Cabin Support Rust?

[RedWolf92]

Hello all, I am new to the club and have been looking for a comanche for quite some time now. I have found one that is close and seems to be a good deal except for this picture the owner sent. The owner said the frame has no rust on it, but this looks like frame rust to me. I think its right in the middle under the cab, but as I have never owned a comanche before I do not know enough to make a decision on this. Is it fixable within reason if this really is the only rust? I do have an arc welder but do not know how big of a project this might be and I do not know how important these bars are. Any input is appreciated.  I have not gone to see the truck in person yet.

[zetabird]

problem is the cab of the truck is unibody, so the frame and cab are welded together in the fron and that is pretty nasty looking

[Minuit]

It's kind of an "if you have to ask, you're not prepared to do it" situation. No offense intended, but you would basically have to completely rebuild the truck's structure on that side. That cancer is far past the point of being terminal.

 

I wouldn't suggest trying to fix that even if it was free. It needs any useful parts stripped from it and then it needs to go straight to the crusher. It's a wonder it hasn't broken in half yet (probably because the body panels are holding the frame together)

 

I just about guarantee that that isn't the only rust - and the cab and frame on these trucks are one unit, so you can't just swap the frames over. Straight, non-rusty Comanches still exist. Build one of those instead.

[RedWolf92]

No offense taken. Thank you for your quick repsonses. I figured as much but, being as I haven't owned one or even had a chance to be close to one, I wanted to ask. Will not be buying this truck.

[Minuit]

Wise choice  :thumbsup:

[Eagle]

Will not be buying this truck.

Sad, but indeed a wise decision. Anything can be repaired -- with sufficient infusions of time, effort, materials and money. This is possibly the worst XJ/MJ unibody deterioration I've ever seen. How any seller could claim it has "no frame rust" is incomprehensible.

 

MJs are rare and getting rarer, so it always hurts to see another one get sent to the crusher, but an example like that needs to be adopted by someone with extensive bodywork experience, a shop to work in, and lots of time to approach the repairs methodically. Unfortunately, very few of us are in a position to undertake a project such as that.

[neohic]

:ack: Pictures like that sure get me thinking. I'd love the opportunity to take one of these rusty beauties, cut away all the ugly, and build a full frame for it. Kind of a bucket list project though... you know, just to give me something to do.

[Minuit]

Yep. Trucks like this are for people who are very experienced at dealing with rust damage like this (I'd be willing to bet it's even worse than it looks inside the frame) and willing to put in the time and effort to build it into something. Maybe I was a little bit harsh in saying it needs to be stripped and crushed, but it's a hazard to anyone who even sits in it right now.