NewJeeper2k17

Good morning all!

I'm new to the Jeep hunting game and I think I've finally stumbled across an XJ I'd actually like to pick up. I found a 1999 XJ with just over 80k on it for $3,000. The price is great for the millage as far as I can tell when comparing it to similar deals, but I found the same car on a different site that had a few more angles so I could really see the rust on it (Pics Below) Is the rust on the door and near the rear wheel passenger side rocker panel a big cause for concern? I have seen some posts that say any rust is a non-starter, but with the Jeep spending its whole life in Michigan, and powering through 17 Michigan winters, I don't think I'll be able to find one with zero rust. Just looking for some advice on if this is a good deal or if I should run the other way. I do not own a welder and I'm not exactly mechanically inclined. I have replaced a few things on my old 2002 Taurus (starter, lights, filters) but that is the extent of my experience. Again, any advice would be greatly appreciated!


Thanks!

Tbone289

The XJ is a unit-body design, which means that the body and frame are not separate, but one "unit". The rust you show in the pictures can be repaired fairly easily, but the areas of concern are not in your pictures. Seeing the amount of rust in your pictures leads me to believe that there is also rust underneath, on the floor pans and possibly on the uniframe, where it can be a very bad thing.

In other words, the question of, "does this XJ have too much rust" can't be answered with these pictures.

NewJeeper2k17

Thank you for the quick response! I will be looking over the Jeep today, the pics above were provided by the seller. When I'm looking it over are there any spots in particular where rust is prone to be a big problem and end up being a safety issue? If I get under it and there are large patches of rust on everything should I walk away or would it be worth it to take it to a body shop and have them cut and weld new parts on? How do you know when the rust is bad? Is there proper edict when looking at semi-rusted xjs? Can I bring a screwdriver and try to test out some of the rust spots to see if it is rusted all the way through or is that against some unwritten code? Sorry for all the questions, I have done several searches but I've mostly found posts from those who are on their second jeep and already know the ins and outs. Seller said there were some bad spots underneath, but that over all it was a reliable and mechanically sound rig, I will post pics later today once I'm able to look at it in person.

Thanks again!!

Tbone289

Some of this is subjective. Some owners will put up with a lot more rust than I will, but I'm not really a body guy and I'm not willing to pay anyone for much of anything when it comes to working on my vehicles, or rather, if it can't be done by me it's not as likely to get done. I hate rust, and therefore couldn't stand to live in MI, MN, WI, etc.

Basically, you don't want body rot on any part that you're not willing to fix or pay someone to fix. If there is rot on the uniframe members, walk away. Oh, and I don't think it's probably "right" to poke holes in someone else's XJ. lol

NewJeeper2k17

Thanks again for your help. Went and looked it over, way too much rust on the bottom. Went right through parts of the frame and one of the coils was so rusted it looked like one good bump could break it. The hunt continues!

wristwister

Good call NewJeeper. These XJs are so plentiful, and can be had so cheaply, it makes little sense to rack up repair bills fixing rust on one.

Good luck in your search. Be patient, be willing to travel for the right XJ, and you'll be off to a great start.

Tbone289

Good going! If you see rust holes on the body like that, it's likely that it's worse on the bottom. With some exceptions... I have a hole in my lower right quarter because a mouse tore into that stupid insulation baggy that Chrysler puts in there. The insulation sat in there wet and rotted a hole through from the inside. In hindsight, pulling those bags out would be the first thing I would do.

NewJeeper2k17

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