My adventure....

[Upstairs Chris]

So earlier this week I was browsing craigslist when I came across this.

 

ok you ask for pics LOOK 1994 jeep

 

That my friends is a 94 jeep Cherokee. Now I know we have a lot of UK members so I will just be short and to the point. The engine that is in those is extraordinary.

The 4.0 is arguably one of AMC's most famous engines. Many of these engines are known to go more than 300' date='000 miles (480,000 km) without rebuilding. In comparison, "this engine made more power than the Ford 302 V8, Chevy 305 V8, Chrysler 318 V8, as well as any of the 6 cylinder engines the Japanese were putting in their trucks... and it had comparable or better fuel economy."[16] [14]

In their time, these things were amazing.

 

 

Its a 4.0 liter inline 6 making 190hp and 220 ft/lbs. On a very light frame with 4 wheel drive and good ground clearance. These things are the stuff of legend. I used to have one, back in the day but a terrible ex girlfriend wrecked mine enough to bend the frame and well, its done after that.

 

I would love to have another one so I contacted the seller and scheduled a time to come see it.

 

Then things got interesting.

 

I followed the directions and ended up in "Healthy Heights Trailer Park". The guys name could have been jimbo by the looks of him. He was shoveling the car out of the snow and seemed very uninterested in me. Probably because he knew the probability that I would die on the test drive.

 

I started it up and with 170,000 miles on it, she cranked over instantly and idled at the a very constant rpm with a very low purr, a testament to that engine I am sure, but that's where the pleasantries stop. On the display box the "CHECK BRAKES" light was lit. Interesting I said, the pedal felt a little soft but nothing to extreme for an 17 year old vehicle. I started down the road, flicking switches and testing things. It than began to shake...and by shake I mean with the utmost of violence. So naturally I applied the brakes. To no avail.

 

I started to stop with the braking force of a sailboat.

 

I immediately turned around and pulled into a gas station and used the e brake to stop. I turned the wheel hard left and put it in park. I got out, looked in the wheel well to inspect the brakes. They looked fine to me, I said to my lady friend "Hey step on the brake pedal" and about 3 seconds later my shirt, pants, and face were covered in brake fluid.

 

I used the mans shirt in the back seat to clean myself off, then very gingerly drove back to the exotic trailer park. I pulled into his driveway foolishly applied the brakes. After coming to a stop in his snow bank, I got out threw the keys at him and said "You are aware we have lemon laws in the country right" To which he replied something I could not decipher.

 

I promptly left.

 

WTH who does this to people. What if I needed to stop for an emergency! I would have hit someone in someones else's car with no insurance and no inspection.

 

:mad:

[killalldude]

Craigslist can be a shady place. I'm surprised he just let you drive off with it. One of my good friends has a two door Cherokee, it's a late 90's model, and it has a 4.0 badge on the back. ;)

[t.]

Trailer park folk aren't big on safety then I take it? I can't imagine anyone here letting someone test drive what is essentially a death trap, surely he must have known that you were going to notice this minor issue. As you say you're lucky that you didn't hit anything.

 

I like how he's managed to fail 4 times at getting the whole car in shot too, pro stuff lol.

[ScoobSTi]

Craigslist can be a shady place.

 

It is a shady place. I've seen $1 car ads. Can't be right, obviously. There are a lot of scams there, you've got to be careful in what you choose. There was a news report once about some woman who's ex-boyfriend got revenge on her, let's just say. :\

[Upstairs Chris]

Well I figured he felt pretty good about me driving off with it because he had my car, a fully functioning one in his driveway.

[ScoobSTi]

Well I figured he felt pretty good about me driving off with it because he had my car, a fully functioning one in his driveway.

 

That's not good at all. :(

[killalldude]

Well I figured he felt pretty good about me driving off with it because he had my car, a fully functioning one in his driveway.

 

But you have they key and the title of your car ;)

[Leadfoot[YT]]

It is a shady place. I've seen $1 car ads. Can't be right, obviously. There are a lot of scams there, you've got to be careful in what you choose. There was a news report once about some woman who's ex-boyfriend got revenge on her, let's just say. :\

 

Many Jimbo's of the world saw the value in giving people a "free" car so they don't have to remove it from their lawns themselves. But I think $400 should be the minimum for a project scrapheap - free cars generally only come from people you know.

 

But wow, Chris! You are lucky there was no need for a panic stop or any of that "die painfully" stuff. Hope you find a decent 4.0 eventually. :)

 

-Leadfoot