Rust, Ahhhhhhh!

Hi All,

It is springtime again. Time to see what damage all of the salt they used on the streets did to my jeep. It appears that my passenger side fender it good and rotten. I have been doing a bit of searching on this site, and have come to the conclusion that I should not buy anything available from JCW. What other alternatives are there? I am moderatly handy, but do not have a welder or anything like that. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Check ebay. There's always somebody selling body parts. But beware! Not everyone's opinions of what's in "great shape", are the same. If I can't tell the condition of something by the pics, and description, I always ask the sellers questions.
I actually bought my '79 CJ5 on ebay....and many other parts since.
I'd often rather have an original AMC part, and repair it, if necessary, than a new aftermarket part. The quality of O.E.M. is usually better.
I actually, just recently found an O.E.M. CJ windshield frame and cowl rubber. Someone bought it years ago( 1988 ) to put on their jeep, but never did. It still has the Mopar sticker on it, and is like brand new.

 

I'd look for a used fender. They are all the same after 1972. If you are willing to buy one and have it shipped, I know that Scotty's in CA has dozens of them. http://www.scottysjeepand4x4.com - look at their body parts link.

You can also try Classic Enterprises http://www.classicent.com/jeep.php

 

do you have a 'craigslist' in your area? http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites.html
the san diego one is great for parts, and everything.

 

You might consider undercoating it after you get everything replaced and all the rust gone.

 

Also post in the classifieds here - there's a WTB (want to buy) section. You can also try your local 4x4 forum, Willystech, and other online forums - they all will have a WTB section. A private party purchase will be way cheaper than from a business.

 

After I bought my '83 CJ5(from the original owner with 33,999.7 original miles) in 2003 I started buying parts Jeeps and parts on E-Bay and I have had pretty good luck.I have several spare CJ fenders but I'm keeping them for my own use since this Jeep thing is addictive...

 

Thanks for all of the suggestions. By the way I just got collector plates for my 77 CJ5. They are Robin's Egg Blue with red letters and numbers.
SWEET SWEET SPRING.