Going to pick up Comanche this week

[MJnewbie]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm going to be looking at/picking up an 89' Comanche this week. It has 4x4, the 4.0 auto in it with 125k miles, fresh engine tune up, 4.5'' Rustys lift and 33'' BFG all terrains. the only rust on it is the rear wheel wells and the rockers, the frame is in good shape, with little surface rust. he is asking $3500 for it. is that a good price for it? 

[Dzimm]

Price is dependent on location.  In the rust belt, that's a fairly clean truck so it fetches a higher price, I see snow so I'd imagine it's seen some salt.  Double check the lift and make sure it's installed correctly and with an adjustable track bar.  With a 4.5" lift the front axle will sit back a little further so look and see if it has adjustable/aftermarket control arms.  If not, it's not a huge deal but I imagine with 33s that was corrected otherwise the tires would rub.  

 

The mileage is pretty low but if the engine sounds good, I'd never worry about it.  

 

I do see some rusting through on the floor pan so check further up on the drivers and passenger footwells, if it's got surface rust on the bottom, the top is way worse so that's a good bargaining chip, floors aren't terrible to replace but definitely aren't fun.  The rear axle also looks to be covered in surface rust so that needs cleaned and painted. 

 

The truck overall looks good with pretty straight body panels.  I'd say it's not a bad price from what I can see but pictures can always be deceiving.  Take a look and see what you think, if you like it, snag it! 

[MJnewbie]

5 minutes ago, Dzimm said:

Price is dependent on location.  In the rust belt, that's a fairly clean truck so it fetches a higher price, I see snow so I'd imagine it's seen some salt.  Double check the lift and make sure it's installed correctly and with an adjustable track bar.  With a 4.5" lift the front axle will sit back a little further so look and see if it has adjustable/aftermarket control arms.  If not, it's not a huge deal but I imagine with 33s that was corrected otherwise the tires would rub.  

 

The mileage is pretty low but if the engine sounds good, I'd never worry about it.  

 

I do see some rusting through on the floor pan so check further up on the drivers and passenger footwells, if it's got surface rust on the bottom, the top is way worse so that's a good bargaining chip, floors aren't terrible to replace but definitely aren't fun.  The rear axle also looks to be covered in surface rust so that needs cleaned and painted. 

 

The truck overall looks good with pretty straight body panels.  I'd say it's not a bad price from what I can see but pictures can always be deceiving.  Take a look and see what you think, if you like it, snag it! 

thats good to know, ill have to check it out. don't see too many MJs in Wisconsin. this guy has a collection of jeeps so I'm hoping he knew what he was doing when he installed everything. there is quite a bit of rust on it, so i was thinking of cleaning everything up, and under coating the body and frame. hoping i can fix the rust in the spring time!

[Dzimm]

Good to hear you aren't scared of rust.  Here in Iowa it's pretty bad, I'm sure its just as bad or worse up there.  Repair isn't too bad it's just time consuming and can be costly to do it correctly.  

 

The important parts of the truck (bedsides, cab corners, frame, tailgate) look very clean so it looks to be easily repairable.  If you get it and can't find good patch panels for the rear wheel wells, use front XJ/MJ fenders as the arches are very similar.  I used a spare 97+ XJ fender I had laying around to patch my 92s wheel well and it worked out pretty good.  

[Pete M]

all depends on what you want to do with the truck.  that much money can fetch a rust free stock version elsewhere.  but if you're looking for a beater to offroad or drive in the salt without fear of damaging pristine steel, then it's an ok truck to pursue.    I still wouldn't pay quite that much for a rotted truck.

 

also, I'm going to move this to the pub for opinions.  If you acquire it, then I can move it back or you can start a fresh thread.  

[DirtyComanche]

Is it worth it to you?

 

Then it's worth it.

 

That truck will likely never be really nice.  But you could clean up the worst of it and it will be pretty good.  Or if you want to wheel it, just put fender flares on it and call it good.

[HOrnbrod]

1 hour ago, Pete M said:

all depends on what you want to do with the truck.  that much money can fetch a rust free stock version elsewhere.

 

Exactly. To answer your question: "is that a good price for it?", hell no. 

 

You can get a clean similarly equipped southern rust-free MJ shipped to WI for equal or less $$. Take your time and do some searching.

[Dzimm]

HOrnbrod and Pete are not wrong in that a Southern rust free MJ can be had for that much or less.  The problem is those southern MJs are many miles away from us Northerners.  By the time we spent the money to drive, fly, or hitchhike our way down there and back with a clean truck, it drastically drives the price of the truck up as well as takes up a bunch of time, and time is money. 

 

If you keep looking, you could potentially find a rust free or close to it truck up here but you will definitely pay for it and it will take forever.  I got lucky with my blue truck being almost completely rust free but it was previously wrecked, sat in a garage for years, was an empty shell when I bought it, and took over 2 years to find.   

 

You southern guys are lucky to have access to clean trucks on the cheap.  Up here, an MJ or XJ with a good drivetrain, good suspension, and good critical body panels starts around the $2500 mark as long as the floors aren't completely gone.   If it's lifted, newer tires, or has other upgrades, the price goes up. 

 

Pictures can be deceiving but as long as the floors aren't completely gone further forward and the truck does run good.  It's gonna easily sell for over $3000.  

 

[Dzimm]

8 hours ago, HOrnbrod said:

You can get a clean similarly equipped southern rust-free MJ shipped to WI for equal or less $$. Take your time and do some searching.

I looked into this when searching for my first MJ and it would have cost around $1000 to ship anything up to Iowa and that's IF the seller is willing to deal with that and most aren't.  Shipping to Wisconsin i'm sure would be a little more expensive than that. 

 

I can't imagine a rust free MJ with 125k miles and 4.5" lift with new 33" tires would run $2500 or less even down there, that just sounds insane.  The lift and tires alone are that much.  Of course I'm used to rust belt prices so I can't be for sure. 

 

[HOrnbrod]

4 minutes ago, Dzimm said:

I looked into this when searching for my first MJ and it would have cost around $1000 to ship anything up to Iowa and that's IF the seller is willing to deal with that and most aren't.  Shipping to Wisconsin i'm sure would be a little more expensive than that. 

 

I can't imagine a rust free MJ with 125k miles and 4.5" lift with new 33" tires would run $2500 or less even down there, that just sounds insane.  The lift and tires alone are that much.  Of course I'm used to rust belt prices so I can't be for sure.

 

Imagine. It can and usually is if you take your time and are not in a hurry. Plus you can ship it for $500 sometimes using Uship and are willing to wait using the Space A option. Or tow it back yourself. Buying a local rust-free vehicle is nearly impossibly up there and you've got at least $1K of rust repair with a ton of labor and you'll never get it or stop it all. And no way would I buy someone else' s 4.5" lifted rig with a Krusty's or worse lift either. I'm originally from New England and when I left I swore I'd never buy a northern used vehicle again.

[JMO413]

It's all in the eye of the beer holder! Rust is just something we deal with in the rust belt. I know my truck will never be rust free. It's sure fun to drive in the fresh snow!

[Dzimm]

2 minutes ago, HOrnbrod said:

 

Imagine. It can and usually is if you take your time and are not in a hurry. Plus you can ship it for $500 sometimes using Uship and are willing to wait using the Space A option. Or tow it back yourself. Buying a local rust-free vehicle is nearly impossibly up there and you've got at least $1K of rust repair with a ton of labor and you'll never get it or stop it all. And no way would I buy someone else' s 4.5" lifted rig with a Krusty's or worse lift either. I'm originally from New England and when I left I swore I'd never buy a northern used vehicle again.

See for someone without a trailer, that requires renting a trailer to haul it, which cost money.  Food, gas, ect also costs money, as well as lodging if you can't make a day trip.  All driving the cost up.  Potential missed work can be an issue for people as well.  Unfortunately most people can't just pick up and make a trip like that, at least only a handful of people I know could but they also aren't the kind of people buying 30 year old trucks.  

 

Rust repair can definitely be costly but for floor pans and rockers it's not going to run $1000 unless you pay a shop to do it.  Getting into besides, cab corners, frame, ect gets to a point it becomes not worth it.  And it can cost less than $100 to do floors if you snag the steel from an old appliance and do it the less than factory way. 

 

As for the lift, idk why people bash so hard on budget kits like Rough Country and Rusty's.  I've now had both and had no issues with either and will gladly purchase again.  Of course I'm sure they don't compare to OME but they cost a whole lot less.  Now if I had the money to drop in an OME kit, I'd likely also have the money to travel to or ship a southern truck and believe me, I wish I did.  Haha.  

 

I can't blame you, I would never buy a northern vehicle if I had the options you do. 

 

I feel like we are getting further off topic now.  Either way there is pros and cons to either route we take up here and it really comes down to what we can reasonably make work.  Research is always a good thing and can make the end result much better but sometimes we have to take what we can get. 

[HOrnbrod]

Understand - do what you gotta do. 

[Eagle]

3 hours ago, Dzimm said:

HOrnbrod and Pete are not wrong in that a Southern rust free MJ can be had for that much or less.  The problem is those southern MJs are many miles away from us Northerners.  By the time we spent the money to drive, fly, or hitchhike our way down there and back with a clean truck, it drastically drives the price of the truck up as well as takes up a bunch of time, and time is money. 

 

If you keep looking, you could potentially find a rust free or close to it truck up here but you will definitely pay for it and it will take forever.  I got lucky with my blue truck being almost completely rust free but it was previously wrecked, sat in a garage for years, was an empty shell when I bought it, and took over 2 years to find.   

 

 

My brother was into Nissan pickups. After his first one rusted so badly that the frame broke, he went looking for a newer one. He's in Connecticut, the home of liquid white chassis eater road solution. I suggested that he look at trucks from the south and southwest, but he didn't want to spend the money to travel that far. So he bought a used Nissan from ... Maine!

 

Once he got it home and started maintaining it, he must have spent at least $3,000 on rust repair and replacement -- on top of the price he paid for the truck. After a year, for what he had in that truck he could have bought a rust-free truck in Arizona and flown himself and his wife there for a vacation before driving it home. It's like the guy used to say in the old Sunoco oil change commercials: "You can pay me now ... or pay me later."

[DirtyComanche]

4 minutes ago, Eagle said:

 

My brother was into Nissan pickups. After his first one rusted so badly that the frame broke, he went looking for a newer one. He's in Connecticut, the home of liquid white chassis eater road solution. I suggested that he look at trucks from the south and southwest, but he didn't want to spend the money to travel that far. So he bought a used Nissan from ... Maine!

 

Once he got it home and started maintaining it, he must have spent at least $3,000 on rust repair and replacement -- on top of the price he paid for the truck. After a year, for what he had in that truck he could have bought a rust-free truck in Arizona and flown himself and his wife there for a vacation before driving it home. It's like the guy used to say in the old Sunoco oil change commercials: "You can pay me now ... or pay me later."

 

Yup.  So true.

 

If it was feasible I'd just get a nice rust-free shell from Arizona or whatever, rather than screwing with the junk I have.  Import laws, insurance, and various other things make it nearly impossible.  My current project truck will cost me a bundle of time, effort, and money (mostly on supplies, paint, etc) to fix, and it's actually one of the least rusty MJs I've seen in the last 10 years.  That said, I'm going to do some minor body mods to it, so starting with the cleanest truck possible would be a bit of a shame.

[shelbyluvv]

I have flown and drove my prizes home many times. When I bought my Mega Cab Long Bed we flew to Salt Lake City, stayed the night and drove back the next day 800 miles. It cost us a grand total of $500. It would have been cheaper had it only been me. But, I drug my poor wife along for the ride. She enjoyed every minute of it. If you are truly a "car guy" than doing a trip like that is so fulfilling you would not understand until you have done it. A plane ticket is cheap nowadays. You can fly and drive for a lot less than you can ship a vehicle. It is worth every penny to do it.

[Vineyard86manch]

Is he firm on $3500? If you walked up with 3000 cash he might just take it. Solid frame, new exhaust and new tread and relatively low miles and you’re game to do the rust repair I think you’re in business. Looks like a fun rig!

[Vineyard86manch]

16 minutes ago, shelbyluvv said:

I have flown and drove my prizes home many times. When I bought my Mega Cab Long Bed we flew to Salt Lake City, stayed the night and drove back the next day 800 miles. It cost us a grand total of $500. It would have been cheaper had it only been me. But, I drug my poor wife along for the ride. She enjoyed every minute of it. If you are truly a "car guy" than doing a trip like that is so fulfilling you would not understand until you have done it. A plane ticket is cheap nowadays. You can fly and drive for a lot less than you can ship a vehicle. It is worth every penny to do it.

I flew to Montana to purchase mine and drive it home and it was a blast! Couldn’t get the wife to come along though, she thought I was insane for buying an old mj. She loves it now:)

[MJnewbie]

I wish I could do that. Military schedules aren’t the nicest so it’s hard if I don’t plan the trip months in advance 😐😐 but if I could I would love to!

[MJnewbie]

14 minutes ago, Vineyard86manch said:

Is he firm on $3500? If you walked up with 3000 cash he might just take it. Solid frame, new exhaust and new tread and relatively low miles and you’re game to do the rust repair I think you’re in business. Looks like a fun rig!

We talked about price. He isn’t firm so I’m guessing if I came with $3000 cash he would take it. I’m going to look at it this Sunday, I’m pretty excited!

[Pete M]

I'd offer 2500.  but then that's the absolute most I'd pay for a northern rig.  rot holes I don't much care about for a wheeler, but I hate dealing with corrosion in the little things like bolts and wires.   On the other hand, I'd much rather beat on a body that's already bad.    but fighting every little bolt gets old.   decisions, decisions... 

 

Just don't let the big bad 4x4 stance blind you to all the nitty gritty things that are likely needing attention.   

 

for reference, we shipped my dad's Camaro from Detroit to Atlanta for about $600.  To haul my truck down the same distance cost me about the same after fuel and trailer rental. 

[shelbyluvv]

I wish I could do that. Military schedules aren’t the nicest so it’s hard if I don’t plan the trip months in advance but if I could I would love to!

I was a Marine for 25 years. I just retired this month. I somehow managed to pull it off several times. You know what they say about excuses?

You got to love the hobby and thrill of the chase.

[kryptronic]

On 11/20/2018 at 1:39 AM, MJnewbie said:

he is asking $3500 for it. is that a good price for it? 

 

Walk away.  This is not a good deal at all.  There are a bunch of unknown factors, but what is known is that the truck has major rust issues, and it was modified with low end parts.  Oh, and it had a recent tune up.

 

Here in PA that truck would be considered an $800 trail rig.  Southern trucks show up for sale up north.  My 91 was from NC, and my 92 from KY.  I bought both from different spots in southern MD.

 

Be patient, or be willing to travel.  Or, if you really want this particular MJ, offer $800 for it and be prepared to spend over $1000 mitigating rust.

[Manche757]

MJnewbie, we are trying to save you from yourself. Don't buy that truck. That much rust will cost you a ton and more than you would ever think. If you are going to tackle it yourself, it will take more time and money. That truck is not at any give away price either. A friend with a muscle car restorvation business advised it is the rust that you don't see that is the issue. He also advised going out west where they don't salt the roads. I was not so concerned about outside paint or seatcovers because both would be redone anyway. I bought that first one based on lots of pictures. I flew out and picked it up in Texas and drove it about 1200 miles home. The flight and motel cost me a thousand bucks or so. The best money I ever spent.

[JMO413]

Did anyone ever ask what you plan on doing with it? Just wondering? Mine is just as rusty and I absolutely love it. I do understand somewhat where everyone is coming from.