Need Emotional Support

18thcenturyguy

18thcenturyguy

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Feb 11, 2023
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88
Location
Connecticut/ Florida
So I finally had my Rubicon delivered from Florida. What a disaster. Turns out it isn't a Florida vehicle, the Paper work and title that arrived the day after the Jeep says it was from Connecticut, where I live. If I wanted rust issues I would have bought something up here. Then When I started it the power steering wasn't working. Turns out the Hydraulic Balancer was rotted out at the center and the belt was flopping all over. My mechanic hooked me up and did the job for 500, but still a bummer.

So, then I get it home and begin to really check it out. Found serious rust at the bottom of the windshield frame in three spots, so that will be some wire brushing and paint. Then I found more rust coming through the hood. The paint on this thing is so dry its like sand paper.

I feel like such a fool buying something site unseen. The dealer had sent me like 40 pictures of everything, and it looked so clean. I think he used old pictures from when the owner was trying to sell it years ago.

On the bright side I it does have 65k miles on it. The engine is clean and runs great. The frame seems solid, but I know more when I really get under it this weekend.

I paid 15k for the Jeep and 900 for delivery. Feel like I got duped. Then to make matters worse my wife had to remind me that she told me not to trust a dealership a thousand miles away. lol

Jeep TJ.webp


Hood.webp


Rust 1.webp


Wnidow Rust.webp
 
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**inserts virtual shoulder to cry on**

Sorry bud. That sucks. Plenty of lessons learned. No need for rubbing your nose in it.
 
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18thcenturyguy said:
So I finally had my Rubicon delivered from Florida. What a disaster. Turns out it isn't a Florida vehicle, the Paper work and title that arrived the day after the Jeep says it was from Connecticut, where I live. If I wanted rust issues I would have bought something up here. Then When I started it the power steering wasn't working. Turns out the Hydraulic Balancer was rotted out at the center and the belt was flopping all over. My mechanic hooked me up and did the job for 500, but still a bummer.

So, then I get it home and begin to really check it out. Found serious rust at the bottom of the windshield frame in three spots, so that will be some wire brushing and paint. Then I found more rust coming through the hood. The paint on this thing is so dry its like sand paper.

I feel like such a fool buying something site unseen. The dealer had sent me like 40 pictures of everything, and it looked so clean. I think he used old pictures from when the owner was trying to sell it years ago.

On the bright side I it does have 65k miles on it. The engine is clean and runs great. The frame seems solid, but I know more when I really get under it this weekend.

I paid 15k for the Jeep and 900 for delivery. Feel like I got duped. Then to make matters worse my wife had to remind me that she told me not to trust a dealership a thousand miles away. lol

View attachment 600457

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Click to expand...

Bummer, man, live and learn. No shame in admitting a mistake. I’ve made my share, for sure…haha!

Honestly - She looks like a good rig overall, so hopefully with a bit of restorative care, she’ll be a good runner for you and your wife. And yeah, i’d imagine that there are probably many systems/parts in great shape due to the low miles.
 
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JKP said:
Man that sucks.

That windshield frame is rotting from the inside out. There shouldn't be any water on that side...

Also, time to learn to wrench. A crank pulley is 60 bucks and the parts stores will loan you the puller.
Click to expand...

Yeah I can't figure out how water has been getting in there. I'm guessing someone left it outside a few times in the rain with the top off, or that top isn't sealed somewhere. The floor boards are spotless, weird.

I'm no mechanic, but I'm not scared to work on things. The 500 was for the parts labor and a coolant replacement. This guy is pretty honest for a mechanic, the whole business only deals with Jeeps. Just a Dad and his son.
 
Yeah, not saying he ripped you off, it's just the hrly rate is obscene these days. You could have done the flush and crank pulley for about 100 bucks in parts, plus your time. You have to pull the radiator to use the puller on the pulley anyway.

It's probably getting in around the windshield, I don't recall any other holes in the frame anywhere.
 
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I bought a rust free Oregon tub and frame to rebuild my 97 for $1300 in Oregon. Probably could get them shipped for another grand.

I wouldn't buy a car sight unseen. I'd flown to Florida, picked it up and wheeled all the way home.

And that's another option...road trip it to a frame and tub. I've got a shop and a lift. Turn and burn!

-Mac
 
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Hey man, it's all good. I like what the other folks said: time to learn to wrench. One time when I was younger I bought my first motorcycle and crashed it literally 5m later. The seller had lied to me about a fuel-delivery issue. Between my inexperience and the intermittent fuel delivery, I laid the bike down pulling out of the parking lot in busy traffic.

In retrospect, I'm glad it happened. I decided right then and there the best thing to do was learn how to fix-up the bike myself. I've gotten a lot out of the experience and the bike ran great before meeting an untimely fate years later.

I'm now slowly chasing all the gremlins out of a 98 TJ I bought last week. I knew it would need work, and told the seller that was part of what I was looking for in a jeep. Being upfront with him that I was looking for a project didn't stop him from clearing the codes and telling me there was no check engine light, which promptly came on the next day. What a joke. It doesn't bother me though, because I like working on the jeep anyways, its just one thing I didn't realize I would have to do.

Becoming a shade tree mechanic can be intimidating, but a jeep I think is an excellent vehicle to learn on. The straightforwardness of the design and its rugged character make everything really accessible and beginner friendly. I'm having a blast.

As for the rust, provided its not at catastrophic failure levels, you can get yourself an angle grinder, throw on a rust disc, and start sanding all that shit off the frame. You'll be on your back, you'll probably want to tape it up, and you'll need to be careful repainting, but once you get the hang of it you'll feel a real sense of achievement and satisfaction.

Professional mechanics can do a better job on a lot of issues than us hobbyists, sure, but you'll add years to the life of your jeep and save thousands of dollars tackling what you can on your own.
 
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Fill in your profile with the Jeep's details.

The Factory Service Manuals (FSM) and parts books are available under Resources.

And somebody on here has done whatever it is that you need to do to it and can help you out.
 
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$500 would have paid for a flight and hotel to check it out first. Bought mine 800 miles away in Co. PO held it until the weekend. Wife and I flew up gave it a look over, made the deal and the wife got a bonus shopping trip to Denver. My Son and I drove up the next week and picked it up. FYI always look up the VIN it will tell you where it was first delivered to. In my case I wanted to make sure it was a true Rubicon and not just decals. Mine was originally sold in Wy.
I’m sure you’ll have a ton of fun with it.
 
I always send the $45 or whatever to buy a CarFax and see where it lived/was serviced before I get too excited about it. Cars I've seen advertised as from SoCal or southern Oregon sometimes actually have spent a lot of time in Alaska or are from Ohio.

I'm sorry you got taken on this Jeep, but maybe it won't end up with too many issues and you'll learn at lot from it with Forum research and some DIY projects you think you can take on. This coming from someone who understands spending the coin on a mechanic. I do as much as I can, but some projects/things you just pay someone to do. I have a job so I can afford paying someone else to do the work I'm not comfortable performing or that will take me too long (sometimes weeks for a simple gear oil change) and I don't expect that my mechanic can do my job, lol.

Good luck and try to enjoy your new Jeep, despite the flaws.
 
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"Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from."

Anyone that says they don't have any regrets is either lying to themselves or to the world... or both. Me?... regrets? Hell yes. It's about acceptance — of your mistakes, of a naturally-flawed, work-in-progress self — committing to the discipline and determination to not repeat the mistakes and to always be moving forward — eyes not in the rear view.

Hang in there, dude. Multiple lessons here — for you, for all of us. In my book, that's a win-win. 😎
 
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