Potential Project, Help Determine Value Please

Hello all, I have been lurking for a while and I may have found a project in southern PA, about 45 miles north of Baltimore MD. I'm not sure what year, but it's a CJ-6, 4cyl, Manual trans, has a title. I've asked the seller a few simple questions, his response: "Sitting for 4 years. Floor is rotted in the middle but repairable. Frame looked good and motor turned."




Any thoughts on price? Thanks in advance.

 

Looks like a good amount of rot; I wouldn't pay over $500, but I like sixes. I paid $3k for mine and there was very minor rust other than surface and it was a stock 304 w/power steering. I like the half cab option though.

 

Floor rot is common and is fixable. The price of the fix largely depends on your objective. If you are building a show piece then it can be quite expensive to fix because you'll probably end up having to buy a complete floor pan. If you want a driver, are good with a welder, and don't care about it being 100% perfect then it can be fixed inexpensively.

I would be concerned about the body side, it looks like it is broken in half.

If the frame is good and the motor turns over, I think it could be worth up to $1200. Of course the value of something is what you are willing to pay for it. I paid way too much for my '59 CJ5 but I really wanted it.

 

Parts car. Pass if you don't want it for parts. Start with something much better, something with a decent tub. They are out there, at reasonable prices.

JMO.

 

If the frame is solid and the motor turns over 500 to 700 bucks, the body is rough on that thing........

 

couple hundred maybe.

 

Wow, I guess I need to get out more. In my neck of the woods, any old Jeep that is complete with a title, solid frame, power and drive trains, and is restorable would bring $1,000 easy. The bodies are irrelevant because they didn't last more than a couple of years here in salt country so you can plan on replacing the body on any project Jeep you pick up. I figured it being a 6 would add a couple hundred to the value. Having a title helps.

 

Well, you can restore anything. But it will cost less in the long run if you start out with a Jeep that's in good condition. Spending money up front will save a lot of money and time later on. If you can't afford a few thousand for a good one, then maybe you should reconsider, or save your money. Expand your search area to include the nation, and budget for transport.

The tub and the frame are what make the CJ-6 special. IMO you need to start with a good body and frame, at least. From the picture, the tub is in very poor condition. You may be able to save some of the important panels, but there's no reason to restore this one unless it has some significant sentimental value. The amount of work involved in saving this tub will be way, way more than most hobbyists with a day job can handle. JMO.

Maybe Jeeps are scarce in your area, but nationally, there is no great shortage of old ones. If this were an R-code Galaxie or a Duesenberg or such, you could accept starting with a car in such poor shape. But these Jeeps aren't rare by any definition.

 

Wow, thanks for the information. I didn't expect such low numbers. I completely agree with spending more upfront for a Jeep in good shape will save money in the long run. I guess the search continues.

 

What's your budget? You live in salt country as I do so you're not going to find a rust-free project Jeep. You can find ones that appear rust-free but I guarantee you they are not really.

 

Budget wise, I would say under $1000 would be what I want to pay for a project Jeep. I am trying to stick to my rules when buying an older Jeep: 1. title, 2. compete, 3. runs or can get running with little effort. I am not looking for something that is in pristine condition, I do enjoy working on jeeps. In the end I want a reliable Jeep that the whole family can pile in; I'm in no rush though.

As for a road trip, I am not opposed to that, but I imagine I would have to travel a great distance to find anything with little to no rust, being that I am on the east coast. It would have to be my dream Jeep for me to travel any far distance.

 

You can get fairly rust free jeeps in Texas and Ok, then very rust free from NM west to CA. You might even find just a tub if you are patient, you can have it shipped.

As you know, the corrosion problems the rust belt cars have can be buried deep in the body & frames' nooks & crannys, so even though you think you have a rust free jeep from up north, rust will appear later. A rotted out floor will not be the only problem, the frame is likely very pitted. I expect replacing a frame is more expensive than going to the sunbelt to get a better jeep.

Jeeps from the southwest have a lot longer life span. IMO.

 

Mine came from northern Ohio and had considerable surface rust on the frame but after having it sandblasted, the frame proved solid. Some pitting but nothing to worry about. The body was actually remarkably good for a northern Jeep. The floors had been replaced but it wasn't the best of jobs. I decided to go with a replacement tub even though mine was perfectly fixable because I thought it would save me a lot of grief in the long run.

So it is possible to find a reasonably rust-free project Jeep in our area. The problem is, they are so hard to come by that those who have them usually want a lot of money. So you either find a rust-free one out west and pay to have it shipped or you find your starter kit around here and pay more. Six in one...

 

I am going to look at it on friday. They guy has a few other Jeeps and I think my brother wants to buy one. I will take more pictures, but I imagine the general consensus will be to pass on this one. it's a darn shame.

 

Man, if all you have is $1000 up front, that's not going to give you many options. $1000 may seem like a lot of money, but I would expect to spend 3 or 4 times that amount just getting such a vehicle back into good, reliable condition. If you really want a "jeep-like" vehicle, I suggest you look around for something a little newer ... you can get a pretty nice 4-cyl YJ for a couple thousand dollars. Or you might find a YJ with some mechanical problems, in your price range.

I expect the value equation has a peak at maybe 15 or 20 years old... too old to be desired by non-mechanic owners, but too new to be considered "rare" or "a classic." That's why I mentioned the TJ - it's in this zone now. Or maybe an XJ, if you want to stay with a Jeep. Old Pathfinders are good cars too - and even at high miles, will have better reliability than any of the Jeep products.

So look around, save your money, and learn ... and it's ok to dream a little. But I think a $1000 project is probably a little too much dreaming, considering the condition of most Jeeps in that price range. You can do it if you really want to, but you'll need space and time and money to put into the project. The purchase price is just the beginning ... "Just Empty Every Pocket."

 

Timgr - thanks for the advice. I actually have a YJ already, for the last 12 years I have enjoyed it and I learned very early of the empty pockets. I bought it stock and built it to a faily decent vehicle that performs well on and off road. $1000 is for the purchace of the jeep, not for project. As of now, there is no overall budget, as I imagine it will take years to complete.