ExpatMJGuy Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 After a year I'm FINALLY in the process of pulling the old 2.8 v6 out of my 86 parts MJ. It's water logged and toast. Some kid hydro locked it and then rather than fix it, they parked it in a field and let it sit... for YEARS! I got into it and pealed back damage where this MJ has been in an accident at one point in its life. Looks like the front passenger side has taken a HARD hit. It looks to me like they have done some frame repair work and now years later the metal used in the repair has started to rust and give way. You can see where they even reinforced the repair underneath. Look, I'm not a body guy. Not by a long shot. Is this something that can be repaired at some point by someone that knows what they are doing? If it can be repaired is it worth it? Maybe since it was repaired once it could be done again? I've included pics tell me what you guys think. Here's the deal. I paid too much for something I thought was in better shape. I bought it originally for the complete black interior. Center console is intact and all. I originally found this thing in the dark. I thought at the time someone had already swapped out the Peugeot transmission. I thought it would go in my 88 MJ. Nope, didn't even know about the AX-5 at the time and they look alike if you don't know better. Knew I could snag several small parts, and the tailgate, but this is another gut punch. All my plans for this thing seem to have gone south at some point. I figured I could save someone the work, pull the engine and scrap it myself and recoup a few bucks. My intent up to now has been to sell a complete rolling body with complete glass. Something someone could do body work on and drop and engine and interior of their choice in. If this was an XJ I'd strip it of everything I want and send it on to the scrapper. But this is a Comanche, and one with a clean title! Since it has a clean title I'm trying to do what I can to keep it from having soup cans made of it. But with this new discovery of accident damage a bridge too far? There's metal work\body experts with lots of experience here so let me know what's up. Cause if it's too far gone I don't want to go any further waisting my time pulling an engine and getting it ready for someone else. Otherwise it's a typical southern truck that has been sat up for a long time. There's some surface rust but floor pans and all seem to be there so far. So big picture I'm trying to decide if I want to even continue with the engine pull. If the body is toast or unsafe, guess I'll need to come up with my plan C. Have a few ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89 MJ Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 I’d say cut that section out of an XJ and weld it in or include it with the sale. It can be fixed with a lot of measurements and welding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatMJGuy Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 19 minutes ago, 89 MJ said: I’d say cut that section out of an XJ and weld it in or include it with the sale. It can be fixed with a lot of measurements and welding. Yeah I can do a lot but I’m not up to this task. But if it’s reasonable that it can be repaired. I’m willing to keep moving forward with the driveline pull. I had an idea how much I was going to price a clean chassis, but not one that needs this kind of work. Otherwise it seems pretty decent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetdjc320 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 31 minutes ago, 89 MJ said: I’d say cut that section out of an XJ and weld it in or include it with the sale. It can be fixed with a lot of measurements and welding. I also had some passenger side inner fender damage and got a cutout from an XJ and grafted it on. The damage in yours is all in front of the motor mounts and is most certainly salvageable albeit a lot of work. Whoever repairs it can sleeve the uniframe rail and weld in a new piece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne Janitor Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 Find a welder that knows that they're doing. A lot of that rot can be cut out and plated and repaired. Frame stiffeners can also help add strength back to those sections. Most of that looks to be on the inside of the "frame". What does the driverside around the powersteering box look like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 That would be an annoying fix but not too hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75sv1 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 M&T makes inside frame stiffeners that might cover that. Also, they make a front plate. I think Hooligan also makes a front plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatMJGuy Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 Drivers side is good. Floor boards are good. The body has got several dings and dents especially around the bed but that hasn’t bothered me because that can be dealt with when prepping for paint. It’s a good southern truck other than this spot. Also… In the first pic I was trying to give an overall size of the hole. Second more detail of the hole. Third is even more detail and I’m pointing towards the weld line. Fourth is the frame rail from underneath. You can see where someone tried to do some stiffening before. I’ll go in later today and see if I can take a better pic of it from the bottom. In the fifth pic I was attempting to do two things at once. Show where the front bumper support was welded before and show the extent of the rot at the sway bar connection. Maybe I’ll see if I can clarify this as well. Since this seems repairable, I don’t feel I’m wasting my time going back to pulling the engine. It will most likely be easier to make these repairs with a toast engine out of the way. I’ll get myself ready and get those pics in an hour or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetdjc320 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 2 hours ago, 75sv1 said: M&T makes inside frame stiffeners that might cover that. Also, they make a front plate. I think Hooligan also makes a front plate. I think that's T&M that makes those inner frame plates. I have a set on my MJ and it would be very close to reaching the end of the damaged area. Here are the different metal pieces you could use to repair and reinforce. Keep in mind you will still need to find a good competent welder who can also cut out and repair some of the damaged metal underneath. You'll also need a replacement inner fender. I relaced mine and the pics are somewhere in my build thread if you want to reference them. https://www.t-mfab.com/store-3/?model_number=4761900 https://www.t-mfab.com/store-3/?model_number=2230916 https://www.t-mfab.com/store-3/?model_number=mjfus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75sv1 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 Here's the Hooligan : XJ Front Cross Member Stiffener – Hooligan Off Road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatMJGuy Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 Went out to get clarification pics this morning. Apparently I'm blind as a bat. There is some crumpling on the drivers side outer frame rail albeit minor. When I looked last night I only looked underneath and on the inside where the steering box is and was tired. New day fresh eyes. I posted the pics clarifying the passenger and what I found on the drivers. Again, I'm not a body guy, and I've only learned bare bones basics of welding so I'm learning as I go. Here's the full length of the passenger frame rail from the bottom. You can see the stiffener used back by the motor mount near the spring and shocks. Better veiw of just the reinforcements. Outside of the Frame Rail Passenger. Top of Driver's side and what I was mostly basing my opinion on last night. Bottom of Driver's Frame Rail Full length of bottom of Driver's Frame Rail bottom Outside of Driver's Frame Rail where I found the crumple. My fingers are there to give a depth of the crumple. Since it is smaller it's hard to get a good 3d feel of this with a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The86manche Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 That driver side is going to need some work too. That's a hard buckle. Could even be a sway in there. You might be able to have a shop pull the driver rail section out and use a stiffener but that side might need replacing too.. get yourself a doner xj and slice the nose off it and splice it in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatMJGuy Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 11 minutes ago, The86manche said: That driver side is going to need some work too. That's a hard buckle. Could even be a sway in there. You might be able to have a shop pull the driver rail section out and use a stiffener but that side might need replacing too.. get yourself a doner xj and slice the nose off it and splice it in Yeah, I'm not dealing with it. I went to school to be an auto tech not a body man. I'm going to keep striping it down and give someone a nice shell. (Well I thought it was nicer) Maybe I'll get $800 for it with the title. Cab Shell, Bed, axles. As long as someone can use a titled MJ to keep one of these on the road. I was just trying to decide if I should keep going or not with the driveline pull. I was starting to think if I had to go to plan C... maybe a trailer with the back half. Just don't want to destroy a clean title vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The86manche Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 3 hours ago, ExpatMJGuy said: Yeah, I'm not dealing with it. I went to school to be an auto tech not a body man. I'm going to keep striping it down and give someone a nice shell. (Well I thought it was nicer) Maybe I'll get $800 for it with the title. Cab Shell, Bed, axles. As long as someone can use a titled MJ to keep one of these on the road. I was just trying to decide if I should keep going or not with the driveline pull. I was starting to think if I had to go to plan C... maybe a trailer with the back half. Just don't want to destroy a clean title vehicle. Wished you loved closer I'd offer to help fix it but I'm in mass. Several miles away lol Well.. not saying to do this because it can be questionable but could always sell the vin tags and title and make the bed a trailer. But might be easier and less headache to sell as a titled shell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatMJGuy Posted February 3, 2023 Author Share Posted February 3, 2023 3 hours ago, The86manche said: Wished you loved closer I'd offer to help fix it but I'm in mass. Several miles away lol Well.. not saying to do this because it can be questionable but could always sell the vin tags and title and make the bed a trailer. But might be easier and less headache to sell as a titled shell I've thought about this. I'm not opposed to swapping the titled one for a non-titled one to achieve this and build a trailer as well... My understanding is there's no need for a title for a trailer. They are "homemade". Could be a win-win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The86manche Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 10 minutes ago, ExpatMJGuy said: I've thought about this. I'm not opposed to swapping the titled one for a non-titled one to achieve this and build a trailer as well... My understanding is there's no need for a title for a trailer. They are "homemade". Could be a win-win. Not for a trailer I don't think but I do believe they need to be registered. Which to my understanding is also easy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatMJGuy Posted February 3, 2023 Author Share Posted February 3, 2023 24 minutes ago, The86manche said: Not for a trailer I don't think but I do believe they need to be registered. Which to my understanding is also easy Here in Georgia, I bought a new open trailer from Tractor Supply company to save from roughing up the bed of my shinny new Pro-4x Frontier when I do things like take fluid leaking engines to scrap or bring my mom's ATV over to maintain it. County tax collectors office looked at the receipt and did it under a bill of sale. He said all trailers in the state of Georgia are bill of sale and they don't issue a title. When I lived in Tennessee it got crazier. In Tennessee you don't need a license plate on a trailer at all as long as it is being pulled by a vehicle with Tennessee registration and doesn't leave the state. Trailer registration is OPTIONAL there but if you do get a proper registration for your trailer they issue a title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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