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Diesel Salvage Yard Parts Mule


neohic
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Went out looking for a rear view mirror for the Ape this morning. Found one, but what else I found was even better. Sitting next to the salvage yard office was a '86 diesel XJ. It's sitting on its own weight on tires with 214k on the clock, it has keys, it shifts smoothly, the body is so-so, but it's missing a battery. So I go inside and ask what the deal is with it. "That? Oh... we just picked that up a couple months ago. Neighbor of ours was moving and needed it gone right away. It ran so good that we couldn't part it out so we've just been using it as a yard vehicle. Nice little thing too. We even have the title."

 

Here's my dilemma... I really have no use for it but I hate the thought of it just wasting away and bouncing around as a salvage yard parts mule. Can someone talk me into it? Chances are, they didn't pay much (or anything) for it either but they do know that they're kind of rare. I dropped the fact on them that parts are going to be a real bear to find and that they're really only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

 

So again... talk me into it?  :dunno:

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... Or just drive the crap out of it until it falls apart. 

 

People might hate me, but I kind of like the idea of swapping over parts from my '98 XJ and just having fun with it.  :peek:

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how do you not own this yet?

 

Most because the wife is tired of the revolving door of Jeeps. Didn't really talk price, but that seems to always be a problem for me lately. I'd need to go on a selling spree again like I recently did to put new shoes under the Ape.

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how do you not own this yet?

 

Most because the wife is tired of the revolving door of Jeeps. Didn't really talk price, but that seems to always be a problem for me lately. I'd need to go on a selling spree again like I recently did to put new shoes under the Ape.

 

 

 

 

yeah, but this one is for her  :brows:

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Restore/resto mod it for her. Put vanity plates on it so she knows it's hers.

 

If she's anything like my wife, she wouldn't want it. She hates all XJs since she almost rolled the 01 we had. Wasn't the XJ's fault either.  :shake:

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... She hates all MY COOL STUFF...

 

Restated for my application.  :fs2: Tried having a serious conversation about it with her and she won't even listen. As much as I hate to throw in the towel so soon, I say @#$% it... not worth the domestic. Trying to find someone who can take it in though. If there's anybody serious enough to pick it up, PM me and I'll send you some contact information. t111066.gif

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  • 3 weeks later...

I stopped back at the salvage yard today for a couple small parts and saw this poor XJ again. Seems as though I had my "disregard everything rusty" glasses on the day. Granted, it's still salvageable, but it's a little worse than I first remembered it. The rockers are surprisingly nice, the doors all have some rust, and I was very surprised with how the floors look from underneath. Looks like a couple very small holes and some puckering at the seams, but no giant pieces of carpet falling through. The interior is beautiful. Power everything, although I'm not sure if anything works as it still needs a battery. I asked if I could start it, but the couple guys that were there were... and I quote... "super busy" with their hacking away at a something or other sedan sub frame. Here's some better pictures of it.

 

 

Just for fun, I did ask the owner this time if he'd be interested in selling it. He kind of himmed and hawed over the idea because he got such a good deal on it and that they're kind of rare. The rarity didn't seem to bother him though with his intentions of tooling around the yard with it. I talked with his wife again on my way out. She says to hang in there and that he knows that they have my number. It's starting to get picked over unfortunately... I hate to admit that I'm actually a guilty party of that as well. She said that the more that it gets picked, he'll either be more willing to either sell or scrap it. It could still make for a driver from the looks of it if it had taillights again. Not sure what works and what doesn't but I would imagine that it would mainly be considered a drivetrain donor. Some work has been done on the engine at some point. I was a bit low with my first post as it actually shows 221k on the odometer. Still a damn shame seeing it there... waiting outside their garage... quietly sobbing to itself...  :(

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... She hates all MY COOL STUFF...

 

Restated for my application.  :fs2: Tried having a serious conversation about it with her and she won't even listen. As much as I hate to throw in the towel so soon, I say @#$% it... not worth the domestic.

 

 

#1 rule when it comes to purchasing another Jeep....Just do it. Easier to beg forgiveness and deal with the fall out than to ask if you can and be told NO! :(

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