Rust - should I buy?
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: Bryan, Texas
Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
pictures needed.
There are plenty of opportunities to find a good xj. I got my 2001 w/ 106k for a 2350 bc it has a rebuilt title (it had been stolen and recovered 3 times in N. Carolina). It is in killer condition! Be patient and keep searching.
There are plenty of opportunities to find a good xj. I got my 2001 w/ 106k for a 2350 bc it has a rebuilt title (it had been stolen and recovered 3 times in N. Carolina). It is in killer condition! Be patient and keep searching.
Member
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
From: Traverse City, MI
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L
I respectfully disagree. There are frame rails in a Cherokee. The uniframe design developed by AMC for the XJ took the unibody design and welded the frame within it, hence the term "uniframe" used on the Cherokee and also the Comanche. The design makes it impossible to pull the body off the frame, however, they are quite repairable if you have the desire. Don't butter that toast just yet.
CF Veteran
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,567
Likes: 20
From: ☼ Blackhole Sun
Year: My Jeep is a GMC
I respectfully disagree. There are frame rails in a Cherokee. The uniframe design developed by AMC for the XJ took the unibody design and welded the frame within it, hence the term "uniframe" used on the Cherokee and also the Comanche. The design makes it impossible to pull the body off the frame, however, they are quite repairable if you have the desire. Don't butter that toast just yet.
Last edited by Turbo X_J; Mar 9, 2014 at 01:18 AM.
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: Mid-Mich.
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
I picked up my '95 XJ this morning after some extensive rust repair. I had a retired auto-body guy and his friend do the work . I spent about $500 on repair patches {all the floor pans and rockers} and the guy charged me $700 to weld them in and patch some of the frame. His wife is best friends with my wife so I'm sure he was gentle with me on price. It looks fantastic and kind of has new car smell due to all the undercoating applied. This XJ has a almost perfect body in that forest-green color they had in '95. I've owned it since new and have waxed it at least once a year. The mechanicals are great, everything has been replaced or serviced regularly. I had to put a new head on it couple years ago and they replaced radiator and waterpump at same time. Tires are a year old and A/C was fixed last year. If it didn't have all these new parts and low mileage I wouldn't have done it. The guy who did the work said if he had done it at his old shop before he retired, just the labor would've been over $2000. He and another guy spent a total of 60 hours on it. Unless you can do it yourself or know someone who can, rust repair can cost more than the vehicle is worth. Find an XJ with little or no rust problems if that's possible. Mechanical problems are a lot cheaper to fix than rust repair.
CF Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 4,169
Likes: 6
From: York, PA
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
You most certainly can. I won't hesitate to build a frame for my XJ if the unirails rot out.
Herp Derp Jerp
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 18,251
Likes: 17
From: Parham, ON
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L OBD-II
Everything else on an XJ is cheap and somewhat straightforward to replace. Rusted out uniframe and body is the #1 killer of these things. Everything else can be dealt with.
Orly? You can't even finish a welding cart! :P
Orly? You can't even finish a welding cart! :P
CF Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 4,169
Likes: 6
From: York, PA
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
CF Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,357
Likes: 103
From: Canton, MI
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Year: 1993
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
It's been bought
Well, after much balihoo and searching for months, I've bought it. Rust, I don't think, is quite as bad as first imagined. There are some suspension parts needing replacing and a few floor pan spots and rockers that will be replaced. Fortunately, I've found a guy who can weld the repairs and I think I can be patient enough with it to replace some of the other moving parts myself to save $. Pics to come soon. Now it's time to pick up parts here and there, and continue to pray like the dickens that this thing is going to go my way. Thanks for all of the opinions.
Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 214
Likes: 8
From: Cleveland, Ohio
Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6 H.O.
All the cherokees I have owned where missing the rockers entirely beside my 96 which has some of the driver side left and all of them besides my 95 had huge holes in the floors I replaced the floor panels in my 96 panel by panel did the driver side first so i could drive it then the passenger and rears then the back hatch area. It's amazing how much heat the exhaust pours into the cabin when the floor is gone lol
The way I see it if you don't have rockers then you don't need to worry about getting rock sliders the only thing that your going to mess up is the bottom of the door lol jk
The way I see it if you don't have rockers then you don't need to worry about getting rock sliders the only thing that your going to mess up is the bottom of the door lol jk
Last edited by DJeXeCute; Apr 27, 2014 at 03:41 PM.
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 469
Likes: 3
Model: Cherokee
Your post came at a great time as I'm picking up my '95 XJ tomorrow morning after having a ton of rust repair work. I bought all the sheet metal from Rock Auto and it was surprisingly cheap. 4 floor pans at $59 ea., 2 rocker panels at $29 ea. and 1 piece of sheet steel @ $100. I paid a friend of mine $700 to weld it all in and that includes a new alternator and serpentine belt when it went out while it was at his house. The guy that did the work is a retired body guy with a fully equipped shop at his home. He had to fabricate 2 rear spring perches and patch one area on the frame. I haven't seen it yet but he said it looks brand new and rides a lot quieter. I guess that's because there's not big holes in floor pan anymore. I have to say that the reason I went through with this that when I bought my new JK, the dealer was only gonna give me $500 for my XJ. I've replaced or fixed everything on the Jeep in the last few years including new head, radiator, tires, all belts and hoses . The A/C was replaced a few years back and the body is perfect. Otherwise I won't have done it. I've owned since new in '95 and I actually like driving it as much as my new one. I think the key is you have to find someone to do welding and fabrication cheap. The parts aren't expensive but the know-how involved in putting them in is expensive. Now that it's done I plan on driving it another 20 years. It only has 135,000 miles on it which is just getting broke in for a XJ.
but take that $1400 or so you spent to replace all of those parts, drive south 600 miles, spend the same amount of cash and buy a rust free xj.
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: Mid-Mich.
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
How about gas and hotel bills? Doesn't matter though, I wanted to keep it, as I've already owned it 19 years and it's part of the family. I've got pictures of my kids and bassett hounds looking out the windows on a trip to Cincinnati in 1998 and the jeep still looks the same but kids are grown up and basset hounds have been replaced with puppies a few year ago.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
almostamos
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
1
Sep 14, 2015 02:53 PM
wags627
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
0
Sep 7, 2015 04:12 PM
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)