So, I'm having a meltdown. I'm trying to decide if I should build my Cherokee into an off-road beast. I know that they can be made into extremely capable off road machines, but I am concerned with their long term reliability. When I say long term, I'm talking 20, 30+ years.

In my search for the perfect off road platform, I can't help but see the Cherokee uni-body as a weakness. In terms of restoration, body on frame is obviously desirable. I want my son to grow up with this vehicle, and I want it to stay in one piece, eternally repairable, until I'm dead. Can the Cherokee accommodate this?

Bottom line, I'm concerned that this Cherokee will only become a money pit that will inevitably deteriorate into an unrepairable state. I desperately need some input here because I'm debating whether or not to ditch my Cherokee in favor of a vehicle without a uni-body.

Thank you for your responses.

 

the unibody? oh you mean the body-lift-eliminator. thats one of the best features of the xj
cherokees are cheap. they're just a shell and you build it to how you want it then it breaks and you find a new host and transfer the parts
that being said, theres still a bunch of xj's from 84 still floating around craigslist that are still in good shape. they'll last if you maintain

 

if you wheel it hard it will fall apart.

but if you wheel anything hard i doubt you will keep it for 30 years.

there are things you can do to make it last.

i just swap all my parts to a new shell every couple years

 

20-30 years? ROFLMAO! Good luck with gas!

But yes, keep it and make it a beast!

 

300 miles a week= $80
times 52 weeks = $4,160
times 30 years= $124,800.

So you are willing to spend over $100,000 to keep it?

 

I don't necessarily find the idea, in general, too far fetched. I liken it to the guy who owns the collector Camaro and still drives it daily. It's also just like those who take a POS classic and restore it to original.

Sentimental value makes an object priceless. Seeing old Toyota FJ40's still in use is at least somewhat inspiring. There is no reason one could not maintain a vehicle for their lifetime, and still see it used on a daily basis.

Of course, technology may make gasoline obsolete in the future, but I've seen many propane conversions in the off road world. There's no reason to think one couldn't adapt their current vehicle into something future proof.