Multi-rig options in the rust belt...

[dlowrance]

OK I'm having a bit of a hard time working through logistics here and want some assistance...

I'm in the midst of restoring Liz (the cherk) back to near-pristine condition...engine's coming out tomorrow for a rebuild, interior's half done, new rear end done, with new skins and new paint to follow. With all that I REALLY don't want to see bubbling paint next spring from driving her through the salt nightmare around here in the winter...she's not going to be a trailer queen but nice enough that I don't want the Midwest rot to set in.

I've got Ursula (the gladiator) who already has some rot showing...not much but a little, MUCH better than you see around here. She was a Colorado rig her whole life up to the last 5 years. I've just about decided that she's going to go up for sale as soon as I find a SB browless J10 that I can build up. But here's where the tough part comes in...

I HAVE to have a 4WD rig for winter driving...I live in the middle of nowhere and with snow and ice I need something to slog up and down country roads...

So with the understanding that it's basically impossible to rust-proof one of our rigs for salt driving, my options are:

1 - Keep Ursula and let her rot away...really don't like this option, she's way too nice a rig for that.

2 - Get the J10 with the understanding that she's going to be the winter ride...don't like THAT option either...I want to build a nice SB truck, lifted weekend play toy, that isn't going to disintegrate on me in the next few years.

3 - Get something else as a beater rig for the winter...given Illinois license/registration/insurance costs this isn't a very cheap plan...not even counting the extra maintenance costs...

that's about all I can come up with...see my dilemma?:banghead:

[Jeepsmith]

I'm asking myself the same question. Mine is almost done also, and it turned out way nicer than I expected, so I think I'll keep it salt free. I'll be using an explorer or maybe an XJ for daily use because of the gas price too.

[Billygoat]

Trade Ursula to me for my XJ - I take good care of her for ya!:D

[dlowrance]

I used to have a baby jeep, had no issue with it...and I might go back that way for a beater...

[Kali]

I have the same dilemma. I have a nice J10 that I will not drive during the winter but I also dont have winter wheels. I would like a 4WD vehicle but I just cant justify filling another FSJ gas tank during the winter months. Between gas prices and the horror of watching yet another rust out I wont do it. This past winter a friend of mine impressed me with his econo-box FWD car equipped with studded snow tires. I think I may go that route.

[dlowrance]

Kali, your J10 is what got me on the kick for a J10 SB restored-ride...I really like yours, all the way around...

Yeah, I hate to get one and just let it go to heck, but there are several around my area that are sound mechanically and a real rust bucket otherwise...I keep thinking about that route...

[Kali]

Wow thanks Im flattered. You must like the light blue ones ;)

[ClarkGriswald]

I have to empathize with the rust probs. Both my jeeps are sittin on frames so disintegrated I cant go forth with them. Here they not only use salt in the winter, but the pump out brine water that comes up from oil wells, and put it in giant tanker trucks and drive around dumping out on the dirt roads. "Dust control" they call it.. To me its salting the earth, and reeks like crude oil. Everytime I pull down my road and its just been contaminated by that stuff I curse the fact that they are allowed to do that. You can almost feel it eating the underside of whatever your driving. Then later you walk up and look at your car and the wheelwells are glistening like crystals (as is the entire undercarriage), nice mixture of dirtroad mud and salt. Im not mad at the guys drivin the trucks, I know a lot of em. But I think it sucks that they can do that and make $$$ from the county. My opinion.

[Mikel]

Get an early 90's XJ. They are pretty solid little 4x4's, sell for cheap and will give you twice the gas mileage of your FSJ. That will pay for additional insurance/purchase expenses fairly quickly, depending on how much driving you do.

Please don't let your FSJ decay like that :(

[Bill Moore]

there are loads of 4wd ford and dodge beaters cheap here, 600 can buy a nice one, say the word and we will swap you, but dont wait till they are total rust buckets, wheres the tree huggers when you need them, should to be illegal to drive a fsj on salted roads..........................heck, theyve made everything else illegal and 4 dollar a gallon gas

[dlowrance]

Wow thanks Im flattered. You must like the light blue ones ;)

Sure seems that way don't it?:thumbsup:

[dlowrance]

I have to empathize with the rust probs. Both my jeeps are sittin on frames so disintegrated I cant go forth with them. Here they not only use salt in the winter, but the pump out brine water that comes up from oil wells, and put it in giant tanker trucks and drive around dumping out on the dirt roads. "Dust control" they call it.. To me its salting the earth, and reeks like crude oil. Everytime I pull down my road and its just been contaminated by that stuff I curse the fact that they are allowed to do that. You can almost feel it eating the underside of whatever your driving. Then later you walk up and look at your car and the wheelwells are glistening like crystals (as is the entire undercarriage), nice mixture of dirtroad mud and salt. Im not mad at the guys drivin the trucks, I know a lot of em. But I think it sucks that they can do that and make $$$ from the county. My opinion.

:eek: Holy rustbucket batman!!:eek: I never heard of that one before...you've got salt year around!! I'm going to stop complaining!

[dlowrance]

Please don't let your FSJ decay like that :(

Mike you hit the nail on the head...I don't want to do it...just got to find a viable alternative...

[Jeepgearhead]

This is exactly why both of my FSJ's are in garages and I drive an XJ during the winter here in Ohio. I don't want to let my FSJ's turn into total rust buckets, so neither one goes out in the winter unless its an emergency.....

[Ristow]

i gotta get my '83 painted this summer before it rusts away. gonna rust-bullit the underside. hugger orange w/white roof for paint,i'm thinkin'. going to do it myself.

[Tonka J200]

I WON'T drive my Grand Wagoneer in the winter. Period.
It spent it's life in Arkansas, and I see it as my respncibility to make sure it's not subjected to road salt. Even a little bit will cause it to rot quickly.

XJ Cherokees are cheap, and they're reliable, somewhat economical, and a blast to drive in the snow. I put 250,000 miles on my '91, and then bought a '95 three years ago for $2100.00 and it's been my winter ride since. It runs great and looks good on the outside. I'm gonna be patching the floors in it this summer...

And after you get the paint on your new Cherokee, give me a call for a set of repro stipes - I can give you and exact match to what you have now!