Can't decide which way to go....

[danheit]

I am having trouble deciding whether or not to "restore" my GW, or turn it into a trail vehicle. I really do enjoy the looks and creature comforts of a fully restored GW, but mine is beat to hell and back outside and inside, and it may be cheaper to just put on a lift and big tires and wheel it till it blows up. The problem here is that I already have a good off roader YJ that is specifically for this, and a CJ5 that is for the same. I would love to get rid of my wife's Aztek (no, I wansn't present when she bought this thing), and replace it with the waggy. It would just have to look like one of the ones from grandwagoneer.com. Anyone have any insight? I need new carpet, seats reupholstered, LOTS of body work to get dents out, and a bunch of seals and trim around the body replaced, not to mention a new paint job and new wood trim.....and that isn't even getting into the electrical system!

[H Callaway]

Use it and don't make it more of a money pit than any other FSJ. You will always have a hard time getting the wife to swap for an older vehicule. I bet from your description, that an extra $8000 might get it close to the level you want restored. $8000 is if you can include a pretty standard paint job. I think on my next project OD Green will be the color. It seems to do a good job of hiding all the exterior problems. Give it a Military Look with Black Rims, no chrome and a stripped interior.:drivin:

[Headhoncho]

I said "wheel it" .............but don't blow it up. Keep it and save the resoration for a different wag. There's too many around in excellent condition for you to restore one that already needs that much work. That's why places like wagonmasters has a high turnaround, they start with quality pieces that basically need refreshing over restoring.


JR

[scantar]

For the price you paid for this one, just wheel it. Don't put your $$ into it and get another one for that. This one could also become a parts donor for another one too.

[danheit]

Well, I completely understand everyone's theory behind just buying another one, but I have hit my "Jeeps at the house" limit. I live in a neighborhood with a very um....strict HOA, and as of right now, I have a home with a 1 car garage, and a single car driveway that holds 2 cars. As of today, I have 5 cars at my home, with 2 of them parket across my 40' wide front yard. I truely look like the Clampets moved to the beach! Plus, my wife is kinda fed up with things. Nobody ever has anywhere to park when they come over, and she is now officially embarrassed to have people over to our house. I have so much crap, that I bought a farm about an hour from me just to store my extra Jeeps that I don't drive. Only problem is that I can't store Jeeps there that I want to play with, as I will never get the free time to get to them. Long story short, this will be my only GW until I get rid of my YJ, my truck, my wife's car, my CJ5, or the GW that is already there. This is why I am stuck here. If I turn it into a wheeler, I will never have a resto-GW

[J10Mike]

Sounds like a good choptop candidate to me. chop it, cage it, lift it, and have some fun.

[Headhoncho]

Sounds like a good choptop candidate to me. chop it, cage it, lift it, and have some fun.


The jeep or his wife??? :p

[Millerluck]

I vote you wheel it with the family. Seats 6. :D

Larry

[Deacon]

I'd say lift it.
But don't blow it.

[DanHS]

It would just be crazy to go through all the effort of restoring it, for the money you'd spend geting 80% of the way there, you could spend half as much to buy a well maintained GW that's already in that good a shape. If you have to decide between whether to make a wheeler or a family driver, and you already have built wheelers, I'd say make a family driver, and start with a nicer Waggy. Use this one for parts. The other option would be to sell one of the baby Jeeps, make a wheeler out of this one, and buy a nice GW when you find a deal on one.

[drlocke]

I didn't vote, coz I really don't like either of the options very much, but I'm leaning towards the second option.

The first one is a definite money pit; you never get your $$ back in doing a full-blown resto on a rusto. Read the classifieds and you'll see something like "over $30,000 spent--must sacrifice at $9000--baby on the way...." That should be proof enough.

But I'd say use it as a vehicle for utility purposes, since you already have vehicles more suited to the offroading job.

I generally avoid offroading with my rigs, as things tend to happen to them when I do. I don't like plowing with trucks either--been there, done that. Lots of exciting things happen that can turn out to be really expensive. I've decided that I don't need that kind of excitement--be it offroading or in winter remediation exercises.... I hate it when things get broken; it just means more work for me where I don't get cash $$$ in the doing. :mad:

My registered vehicles were really meant for on-road use mostly; bear in mind my Waggy has no lift whatsoever.

"A car for every purpose under Heaven....."

Then again I've never been of the inclination to use a pair of pliers as a hammer--unless it is absolutely convenient....:rolleyes:

[82j20]

wheel it , break it,fix it, repeat...................:thumbsup: :drivin:

[TexTJ209]

You have a YJ and a CJ5.

Fix up the Grand Wag, as the YJ and CJ will far exceed the performance of a GW offroad, therefore just making it a third wheel.

[91G-Dub]

You paid $100 for it?
Lift it or not, just wheel the pi$$ out of it.
:fsj:

[jpcoutts]

How about a third option:

Sell it and buy a nice one.

It sounds like you don't have much invested in it, you have two trail rigs already and the others are right about restoring a rust bucket. By nice I don't mean a high dollar rig from one of the wagoneer sites, just something nice enough to be a daily driver.

[yeep74]

^^^^^^ Good idea^^^^^^


AHEM,
:worthless:

B

[jeepfan93]

I'd say restore it or restify it. My 91 is my DD, but you can have the comforts if you do take it out wheelin. I paid $400 for mine and including tires I have about $800 into it. Runs great, looks good, and I'm making it mine. You can make alot of interior yourself, do all the work yourself and save the cash. Make it safe and reliable. I jsu had this "discussion" with the wife last night about this, and told her she did me favor of totalling my 'Burb. No more car payment, and for a 1/4 of what that truck cost. I can build my 91 into a better truck that at least I can take out and wheel.

[Rogue]

eh... its just a woody... CHOP IT UP :D

[Casey]

There are tons of beatiful GWs here in SC.
I found a real gem the other day, for $2000. One of the nicest I've seen around here.
Why waste time and $$$ on a rusty one?



:sawzall:...and wheel it!

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

I voted restore it but I really think you should do a little bit of both. Make it look halfway decent then 4in lift and a LITTLE fender trimming w/some 33's. Off-road lights and a brush gaurd would be nice too. Then have it as a DD/weekend warrior. Just have fun with it :thumbsup:

[Gadzooks2]

I say "Don't just stand there bleedin"

Jerk them sawzall's and mig welders and go to work!:sawzall: :alc: