Please tell me how my frame is

[Connor314]

Good evening (from Illinois)
I'm a highschooler and this jeep is my first car, but I'm really looking into doing a 5.3 LS swap, but idk how good my frame actually is. This is a 2000 Jeep 2.5L I4

i did get the bottom coated because i was told it would stop the frame from rusting, they didn't do the inside of the frame (you can see this in the pictures)
I just need a second opinion on if this jeep is worth working on and spending money on

let me know your guys' thoughts and what i can/should do to make this jeep last as long as it can

 

[Chris]

That frame is bad to say the least. If you want to keep it long term you're going to need to replace the frame. That is some seriously bad rust, someone just painted over it.

 

[Gilaguy23]

Ditto to what Chris said.

 

[B1Toad]

What's more coating over it like they did can trap moisture in and accelerate the problem.

 

[tr21triton]

MOMMA always said if you can't say something good don't say anything at all ! I'm keeping my mouth shut

 

[mjbcomp]

Not only is that frame trashed it also looks like its already been repaired a time or two. Run away.

 

[BlueC]

i did get the bottom coated because i was told it would stop the frame from rusting

I see heavy rust scale under that coating. The inside is likely just as bad or worse. A coating on top of existing rust will not stop it, and will actually hasten the process. I see some previous repair. Until you scrape that coating off and really inspect things, I'd assume that Jeep has major issues.

I'm a highschooler and this jeep is my first car, but I'm really looking into doing a 5.3 LS swap

Just know, that won't be as cheap as people will lead you to believe.

 

[Connor314]

welp...... thanks for helping me i really needed this closure before i dove too deep into something that wouldnt last. my dad talked the jeep down to like 4000 so it wasnt a total waste i guess.

i'm really interested in these Tjs though, do you think its worth saving up and finding another one? i heard arizona ones tend to be pretty spotless

 

[Pascal25]

welp...... thanks for helping me i really needed this closure before i dove too deep into something that wouldnt last. my dad talked the jeep down to like 4000 so it wasnt a total waste i guess.

i'm really interested in these Tjs though, do you think its worth saving up and finding another one? i heard arizona ones tend to be pretty spotless

I think it will have some life left in it, especially for only 4k. Don't need to ditch it unless it's really shot to the point of being unsafe
Frame swap is still an option down the road too, as an alternative to looking for a new one from outside the rust belt

 

[01AFP-CO]

You are on the right forum for this, for sure, though. Having a Jeep to play with in HS sounds really fun.

 

[dvngdg]

What is that inside of the frame holes, cardboard??

 

[Connor314]

What is that inside of the frame holes, cardboard??

i think that's rust..... tells me theres pretty bad rust inside the frane

 

[Connor314]

I think it will have some life left in it, especially for only 4k. Don't need to ditch it unless it's really shot to the point of being unsafe
Frame swap is still an option down the road too, as an alternative to looking for a new one from outside the rust belt

im wondering if i put some more money and flip it to another person, it only has 90,000 miles do you think there'd be takers?

 

[Rickyd]

MOMMA always said if you can't say something good don't say anything at all ! I'm keeping my mouth shut

Paging @AndyG

 

[AndyG]

You call?

Alright pal- here is the deal-

At $4000 don’t worry about anything. You can probably enjoy it for a year and get your money back out despite the rust. Plus your dad knows that at your age anything can happen to a vehicle and he didn’t want to go to deep in anyway. If the tub is clean a frame swap and later on a v8 is an option. But start slow-
right now ...penetrating oil is your friend.


There are tons of these out there in good shape-

1. Finish school.

2. Work on it all you want to. The experience is in valuable.

WORK SAFE. Never get under the vehicle if it’s jacked up unless you have jackstands and somebody is there. Please read this twice.

3. Work on it with your dad if he will. One day he may not be there. Trust me on this.

4. TJs are awesome and they are typically projects. That means people that own them have tools and do all they can themselves.

Wait ‘til summer comes and you can remove the top. You’ll love it.

5. Learn. Learn how they work, look at diagrams of the suspension and what the parts do, etc. Learn how they are made and why. Why a Rubicon has 4:10 gears, why a jeep had a track bar, why some people run wheel spacers, why some don’t. Learn. Knowledge is power.

Save up money to make it better or so you can get one that is worth investing more in if that one is not. Keep your chin up, and grades up. Honestly you will not use much of what they teach you in school down the road and most of what you will use will be the basic stuff-

But the work that you learn to do to get the grades- Studying when everybody else goes to the movies or wherever- applying yourself. That will get you most anything this world offers. You may not get it all at once, but it will happen.

Go hug your dad and say thanks for getting me a vehicle, don’t clown around in it, and wear your seat belt.

And make your bed for goodness sakes before your mom gets in there and finds those magazines you have hid.

 

[DuckNut]

Kid, here is what I would do.

I would do your swap with this one. This thing is perfect for learning projects. A LS swap is not an easy task and if you get it sorted out on this one, just think how easy it will be to switch it into the next one.

Think of this jeep as tuition. It is 4 thousand dollars worth of experience towards your jeeping future.

 

[AndyG]

Paging @AndyG

He is not supposed to be talking to minors anyway. Probation terms.

 

[bucky]

AndyG has Sage Advice and it’s what 30 something You would tell 17yr old you.
I’ll add: Drive it, enjoy it and find out how you like driving it in below zero temps. Wranglers get expensive to build. You are better off saving your money up while learning the ins and outs of having a Wrangler then selling your rust bucket and purchasing a nice clean one already built to what you want in the South or South West. I’ve had Wranglers for over 30 years and I’m still learning about them.
This Forum is a great resource and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

 

[tr21triton]

He is not supposed to be talking to minors anyway. Probation terms.

@AndyG make 2 funnies in 1 week. He's going to be a comedian soon !

 

[CMBD]

No way would I drop $4k on something that at a minimum needed a frame swap.