Another Wannabe Jeep Wrangler owner

[countryjeep]

Lately, I've been seeing Wrangler after Wrangler after Wrangler......I was in my neighboring city, Andalusia, and noticed a convoy of 12 dark-green YJ's covered with mud and topless coming out of a dirt road with a police escort (no, they weren't going after them; one guy had a busted tie rod and needed a escort...and the Jeep peeps weren't enough? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif ). Anyway, this is when I decided I want a YJ...

...recently, I noticed an old YJ in someone's backyard on the way to Troy. It's red, has a missing headlight, and 2 missing fog-lights (I think it had fog lights, otherwise it was something wierd...). I think it had a soft-top on it, not quite sure. And I'm pretty sure it was full doors. One of the reasons I'm describing this is I'm curious if anyone in the Covington or Crenshaw area has noticed this Jeep...

...the other reason I'm describing it is I need advice on what to look out for in looking at a YJ. Like what are the good tranny's, do they rust easy, do I need to check out the top, etc. I'd really like to have this YJ as a project and am curious as what to look for IF I go to look at it (being the snoop that I am /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif )

[Don]

Lucus, I guess the first thing for you to decide is what do you want to do with the finished project Jeep? Will it be a toy, a DD, or a serious off road vehicle? The next issue to address is this the correct vehicle platform to use as your starting point based upon your desired end results? Does it have the correct engine, tranny, diff's, and etc. for your desired results. What condition are these items and the frame in? Can the vehicle be made "Street legal", if that is your desire? How much of the work can you do, and how much of it will you have to hire out? Basically, what will it take $$ wise to get this vehicle to your desired completion point. Building anything a piece at a time, is never cheap. The last thing you want to do is spend a lot on money and time on a project just to learn that you are not happy with the finished product. Just my $0.02

[countryjeep]

[ QUOTE ]
Lucus, I guess the first thing for you to decide is what do you want to do with the finished project Jeep? Will it be a toy, a DD, or a serious off road vehicle? The next issue to address is this the correct vehicle platform to use as your starting point based upon your desired end results? Does it have the correct engine, tranny, diff's, and etc. for your desired results. What condition are these items and the frame in? Can the vehicle be made "Street legal", if that is your desire? How much of the work can you do, and how much of it will you have to hire out? Basically, what will it take $$ wise to get this vehicle to your desired completion point. Building anything a piece at a time, is never cheap. The last thing you want to do is spend a lot on money and time on a project just to learn that you are not happy with the finished product. Just my $0.02

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not gonna restore it by any means. It's gonna be a off-road beater (or..yea, a toy; it doesn't have to look good, I don't give a crap how many nicks and dings are in it, etc.). I hope to see it's a 4.0L and a stick-shift, but I can handle a 2.5L and a automatic if that's what I see. And considering the price of the parts for YJ's, the best use, and the avaiability of factory-replacement parts (via your local junkyard /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hee.gif ), the YJ looks good to me. It doesn't need to be street legal...actually, I won't be putting insurance on it, as it'll stay on a tow-dolly at all times until I take it off-roading. As for the work, I can only do the replacing of parts (i.e. bolt-on bumpers, engine mounting, replacing transmissions, etc.). Any welding, bending, or "homebrew"ing can be done by my good neighbor who's very handy with a welder and crafting. And I won't be putting much money into it at all, as it'll just be a off-road beater; no care as to what happens to it in the very end.

[Hipee]

CountyJeep -
Well, if you want an off-road beater, then shoot for the 4.0L and the manual tranny. If it's a 1990 or earlier, then it'll have the 4.2L carbarated straight six, which was a very good engine. The only downfall was the crappy 2 barrel carb that they came with. Also, the Pugeot 5 speed trannys in those were crap too (i think they were the BA-5 or BA-10, can't remember). The AX model tranny was much stronger. You'll probably want to make sure it's got power steering, it wasn't standard on the YJs. Anything 1991 or newer has the 4.0L and is fuel injected. 1987 was the first year of the YJ and if I remember correctly, the first year that galvanized steel was used, so chances of rusting are a lot less.

I had a 1995 YJ w/ the 2.5L and the 5 speed. It was a decent little off-road machine. Went anywhere I wanted to go.

Enjoy.

[Don]

Lucas, it sounds like you got a plan /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tu.gif Be sure to post photos of your find /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tu.gif

[countryjeep]

I'll be going to look at it with my neighbor next week. After looking at it again, it seems to be '92+ due to that the body is in just perfect condition! Or so it seems from the road. Atleast the paint job is new. If I find that it has no tranny, I can probably find one, but I couldn't handle not having the motor, as it would be too much to go out and look for one, not mentioning mounting it.

I sure hope he'll sale it since he hasn't got it up for sale...I sure want to have a YJ. And since I'm only 14, my budget is nearly nothing. The most I could pay for anything right now is $500 or a little above that. He'll have to almost give it away, but considering the peeps around here, they're sometimes willing to do that /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Don]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll be going to look at it with my neighbor next week. After looking at it again, it seems to be '92+ due to that the body is in just perfect condition! Or so it seems from the road. Atleast the paint job is new. If I find that it has no tranny, I can probably find one, but I couldn't handle not having the motor, as it would be too much to go out and look for one, not mentioning mounting it.

I sure hope he'll sale it since he hasn't got it up for sale...I sure want to have a YJ. And since I'm only 14, my budget is nearly nothing. The most I could pay for anything right now is $500 or a little above that. He'll have to almost give it away, but considering the peeps around here, they're sometimes willing to do that /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Lucas, when I was about your age, I found an old rusted farm tractor sitting in a field. It was a 1941 Allis Chambers model ??,. Everytime I went by that tractor, I checked it out and told everyone that I was going to purchase that tractor. Considering I had no money, didn't know one end of a tractor from the other, and the fact that the tractor wasn't for sale, people thought I was a little more than nuts. After I had collected a few $$$, I went up and asked about that tractor. Long story short, the man that owned that tractor had died, the tractor sat in barn for years until farm was sold, then tractor was moved down the street to that field where it sat for several more years before I purchased that pile of rust for $50.00. That tractor was the best learning experience I could have ever dreamed of. I say go for that YJ!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tu.gif

[countryjeep]

I sure will do that. And btw, the viewing time has been moved from next week to tommorrow! So I'm gonna check it out after school tommorrow.......sure hope things go well. Wish me luck /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Don]

[ QUOTE ]
I sure will do that. And btw, the viewing time has been moved from next week to tommorrow! So I'm gonna check it out after school tommorrow.......sure hope things go well. Wish me luck /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I have purchased a few old cars that were sitting around and sometimes, people are not real interested in selling. If this is the case, leave a card with your name and phone number and ask them to call, if they change their mind. I did this one time when lady wanted way too much $$ for a non driveable car that I wanted for parts. Instead of getting upset, I just thanked her for her time and told her my story and asked her to call me, if she changes her mind about the $$...... about a week later, she called me and said it's yours for the $$ I offered (which was a fair price for each of us). Good luck and remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif

[countryjeep]

Well, I just went there. That was a wasted trip. This is the 5th Jeep I've gone to to get that line from some man that "it's my son's. I have no right to sell it".......I'm sick of it. And worse, my dad didn't leave a number. Oh well, 5 Jeep's down.....millions more to go...