brak Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 ok guys, i got my 89 MJ a week ago. today i finally got around to REALLY inspecting it. some areas are not as bad as i thought, some are just plan awful. i need some advice on where to go from here with it, i'm feeling a bit like i'm screwed. is it too far gone? 1989 MJ Pioneer, 4.0 I6 , auto, long bed. here's some pics. front drives upper hinge rusted off and prev owner rigged it back on. the area where the striker pin is is starting to rust away. drivers side rocker panel passenger rocker passenger floor driver floor (whats left of it) prev owner said the headlight stopped working, and no would could fit it. and they wired in some king of half-@$$ switch. the interior lights still working by twisting the factory switch. the hacked switch turns on just the headlights, nothing turns on the running lights. brake lights still work when pedal is press and the flashers still work as normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakineJ Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Man, where to start,haha. Anything can be fixed, are you ready? You have come to the right place , though and there are lot's of peaple that can help. Mabye first try to stabilize the rust, how are you at bodywork and welding sheetmetal? I like the truck though, my next MJ will be a LB/auto/4x4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My '88 MJ had a MUCH worse floor. In fact, on the driver's side I didn't have ANY floor. That can be fixed. Rocker panels can be replaced -- they are available. Dash parts are the same as Cherokee, so that's as easy as a trip to a self-serve junk yard. I don't think your truck is nearly as bad as you think. The important thing is to crawl underneath and inspect the frame under the bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brak Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 i got under the back end, under the bed. a little bit of surface stuff, but barely anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfreeman616 Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 i'm pretty sure i have a good headlight switch around, $15 shipped for a start... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Automan2164 Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 For the loose door striker on my old MJ, I used a drill bit and some pop rivets... There is a steel plate welded behind the sheetmetal the post is bolted to. Just drill through the sheetmetal and the plate, and pop rivet the two together... Worked great for me, and I didn't have to cut up the door. The pop rivets will pull the two up nice and close. :thumbsup: Rob L. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brak Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 thanks for the replies so far! keep the ideas coming, please! haha. since it's getting cold here in Rhode Island, the floor may have to wait until it gets warm. i unfortunately have no garage or access to one. i KNOW this is going to sound awful.... but i need something to get me by for the winter.... has anyone ever fashioned any type of wood panel for the floor such as mine. i just need something there until i can find someone who can weld for me. also, once it gets warm, i think i'm gonna take out the entire interior, dash included, and really clean things up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 As temporary fix i would fiberglass the floor make a thin patch out of wood,metal or even cardboard to cover the big the hole then lay a few layers of fiberglass over the floorboards. this will make a strong waterproof patch that should have no problem making it through the winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 You got to keep telling your self (or we will remind you) Almost Every MJ is Repairable :yes: We all have done the "repairs" of previous owners :shake: Like Eagle wrote, Check out the frame!!! Thats the most important thing, the frame seams to rot out mostly on the passenger side, under the floor area, from the exhaust heat and cool cycle, or just in front of the rear spring front perches, both sides. Once your uni-body frame checks out, the rest is just cosmetic :D Easy quick floor patch, get some 22 ga sheet metal, cut roughly to size, shape in place with a ball-pien hammer, and pop rivet in place, use some polyurethane sealant, and your feet will stay dry for the winter :D Others have used news papers to cover the floor holes, and then applied POR 15 over the paper to seal up the holes. Unless you paid over $4500 for that MJ, I don't think you got screwed.......... :roll: Your hinge repair can be found here........viewtopic.php?f=9&t=15316 In fact, you can find all kinds of repairs over in the DIY section of this fine form :yes: So, welcome to the madness of the MJ world :waving: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redramman Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Truck has cool add-ons ,steering ,wheel bushwacker fender flares,but the tube steps with rust holes thats clasic . I used to cut sheet metal off sides of old apliances (clothes washer or dryer works best don,t bother with a fridge)with a saber/jig saw or reciepricating saw with metal cutting blade,or even circular saw with abrasive wheel {hold on tight and stay clear of path} wear safety glasses or face shield.Washers outer shell comes off easily you can even cut it to keep corners if your pannel needs a bend. Then pop rivit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brak Posted October 25, 2009 Author Share Posted October 25, 2009 it was only $1200. so not bad there. I'll take a look under the passenger side as you guys said to check it out for rust. am I in real trouble if it is rotted out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 It depends on how rotted out the Uni-body frame is, if any part of it is completely gone, then yea, you got your work cut out for you, and you need to consider if the repair is worth it. If you just have some "soft" spots in the frame, then that's an easier fix with a weld plate over the bad spot, with some additional reinforcement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasbulliwagen Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 it was only $1200. so not bad there. I'll take a look under the passenger side as you guys said to check it out for rust. am I in real trouble if it is rotted out? You paid way too much for that, but I know vehicle prices are different up north when it comes to good running trucks, even if its rusty. But even up north, I don't think that truck is worth more than $500. You have a lot of work ahead of you, and its not going to be easy. Good luck though, ans you know, if you have ANY questions big or small, you can come here to ask. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakineJ Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 As temporary fix i would fiberglass the floor make a thin patch out of wood,metal or even cardboard to cover the big the hole then lay a few layers of fiberglass over the floorboards. this will make a strong waterproof patch that should have no problem making it through the winter. X2, it won't rust either. Clean the area as well as you can,no water,w/wire brush,shop vac,spray some prime,give a day two.Then, start laying down layers of fiberglass cloth and resin.You can sandwich nylon rope pieces between layers to provide reinforcement,just make sure to use a disposable brush and mini roller to work the resin in and air bubles out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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