I've been thinking about getting an older, relatively inexpensive 4x4 for camping and hunting. A bit of wheeling in the desert but nothing insane. It will also see some light commuter duty and I dont want to worry about it driving a 300 mile road trip. My wife and I car pool to work but that does not always work out, and my old project car (while fun), isnt something I want to drive in the city every day without AC.
My research has led me to the XJ. I've never owned a jeep, but a few of my friends do. A childhood friend and I built a salvage YJ into a psuedo crawler with a full cage, 38", custom 4 link, and a SBC350/TH400 power train. I know my way around a vehicle, but I dont want a POS that needs a ton of work. I just dont have the time to do a full build anymore or be working on it constantly.
I refuse to look at anything without a 4.0 I6 in it. I believe in those motors and I've seen what they can do. I'd prefer a manual gearbox just because. I'd prefer to find something stock or close to it. It would likely get a mild lift, nice rubber, and perhaps a winch but other than that I dont want to go crazy.
What years should I be looking at and what should I avoid? I live in the SW where rust is not an issue. What would you expect to pay for one matching my criteria? Prices are all over the place on CL.