Is it worth it?

Is it worth rebuilding my Tuxedo to original spec because its pretty rough.
bare in mind...im on a shoestring budget here. i had $4200 and i spent $2500 on the jeep itself.

the tub was patched all over by the farmer who owned it most of its life. I dont know what he used to do it but it is some thick metal arc welded on the floor and sheet metal and an inch of bondo on the sides.
It is good running and is still a 3-on-the-tree. the brakes and such have been rebuilt and it drives nice. but it it rare enough to justify saving up $4,000 for a steel tub? (unless i happen upon a clean one)

or

are they common enough that i should just get a glass tub @$1400 or patch this one with real panels and spray it white (the original color) and have one that looks good from 10'?

 

What year?

I always vote original tub regardless.
Once the tub is replaced a lot of appeal is gone for me.

Just my .02.

 

what year is it and where are you located? i'm practicing and learning bodywork on an extra tub i have that i'll be looking to get rid of soon. depending on how shot it is, you could probably still save your tub

 

Moneywise, a restored vehicle is rarely "worth" what you will put into it. You could spend a fortune getting to "original spec" with the old body. New replacement tubs are not "to spec" either - and also take a lot of work to fit.

On the other hand you could possibly do a "good enough" practical rebuild of your body with honest patching, if you don't worry about it being "un-original" in places. Jeeps are good that way.

 

Original is best, but sometimes they are simply "Too Far Gone" to salvage. My current 59 cj5 has some issues in normal spots but is definitely salvageable with very little bodywork and front floors replaced. But I recently cut up and sent a 52 m38a1 tub for scrap value, since there was literally no saving it. Its floors were shot, every single exterior panel had gotten normal flat sheetmetal riveted over the top of the originals. Trust me when I say there wasn't a single piece that could even be cut off for a patch panel for another jeep.

 

Im near pittsburgh pa. Ill try to get somedetailed pics when I get home tonight

 

It largely depends on what you intend to do with it. If your goal is to drive it then a resto-mod would be OK. I personally don't like glass tubs because no matter what you do, they never look original (I can spot a glass tub a mile away.) But it's your Jeep so ultimately your decision.

My best advice is don't do anything that permanently alters the vehicle. Replacing the tub is OK because if someone in the future wants to take back original, he can replace the tub with a steel one. As far as I know, there is nothing unique about a tub from a tux. If it was mine, I would keep the column shift no matter what just because it is cool.

 

I'm not a fan of fiberglass tubs, so I'd say keep the steel tub.

The Jeep bodies are quite simple to work on - very few compound curves, mostly flat surfaces. Most panels can be repaired with sheet steel. I'd look around for a decent repairable tub, and start repairing it in my garage. Good opportunity to learn some metal working and auto body skills.

If you don't care about the Tuxedo Park stuff, you could sell off the badges and stuff (if any). If that kind of stuff is missing, I'd say it does not make economic sense to think about restoring the Jeep to original condition. It's all the badges and chrome doo-dads that set the Tuxedo Park versions apart ... and buying all that stuff will be really expensive. Re value, completeness matters a lot.

 

The column shift was a Tuxedo Park thing, and that pinkish color paint job. Seem to remember the horn button being different, and the seats - but I may be confusing those with the Surrey models.

 

I'm about 6 hours east of you, i'm over by philly, and that column shift really is cool, i'd keep it if i were you, if not, i'd swap you for a t90 i have with a classic cane shifter.

 

That 3-on-the-tree isnt going anywhere... I have always had a fondness for column shift classic cars (on that note...is there a rebuild kit for the linkages?) . I was just drooling over my neighbor down the streets pickup. he has a rare bird as far as F150's go its an 86 STX (black bumpers black grill black mirrors) with a 300 I6, step side bed...and a 3-on-the-tree....not to mention it looks showroom new...even underneath.
I digress....

im gonna drive it how it is for the summer then come the cold next fall, i will bring her in and knock the 1 inch thick bondo shell off of her and see what im working with. I am not really a wheeler so to speak, I like a classic stock jeep. and so i would maybe do some light trails to work the old girls bones.. but if i ever feel the need for the heavy stuff i go with my buddy joe and his tube frame wrangler.

 

That 3-on-the-tree isnt going anywhere... I have always had a fondness for column shift classic cars (on that note...is there a rebuild kit for the linkages?) . I was just drooling over my neighbor down the streets pickup. he has a rare bird as far as F150's go its an 86 STX (black bumpers black grill black mirrors) with a 300 I6, step side bed...and a 3-on-the-tree....not to mention it looks showroom new...even underneath.
I digress....

im gonna drive it how it is for the summer then come the cold next fall, i will bring her in and knock the 1 inch thick bondo shell off of her and see what im working with. I am not really a wheeler so to speak, I like a classic stock jeep. and so i would maybe do some light trails to work the old girls bones.. but if i ever feel the need for the heavy stuff i go with my buddy joe and his tube frame wrangler.

oh and to Petel's comment... I have all the tux park stuff. the badges need rechromed but i have them as well as the hood hooks.

I fell good... i bought my first part.... a set of rear drivers side springs. it seems as though the PO decided to only replace the rear pass side. so she has a bit of a lean to the driver side. i will eventually replace them all but i just want to get the lean corrected for now.

 

:uwop:
lets see some pictures of body

 

tomorrow i promise!

 

I wouldn't worry about that lean too much. Mine does it and i even replaced both left and right new Crown springs and it still does it. Just think of it as "Jeep Swagger" 8)

 

JEEPs did that straight out of the factory. They had that problem on the showroom floor.

There have been several "fixes" for it, if you're so inclined.

 

Do tell?

 

Please note I have no direct experience with any of these techniques. This is merely what I've pulled from the forum.

Forum member John Worman's fix for his lean.
http://home.beyondbb.com/worman/leaning.html

Old advice from Warloch.

Jeepenstein on the driver side lean.

As timgr has said many times before, this was the factory lean fix.

Lastly, some forum members have fixed their lean by adding a taller shackle on the corner that leans to compensate.

Good luck! Some people go crazy trying to fix their lean....
I just don't take any passengers. Problem solved! R)

 

I am 40 miles south of you in Pittsburgh I had my 62 body redone by my neighbor All metal cost me a little over $4000 Paint and all A little Hi but worth it He dose great work. Just don't like fiber glass

 

My jeep has that lean and I was figuring it might be a worn out spring since they are over 50 years old. Thanks for the link to ways to solve the lean, although I am not super worried about it.