Peronally, I would stick with something 95 or earlier either CJ or YJ bodystyle.
Try climbing in and out of CJ5 or CJ3 before committing, it can be a bit challenging for old fat guys. Especially if they've been lifted! I found I had more trouble getting out of it, than getting into it, because of the way the door opening is cut. Not enough room to get around the steering wheel and over that hump in the back of the door, kept hanging my back pocket on the door frame.
Not sure exactly when they started throttle body fuel injection, but that's a definite plus, as the carbs on them are reportedly JUNK. My 88 has throttle body, but I've read that throttle body wasn't stock until 92. By the same respect, oil filter for an 88 doesn't fit it, so I suspect the engine may not be original.
If you scroll up there and look at that under-hood picture of Doggin's, that's what you're looking for. My 88 has a few more wires than that, but not many more. Most of them located in the area of the carbuerator for the throttle body and related sensors. Somewhere in the mid-late 90s they started looking like every thing else under the hood, and they aren't nearly as much fun to work on when they look like that.
The 4.0L 6 cylinder is virtually indestructable; not the least bit uncommon for them to run 250 - 300 thousand miles. The 2.5L 4 cylinder is good for 200,000+. The jeep V6 isn't known to be quite as dependable. Don't think you'll pick up a 4 cylinder and swap engines, the 4 and 6 cylinder have different transmissions and transfer cases. It can be done, but it's usually a transmission and engine swap to make that happen. And, often that requires transfercase swap too.
While the newer 4 door jeeps do have a certain appeal, you are very much correct... They come with a seriously stupid price tag!! There is nothing in my book, to justify what they want for those. Likewise, there isn't anything to justify what many guys want for their older jeeps. Best advice I can give you is, set a limit on what you want to spend on "a toy" and start looking. Not sure about up there, but down here in Florida I could have bought at least 20 nice looking CJs or YJs for under $5000 in the last 6 months. Most of them in the $3500 t0 $3800 range, with lift, wheels and tires. Then of course you have those yo-yos that think their bone stock jeep is worth twice as much too, but they are out there for reasonable prices.
Biggest argument against the 4 door is... Price!
