jeep under water

[98_jeep_XJ]

My jeep was in Pascagoula and was underwater. I was not I'm in the Navy and was away going to school and left it there. I am grateful I was not there and my heart goes out to those there. My question is do just junk it it or do I buy it back from insurance and try to battle electronic problems for ever. It's a 98 Classic, 3" full suspension BDS, new injectors and lots of engine work for performance, new Tom Wood u joints, new wheels and the list goes on. It was my pride and joy and my first jeep. Any suggestions?

 

[jeepkid2000]

it might be worth it if it has a lot of sentimental value, i might try to rip everything out and put a small block in it... but sometimes you just have to let things go.

 

[langer1]

Someone's going to buy and restore it.

 

[casm]

Having had an XJ under water myself, here's what I'd recommend:

Let it go.

Take the insurance money and get another one. Remove anything you reasonably can before it goes off to the salvage company, and find another one. Be sure to fight them tooth and nail for every penny you can - photos and receipts documenting the installation of the lift and any other modifications, no matter how small you may think they are, are essential. But don't tear your hair out for years to come trying to solve problems introduced by water (and debris) ingress in things like the engine, axles, tcase, transmission, etc.

Mine was virtually stock when it got nailed in the flood, but I'd upgraded enough other things on it to have a $3500 difference in valuation between what they first offered me and what I actually got. Remember that they will *always* try to lowball you, too... Faxing or sending them ads for locally-available vehicles in a comparable price bracket to your own is also a good idea. What they claimed my XJ was worth vs. what it would actually have cost to replace was about $2500 of that valuation.

 

[98_jeep_XJ]

Thanks that what I know I need to do. I just lucked in to this XJ, It was in great shape and was in excellant codition. I will press then for every little detail to get the most out of them to start on another one.

 

[Mercenary]

There must be some salvageabe parts on that Jeep. If you could buy it back, and if you have the room to store it, I would strip all the good parts off that XJ and build another Jeep with them

my .02

 

[dmillion]

Had it gone under in fresh water I might try to dry it out and keep it. Salt water, though, I think the body is a write-off. Salvage what you can and get a new one.

 

[VegasAnthony]

3" full suspension BDS, new injectors and lots of engine work for performance,

depens on the buy back $
if these things are worth more than that then buy it back
you can keep all the mechanical stuff for extra parts
tranny, t case axles ect.
interior ...and electrical are done!

 

[muduck18]

depens on the buy back $

yeah, you have to remember that even if you buy it back, it is comming with a damaged/salvage title most likely, so that means its only worth the parts you can get out of it.

i got mine from one of the NJ floods...
www.wetpaintfilms.com/heep2jeep/
there is the restore process for a jeep that got saltwater in the carpet.

Salt water, though, I think the body is a write-off. Salvage what you can and get a new one.

good luck

 

[geonicol]

It was salt water; let it go, as hard as it may be.

 

[casm]

It was salt water; let it go, as hard as it may be.

Even non-salt water can be bad, depending on how much silt was in it. When mine went, there was a two-inch layer of mud over everything after it spent three days in a river. Yeah, you could probably get it all out eventually, but God only knows what you'll miss and end up damaging as a result. Easiest just to have them cut you a cheque and be done with it.

 

[langer1]

It would good to buy it back for parts. You should be able to get it for less than the cost of the lift kit.