Most people become Jeepers by purchasing their first Jeep second hand. This is an excellent way to experience the thrill that these iconic vehicles give their owners. Should you take your time taking a thorough look through a prospective purchase, you can ensure yourself a painless entry into the Jeep lifestyle. Rush into your first purchase and the chances are that you may need to be replacing a few Jeep parts sooner than you would have liked. This applies in particular to a second-hand vehicle that has spent much time off-roading.
What do you need to look for when buying a second-hand Jeep?
Overall condition
This aspect is probably the easiest for a Jeep newbie to assess. Give your potential purchase a thorough once over. Check the body for any dings, scratches or marks. More importantly, check for signs of rust. If the Jeep lived near the coast, rust might be a problem. If not dealt with quickly, it could riddle the body of the vehicle. A great place to check for rust is in the floor panels.
Check the tires and the amount of life left in them. Depending on which tire brand and type you chose, this Jeep part can take a chunk out of your budget, especially if you have to replace four tires at once. You want a little bit of life left in them, but understand, as a used vehicle, the tires will never be brand new.
The undercarriage
Always check the undercarriage of your prospective purchase. Pay particular attention to the skid plates as these take the most damage out on the trail. While under the vehicle, look for any other dents, scrapes or scratches. Also, check if any Jeep parts have been recently replaced as well as fresh paint touch ups. If you find any of these, this is a sure sign that the Jeep has spent time off-roading. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but the worst the damage, the more cautious you should be. Consider putting the vehicle through a thorough, paid for inspection before you buy it.
Leaks
A “bleeding” Jeep is another sure sign that it has spent plenty of time out on the rough stuff. Check thoroughly around the engine compartment and under the engine as well. If the car is left parked for a period, you may also notice drops of fluid on the ground. Again, while not a major problem, leaks will have to be fixed once you buy the vehicle.
Aftermarket mods
One of the real advantages one of these iconic 4×4’s is the massive amount of Jeep parts available to make it unique to you. Bear in mind, while some of these are purely to add to the overall look of the Jeep, some can completely change its performance and handling characteristics. If there are any extra Jeep parts attached, be sure to ask the owner if they did it himself or if they fitted by a reputable Jeep modding company. Remember, should something go wrong with an added mod and the last owner installed it, you cannot go back and ask him to fix it once you have purchased the vehicle.