Ok so about three hours ago I rolled my jeep into a ditch... It was a slow speed rollover caused by sandy road, unfamiliar with road near 180 degree curve... Passenger A pillar looks fine but the roof is crinkled laterally pretty rough... Anyone have any experience with repair of the roof along the windshield to allow for the windshield to be replaced pics to follow in the morning after I get back to the shop...

 

its a unibody, Time for a new Jeep.

 

You can either do a lot of work trying to repair that body, or find a non-runnuing WJ cheap. Then swap your parts onto it. IMO it'd be easier, and safer too, going the second route.

 

I second blue's statement. Your gonna have to replace the roof panel and that is a pain especially if the body is twisted.

 

Well here's a pic I had it in the shop today and there is no twisting of the frame nor are any pillars crushed the roof popped right back out and we used a porta power to bring a lot of it back...

 

part it out, or like above stated pick up a blown WJ and swap everything. i think it would be more then its worth unless there are some amazing things in that jeep that you cant take out lol

 

Sometimes, son, you just can't fix it!

My previous jeeps were shredded!

 

Might not be what you want to hear but here goes.
I have full coverage on my '04 WJ, so they'd total it if that happened to mine. Then I'd buy it back for a very low fee, maybe $200, then build a trail rig out of it. Then use the funds from the insurance co. to replace it with another nice WJ.
I know this works because I was hit in a GLH Omni I restored, and they said it was totaled. It was only hit in the B-pillar, so I bought it back for $200. They gave me what I had receipts for in the car, minus the $200, and I drove it home. I replaced one door, and sold it to a friend for $2,400.

 

Not hijacking but why would you have to buy it back if its your jeep? I'm new to car ownership but been raised around jeeps. Never had to deal with insurance till about a few months ago.

 

Because when they total it, they pay you for it, and it belongs to them. You can then buy it back for a low fee if you want to go that route. To use for whatever you want. For parts, to rebuild, whatever. It does have a salvage title after that though.

 

I have liability only would I still have to pay a fee? Even when it's not my fault.

 

How long ago was that. A grand Cherokee even wrecked is worth a lot more to a parts whole seller and the tend to put higher values on cars now. I watch insurance auctions all the time.

 

Here's how it works, last time it happened to me. If the IC totals it, they give you Nada RED book value for it. Then they take bids from body shops and parts recyclers. All you have to do is better the best bid by $1 and you get to keep it.

My 67 Camero SS was totaled. I got the car back, parted it out, got back twice what the car was worth, and sold it to a bodyshop. There wasn't much left besides sheetmetal. I even sold the freaking radio, seats and carpet! I will admit the car had a lot of high performance OEM parts in it, so my parts were in demand. Where can you find a 12-bolt 4.10 posi rear with 3 leaf springs for a 67 Camero?

IMO, you should do the same. Take the money and run! Buy another with the proceeds, or buy a chassis for your parts.

 

My incident happened in the late '90s. I had to go to the local claims office with my car. They argued with me as to how much it was worth, wanting to give me book value, even though they could see it was in restored condition. When I showed them my receipts for what I had in it, they finally agreed.
I asked him about buying it back for parts for another project. We talked a little, then agreed on $200 dollars. Maybe the price was low because it was an Omni GLH Turbo, and he hadn't seen one in a while. He had no idea what he was looking at.
I'm sure things might be different with your WJ, even though there are ads of them for sale at super cheap prices, in non-wrecked condition.