Rusty Jeeps , part 1

[sarge]

A few months ago I purchased Jon's ( LilblueXJ) 94 2 door XJ as a project for my 16 year old son. I knew it had some rust issues and figured if it was to far gone I would just pull the drive line and sell it to a buddy in need . Well rust issues are an understatement. A few weeks ago my son called me at work and asked if there was anything he could do to the Cherokee until I got home, I told him to " GUT IT !" he says.... GUT IT ! yep I want it all out, everything but the dash . He did a good job and by the time I got home he was finished and looking a little worried that I was going to part out his Jeep....... So of course like any father would do, I made him suffer while I started screw driver testing the remains of the floor. Then came the Sawsall and this is what I was left with:





for the most part the entire floor of this XJ is gone or on it's way , even in the rear.

I headed to Mitchell's and lucked out , Scott was getting ready to crush an 80's model Caprice. I got the hood and deck lid off it and pealed the sheet metal off the support frames and ended up with enough sheet to do the entire floor for free.

I started the other day and got the front section of the passenger side cut and about 90% welded in.





So I had plans on spending last evening finishing up the front, however, a buddy called with big problems with his 89 YJ. The rear frame was rusted at the shackle and there was only a 1/2 inch strip of metal left at the top of the frame....

So I pulled the XJ out and pulled the YJ in . The frame was completely rusted out around the rear shackle , like they all do. I broke out the Sawsall and the Plasma and ended up here :



I took a piece of 2x5 tube and cut and rewelded it in to something more like 2x4 1/4 , it slid inside the frame and allowed me to weld it and then fish plate it .





Everything fit back together like a glove , I'll get some finished shots this evening.
It was late and I had to work this morning so I kicked everyone out and crashed with out taking any shots.

First thing I said to the wife this morning was " damn I'm sick of dealing with rust !!!!! She responds " ya aint done with Taylor's Jeep yet ! "

Stay tuned for the RUST of the story !