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Good to hear the turn signals work. Now to the Jeep. I take it that is a unibody design, perhaps a Cherokee? I seriously doubt if you'll find anyone who would venture a repair on that. There does not appear to be much good metal left in the area. AND, if that spot is bad, where else after 19 years will you find bad metal? Be hesitant on selling that for scrap value right away if the drivetrain,engine, etc is good; you may want it for parts if you replace it with a similar vehicle and feel the need for adventure.
Hi Ray. I met with the frame guy yesterday and did some crawling around under the jeep with him. The frame is kind of a hybrid. It has some frame-like structure to it, but it is tied into the body structure like a unibody. The guy thought for $1,000 he could fix it, but did somewhat question if fixing it would be the best decision. When I mentioned what the scrap yard was paying, and I was leaning in the direction of parting with my Jeep, he said a friend his might be willing to pay the scrap price for it, and have him (the frame guy) fix it. This solution appealed to me. The potential buyer wants to see the Jeep first though before committing to the deal.
As far as spare parts go, there may be some, but the vehicle has close to 200,000 miles on it.
Here's a pic:
It doesn't appear to have any rust, but crawling around underneath, there's a lot that is hidden from view. The rocker panels for instance are all but eaten away, but you don't see it because they are covered with plastic cladding that will one day (maybe soon) fall off. I don't think I've ever taken a vehicle to the junk yard. When I'm finished with them, I've always managed to give them away to someone who needs them more than I do--in the case of this jeep--I may get little money back in the bargain (hopefully).
My son in Phoenix area recently sold a really nice '03 Grand Cherokee with 140k miles, absolutely no rust, but a trans problem, for $3500. If you like those vehicles, shop in the South.
Thanks Ross. I've just started shopping. I've indicated an interest in a half dozen or so Jeeps on Market Place, but only one seller responded back to me so far. He's in MI with a 2004 he says is from Honolulu. We'll see. I'd like the adventure of making a long road trip (or maybe even flying) to pick up a rust free western vehicle, but it's such a gamble that what you end up seeing at the end of your long trip is actually what you thought it would be. Before purchasing my 2012 Jeep, my son and I made a 12 hour trip (one way) to look at a 2004 GC characterized as rust free. It wasn't, and we had to turn around and go back home empty handed. Shortly after, I settled for a newer much more expensive vehicle that really was rust free.
Good point Abe. I asked some questions about that vehicle but didn't hear back yet. I've never bought anything on Market Place before. Right now three sellers have let me know their vehicle is still for sale. My wife, quietly, in the background, is hoping for something newer--much newer--and from a dealership offering cookies and test drives and complementary oil changes for the first few years. LOL. I'm doing my best to stay in an early 2000's Jeep $5,000 or less frame of mind.
I'm glad you brought that up, Abe, because I was about to. You don't want anything from Hawaii. It's a nice place to visit, but their rust will make yours look like child's play. It's all over rust, not just underbody. You can always tell a coast car 'cause they rust from the top down instead of bottom up.
I think I have a deal on a 1999 Jeep WJ Limited. The pick-up and exchange of cash happens Saturday. I did see some nice relatively rust free vehicles in places where it's warm all winter, but in my part of the world, rust is the norm. Vehicles that are 20 years old, with more than 150,000 miles, and asking prices in the $7,000 range, can still have substantial rust.
I discovered shipping a vehicle from Texas to my zip code would cost about $1,700. The one dealer I worked with in Texas gave me a hard time about taking additional pictures beyond the ones posted in their advertising. That experience soured me on a long distance deal.
This is the best I could find locally for $5,000:
You probably notice right off that's it's GRAY. LOL. It has a black leather interior and lots of new parts and repairs along with the inevitable rust. I'm going to use cladding from the jeep I'm junking to cover up the rocker panel rust, and I have an estimate from a body shop to do some other minor cosmetic fixes. New parts include: Tires, serpentine belt, battery, ignition wires, coil packs, spark plugs, alternator, shocks, and brakes. Both axles and differentials were characterized as having been completely rebuild as well as the transfer case and the rear trailing arm suspension. I think the front control arms and bushings may have been replaced too. There are some pictures that document these repairs and parts. I'll need to spend an additional $1,000 or so on things I want done, but then, hopefully, I'll have a respectable driving and appearing Jeep that may even appreciate in value as the years and government restrictions on new vehicles roll by.
Closed the deal today, and the "new" Jeep is in the driveway. Everything seems to work--power seats, windows, mirrors, cruise control, lights, wipers, washers, heater/AC, heated seats--and it runs and drives very well. The check engine light isn't on, and it has the Select Trac transfer case which is what I wanted but is almost never found in a Limited.
The seller doesn't speak english very well, so communication was a little difficult, but I gather this Jeep was kind of his hobby for the last few years, and he replaced a lot of parts, needed or not, just because he wanted everything to be new and nice. Two months or so ago, however, a new baby arrived in the family (number 6) and his wife wanted a new vehicle for safety concerns. Consequently she pulled up for the deal in a brand new (gray) 2023 Jeep Gladiator Rubican. She was happy. The seller was sad. His wife told him not to cry as the money and title changed hands.
I think I may have stumbled into a great deal. Time will tell. I'll post some pictures when the cosmetic repairs are done.
Congratulations Jim! Sounds like a sweetheart of a deal on a sweet Jeep. Finding a good clean used car that is affordable is almost like winning the lottery in my parts.
Enjoy the win, and the car!
My 2004 Jeep, with the broken frame that's destined for the junk yard, made it home today. The 15 mile trip came off without incident largely thanks to a little help from a ratchet strap. I wanted it home again to get some parts off of it for the newly purchased 1999.
I lined up the Jeeps for probably a last photo op.
Between the three of them, they have covered more than a half million miles and endured the rigors of more than 50 Wisconsin winters. I'll be sad to see the one on the end, farthest from the camera, go. It has the old 4.0L I6 engine carried over from American Motors days, and I imagined it would run forever.
A rachet strap holding the frame together? Awesome
It doesn't get more American ingenuity than that. Now I'm thinking you should keep it for a couple more years.
I know. The strap worked great. One hook was on the trailing arm bracket, and the other hook fit in a hole in the frame about 4 feet forward. It was almost like the hole was there for just such an emergency. The ratchet pulled the two pieces of the frame together, and the floor provided the structural support needed. I thought I may have to crawl along at about 10 mph, and even at that, maybe not make it. Instead I went 35-40 mph, and everything held together just fine.
I've driven a lot of miles, but I've never had a frame fail like this. Does anyone think undercoating is a good idea? I had a 68 Plymouth "Ziebarted" in the early 70's, but it rusted pretty bad anyway.
Jim
P.S. Look at that beautiful muffler. I just had that put on a couple od weeks ago.
Undercoating only helps if you get it on when the car is brand new, before the elements get to it. Active rust will grow in the absence of air, so if you coat the rust, it will keep rusting. Even then, it may only slow the process down a few years. In your harsh salt world, I wouldn't count on anything being a cure-all. Drive-em till they drop, just like you did. That's similar to what my dentist said about my failing crowns. "You can use them until you can't." So far, that's been my plan.
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