Well WHAT A DAY
Booked train tickets down to lancing from Burton on Trent for me and a mate to go get the jeep. got up at 4.45 am left for train station and the conditions were blizzard like, felt a bit bad that my other half had to drive back in the snow and dark alone after dropping us off.
Got on train at 6.10 am after a few changes we arrived at Lancing just after noon.
Well this is were things started to go down hill
I didn't buy the jeep, reasons listed below.
I had asked about the bodywork as i admit i am fussy, in the advert as below it stated 'excellent' bodywork, also a big point was made that the vehicle although built for offroad use had never been used offroad.
The bonnet had a dint at the top with creased edges i.e it couldn't be popped out it would need filling/spraying
The drivers wing had a dent at the top that may of pulled out but below this the panel was again out of shape, so much so that the large plastic arch was an inch from the metal at the tip of the arch.
The boot lid.....well the bottom edge of the boot was lower than the bumper ! i could see it wouldn't clear the bumper so asked if it opened. he tried to open it as per normal, no chance. so he climbed in the boot and while hammering at the inside while my mate pulled at the outside it still wouldn't budge 1 eventually it did force open, obviously the leading edge of the boot needed sorting and the bumper dropping down 5mm
i mean come on who tries to sell a car like this ? i wont try to describe the sound as the boot was continuously slammed to try and get it to shut, i was grimacing oh and although wedge down it wasn't closed as the dash light was still on.
The drivers door scuff guard/trim on the outside had a 2 inch piece missing/snapped off.
When stood at the front of the jeep Stevie wonder would of been hard pressed not to notice that when the passenger wheel was facing straight ahead the drivers was sticking out by a fair bit also the steering wheel agreed this, he said it needed tracking but i am not so sure, i thought maybe due to the lift, read this can happen when lifting ?
I specifically asked if it went through the offroad box (2/4 neutral smoothly which he replied in a message was perfect. well needing 2 hands to make one of the shifts didn't inspire my faltering confidence
Again even though it was never meant to have been off road evidence suggested to me it had, mud stains on the seatbelt and mud splashes on interior panels
Basically i was disappointed
while as my mate pointed out i could get the bodywork sorted for the money the guy was going to knock off it just didn't feel right and i had lost all confidence in all he was saying, the oil dint look like it was changed only 200 miles ago etc so i walked away dejected
To cut a long story short we were stuck in lancing tying to find a way home, tickets that had cost us £27 pre booked were now £160 back as they obviously weren't discounted for pre booking them
We ended up going through London / on the underground which i didn't fancy having all the cash on me
I finally got home at 10.45pm !
So an expensive day out and nothing to show for it
If the guy had been honest in his description i would of known it wasn't for me, if it wasn't described as excellent bodywork and never offroad ed then i wouldn't have gone all that way
Tbh the price he lowered it to is probably worth it to somebody that will use it for what it is ultimately built for and somebody that will add more dents etc
Anyway the search continues..
heres the original add
This is an extremely sad & reluctant sale of my much loved ‘top of the range’ Jeep Cherokee Orvis. I can honestly say that the only reason it is up for sale is that, with the pressures of both work & family commitments, I just don’t have the time to enjoy it to its full potential as I had originally hoped. Unlike some sellers on ebay & for your peace of mind, I will be totally honest in both it’s brief history & description…
When 1st registered, the Jeep was initially used, in standard format, as a demonstration model. It has since had 2 private owners from new & finally myself. The retired gentleman I was lucky enough to buy it from earlier this year was a very wealthy man. Within the grounds of his property, he had a huge barn filled with several historical cars – must have been thousands of pounds worth! Being a 4x4 fanatic, it was this previous owner (who owned it for 6 years) who spent a small fortune on all of the modifications you see on the Jeep today. As the Jeep was one of several cars within his private collection, it had never actually been used off road & had very little use on road. In fact it spent a lot of time in dry storage (hence the very low mileage). Eventually when he did decide to sell it, I was lucky enough to be the next owner.
As you can see by the pics, this is no ordinary Jeep. The modifications were installed professionally, approx 2 years ago. The result is the ability for improved off road performance with minimal effect to on road driving. Although it has never been off road, this Jeep will perform superbly off road & also happily cruise on the motorway at 70-80 mph all day long. The jeep also has the huge benefit of having only done 34,000 mls from new. Everything works perfectly & I would not hesitate driving anywhere within Europe in complete confidence that it would not let me down (unlike many other 4x4’s !).
Being the ‘Orvis’ model, this Jeep was ‘top of the range’ when manufactured. Further details of the jeep are listed below, starting with some of the standard fitments & followed by the modifications (most of which are fairly new):-
Superb & powerful ‘bullet proof’ 4.0 engine (the Jeep is both quick of the mark & cruises very well)
Only 34,000mls from new supported with service history / previous MOT’s (last major service recently completed in August 2010)
Excellent body & paintwork (polishes up really nice)
Selectable 2wd or permanent 4wd ( high & low ratio )
Unmarked full leather charcoal interior with nice wood affect trim
Fully adjustable electric front seats (both passenger & drivers)
Electric windows (front & rear)
Adjustable steering column
Power steering
Cruise control
Heated wing mirrors
Air conditioning
Dash mounted CD changer
Electric ariel
On board computer
Remote control central locking
Factory fitted alarm/immobiliser
Heavy duty rear load liner
Roof rails
Supplied with a highlift jack
Full 5” suspension lift kit ( manufactured by Rusty's - a proper American kit )
33 x12.5 x15” BFG mud terrain tyres fitted to steel wheels (full set of 5)
Wheel arch extension kit kit (to accommodate the larger tyres)
Detroit lockers (front & rear)
‘Quick release’ front anti roll bar (can be disconnected to improve articulation when driving in extreme conditions off road)
Heavy duty front winch bumper
‘Warn 9500i’ winch (with remote control) – supplied with all operating instructions & manual
Heavy duty rear bumper (with fitted tow bar)
Heavy duty under body protection (underbelly skid plate & rear tank guard)
Stainless steel performance exhaust system (sounds awesome & gives approx an additional 10-15 bhp)
Fully waxoyled & under sealed throughout (to keep the underside all in ‘tip top’ condition)
The Jeep is MOT’d until mid July 2011 & taxed until end January 2011. It had a major service in August this year during which all oils etc. were fully replaced. The new owner will be very lucky & not have to spend any money on the Jeep until the next service is due. To be very, very fussy, the only item the new owner may wish to address at some time in the future is the warn winch. As with the other modifications, this was fitted brand new 2 years ago – it does work, but can be a little tempramental, mainly due to not ever having been used!
I have all the original owner’s handbooks & associated documents etc. The Jeep will also be supplied with 2 sets of keys. In summary, this is a very nice truck that gets a lot of attention wherever you go. As mentioned before, it has never been off road, despite all the modifications. I have used it as my 2nd car since ownership, mainly for weekend use & the occasional trip to work. My kids love it & it brings a huge smile to my face when ever I jump in. The only reason I have decided to sell is because I can’t justify keeping it along with the other cars we have in the family. Also with 3 young children I just don’t get any spare time to take it off road & enjoy it to its full potential as I originally hoped to.
Winter is soon approaching, so if your looking for a brilliant, superb, well kept, un-abused & reliable 4x4, than look no further !! This beast will get you anywhere- in style, safety & comfort !!
Finally, please only bid if you are a serious buyer. This is a great & rare opportunity for you to own this superb Jeep. I have set a very low & reasonable reserve – at a fraction of the cost of which it took to modify. You will not find another one like this at such a great price. If you have any further questions, then please either email or call me on 07795 335728.
Please note that I have just had to relist this item as the previous winner never contacted me or responded to my calls. This is a great vehicle, so please, no more idiots or time wasters!!
