ExpatMJGuy

I'm not going to lie. It's a bit on the high side. I think 18k is more like it. If I had that kind of money and it was made before Jan 1st 1989 I'd consider it. We're moving to Australia hopefully in the next year or two. It has to be manufactured before that date to avoid a crap ton of import restriction rules and avoid Right hand drive conversion. I'd even consider selling my Subaru for it since it's not going anyways. If we were closer I'd even consider my 2019 Frontier in the deal. With what time I have left it would be nice to know that it's done and ready to ship at any time instead of me busting my arse to get it done on time. These were not sold in Australia so once I'm on the boat I head to the wilderness and to a certain extent I've got what I got. Only thing is it must be paid for in full to ship. You must hand the title over at the port as part of its documentation packet to clear customs. This way people don't buy cars in the USA and put them on boats and skip out on payments. I could get my Jeeps to good stopping points and sell them how they are and apply them to the cost. There's the extra cost of shipping, but if I truly cared (and I don't because I don't plan to ever sell it) it would be worth that in additional value once it rolls off the boat due to rarity and uniqueness. Supply vs Demand. People will want it because it's rare, my value will be higher because as of right now there's only a hand full of them over there. Right now I know of 5. Once mine and another person I know that's moving there arrive and actually clear customs there will be 7. They guy I talk to on the regular that has an MJ in Australia says he gets real crazy offers to buy his all the time and his doesn't even venture the hour and a half into Sydney!

It's not but close enough for some I'm sure.

Here’s a topper for a short bed. He’s also got 2 MJs for sale last I checked. I know these can be hard to find. https://www.facebook.com/groups/339415879775306/permalink/1600300980353450/

Hey everyone. I found a score at my local junk yard with an elbow for my smoker window. When I showed up, it looked like someone had already gotten to it. But no, someone just didn't know how to take it apart properly and stripped the threads out of the base. Luckily mine still has a base installed. If I understand what I'm looking at, I need to remove this pin that I'm pointing to with my pick to get it off the stud. Once off I can clean it, repaint it, and then put it on my Jeep. I'm looking for ideas on how the heck to get a pin this small out without damaging it so I can reinstall it on my Jeep. Maybe I just need to look for a smaller punch? I dunno... Ideas appreciated.

In search of bucket seat brackets. I have legit MJ seats now, but the brackets were rusted out beyond repair. Planning to export the vehicle in the next year or two so the less fabrication the better. To be clear they can be fabricated, but they can't "look" fabricated.

@EUREKAI have to agree with @Pete M. There's A LOT of variation when it comes to price when it comes to parts on these vehicles. It all depends where you are, when your selling it, how many are on the market at that exact second, and just what someone is willing to pay for it. It even goes for the Jeeps themselves to an extent. I'll give an example... I live in Georgia. Before Christmas I was hunting a bunch of parts for my 88 short bed. I was hunting some parts high and low. Sliding back glass window if you could find it was about $350 at that exact moment IF you could find it. During Christmas I went up to Wisconsin to visit my wife's family. I got on the Facebook MarketPlace in Wisconsin and many of the parts that I was hunting were there. And overall the prices were cheaper than they were when I was at home. I picked up the back glass from a guy in Wisconsin for $100. Same guy was like, "I've been trying to get rid of this glass for over a year, that's the reason it's only $100." Talking with a few of these Wisconsin Jeepers they stated that they try to get most of their parts when they order online from down south. And they were also like, "yeah, I know a guy that has this part your looking for out in his barn he picked it up when he went down to Alabama." So in my experience parts in non rust belt areas are preferred and picked, and people like me who live in those areas suffer from a market that has been heavier picked, now has less parts, which in turn drives up our prices locally. What TIME of the year I was buying had a bit to do with one of my dealings up there. In the few days before Christmas a guy put up a Cargo Light with the switch housing, a physical switch, and a factory rear cab wiring harness that included the light for $200. He told me that it was taking him so long to get to it he wasn't sure if he was ever going to get there, so he sold it to help pay for Christmas. Essentially I got it on the cheap because of Christmas. But in general there are fluctuations in price throughout the year in parts and vehicles. And then there is just what someone is willing to pay and how good of a haggler you are. People want as much as they can when selling, and people want to pay as little as possible when buying. Just the way it goes. I've gotten smoking deals before. I've also been taken for a ride before. You win, you loose. Pete specializes in buying and selling whole beds for these things from all over the eastern half the country. Just ask him. There is a wide range in prices and it varies wildly. All you can do is set a price and see if the deal happens. $200 for one truck bed almost $1000 for one and the same condition with no rhyme or reason it seems. It come with the territory of pretty much all classic cars. It grinds my gears when I realize what I bought I could have paid way less for, or sold for way higher but it happens so gotta get used to it. Hate to say it but it's truth.

Dang! Trust me I'm not putting it down at all. Everyone has different uses for their vehicles. And I'm sure anyone up north with plows needs more switches. I know switches can be needed for a winch, or lockers. But, I've never been that hard up for switch space ever. Even in an XJ or MJ! I can't see the need for switch space so bad that you're willing to eat up some of the better console storage space. A place that's great for holding your phone or your wallet. There is also the switch plate that replaces the blank clock insert, and I'm sure some don't want to remove the factory clock. So understandable, not to use the clock space based on preference. If I needed the extra space though it would be my first sacrifice over my storage space. Again, personal preference. I personally have never needed more than 4 switches. Someone please explain to me what in the world you guys are using that needs that many switches considering there is room for 4 switches in the factory location. Very few of us have a sport bar. So, it's hard to find a vehicle that has fog lights, cargo light, auto trans comfort, and sport bar lights so there is usually room to supplement. So, in my Jeep I have on the left a switch for a future cargo light I just need to install, the fog lights, and on the right blanks. The right is held in reserve for eventual winch space, and I could possibly do a locker but most likely won't. But I have no intentions to seriously wheel an MJ in the good condition mine is in so I will most likely not be placing a locker, but I can see it in other vehicles. But if I was going more serious, I think it would be the next step. I'm just curious what in the heck ya'll got going on.

Since your no longer in the business, I've seen where you have instructions for your kits and how to install the parts from your kits. Is there a way you could possibly point us the direction where to source parts to build our own DIY kits. Also, you used to do a wonderful cleanup of the buttons and stuff on the radio. A writeup on how to restore the front of the radio and make the face of your radio would be amazing! As far as I know you're the only one with the knowledge on how to do this properly.

No I live in Buford.

Now one thing I’m good at is using a Dremel, wiz wheel, and sawzall! That’s where my fab skills end.

@fiatslug87Sounds like you took that class when I was on my hiatus from the army and got my automotive degree. Cause yeah, I’m that old too. Graduated in 09. Was signal in the army before that. I had just graduated high school and joined right after 9/11. Took a 4 year hiatus and went to school, worked for Ford and Nissan. Economy was really sucking in that time frame so after a few years of struggling went back to the army but as a mechanic because I was just trained for That and my original carrier field was being phased out.

@fiatslug87how much did a course like this run you and how long was this course? I've very briefly looked at courses, but places are getting hard into pumping out professional welders that do it for a carrier and most of the results come up for that. I can probably look more specifically on local community college sites and not within the search engine. Again, at this stage I don't want that. I just want to know the basics. I've started watching some youtube videos, and I know much if it is trial and error, but I feel getting a real feel from somebody that knows what they are doing is helpful. Things I won't know such as poor hand technique, or I've got settings on the welder wrong. Getting a feel for things before I buy my own gear is also useful. Hate the idea of buying crap gear cause I just didn't have the first clue when I bought it.

Well it’s an improvement… just sayin…

At this exact minute I don’t need to do this exact work on the body yet, because I’ve avoided it at ALL cost. When I was younger, I even gave up and parted an XJ that needed floor pans. Most northerners would have laughed at the fact I gave that car up over a couple holes the size of a quarter. I simply gave up on that Jeep because I didn’t know how to weld. That simple. But, I’m having some seats brackets made. (Because I can’t effing fabricate) I’m not sure a simple bolt will work in the spot that the seat tracks tie into the bottom bracket. That might be coming and I’m Leary. Not only cause I have to fabricate another piece but it needs to look stock as possible for future inspections. In general not knowing how to do it limits me and my projects. I don’t like being confined like this. I’m upset that I didn’t even play with welders in the army. But there was never time. If I wasn’t turning a wrench in the motor pool there was always something going on. Ranges, airborne jumps, online trainings that needed done, training meetings, safety briefs, formations, NCO schools, always SOMETHING. I hate I missed opportunities. And I hate that I just don’t know it.

@89 MJI’m trying to walk a line with this one. It’s got a clean title so I don’t want to really see it die for no good reason but she needs some TLC. I want to try to get what I can off this one, sell some stuff to recoup some of my losses and then have a rolling, chasis for someone else to do what really needs done with the body and put a driveline in her.

This is very interesting. Now that you say this. I’m a military brat and then joined the army myself. I was never in a hurry to get to Germany as an adult because I went there as a teenager. In 96 my dad bought a 96 Cherokee from AAFES car sales while we were in Germany. Now that you say this I recall seeing the certificate of origin for my dads Jeep that said something along the lines of Switzerland. I’m trying to remember the process for when we shipped it back to the United States and got a title in NC when we got to Fort Bragg. I thought this was a North America only vehicle and I can understand the military exception. Were there vehicles sold elsewhere besides the military sales and Sweden?

I know these seems really basic, but is there anybody in the south within driving distance of Atlanta that has the time or ability to teach me the basics of welding and body work like this? I'm SERIOUS. I mean I have no problem paying for cost of materials and stuff, but it's frustrating. I went to Universal Technical Institute (UTI) yes, the same one you see advertised on Motortrend and I don't know the first thing about welding. I'm a great dealership mechanic because that's what I was taught. I can accurately diagnose drivability, do alignments, find bad sensors, and I'm really good at electrical work, but can't tell you the first thing on how to put two pieces of metal together. Now to be fair, I went to the Charlotte Campus of NASCAR tech, and I could have taken NASCAR fabrication, and looking back to an extent I wish I had. But when I was young I said, "unless I stay in Charlotte and work for a race team that won't be applicable to my daily job." And it's true... Until I get home and decide to work on stuff like this. Should I have paid thousands of dollars to learn to fabricate like that for something I only seem to do on my own time? I was a mechanic later in the army and got to skip AIT because I had a civilian degree in Automotive Technology and never touched a welder even though we had them on our recovery vehicles. Why? Because we had other people that knew how to do it when the need came up oh so very rarely. And when it always did come up, we just needed to get it done so someone else did it and, not play with teaching me. I mean 8 years of being a mechanic in the army and it only came up a couple times. Today it's a sore spot and a point of frustration. I spent THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to go to school and I don't know how to do this! 13 years later I am just now seeing the light to pay off that school! Why the hell couldn't they give us one 3 week chunk of basic metal work instruction?!? I don't want to be a professional welder. I just want to be able to do basic repair work like this!

Have you checked to see if @Kkilmer87 has these parts? Seems like something he would have hanging around.

Complete or almost complete maybe minus steering wheel in Grey may be available closer to this summer, I need to finish refurbing and complete the black interior I'm swapping into it first before I pull the grey out of a functioning truck. Once I'm certain everything is good, I'll let it go for sure.

@87Warriorand @jeepmjgaI can let it go now. I've come across a set of black buckets. Guess I didn't click on follow topic. I was originally liking the idea of grey or black to go with a grey interior but come across a truck with a COMPLETE black interior in a parts truck I picked up. Only issue is that my black interior vehicle's seat brackets are totally rusted and trash. BUT If JeepMJ doesn't go for them. I have the center console and such already to make a complete interior in Grey. Just missing the seats if I don't use a bench. I also have a grey bench seat with cleaned up brackets. If the brackets are there on the buckets, I might be interested anyways so that no fab is needed by either of us. I can use the brackets without fab on the black interior that is going to Australia, and I will still fab brackets that can make a complete grey interior. Oh and 87 I'm going to be headed thru Kansas in the next couple of months on my way to Denver to pickup a new Crua AER rooftop tent from the factory so I could stop by and skip shipping. Funny either way they'd be coming to Atlanta.

Welcome to the community! I’m moving there as soon as my 189 visa is approved. My MJ is coming with me! As far as known number of MJs in Aus, If you aren’t one I’m already counting from Ausjeepoffroad, then you would be number 5 I count as of today. You would be number 7 by the time mine and one other person I know moves there if his makes it in. Where abouts are you? We might have to exchange notes when it comes to shipping and rego to help validate my info is good. For us I t’s about a 75% chance we end up somewhere around Sydney and 20% chance we end up in Melbourne and 5% chance we end up somewhere else. I wouldn’t hate being up towards Brisbane but it comes down to where my wife gets placed for work. If you’re really hurting to get some parts I can’t speak for everyone else but I might even be able to ship some stuff direct. For bigger parts that are unreasonable to pack in a box, if you can wait they could possibly be put in my household goods but your looking about a year to year and a half out. The Cherokee advise is sound to everything but seats. The brackets are different and change significantly as the years go on so fabrication may be required. Other than that XJs are the same from the front of the front doors to the nose. And there weren’t early 2 door XJs sold in Aus so score! No confusion! ALL XJs were 4wd too so really after that only other hairy things to find for you will be dash and steering linkage components. The back of the front doors going back is pretty much Comanche specific. From my friends over on the Ausjeepoffroad forum say rockauto.com is a good source for American Auto parts that ship there. Might want to “give it a go” Pics! Good Luck, Welcome, and don’t forget to register your VIN on the registry page on this forum!

I’m very interested in finding out how this ended up in Sweden. Military sales? Also interested in what instrument cluster it has? Canadian Metric?

At this stage nothing. It’s a parts vehicle. I really wanted it because it had a 100% complete black interior with buckets and console. It’s got a clean title, and only surface rust not rot, so I don’t want to destroy it. Last owner water logged the engine, didn’t fix it, and left it abandoned in a field last several years which shows. It’s unfortunate because you can tell whoever had it before them took good care of it. All this rust seems recent. It’s got electrical issues as well I’m assuming from field vermin. I was originally going to originally swap my interior with this one, do a basic engine swap, and sell it. But, now I think I just want to make it a sealed, steerable rolling chassis as a starting place for somebody to drop in whatever power train they like. With the growing list of issues I decided I didn’t want to tackle everything it really needed. Hopefully with the power train out of the way sometime will take the time and properly love on the body properly before putting in a drivetrain. That way it can get handled before rust turns to rot in a few years. I figure this is the best way to give this Jeep a further lease on life. OR it can get turned into a trail buggy, not my preference cause as rare as they are getting with clean titles I prefer to see them saved not cut up, but that’s for the next owner to decide not me.

If it’s as mythical as you say it is, what’s the general realistic consensus of its value when it’s in good shape?

Hey everyone. I've got an 4x4 86 with a 2.8 GM V6 that is totally toast. I'm not putting another 2.8 in it. As we all know it's a crap engine. Any components of value I should be looking for in a 2.8 engine bay that need to avoid going to the scrap metal pile? I've never seen it run so I have no idea about the condition of the accessories like the alternator. Never torn down a 2.8 before so any advice would be appreciated