Hi all,

Just trying to get an idea if I should try to sell my XJ to be used for parts or if I'd be better off just scrapping it now.

It's a 96 Cherokee SE 4DR with the 4.0 and 4WD. Original motor, transmission, transfer case & axles. Completely stock, never modified. 280K miles, still runs like a champ though. Small oil leak at the pan seal, but never leaked enough to need oil added between changes. Failed inspection in April 2016 due to pretty much the entire floor being rusted through, carpet showing and all. Still runs and drives fine, it was my daily driver and only vehicle for 5+ years.

So is it worth trying to sell it to someone who may want the motor/drivetrain/other parts (I'm really not interested in parting it out myself)? Or would I be better off taking it to the scrapyard now? Thanks for the help everyone!

 

Pictures help haha

 

Around here the scrapyard would give you about $65 or so. Could sell it on CL for $200-300 easy. I would suggest selling it on CL. SOMEONE will buy it.

Call around town and see what the local yards will give you, then sell on CL for at least twice that.

 

Honestly your best bet would be to find a good body with a bad drivetrain and swap it over to yours then scrap what is left. Best of both worlds you still have a XJ in good shape and some money to do the swap once you sell the scrap.

 

^This, if it is just floor pans it is likely salvageable (still not worth a ton though if sold in that condition), if the uni-frame has significant rust issues too then it is pretty much a parts rig at that point, but still likely worth more on Craigslist/eBay, etc. if the drive-train is solid than what you would get from the junk yard.


Unless it was patched before, or the previous shops doing your inspections weren't very through I'd be surprised that the entire floor pans would have rusted through in a year, any hole in the floor pans should fail you for inspection in PA (since it can let exhaust gases into the passenger compartment), usually it takes several years to go from a small hole or two to completely shot floor pans.

 

I thought the same thing about the decline in just one year, but I've had it inspected at the same shop for the last 3 or 4 years, including when it failed this year. It's to the point where you can put your thumb into any hole and touch carpet, and put another finger from the same hand into another hole.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, I've thought about that, but really don't think it's my best bet to put anymore money into this Jeep. I just don't need it anymore, and while I'd love to keep it, I just can't justify the cost and time to do it.