Is this crazy or worth it, swapping bodies?

[troy]

I guess it is not techinically swapping bodies, but buying the same vehichle only in better shape and swapping all my stuff onto it.

My current XJ is nice, but getting up there in miles and is starting to rust (MN rust, not CA rust). I could fix it (would only be a matter of time, since rust is in all the door seams and winshield channel) and paint it, but even if I did all the work it would be easily $1,000. The transmission also needs a new torque converter.

Realistically my Jeep is worth $1,500-2K ('98 XJ, 242K). I'd likely dress up a replacement vehicle in the same fashion:

- OME Lift
-OME shocks
- D30 all rebuilt with new hubs and brakes.
- 8.25 (new factory replacement with 4.10 and tracloc and ZJ discs)
- BFG or Duratracs
- Nice stereo system (Alpine w/ipod, Infinity seperates, sub/amp)
- Husky floor mats and cargo area
- Heated seats
- rearview mirror with compass/temp

I'd likely get little additional dollars by keeping my Jeep complete with the above items. However, to buy these for a new vehicle would cost a pretty penny. I also have all new steering, control arms, and the rest of the rubber replaced on my current Jeep that could be swapped over. New Battery, starter, alternator, the list goes on.

I realize there is labor involved, but am I nuts to buy the cleanest '97-01 XJ I can find and swap all this stuff over, then sell my jeep with the stock parts on it to recoup some cost? I figure after the smoke has cleared I'll only be out a couple thousand and will have a vehicle with 100K less miles and little to no rust.

I could then add front and rear bumpers without feeling like I'm wasting money. Thinking ARB front and TJM or Detours rear tires carriers. The other option is to sell the whole works and buy a newer vehcile to outfit, but It's likely get to be $10-15K to get it where I wanted.



Here is a little on my current rig:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24715

Any thoughts are appreciated. I try not to talk to my wife about this stuff, as she does not understand.

 

[KevinR]

Do it. At least for me, I find working on the Jeep to be therapeutic (assuming nothing goes terribly wrong). An XJ is a great platform and if you've already put so much into modifications, why not get another vehicle that they'll transfer too? You're right, you would get hosed selling it with those modifications on it.

 

[brushogger]

Sounds like a great plan. Dealing with northern states rust is a never ending and expensive battle. Moving the goodies and putting the stock parts on your old jeep is very smart. This is particularly a good idea for a vehicle such as the XJ where there is a relatively cheap supply of good clean trucks from other parts of the country. To me it's well worth a 12-18 hour drive to retrieve one, but I hate dealing with rust. Nothing worse when maintaining a vehicle.

 

[DaJudge]

I would buy another stock XJ in good condition and swap everything over. I think you have already realized that you would be money ahead to do this. Put all of the stock stuff on your current one and sell it for whatever you can get. In the end you will have a newer vehicle, built the way you want it, and a little cash to help with the bumper purchase.

 

[Black Dog]

I don't know, for me it seems a little crazy. Really what it comes down to is do you want to uninstall all the parts twice then reinstall all the parts twice and have to sell a rust bucket, or do you just want to drop some extra cash and start from scratch? Personally I'd go with option two but only because I'm lazy.

 

[96discoXD]

I'd do it. the problem with rust is that it's often like an iceberg, you only see ten percent of what's really there. I think that is especially true on a unibody vehicle. When I decided to get a wrangler, I really wanted a 4.0 5speed with a hardtop, but it's so hard to find a solid YJ that I ended up getting a 2.5 with a soft top because the frame and tub were perfect. Just my $.02.

 

[troy]

I don't know, for me it seems a little crazy. Really what it comes down to is do you want to uninstall all the parts twice then reinstall all the parts twice and have to sell a rust bucket, or do you just want to drop some extra cash and start from scratch? Personally I'd go with option two but only because I'm lazy.

That does sound crazy, but my rationale is that I would not get much if any extra money for the upgrades selling it as is. Then on top of that I'd have to pay full going rate to reaccumulate the parts that I essentially gave away.

I'm a little lazy, but I'm cheaper than I am lazy. I have the cash in the bank to buy something else (a hundy cruiser has crossed my mind), but I keep coming back to having a very nice cherokee for only a couple thousand more than I have invested. Every other option I think of quickly spirals into a $10K+ build. I like vehicles that last a long time and are already depreciated to near zero. I'd keep this one, but the spots the rust is in would be a never ending battle.

The bulk of the work is swapping the axles and that just insn't that difficult. I've done it enough times that I'm just not concerned about the work. I do appreciate you being honest and it did cause me to think about the amount a work would be double.

Selling my the rusty parts Jeep shouldn't be difficult. I don't expect much out of it, it everything works great and I'll price it right. Just thinking it through at this point.

 

[mcneil]

Nice XJ, Troy.

I think you got it right.. rusted (I'm native NY, so I know true rust) unibodies are almost never worth fixing.

The only deviation from your plan that I suggest is keep the old jeep as a parts mule. Not sure what your local market is like, but I can't imagine getting more than $1500 for a good condition XJ with that many miles. Additionally, you're going to cut a lot of stuff to get those axles and suspension off. Leaf spring bolts that have to get cut off, brake lines that crack when loosened, etc. By the time you're done, you're probably looking at ~$300-$400 in new hardware to get the old chassis sell-able. Might as well just keep it for parts at that point.

 

[troy]

Nice XJ, Troy.

I think you got it right.. rusted (I'm native NY, so I know true rust) unibodies are almost never worth fixing.

The only deviation from your plan that I suggest is keep the old jeep as a parts mule. Not sure what your local market is like, but I can't imagine getting more than $1500 for a good condition XJ with that many miles. Additionally, you're going to cut a lot of stuff to get those axles and suspension off. Leaf spring bolts that have to get cut off, brake lines that crack when loosened, etc. By the time you're done, you're probably looking at ~$300-$400 in new hardware to get the old chassis sell-able. Might as well just keep it for parts at that point.

I have thought about keeping the Jeep for parts, but I'm positive the wife would not allow it. Most of the points of concern have been apart recently and living in the Midwest like I do, I liberally paint and coat with anti-seize (leaf spring bolts). Brake line had to be addressed when I did my ZJ disc conversion. Hopefully the replacement Jeep will be in nice enough shape to not have so many problems due to the elements.

As a backup plan I have a U-pull junkyard about 15 miles from me and they always have a handful of XJs there. Plus, I usually try to replace with new parts when financially possible.

 

[The Adam Blaster]

Have you looked around to see if there is a built XJ with low miles on it for a reasonable price?

I had been thinking along the same lines as you though, buy a lower mileage XJ and use that as a daily driver, wheel the "big" XJ and probably break it to bits at some point, then swap everything over. My case is a little bit different because I want to get a RHD Japanese XJ, but that's pretty specific to my needs.

It seems that buying a built machine is the smarter choice financially.

 

[troy]

Have you looked around to see if there is a built XJ with low miles on it for a reasonable price?

I had been thinking along the same lines as you though, buy a lower mileage XJ and use that as a daily driver, wheel the "big" XJ and probably break it to bits at some point, then swap everything over. My case is a little bit different because I want to get a RHD Japanese XJ, but that's pretty specific to my needs.

It seems that buying a built machine is the smarter choice financially.

If there was a buillt one that had tasteful mods that I liked for the right price, I wouldn't hesitate. However, the majority of the built XJs for sale are not of the expo style and are usually done with an eye towards the least amount spent to get the biggest tires on it.

I will be keeping an eye out for XJs that already have a nice winch bumper and/or tire carrier on them. At this point I'm most concerned with overall condition and then add the parts that I currently own to it. Nice paint, little to no rust are my biggest concerns. I'm not even too concerned with miles, especially if it came from the south west.

 

[Dr. Jones]

The ol' XJ body swap is actually pretty common practice. My brother-in-law has done it twice... but he has a lot of free time.

 

[Bad Karma]

I am doing it right now... Bought my Scrambler in California, swaping all my stuff from my CJ-7 onto an aftermarket frame, swaping all the CJ-8 stuff onto my CJ-7, then selling the CJ-7.

 

[Root Moose]

If you like the platform, do it. To me, hopping in the Cherokee is like slipping on an old shoe. Very comfy. If something happened to mine I'd buy another and transfer the parts without even thinking about it.

I made a point of not winter driving mine anymore and took it out of daily driver service once I started modifying it. You may want to consider same for the new XJ.

 

[wjeeper]

I would buy another stock XJ in good condition and swap everything over.

X2!

As my friends say: "Cherokees are like diapers, run them till they are messed up, then change it out"

I know a guy that has had three Cherokees.....same long arm kit, bumpers, tire carrier, roof rack and axles (lockers/ gears/ etc) just bolts it under a different jeep. He rolled the first two Cherokees and simply transferred the parts to the new one and parted out the old Jeep. One side benefit is you can use the old rig for parts to spruce up the new one.

If we were talking about a rare rig swapping the bodies might be worth it. Cherokees are dime a dozen. They are literally all over the place and its easy to find one in great shape......why go to all the trouble of a body swap?