Going to look at a Jeep tomorrow

cerberusdog

cerberusdog

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Location
Canal Winchester, Ohio
I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has helped educate me and especially a great member who reached out to help my daughter in her Jeep search. We found one not too far away that we are looking at it tomorrow. Originally from Arizona and California! It does have a lift, so it might be too tall for her (she likes stock non-lifted Jeeps). It is also over her price range but I can help with that problem. If it does not work out, it still is a good learning experience for both of us.

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The frame may have been painted when it moved up north. Could be a sign that the owner took good care of it. When I went to look at mine the PO was an engineer and one look at his garage I knew he kept his things in first class shape. Wife asked me why our garage did not look that organized. I said I’m not an engineer. Has your daughter ever driven a Wrangler? They turn quick. Teach her not to swerve for a dog or anything smaller. I saw many a patient in the ER who swerved for a small animal or at least that was their story. Happy hunting. Give us a picture of her smile if you buy it.
 
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bucky said:
The frame may have been painted when it moved up north. Could be a sign that the owner took good care of it. When I went to look at mine the PO was an engineer and one look at his garage I knew he kept his things in first class shape. Wife asked me why our garage did not look that organized. I said I’m not an engineer. Has your daughter ever driven a Wrangler? They turn quick. Teach her not to swerve for a dog or anything smaller. I saw many a patient in the ER who swerved for a small animal or at least that was their story. Happy hunting. Give us a picture of her smile if you buy it.
Click to expand...

When I buy used I always pay attention to the pics of the car and often the background/surroundings. Last used car I bought was a residential house but I could see car lifts in the garage and a hot rod. The car I was buying looked to be in great shape and turned out to be just that. When I got there was a dodge viper on one lift and a corvette on the other with an old hot rod pickup under the corvette. Bottom line, he was a car guy and took care of his stuff. That is who you want to buy from if you can find them….good luck
 
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Thanks everyone, I appreciate all the tips. She knows she might half to walk away. Unfortunately it is at a dealer he bought it at auction. Not sure if he coated the frame or if the previous Ohio owner did. It has been in Ohio since 2018. I looked at a few of his other Jeeps he sold and it is likely he did so I plan to take my time checking it over. Unfortunately my by borescope has not arrived yet. I pulled th Carfax as well and no huge red flags, 5 previous owners.
 
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Take your time looking at it, have her look at it with you, go over it and under it with a fine tooth comb!!!!!

Keep emotions out of it, tell you daughter that she needs to wear her best poker face and show no signs of even liking the Jeep.
 
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I thought about it after we spoke yesterday. stop at autozone (breathe Jerry breathe, think happy thoughts :) ) and get you one of these. you can stick it in the holes and if its bad rusted you'll have rust flakes or chunks sticking to it. I could feel what I was 95% sure was sand in mine and did this and it came out clean and confirmed it is sand.
https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-...ar-extendable-magnetic-pick-up-tool/82515_0_0
 
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tr21triton said:
I thought about it after we spoke yesterday. stop at autozone (breathe Jerry breathe, think happy thoughts :) ) and get you one of these. you can stick it in the holes and if its bad rusted you'll have rust flakes or chunks sticking to it. I could feel what I was 95% sure was sand in mine and did this and it came out clean and confirmed it is sand.
https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-...ar-extendable-magnetic-pick-up-tool/82515_0_0
Click to expand...

Haha, the one by me was closed this morning, but I will watch for one on my way, but we are going all back roads, lots of cornfields!
 
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Sticking your fingers in the frame holes will tell you a lot. I looked at a Rubicon with a mint looking frame outside. I stuck my fingers in the frame holes and the rust chips were almost 1" deep. The guy sold it the next day to someone who didn't know to check the frame inside.
Rubi khaki.jpg
 
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TheBoogieman said:
HF has the extended magnets cheaper. Sticking your fingers in the frame holes will tell you a lot.
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I agree always finger the frame. but that magnet will let you know if there's any flaking you cant reach. anyway those little magnets are a good tool to have and have saved my ass many times. used a boroscope and one to fish a socket out of a jet engine one time
 
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No one mentioned an endoscope? There are areas of the frame that literally cannot be seen unless you use one. Finger banging only gets you that deep: one finger. And there's not enough holes in the frame to "bang" every spot. That's where the endoscope comes in.

That being said sometimes a person obsesses over rust too much to the point of tunnel vision. When I bought my LJ in 2022 I spent so much time checking the floorboards, inside of body mounts, and frame, that some more obvious things slipped past me. I had only slept 4 hours the night before and had to drive to Indiana. Yes it was immaculate but I probably could have brought the price down a bit if I was more alert. The tires were so old they were dry rotted- didn't even notice because the thread was still full and the cracks were very small. There was an oscillating vibe that began at 70, wasn't too bad but wish I had taken up to a higher speed (all we did was like 60 on a county road). Then the hardtop glass wasn't properly installed and rattles when hitting a bump hard enough. If I was more alert and awake, I would have realized what the problem was. Only 3 of the 4 hardtop glass bolts were in place, one of them snapped in the plastic of the hardtop somehow. The guy I bought it from said he "never could figure out that sound". And finally there was a check engine light but it has to be above 70 degrees to come on. I bought it in January. 🙃 I guess to summarize even a rust free older vehicle will be a lot of maintenance sometimes but that's kind of the whole point.
 
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