rust in any cj has to be the main thing to consider the newest cj will have been built in 1986 so is now 23years old in our climate
thats not good but most of it is flat and can be welded the worst area to repair is the bulkhead below the windscreen they both can rust but the screen can be got as new part be wary off lots a aly plating it just says rust
beware of any cj with a new paint job fesh pant hides loads of bodges look for somthing with an honest paint job
left hand drives may be worth considering in the uk they dont rackup as many miles they dont change hands as much and they may not have been in the uk all there lives [may not be as rusty]
engines there are quite a few cjs out ther with tired 4.2s in them easy to spot lots of oil blown over the gear box and front axle and most mark ther normal parking spot on the floor so evan before it starts you should have a suspicion it shold start and tick over smoothly let it warm or go for a drive then on return let it tickover it shuold still be smooth and rattle free apart from normal mechanical noise [nothing to harsh]
take the oill filler off you will get a small amount off breathing on any old 4.2 you will see it as a white mist any steam engine noises loud chuffing is not good the less breathing and smoother the better.....but 4.2s evan heavy breathers tend to keep going as long as you can keep up with the oil consumption
gearboxes tend to be strong with only the odd 2.5 and there box considered weak but listen for odd wherrings
axels dana 30 at front just look for the front ujs to be in good condition and that there is no play [up an down ]
amc 20 at rear strong axel if all poss check the large nuts at each end to make sure they f tight if they come loose you will spin the shaft in the hub expensive the only way to eliminate this is one peice shafts [stronger then than a 44
] chevk the pinon as with the front and check prop ujs a 86 may have a 44
steering check all joints for play and that the steering box is not flexing on the chasis rail [can come adrift] with large wheels tyres
the steering feels crap on the road anyway on all cjs but you will not enjoy a non power steering cj
inside the seats unless replaced are genaraly good but will be worn cracked the temp and fuel gages often dont work dont get fobbed of with o i have got a new sender to fit they can be a pain to trace the real problem be wary of any cj with loads of extra wiring hanging about or dashes that have been chopped about
lift all the carpets check all the electrics work [dim/dip switch] make sure if its a tilt steering column it dont wobble about other than the direction of tilt as it should
dont go alone if you are not confident of what you can repair or what you are looking at
