Thoughts on my frame?

[jeepinjake]

Am I blind or in denial? Is this my frame with the huge cut and hole on the side of it? Or an unimportant piece? I don't want this to devalue my Jeep because I'm looking to restore it.
This reinforcement is also welded to the piece in question.
The rear bumper is on top.
My whole life my dad said the frame has to be perfect for value. Now he says "Eh, who cares." Maybe he is just saying that because he doesn't want me to be sad.
So am I screwed? Just worried about value here. Break it to me folks!
Picture:

IMG_1710.JPG

[berettajeep]

If that is behind the bumper, wouldn't it be a cross member? If so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Adventure_Wagon88]

Really not clear what we're looking at here or the scale of it, but it looks easily fixable. See if you can find another Jeep around your vintage to peep and see if you can tell how yours is different. Maybe someone just cut a factory hole a little bigger even and it just looks rough. I probably wouldn't be too concerned about it unless it's near a suspension or motor mount but if it's on a cross member (piece that connects, or is perpendicular to, the main two long frame rails) then it's even less troubling and could in fact be replaced with a whole new cross member if you wanted to go that far.

[jeepinjake]

Really not clear what we're looking at here or the scale of it, but it looks easily fixable. See if you can find another Jeep around your vintage to peep and see if you can tell how yours is different. Maybe someone just cut a factory hole a little bigger even and it just looks rough. I probably wouldn't be too concerned about it unless it's near a suspension or motor mount but if it's on a cross member (piece that connects, or is perpendicular to, the main two long frame rails) then it's even less troubling and could in fact be replaced with a whole new cross member if you wanted to go that far.

Yeah sorry about that. It would show a better picture but it was too large. Anyway I can show you the whole image?

[Adventure_Wagon88]

Do you use tappatalk on your phone? Or you can load it to flickr or another photo hosting site perhaps.

[jeepinjake]

Do you use tappatalk on your phone? Or you can load it to flickr or another photo hosting site perhaps.

Yeah I'll use Flickr. I will provide a link here for the full image.

I like to pretend I'm tech savy...

EDIT: Here is the link! https://www.flickr.com/photos/73376643@ ... ed-public/

Does it work?!!?!?

[Cheapthrills]

So that's a frame cap just c channel, I just put one in my 87... your not screwed but it's not long for this world IMHO but it's not a huge deal.... the spare tire retanin bolt I "think"went there and was inappropriately removed.. scratching my head

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[REDONE]

If you're primary concern is the monitary value of that truck, you picked the wrong one. That's a worn out play toy with a hacked in homemade gas tank, blocked rear springs and bald tires. Drive it, fix it, mod it and most of all enjoy it.

[FSJ Guy]

If you're primary concern is the monitary value of that truck, you picked the wrong one. That's a worn out play toy with a hacked in homemade gas tank, blocked rear springs and bald tires. Drive it, fix it, mod it and most of all enjoy it.

X2.

And I'd be more worried about the rusted out holes around the rear spring hangers. The cut out part is just the rear crossmember. It's not compromising much.

[Adventure_Wagon88]

Yeah it does look like the frame has been welded to a bit by a PO and rusting a bit. The market is pretty squishy on these things. I haven't been around them very long but enough to feel it out a little. Seems like everyone references perfect Wagonmaster restorations as their NADA guide of sorts to determine what their Wag should be worth. Really unless it is a perfect preserved old vehicle or a carefully restored one in great condition to start with you're not going to fix it up and sell it for a profit. So what REDONE said. Enjoy it and don't be afraid to mod it like crazy. If that's not at all what you want to do with it than I'd say throw some better used tires on it, spend a few weekends fixing it up and pass it along to someone looking for a toy and hopefully make a few bucks but don't expect to double your money on it. If off roading is a big thing where you live it should be an easy sell, or better yet, a good first trail rig for you

[will e]

I have to agree with the other. If you are 'looking to restore it' this probably isn't the platform to start with. This is especially true if your plan is to sell it. You will lose money. If, on the other hand, it is a family treasure passed on to you from a favorite relative and you plan on keeping it then 'restoring it' may be worth the effort and money.

[Nikkormat]

I agree whith what others have said but regarding the crossmember... BJ's sells a new one. http://www.bjsoffroad.com/Rear-Crossmem ... p_161.html

[candymancan]

Thats the cross member and i wouldnt be too worried about that lip missing honestly. But what i noticed is your leaf springs. The welded sections on the frame on the bottom are detaching. The left side half of it has split off from the lower section of the frame. and the right side looks worse.

I suggest investing in a little welder and learning to cut and weld to fix that. I had to fix my frame back there on my 90GW. It isnt really that hard TBH. As you can see my frame was worse in the rear. I cant find my welds on the leaf spring mounts but i fixed all of them too, ill grab some when i get the courage to go outside in the windy 10f weather today lol.. Not expert level welds, but this will hold alot better then a gaping giant rusted hole through the middle of the C channle.

The first pic is your i circled in green. This is where my concern would be first

[Cheap Hobby]

That hole was cut to install the after market fuel tank. Depending on when that tank was made it may not have come with a nut welded to a piece of metal to hold it against the cross member for tightening. That tank was made in Idaho by Iron Man . A lot of Installers would cut that hole even if they had the nut with the arm attached, they could not fit there fingers in to get nut in posistion.
Get a screw driver and start poking any place you have questions about, if goes in or through its a bad spot. The only other way to tell is pull the body off , sand blast and Inspect. If the frame is bad get another. Our rigs are only worth what you get when the check clears.