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America’s 250th birthday is here, and automakers have let us down. Most of the America 250 special editions they’ve released have been pretty weak, even compared to the bicentennial specials of 50 years ago. When Thomas Jefferson wrote of “the pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence, he wasn’t talking about a Dodge Durango with black tape stripes. The true vehicular embodiment of the American spirit lives on Facebook Marketplace.
Located in Cherryvale, Kansas, this 2003 Jeep Liberty has taken liberty of its roof. According to the seller, the roof was damaged, and instead of being repaired, it was cut off. A roll cage was installed to provide some protection and (hopefully) restore some of the structural integrity that was lost with the roof. The seller is asking just $4,500 or trade, and given that the Liberty convertible had been listed for 11 weeks at press time, you might be able to negotiate that down.
Justin Donnelly via Facebook Marketplace
Justin Donnelly via Facebook Market
Justin Donnelly via Facebook Marketplace
Justin Donnelly via Facebook Marketplace
What’s not to like about this unorthodox open-top Jeep? Well, a few things. It’s being sold with a rebuilt salvage title and has 165,000 miles. The seller claims it “runs and drives great,” and that the air conditioning and cruise control work, but there are a lot of unknowns with a 23-year-old Jeep that’s been modified like this. The roll cage is probably better than nothing, but it’s hard to judge the workmanship from Facebook Marketplace photos.
Despite a name the Founding Fathers would love, the Liberty is not most people’s favorite Jeep. Following the XJ Cherokee was always going to be tough, and the KJ Liberty’s rounded styling was a major departure (even if it was very on-trend for the time). The boxier KK Liberty arrived just in time for Chrysler’s bankruptcy, which might explain why Jeep reverted to the Cherokee name even as the models it was attached to diverged even further from the XJ ideal.
Justin Donnelly via Facebook Marketplace
Justin Donnelly via Facebook Market
Justin Donnelly via Facebook Marketplace
Justin Donnelly via Facebook Marketplace
But if you just want a cheap beater, this is pretty sweet. The seller claims it has a three-inch lift, and it’s apparent from the photos that the tires are bigger than stock. The 104.3-inch wheelbase is less than that of a JL Wrangler Unlimited, and a two-speed transfer case was standard on four-wheel drive KJs. The listing doesn’t specify the engine, but early KJ models were sold with either a 2.4-liter inline-four or a 3.7-liter V6 (a diesel was briefly available later in the production run).
The Liberty also looks surprisingly good without a roof. It’s a more interesting alternative to the obvious Wrangler, and it costs less than a halfway decent Wrangler to boot. For once, the price of freedom isn’t high at all.
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Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
