Thanks Jim!
I think it will sell for 5K
thats what we discussed asnyway
i havent had a chance to see it in person, but the guy seems like a good ole guy from the country when we spoke on the phone ... i ran a few mod past a buddy of mine and my friend validated a lot of the things the seller said: this isnt a daily driver, its predominatly a weekend car (at best for him), the gear ratio will keep it under 60, and it has power ...
i think it was painted 3 years ago when the seller purchased it
he said he bought it for roughly what hes trying tosell it for now (i think his orig price was 9500)
but im only going to use this as a summer vehicle and a truck to take to the lake (30 miles away), maybe some camping, etc ,,,
so would 5k be a good deal?
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Welcome to the board!
Those things were rust buckets - I have a '78 that lasted about three midwest winters before the first holes broke through. If there are signs that it's been painted within the last two or three years you must go over it very carefully. Some common problem areas are in the double-thickness panel on the front fenders, forward of the lower door cutout, the body seam below the corners of the tailgate, on the inside of the frame rail at the forward end of the rear axel hump, and where the rear crossmember is attached to the frame rails. There are plenty more, but those are the first to show up.
If the paint is recent it's a bad sign. To check the frame, look closely at the places I mentioned, and at any other place where one piece of steel has been welded on top of another, which is every joint. Look for bulges in the steel. Rust is larger than the steel it came from, so when two lapped pieces rust between them, the rust will push one out. With a pointed body hammer or a welder's chipping hammer whack the bulges - you'll probably see the point go right through the metal.
On body panels repaired rust can be harder to spot if the repairs have been well done, which most aren't. But still you have to look very closely for signs of body filler. A rusty Jeep is still worth something, but a whole lot less than a sound one. Rust repair is an expensive proposition to do right. I've often heard of sellers saying "Just a few small rust spots." Usually they are from the inside out, and the fatally damaged area is ten times as big as what shows on the outside.
As for the modifications he's done, their value depends on the workmanship, and whether they suit you and how you will use the Jeep. The items listed are all bolt-on modifications, so workmanship shouldn't be much of an issue. However most Jeeps that old have had the wiring harness hacked on, which can be a pain to deal with, so look it over carefully for splices and extraneous wires.
Price? If it's rust free and in top condition, I think it would be well worth it. A Bondo Queen, hacked over with shiny piieces bolted on would be worth half that or less, IMO.