05' JMT's Twin Teenager's Rubicon Build

JMT

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Day 01: We’ve been looking for 5 months for something decent. Anything in the $8-11k range. The market has been tough and anything good is as good as gone. INW Jeep’s tend to be on the low average side. I looked at several and they were bombs. We found this 05’ Patriot Blue Rubi asking $8k. I was relieved to be the first to look. It was in rough shape with 155,000 miles, check engine light with 2 codes, and tub and frame rust. Honestly though, better than all the other Jeeps I’ve looked at and asking less. Rebuilt title due to a collision on driver front side. Original flare is still there, so it wasn’t that bad, and the frame is solid there. Owner dropped $500 and I figured four parts were approximately worth that, so why not take the plunge and see if we can’t turn this one into something worth driving and wheelin for another decade or more.

It is Patriot Blue, so now we have Red, White and Blue!

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Doesn’t look like anything catastrophic, 8k for a running and driving is pretty good.
 
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Day 01 Cont…: The top priority is getting it running well and clear the codes (P0133 and P2069). We replaced 2 of the 02 sensors and the other 2 arrived tonight (All NTK/NGK), so we will get them done tomorrow. We changed all 6 plugs with Autolite APP985. More to come with the engine tomorrow. Drilled frame drain holes and unloaded on it with the power washer on driver side.

Gave it a bath and a quick wax. I like to see where I am. Lots of little scratches I should be able to buff out of the clear, some too deep. Both fenders are probably gone, 1 door, the other we can fix. I suspect corner guards for the rear fenders, body matched. It’s a beautiful color.

Before
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After (but plenty of work will make it much better)
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Congrats Jeremy! I bet the boys will enjoy it almost as much as you will. Will you be trading parts around off this?
Thanks Matt, it was time. They both have jobs now and I’m not carting them around or playing car tag.

I’m going to keep the Rubi parts together. I know there’s a 4:1 TCase that would be stronger than my 4:1 Tera Low, but I’m too nostalgic to break it up. 😏
 
$7.5K or $8K for a running and driving Rubicon IMO is a GREAT deal. That's what I'd paid for that rust bucket I'd bought.
Like @Mike_H, the rust king said, it will be a lot of work to make it rust free, but it is a great deal and I hope we can turn it into something nice. The interior is in good shape, so there is that. Most of the exterior is good, but I may have a rusting out windshield frame. Rust is a killer. This thing should wheel great though, and when we get done it should be a keeper.

Also, if you’re wondering where a set of Walker Evans shocks are going, you guessed it. Thanks buddy! 😎
 
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Like @Mike_H, the rust king said, it will be a lot of work to make it rust free, but it is a great deal and I hope we can turn it into something nice. The interior is in good shape, so there is that. Most of the exterior is good, but I may have a rusting out windshield frame. Rust is a killer. This thing should wheel great though, and when we get done it should be a keeper.

Also, if you’re wondering where a set of Walker Evans shocks are going, you guessed it. Thanks buddy! 😎

Well if I have any spare parts you know where they'll go.
 
@JMT looking forward to the restoration/build.

It's not trivial to find a good, cheap rig in OR/WA esp post covid. I think you did good 👍
Thanks Sri, and further thanks for helping me find a TJ in this wasteland!

I think this one will reveal something of what we’re made of. All restoration, then build.
 
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Like @Mike_H, the rust king said, it will be a lot of work to make it rust free, but it is a great deal and I hope we can turn it into something nice. The interior is in good shape, so there is that. Most of the exterior is good, but I may have a rusting out windshield frame. Rust is a killer. This thing should wheel great though, and when we get done it should be a keeper.

Also, if you’re wondering where a set of Walker Evans shocks are going, you guessed it. Thanks buddy! 😎
Oh... The windshield frame. Just get an 97-02. They are lots cheaper. You just have to transfer the holes and slots for the interior trim. Something about the design of the newer ones causes them all to rot in the bottom.
 
They also make fiberglass windshield replacements that I think are decent. Haven’t seen the quality first hand but that’s another inexpensive option.
 
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