Pete M Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 so this number came out in a FB conversation with Key Parts. apparently if you're in the parts business you can pay for VIO (vehicles in operation) numbers from the government. this can be state, regional or continent wide. 18,600 refers to the number of registered MJs in the US and Canada. obviously there are others in Mexico and abroad and in peoples backyards, so it's not the true number of MJs left, but it's a bit scary to me that it's so small. essentially we're down to ~10%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jtslick89 Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 7 minutes ago, Pete M said: so this number came out in a FB conversation with Key Parts. apparently if you're in the parts business you can pay for VIO (vehicles in operation) numbers from the government. this can be state, regional or continent wide. 18,600 refers to the number of registered MJs in the US and Canada. obviously there are others in Mexico and abroad and in peoples backyards, so it's not the true number of MJs left, but it's a bit scary to me that it's so small. essentially we're down to ~10%. very interesting stat, I never thought we'd have access to that data, WOW. Nice find, but looks like we're getting added to the endangered list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jtslick89 Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 @Pete M I wonder what that # was over the years like 2000 to 2010 to 2020. It'd be interesting to know if it dropped significantly during certain time periods or has it stayed steady the last 5-10 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHMJXJ Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 So, they really ARE "rare". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tugboat95 Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 Well I know of at least 2 unregistered trucks. I own one of them.1989 Eliminator4.0L 5 speed2wd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMCJeepMJ Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 Don't see them around here like they were 5 or 10 years ago; an uncommon sight any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 So it’s probably safe to say there’s about 19,000 left counting ones not registered and tucked away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveevryjp1998 Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 Thirty plus year old unit body vehicles that had less than 200,000 made all years in production worldwide is shocking about 10% left really? 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 12 hours ago, tugboat95 said: Well I know of at least 2 unregistered trucks. I own one of them. 1989 Eliminator 4.0L 5 speed 2wd I own two, and I just sold a third. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveevryjp1998 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 The only reason why there is realistically between 15 and 30 g of these left is almost entirely all from guys from this club. I say 30g because like Eagle pointed out, most of us that have 1 have mj, most likely have at least another. The number given to Pete really is a rough ballpark. How many of those are sitting in scrap yard, county repo, or just opened still on the verge of destruction? How many more are out there untitled? I bet many of us have trucks registered simply for legal plates in the areas with compliance issues that aren't anywhere near roadworthy but it solves issues with fines. I've registered heeps for years that I part and even add to my insurance which at times have saved big $ on multicar discounts. Seems crazy but I will always keep a $500 clunker around as long as plates don't get crazy expensive here in Indiana for that very reason. Others I'm sure register some that might be in the middle of restore that never finish that end up lost with salvage. There are very few things government has ever done efficiently or accurately. Thinking this data is one of them without being able to question how it was sourced etc. and take the number as gold is a foolish as to think any frameless or unit body 30 plus year old vehicle would still be soo plentiful with less than 200,000 made worldwide all years production in country with over 330 million people to destroy them or trash them on planet with almost 8 billion people living on it. Enthusiasts are the only reason any of these are left. Progression will always destroy or change what we know. When production stopped, a target was painted on every one of them. They are the past not the present. Everything the E.P.A does is a tax and tool our government uses to make sure more of these vehicles get repurposed into Chinese made products to get sold back to us. Look around, emission facilities, taxes, government, and requirements definitely aren't restoring them. Only enthusiasts do. I like to off-road myself but I would definitely not like to include of this 18,600 most of the modded registered offroad trail rigs that are in the process of being crunched and parted through that process. this will to never look at the truth, willingness to just fit in following the herd, never think, blind trust, is why this country and globe is where it's at now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parei_doll_ia Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 The average age of cars on the road is 12 years, so assuming that as the half life, there would be less than 17% left of any car after 30 years, so it's not that shocking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strictlyxjs Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 "Enthusiast" is a losley used term too. Every mouth breather up here in new england wants a comanche and ends up getting one and destroying it. don't get me wrong i enjoy a good *tasteful* offroad build but up here it seems like every kid 19-25 that buys an mj gets in the middle of the 97+ swap, realizes it actually takes some effort to do it right, then junks the project that was an otherwise decent mj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHMJXJ Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 On 1/1/2022 at 12:18 PM, strictlyxjs said: seems like every kid 19-25 that buys an mj gets in the middle of the 97+ swap, realizes it actually takes some effort to do it right I've seen many a listing for "half completed projects". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Mines half completed and I want to sell it, its a base model and rusty but trusty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatMJGuy Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 On 1/1/2022 at 12:18 PM, strictlyxjs said: "Enthusiast" is a losley used term too. Every mouth breather up here in new england wants a comanche and ends up getting one and destroying it. don't get me wrong i enjoy a good *tasteful* offroad build but up here it seems like every kid 19-25 that buys an mj gets in the middle of the 97+ swap, realizes it actually takes some effort to do it right, then junks the project that was an otherwise decent mj. AMEN it's not just up in New England. You have no idea what it's like in the south! Every dang Red Neck kid that gets his hands on one of these without any idea of the rarity seems to chop it up to turn it into some crazy rock crawler or super mudder and absolutely DESTROYS the truck! Unfortunately, many times he's got more in it with tires and lift than he does in the actual truck! So he treats the truck like garbage and when he finally destroys it beyond it's usefulness he takes his tires and lift and moves it to another Jeep and sometimes tries to sell the junk but often time it ends up in the scrapper or even more likely rusting to oblivion out in his back 40. When it becomes an eyesore and his parents tell him he's got to do something about it or they try to sell the property the Jeep is sitting on they will often put it on Facebook Marketplace without a title so that no one will even possibly get the chance to revive it. They just want it gone at this point and want you to come and get it with little effort on their part and even if you try to throw a $100 bucks their pay and pay their title fees for them to get a legit title they just won't move. I mean I've offered $100 bucks for them to show up for 30 minutes at the tag office and sign a paper and they just won't do it. They'd rather it go away now with no effort and knowing its only outcome will be getting crushed. SMH And then others end up like you said... half completed projects that end up being too much for someone and disposed of by whatever means to get most of their money back and many times it's a part out because the truck is worth more in pieces than it is whole. SMH I just hate when people get into these trucks and never really understand what they have or the work it's going to be in the end and add to their demise rather than help prevent it. Then there's people like many of us trying to save these things but many times you just feel out numbered. It's sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 I have two unregistered partial MJ's in my garage in addition to the trusty, rusty daily driver MJ. There is another local guy that has at least 6 decent MJ's without tags sitting in his yard. I continually browse craigslist for MJ's, but shouldn't. I want to save them all! Someday I know I'll come across my next MJ. It will be one that doesn't run and looks sad, but is presumably rust free and cheap...someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatMJGuy Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 2 hours ago, 87Warrior said: I have two unregistered partial MJ's in my garage in addition to the trusty, rusty daily driver MJ. There is another local guy that has at least 6 decent MJ's without tags sitting in his yard. I continually browse craigslist for MJ's, but shouldn't. I want to save them all! Someday I know I'll come across my next MJ. It will be one that doesn't run and looks sad, but is presumably rust free and cheap...someday. It happens to the best of us! My buddy that I bought my MJ from still has two more of them an XJ, and a Silverado! He went back to college so to save on money he moved back in with his parents and his dad told him he has too many cars and that some of his cars gotta go! SO... even though I'm leaving the country I decided to take one on and try to squeeze it in with what time I have left. If it were any vehicle but an MJ I'd turned him down. Once I realized that the vehicle was a North America vehicle only I realized it would be crazy rare over there and IF I ever decided to sell it, (never gonna happen) that it would be worth more overseas due to it's rarity so it would most likely offset my shipping cost in value. IF IF things fall through and our VISAs don't get approved I want a second one. I think when I finish this one I'll start a 97+ interior one since it won't need to clear customs. I know that route is long tough and arduous but it would be so worth it when it's done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Well, what's the better option, an affordable half-done project, or one like the below, fully built, asking $15k+, where, if the fact the license plate is self-tappered straight to the middle of the tailgate is any indication of the quality of the build, you're likely finding yourself redoing half the work anyway? https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/strathcona-county/1990-comanche/1598137948?undefined I'd say for evey one registered there's going to be at least another one languishing somewhere. How many Jeep enthusiasts have a yard of projects they've never gotten to? But I guess condition on those isn't necessarily going to be a guarantee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scguy Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Yiiikes. I need a tailgate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 42 minutes ago, gogmorgo said: How many Jeep enthusiasts have a yard of projects they've never gotten to? Have you been talking to my wife? It's the ugly truth about a passion for any vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatMJGuy Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 I think sometimes people say it's "done" when it's about 3/4 and hoping you don't notice and if you do they just say well what do you expect from a 30 year old vehicle. But reality they prolly just got it to a point where they have it back together enough get it sold and price it like that to try to get back as much as they can. I actually don't mind the fact that mine is purchased were it is at the very beginning states of a restoration but very drivable. I know where I am, where I've been, and where I want to be at any given time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strictlyxjs Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 2 hours ago, gogmorgo said: Mounting the plate literally anywhere else would have been a better option. This photo does to my eyes, what nails on chalkboard does to my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 13 hours ago, strictlyxjs said: Mounting the plate literally anywhere else would have been a better option. This photo does to my eyes, what nails on chalkboard does to my ears. This truck was built in the province that bred zip ties n bias plies. Don’t really think there’s a ton more to be said about it than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91Pioneer Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 19 hours ago, gogmorgo said: Well, what's the better option, an affordable half-done project, or one like the below, fully built, asking $15k+, where, if the fact the license plate is self-tappered straight to the middle of the tailgate is any indication of the quality of the build, you're likely finding yourself redoing half the work anyway? https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/strathcona-county/1990-comanche/1598137948?undefined Wow judging by the amount of flat black along the entire bottom of the MJ I'm gonna go ahead and say there's some bondo holding it together over the rust holes. Ludicrous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strictlyxjs Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 8 hours ago, gogmorgo said: This truck was built in the province that bred zip ties n bias plies. For the record... i don't mind him as long as he sticks to the fords and dodges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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