran it up over 300,000 before I retired it. Changed tires on it twice in four years and put a ball joint into it. Brakes and oil changes....wipers
Would not recommend any serious towing with it.
Beats a monthly car payment.

 

[fishingman220]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

yeah not looking to do any towing

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

That Aisin-Warner AW4 trans in the Cherokee is also superb 200k+ mile piece for sure with that good Kenosha built 4.0 six.

General Motors built a fine automatic as well, Ford not so much in those years anyway.

 

[fishingman220]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

cool, thanks, i am going to look at a 2 door cherokee tomorrow, the guy said it needs a power steering hose, not so bad it cant be driven just leaks some, needs a windsheld, and the trans case is broke( im guessing the chain is broke) but he has one about an hour away from here but i have to go take it off. it has 182K and he wants $500

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

4.3 in 4x4 loves the gas stations. I'm partial to jeeps. They are plentiful and easy to work on. Don't overlook the YJ. Lots around and cheap.

 

[fishingman220]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

i would love to find a yj (early wrangler) but around here you cant find them any cheeper than about 2k and those normally need a motor or trans or something serious.

 

[jackd1023]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

Hello I am a chevy guy at heart but....
Jeep Cherokee....4.0 Inline 6 absofreakingloutley bullet proof.
Too boxy for most but the best bang for the buck

 

[fishingman220]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

went and looked at it today, alittle rough but what do you expect for 500, burns alittle oil, but other than that not to bad, now the problem is going to be that i bought to drive back and forth to work and i am going to want to lift it and turn it into a trail rig like next week

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

While I was driving yesterday a thought came to me (yeah I do have random thoughts )...... if you are looking for a SUV there are a few options.....

Up here in VT we have a car dealer who invades the auctions every week in CT. He comes back with some nice rigs cheap and I think that what you are looking for IS available.

You need to make friends with someone who attends "closed" (not open to the public) auctions...... or find a dealer who goes and speak with him/her.

In the past few years I sold both of my full size Bronco's cheap just to get rid of them. I am sure you can find one of those...... and even with a 300 inline 6 they will tow your boat quite well.

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

While I was driving yesterday a thought came to me (yeah I do have random thoughts )...... if you are looking for a SUV there are a few options.....

Up here in VT we have a car dealer who invades the auctions every week in CT. He comes back with some nice rigs cheap and I think that what you are looking for IS available.

You need to make friends with someone who attends "closed" (not open to the public) auctions...... or find a dealer who goes and speak with him/her.

In the past few years I sold both of my full size Bronco's cheap just to get rid of them. I am sure you can find one of those...... and even with a 300 inline 6 they will tow your boat quite well.

I second the 'random thoughted Bob'.

If you can stomach a bit of risk and do the work yourself, auction is a great option. I've bought a few vehicles from auction. There is one auction locally that you can bid live online. Go down check it out, and watch and bid in the comfort of your living room. At the auction they have a big screen TV above the auctionieer showing online bidders.

Dealers have to factor in buying it, fixing and detailing a few things, transportation, storage on lot...then profit. They can't compete with someone buying for themselves.

As Bob, suggests there are different auctions. Generally it's hard to find a dealer who will buy for you. For the main reason is who's to say that you'll buy it from them after you take a closer look? They don't want to be stiffed in a deal.

 

[ezbtr]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

Cherokee, 4.0, auto trans, unbeleivably tough and mpg is around 18, not bad to work on either, excellent offroad - all stock...although try to find one with ltd slip rear end, really helps in 4x4

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: trying to find a cheap suv 4x4 for under 1000, any ideas?

I have had great luck with my old '87 Cherokee inline 4 2.5L four-door, and also my '99 Ford Explorer w/ 4.0L 6. Both have 4x4 and run like a dream with proper maint. I am on my second trans on the Explorer however.

I will add that there are considerably less SUV's on the market in this price range due to the utterly ridiculous cash for clunkers program which destroyed many good vehicles in order to stimulate sales for GM.

The only upside to this being that parts were stripped off the vehicles so theoretically there should be a glut of parts available at resonable prices. At least that is what I'm hoping

Good luck with the search