What do you guys think of this cherokee chief ? Junk or ?

[candymancan]

Guy wants 1300$.. but says he'll do 800$. Still seems too high in my opinion i think its worth no more than 600... But it has title so i guess that helps with value ... he said he has the steering column. Took it out but it didnt fit his cherokee. He said he might have thr bench seat.


Engine/trans. Drive train is in unknown condition.

The rust doesnt bother me. I can cut. And weld as i did my 90.. some of you know how extensive i went for my 90.. Its frame was in horrid condition holes in floor.. etc.. all fixed now. Minus some body panels i never got too due to other repairs.

I have the headliner peices ssme color..even the headliner boards (not in great shape but i have em) Also have the dome lights too ( i think)

I have buttons. Switchs. The two rear windows. Ash tray for the Jeep in my parts.. same color too. I just dont have a cluster.. so this is another unknown.. the miles. I have a rear glass.. i have a regulator and motor for it.. in fact mine was fron a 78 cherokee lol.

So besides a cluster and drivers seat.. Ill just. Need turn signal side markers. Brake lenses.. a window switch for rear. Fix lots of rust.

And hope the engine isnt trash. Thats thr big one.. is the engine garbage ? Was that why it wad used for parts.

Its just so hard to find a cherokee chief these days. Or the J series pickups.

So honest opinions ?

Honestly the grill the stainless steel drip rails and stainless steel in the rear window.. are worth more thsn the Jeep.. so i wouldnt like lose money if i get boned on the drivetrain

[sierrablue]

$800 is pretty steep. It's not bad if you want a restoration project and money's not an issue, then go ahead with it, but otherwise it's going to be another unreliable money pit (which it sounds like you have enough Jeeps like that as it is).

For the record, I've seen SJs around here not rusted out in those spots. It's kind of a mess.

[candymancan]

Its hard to find thrm in NOVA period. They either want 6500$ for a running one eith the same rust.. or you just dont see it period.

809 is too much i could try to go to 600 or 700. Or hell do a trade.. not sure if hed do that.

Nothing i have is unreliable.. Its just the rear main is a B on my 90 and the ZJs need love i haven done sht for my 5.9 ZJ in 6 years.. just drove it and spent all my time on my wagoneer. The 4.0 is the only one that seems to never need work and is 3k from 400k miles lol driven 200 miles a day

But ya i dont have the (funds) itll be more like a project over time.

The drive train is what worries me mainly.

I wish i could find a decent one. Or a J truck.. its sick watcjing youtube videos just posted by channles. Of this (horrible) barn find cherokee chief they just got for 350$ thats just a rats nest and nedds cleaned but isnt rusted.. ya the tailgate rust on it does suck fir sure.


He also said it was covered but hasnt been for awhile.. so its just raining inside with no rear 3 windows... lol

Those people have no idea what horrible is or how lucky they are lol..

[sierrablue]

I mean we all WANT to take in projects like that but a lot of times if you already have projects you just can't.

Like I said I'd make what you have work. You know what they all need and what all works on them--you don't need another one that may or may not need more, or you KNOW it needs more. Anyway, then if you fix up what you have, you can potentially sell it or trade it, and either have some decent money for your other projects, or get something else that may not be such a pit.

More projects=more to do=more stress=less drive to focus on one

Besides, if things work out with the gf, wouldn't you rather spend your free time hanging out with her, maybe driving your rigs with her? Rather than lording over another project? I bet she'd appreciate it

[candymancan]

Na shes too busy with her old people and ztuff.. i doubt itll work with her.. shes just being a snob.. i come over for 3 hoirs i go maybe once a aeek.. and then its a struggle to get a text from her..

Other than im sooo busy lol.

Ya i know i have nice Jeeps.. at least my 90 and my 5.9 ZJ i mean which ppl want.. I should probly focus on the 5.9 more. I just have always wanted a wide track chief haha.

Uhg..

[Stuka]

The body is pretty much toast, and the interior is rough. Unknown condition of the engine. On the west coast, it would be worth scrap value. I am sure in rusty areas it would be worth more.

What are your intents? If the body is that far gone, chances are the frame is also. Rusty fenders just look bad. A badly rusted frame is a safety concern.

[candymancan]

He says the frame is fine. Obviously id look before i buy i deff know what to look for after my heavily rusted frame on my 90 lol mine had severe rust.. gas tank.. both shock mounts to the engine mount.. the lips for the cross members on rhe c channle rusted out. The rear frame all of it actually lol.. No body mounts.. at all could lift it off rhe frame.. Took me years to fix it all lol.. which its solid and rust free now.

Mine also had holes your feet could fit into on the hump where the rear seat corners go up if that makes sense.. and holes elswhere up front.

But i have a odd suspicion this one the entire thing is a big hole.. sadly..

Id be shocked if this one has a better frame than mine did. These cherokees seem to all rust on the flairs i noticed anyway.

[will e]

I'd move on to something else. Patience and cash on hand are the key to getting a good used car find.

[tgreese]

Run away. Parts only. The owner is dreaming at that price. Let the scrap yard take it.

I'm judging by completeness and rust. Too much missing here, and too much rust.

Suggesting you pay extra and travel to get a better example. You'll be glad you did.

IMO, unless you buy a coveted exotic car, purchase is the least expensive part of project car restoration. A fixed, one-time cost. Buying missing parts gets very expensive, and rust repair done right requires a lot of skill, time and equipment. I'd look for an example with no rust and complete.

[tgreese]

Note it can be done...

http://www.spiuserforum.com/index.php?t ... laxie.308/

JMO - no Cherokee is sufficiently exotic/coveted/valuable to warrant this kind of treatment.

[sierrablue]

I would guess the frame is fine, as the earlier frames are thicker and aren't as prone to rust and the later ones (80+). But even still, $800 for effectively a rolling chassis is...ridiculous.

With the quarter windows being out of it, I would guess the floor is gone too.

Looks like it has an okay windshield though...if you get it and part it out let me know! lol

[candymancan]

Thing is i have all the parts.

I have headliner. Both Dome lights. Visor clips. Headliner metal and center retainer strips. Even have the coat hangars. I have my 90s center arm rest although diff color.. but i dont need it. I have the rear window. The motor.. regulator, both side windows and good rubber gasket. All my parts are orange too. Hell i also have all the roof rack brackets lol

I have the front ash tray. I have every knob for a.c heat. Lights. Whatever on the dash. Doesnt look like its missing its clock. He said he has the steering column and bench seat

I just dont have a drivers seat. Or cluster, or the side markers. Or rear taillight lenses.. but crown makes all that.

Floors are easy to do.. sheet metal.. 1 day i could do the entire floor.. I did my wagoneers floor in a day. Do you guys remember ? I have like 7 holes up front. And both corners where the vebch seat floor goes up were so rotten i could stick my legs through.


Remember this thread ?

viewtopic.php?t=19147

Or this thread

viewtopic.php?t=19033


My 90 was absolutetly horrible haha.

Ya 800 is still too much... It has a title though.. Thats his argument for making it worth 350$ and then 350$ in scrap metal. Lol.

Tbh i offered 350$ lol. Ima try to push him and see if hell do a trade haha

[sierrablue]

But do you have the quarter windows for it? What about floor pans? It's had the windows out and rained in I'd assume, so I'm guessing the floors are rusted in at least a couple places. What about flares and a tailgate?

Looks like it's an auto, but it also looks like a shifter sticking out of the floor for the hi-lo like the later ones had--what's that? Has it been swapped? If it's a stock '78 with no shifters sticking out then it's a Quadratrac. Is the Qtrac any good anymore? Those are expensive suckers to get, let alone work on. Tranny is most likely functional but may not be. Do you have an engine? What about exhaust? Gas tank? New powerplant when that one's worn out even if it runs?

Sorry that all probably sounded really harsh. My point was more that it needs A LOT--it's not like it just needs those couple parts you have sitting around--it's possible to fix but it needs SO much. And it all adds up fast.

If you already had a donor or something and were gonna morph them together it'd make more sense, but just to buy it, it would be a MASSIVE project...or yard art

I don't remember those threads...I wasn't here yet :bd

[candymancan]

No engine no transfercase but a 229.

I noticed it has a shifter on the pillar for low and high.. and its pointing all the way down. He said the engine trans and tranfercase are there and havent been touched ?

Yes i have the tailgate windows regulator motir..and the two side windows. I took them from a 78 cherokee chief good rubber too.

Tailgate is PRetty bad.. yarr.. bad.. but i could cut and weld and shape that back to it looking like new. That will be fun actually.

Exhaust.. is super easy to do.. Cat. Tailpipe they still make them walker pipes are cheap and can be rust free if you paint em. Mine is 6 years old and still going. I did my entire exhaust from y pipe down.

Did my 5.9 and 4.0s exhaust thats all easy minus the manifold gasket hah..

Yes my main concern is that engine..that will really suck if its bad. I wonder why it was a parts vehicle..engine or because of rust.

Fender flares. No i dont have. Id make em myself somehow. What cherokee doesnt have rusted out flares. I saw one in arizona with 24k original miles that had rusted flares lol.

Can you tell me whats wrong with a quadratrac tc like what goes bad on those ? Im used to my shift on the fly 229.. dont older ones have the stuff in the glove box or something what is involved in tjat ?

[candymancan]

Damn im reading up on the 1339.. That sucks !! For everyone with one. Cant rebuild.. cant swap.. pretty much screwed.

I notic3d a lot of Jeep transfercases in a way really sucks.. 229/249. 1339 now. And so forth.

Anyway its quadratrac he said. He got this one and other cherokee as a package deal from a Lady. Some woman owned both. And used both on her farm. He claims he juat never used this one due to the body rust. So he never tried to get it running.

So engine and 1339 is the iffy.

[candymancan]

Gah damn.. guy lied to me.. its missing the 1339 transfercase he said it was there... then it isnt and says . I dunno how i didnt see that... then i see it on his old listing that sold.

Engime bay wire harness is gone too.. This guy is imsaine.

Missing its fender too on other side.

Dang man NOW its got too many parts missing.. aint worth 500$ now.. ah well it was a neat idea at first

[rocklaurence]

Id pay $800 for it--parts car

[candymancan]

Well i wanted to bring it back.. but sourcing a 1339 will probly be hard. And a fender due to shipping sizes id have to find it local.

The stainless steel trim is worth 2-300$ on the drain rails.. razor grill probly 200$ or so.. three bumpers.. probly couple hundred. Windshield.. etc.

Oh well.

I gatta flat bed it too. So thatll be a couple hundred probly. I really wish it wasnt missing the transfercase or fender

[sierrablue]

I mean my uncle has a good one he's not using, but if I had to guess he wouldn't sell it cheap, and the shipping would be ungawdly.

My point with all the stuff it needs--none of it is cheap, and all takes a lot of time. For me personally, I'd want to spend more time driving it than building it, and frankly one Jeep is enough, almost more than enough maintenance (I know, I know, don't roll it and you'll be better off). And you already have 3 others.

Question I've been asking myself a lot is whether or not it's worth my time and money--not whether or not it can be done.

[akguy09]

I would pay $800 for it and part it out. That’s about all it’s good for at this point.