Hello, I am new to the forum, but I already own a 1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ. With that said, I am looking at another pretty far away, and received these pictures of the frame. I am aware that frame rust is a big problem with Jeep TJ's, but am not the best at determining what is bad/needs a frame swap, or what needs just the surface rust removed from pictures. How bad is this frame, like could I scrape the rust off and add some paint, or would it need weld in pieces/swap? TIA
Jeep Frame Buying Help
- Thread starter ariche
- Start date
That body and frame will need a significant amount of work, but it is salvageable, depending on how much effort you really want to put in it. That will likely require a body off restoration if you want it to last more than a couple years. Expect to put hundreds of hours and a couple thousand dollars at a minimum. It will need to be stripped, sanded, maybe welded, and recoated. Same goes with the underbody. That torque box is showing signs of rust as well.
However, you won't really know how bad it is until you take a hammer and screwdriver and try to poke holes.
Personally I would pass. Not worth the trouble. You'd make much more money parting it out versus fixing it and selling it.
If I owned it, I would frame swap it.
However, you won't really know how bad it is until you take a hammer and screwdriver and try to poke holes.
Personally I would pass. Not worth the trouble. You'd make much more money parting it out versus fixing it and selling it.
If I owned it, I would frame swap it.
I'm going to say this once and only once: STAY AWAY FROM THAT THING!
What you see there is serious frame rot that has been spray painted over, and the paint is starting to come off in some places. Run!!!!!
What you see there is serious frame rot that has been spray painted over, and the paint is starting to come off in some places. Run!!!!!
Look elsewhere. By that I mean a different state. Fly to Florida, bask in the winter sun for a week and drive home in a TJ. You can stay in a 5 star hotel and still have invested less money in the trip than you would fighting oxide cancer.
Bofa-Deez
TJ Enthusiast
I was thinking the same thing. I have never actually seen a rusty Jeep frame in person because of where I live, but I always hit these threads to look at pics because I do have some knowledge of corrosion allowances in structural members.
As a general rule, if it has been recoated and you are not sure of exactly when/why/by who, anything that looks vaguely suspicious is a hard pass (especially if you don't have a bore scope)
OP: I know it seems like a pain in the rear to look for potential purchases in the southern states, but there are many here, including myself, that would be happy to take a look if you find something that's far from you. A couple of hundred bucks for a one way flight to pick up a rust free TJ that has already been gone over by someone in the know could be priceless. I'm in south La, so I could easily cover anything from Mobile Al to Lafayette La (Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas too) if you need. I have a keen eye for water damaged vehicles too
Look at "That Car Place" website for the Abq NM location, he has a bunch of TJ's on his lot. I know the manager and I can look at them for you if needed. He knows what he has, but he's willing to haggle the price too.
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