DDJeep89 Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 So I'm in the market looking for a XJ and I live in PA where it's next to impossible to find a XJ that doesn't have the typical Northeast rust problems. I'm contemplating doing a Fly and Drive to find one in good condition. If I do this I'm going to take my time to find the right one. I think I'm going to look for 99' and under years. Buying or going to look at a vehicle without seeing it in person first makes me a little nervous. I'd hate to spend the time and money to take a trip like this and end up coming home empty handed. The plan is to bring one home and do all the rust prevention I can to keep the rust at bay for as long as possible. Have any of you done this before? Does anyone have any advice for me? I'm going to start looking in areas like Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Why in the hell would you go out west? FL, or just about any state in the SE. And yes I have, drive and drive, lots of miles. Sellers BS and pics don't always tell the truth. It's fun and expensive and time consuming. 4Xs are cheaper in FL as they are not necessarily necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDJeep89 Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 4 minutes ago, Jeep Driver said: Why in the hell would you go out west? FL, or just about any state in the SE. And yes I have, drive and drive, lots of miles. Sellers BS and pics don't always tell the truth. It's fun and expensive and time consuming. 4Xs are cheaper in FL as they are not necessarily necessary. Thanks for the advice. I'll add Florida to the list. It would be a shorter drive home for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 1 hour ago, Jeep Driver said: Why in the hell would you go out west? FL, or just about any state in the SE. And yes I have, drive and drive, lots of miles. Sellers BS and pics don't always tell the truth. It's fun and expensive and time consuming. 4Xs are cheaper in FL as they are not necessarily necessary. I would have to ask, "How many Florida Jeeps have spent much/most of their early life in the winters of the northeast?" Especially if it is 4 x 4 that is not necessary? And are sellers in Florida more honest than sellers "out west"? My answer is you go west because there are many more "survivers" to chose from. Also air fare from N.Y.C. or BWI to L.A. or San Francisco is much less than from West Virginia to Florida. Last summer I flew from San Diego to Pittsburgh for about the same money a fellow flew from Virginia to Pittsburgh for the same event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDJeep89 Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 36 minutes ago, johnj92131 said: I would have to ask, "How many Florida Jeeps have spent much/most of their early life in the winters of the northeast?" Especially if it is 4 x 4 that is not necessary? And are sellers in Florida more honest than sellers "out west"? My answer is you go west because there are many more "survivers" to chose from. Also air fare from N.Y.C. or BWI to L.A. or San Francisco is much less than from West Virginia to Florida. Last summer I flew from San Diego to Pittsburgh for about the same money a fellow flew from Virginia to Pittsburgh for the same event. I did look into airfare to cities out West and they do seem to be cheaper than anywhere else I've looked. My thinking was to look out West because of the drier climate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 51 minutes ago, johnj92131 said: I would have to ask, "How many Florida Jeeps have spent much/most of their early life in the winters of the northeast?" Especially if it is 4 x 4 that is not necessary? And are sellers in Florida more honest than sellers "out west"? My answer is you go west because there are many more "survivers" to chose from. Also air fare from N.Y.C. or BWI to L.A. or San Francisco is much less than from West Virginia to Florida. Last summer I flew from San Diego to Pittsburgh for about the same money a fellow flew from Virginia to Pittsburgh for the same event. 52 minutes ago, johnj92131 said: I would have to ask, "How many Florida Jeeps have spent much/most of their early life in the winters of the northeast?" Especially if it is 4 x 4 that is not necessary? And are sellers in Florida more honest than sellers "out west"? My answer is you go west because there are many more "survivers" to chose from. Also air fare from N.Y.C. or BWI to L.A. or San Francisco is much less than from West Virginia to Florida. Last summer I flew from San Diego to Pittsburgh for about the same money a fellow flew from Virginia to Pittsburgh for the same event. If the buyer wants to drive from Washington State or Arizona he could knock himself out I ain't I ain't flying that far and I ain't driving that far for a $2,000 car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 12 minutes ago, DDJeep89 said: I did look into airfare to cities out West and they do seem to be cheaper than anywhere else I've looked. My thinking was to look out West because of the drier climate. The $29 in airfare you'll save will be nothing to the amount of gas you're going to consume at $3 a gallon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 21 minutes ago, saveevryjp1998 said: Your best bet is the desert high plains jeeps far from the salt belt roads and salt water ocean. You spend time and gas either way unless you get lucky bottom line or are extremely patient. By the way Frontier has direct flights from Indianapolis to Denver pretty cheap if you hunt. I should say they did at least just before the legalization of weed. A round trip cost me only like 67 bucks once when I caught the cheap flight both ways. Live there 40 Years first 40 years of my life never saw a car rust because of so-called Ocean Spray it's just total bull$#!& it doesn't happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 1 hour ago, johnj92131 said: I would have to ask, "How many Florida Jeeps have spent much/most of their early life in the winters of the northeast?" Especially if it is 4 x 4 that is not necessary? And are sellers in Florida more honest than sellers "out west"? My answer is you go west because there are many more "survivers" to chose from. Also air fare from N.Y.C. or BWI to L.A. or San Francisco is much less than from West Virginia to Florida. Last summer I flew from San Diego to Pittsburgh for about the same money a fellow flew from Virginia to Pittsburgh for the same event. The question of how many Northeast or mid Upper Midwest Jeeps wind up in Florida that's a good question, have never really thought about it, they don't survive there very long, people from Florida despise rust, nothing we own rusted and we didn't want somebody else's rust, that's why I won't pay for rust. I don't know it may be that we detested rust as much as we detested the people that came from those areas unless you you've grown up and Florida you really have no idea what I'm talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 3 hours ago, DDJeep89 said: So I'm in the market looking for a XJ and I live in PA where it's next to impossible to find a XJ that doesn't have the typical Northeast rust problems. I'm contemplating doing a Fly and Drive to find one in good condition. If I do this I'm going to take my time to find the right one. I think I'm going to look for 99' and under years. Buying or going to look at a vehicle without seeing it in person first makes me a little nervous. I'd hate to spend the time and money to take a trip like this and end up coming home empty handed. The plan is to bring one home and do all the rust prevention I can to keep the rust at bay for as long as possible. Have any of you done this before? Does anyone have any advice for me? I'm going to start looking in areas like Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. the state in which it lived doesn't matter as much as whether or not the Jeep that was cared for. the farm states and the bible belt all have nice Jeeps for sale. be sure to ask for pictures. lots of pictures. of the frame, the underside of the floorboards, the bottom edges of the doors (the inside edge that you only see if the door is open), and the rockers. ask for video of it running. do all the research you can before thinking of getting a ticket. and then don't let it touch winter. ever. if you're looking for something perfectly clean that you can then plow through the salt all winter as a daily driver, don't bother trying so hard to get a clean one. get one that is more local and has been cared for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDJeep89 Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 6 minutes ago, Pete M said: the state in which it lived doesn't matter as much as whether or not the Jeep that was cared for. the farm states and the bible belt all have nice Jeeps for sale. be sure to ask for pictures. lots of pictures. of the frame, the underside of the floorboards, the bottom edges of the doors (the inside edge that you only see if the door is open), and the rockers. ask for video of it running. do all the research you can before thinking of getting a ticket. and then don't let it touch winter. ever. if you're looking for something perfectly clean that you can then plow through the salt all winter as a daily driver, don't bother trying so hard to get a clean one. get one that is more local and has been cared for. That's good advice. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolwind57 Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 I was crazy enough to go and drive 3-1/2 hours just to look at mine first. I had no real money on me, but it was too hard to resist not spending the day on the road: 4x4, very minimal rust, just under 100K original miles, Automatic, 4.0L, working AC, body in great shape. Once I climbed all over it and inspected it well, the seller was nice enough to hold it for a hundred bucks until I could trek back the following week with the remaining funds and drive it home. I certainly consider myself lucky and I was surprised he agreed. He was a retired Navy Captain, and him and I hit it off pretty well. I had never drove 3-1/2 hours to just look at a vehicle before, but this one stood out as being exactly what I was looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooSteeler Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Do you have any friends that live in areas where you might be willing to fly to buy the truck? That way someone can go put some eyes on it before you invest in a plane ticket and realize it's something you don't want to buy or may not be reliable enough for a looong drive home. The other idea with that is to have the seller take the truck to a dealer for you and get them to look it over mechanically including a compression check. Let the dealer know up front you don't intend to do any repairs you just want a thorough "look over" before you buy it because you are out of state. I say use a dealer because IMO it's less likely the seller has a relationship with the dealer like they might with an independent shop that could influence what the shop reports back to you. I took this approach when I bought my MJ out of St Louis 10yrs ago and fortunately got a pretty decent truck. I knew some people in the area through the company I was working for at the time and they recommended a dealer to take it to. I had tons of pics from the seller and was comfortable (enough) what I was getting regarding the body and typical rust areas etc. but wanted to make sure about the drivetrain. Still some definite risk involved but the info from the dealer inspection made me comfortable enough to take a chance. I considered the "fly and drive" approach also, but taking in to consideration the cost of a plane ticket, gas, meals, possibly a hotel room if I couldn't stay awake for the 15hr drive, and the possibility of breaking down along the way (which could end up making the whole situation VERY expensive), I looked in to having it transported. Quotes were all over the place but I ended up getting it shipped from St Louis to VA for $700. By my estimates at the time, that was about $200 more than the "fly and drive" approach, which for my time, the hassle and piece of mind was well worth it. I had a budget in mind for the truck and shipping and ended up getting it for $300 less than I was willing to spend. Like I said before, still a fair amount of risk buying a vehicle this way but the #1 piece of advice I'd give for making a long distance purchase.....PATIENCE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 I flew from the Marshall Islands to Waynesboro, VA to buy mine, site unseen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCO6 Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 I live in the rust belt about 40 mi. north of Toronto. I drove about 140 mi. north again to get my MJ. The seller said he didn't drive it in the winter but he couldn't vouch for the 5 previous owners. It spent its entire life up there. There were a few VERY MINOR rust spots underneath which I have since taken care of. Rust free vehicles do exist up here. A lot depends on how they were used. I suspect mine was a 2nd or 3rd vehicle for its previous owners and they had other winter options. My XJ & TJ are the same. Both came from the "rusty" Toronto area. I am the 3rd owner of each one. In both cases the 2nd owner was a relative or friend who bought it from the aging original owner who didn't use them that much. These may have been total BS stories but based on their condition and low mileage I tend to believe them. Rust free cars do exist up here. You just have to keep looking and be patient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDJeep89 Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 I like the idea of having it inspected by a dealer beforehand. I do have a few friends in the L.A. area, one in Orlando, and one in Atlanta that would be trustworthy to check out a vehicle for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooSteeler Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 6 hours ago, HOrnbrod said: I flew from the Marshall Islands to Waynesboro, VA to buy mine, site unseen. I remember now that you told me you flew in to the Eagle's Nest a long time ago, but I forgot your truck was from around here. Wow, small world! I live 5 minutes from the "airport", and the takeoff and approach path for many planes is usually right over my house. Just crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 51 minutes ago, WahooSteeler said: I remember now that you told me you flew in to the Eagle's Nest a long time ago, but I forgot your truck was from around here. Wow, small world! I live 5 minutes from the "airport", and the takeoff and approach path for many planes is usually right over my house. Just crazy Long time ago Wahoo. Had to be one of the coldest days in my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDude Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 I have a 2000 2wd absolutely rust free Cherokee in Pittsburgh PA if you're interested. I also happen to have everything to make it 4wd if you wanted. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooSteeler Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 5 minutes ago, TheDude said: I have a 2000 2wd absolutely rust free Cherokee in Pittsburgh PA if you're interested. I also happen to have everything to make it 4wd if you wanted. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk There you go DD! Dude, that XJ must not be from Da 'Burgh because my 4yrs living there they throw some serious salt and the pre-icing chemicals that may as well be sulphuric acid it rustifies and eats through electrical connections on vehicles so fast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDude Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 There you go DD! Dude, that XJ must not be from Da 'Burgh because my 4yrs living there they throw some serious salt and the pre-icing chemicals that may as well be sulphuric acid it rustifies and eats through electrical connections on vehicles so fast! It's from Florida. The only real downside is an R title from a minor fender bender. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryptronic Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 91 High Output 2WD AX15 originally from South Carolina with 103k original miles listed in Pittsburg three days ago. Worth a look: https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/d/1991-jeep-comanche/6713926511.html My 91 came from North Carolina and my 92 from Kentucky. I bought both in Marland at different times. Good southern trucks show up north if you're patient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
13 Legion Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Thought the guy was looking for an XJ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Several years ago I took to flipping XJs for a year, I flipped one a month. It's not as easy or lucrative as you might think. Sellers do not like to deal with out of the area buyers, you are a hassle to them. As a buyer you will know, or should know, a particular deal is yours or its not yours, it either 'feels' right or it doesn't, you'll pass on six for every one you buy. I took a ride back to Clearwater with a visiting family member, the only way I was getting back is if I made a purchase. It's stressful, the deals were not there for me, I had limited time and I had to use a borrowed car to look for buys. One seller sold out from under me while I was halfway to Atlanta. Sellers are not always available when you are in the area. 32 pics and 6 phone conversations........you travel, only to find out it's POS that you know will not make it home. Bought my MJ in Atlanta, tire blew in Murphy NC, I was forced to buy a set of tires from Walmart just to make it home as the remaining three would not make the rest of the trip. If you think you're going to fly to LA, uber to the sellers house, plop down a wad of cash and drive home in your dream XJ...........eh........probably not. Sounds like you have some money- There are professional hunters who send you a full inspection report and ship one that you accept, maybe that's an option. I know you are not flipping Jeeps, just saying I've had plenty enough experience hunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 20 hours ago, Jeep Driver said: Live there 40 Years first 40 years of my life never saw a car rust because of so-called Ocean Spray it's just total bull$#!& it doesn't happen. Obviously you've never lived in coastal Maine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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