1989 XJ body cancer... Uh...

So, I recently purchased a 1989 cherokee and it's got massive body cancer. The previous owner bolted two uni body rails onto it from just under the rear seat rise, to the rear of the vehicle. Upon hacking this thing up, I saw a piece of metal presumably used to support the rear lower quarters and the darn thing is completely rusted off the uni body.

Here's my rather multi-faceted question.

I've been doing a lot of reading in regards to mods like fender trimming, quarter folds etc. I plan to chop off the rear lower quarters and weld in some sheet metal to cap it, as well as seal it off. However, should I remove the frame rails to see what I'm working with or simply (after I do the floor pans) grind em and paint then with the rest of the underside? Also, in regards to the rusty quarter support, if I cut and cap it ABOVE this support, could I just get rid of the support entirely? This thing is going to need about $4-5k in repairs alone on the entire vehicle ranging from engine to suspension to body work. I've never done this extensive work on a car before but I'm finding these forums to be supremely helpful.


Thanks for any replies, this is a huge deal and I really didn't know what I was getting into, but it's going to be BOMB when I'm done with her ;]

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That panel in the picture is not to support the floor. That covers the fuel filler and vent hoses. It's non- structural

I have heard that the rust belt is cancer country. :shiver:

Mine are still rust free, or at least mostly rust free.

I'd start with a much better body if I was going to put serious money into it.

Shame your not in Texas with a trailer......

Dragonlich1961 said:

That panel in the picture is not to support the floor. That covers the fuel filler and vent hoses. It's non- structural

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You are correct. Mine is painted black and currently covered in mud. Three or four bolts IIRC.

dub

Just my experience but what you see is just the tip of the iceberg. If you put a coarse wire wheel on an angle grinder and hit all the likely spots you'll find out what you actually have. Get the undercoating off of any places that need welding so you don't start a fire.

I found it easier to take the carpets out and wire wheel as much as possible from the top. Wire wheel all of the mastic off of the sheet metal joints.

My 96 was way worse than that. Around 60 hours of welding and a good coat of Hammerite flat black and then a coat of gloss fixed me up. I got pretty good at molding sheet metal to the curves with a ball peen hammer. Weld one edge and then work it while it is hot. I cut cardboard patterns for the tricky spots.

Word to the wise if you use a coarse wire wheel in an angle grinder, where thick clothing and full face mask. i had to pull some wires out of my cheek with a pair of pliers, I learned the hard way.

That cover for the fuel tank hoses is a throw away. It is a mud and salt trap. You are better off leaving it open so you can occasionally wash it out.

Greets; Consider a brilliant past suggestion by ECOMIKE when posting your '89 mechanical, and electrical issues by leading off any post, (in your heading), with the word RENIX. This will allow those true experts dealing with this version of the XJ to get you non-confusing inputs, i.e., as those from others with newer versions of the XJ often have fuzzy clues as to the particulars of the RENIX, i.e., albeit perhaps well meaning attempts to offer you various suggestions, or parts numbers, etc., that are non-applicable to the RENIX, etc., etc., etc.

That said; Your rust issues are common across the board, and there are many ways to attack it. Of course there are many structural similarities across the board too...

8-Mud's suggestions are very worthy of paying extreme attention.., for safety's sake.., take heed.

I noticed debris between your gasoline fuel tank, and it's skid plate. Consider air hosing, or flushing out said in order to prevent the possibility of developing tank leaks. If you are doing a full restoration, well then that point is moot as you'll have a pile of parts to restore, lol. Congrats!

When I got my '89, I air hosed every bottom nook, and cranny. Then scraped away with a chisel knife, then air hosed again.., then repeated with various other hand tools again, and again, with final air. Over such cleaned surfaces, i.e., the removal of grease, rust scales, pieces of road kill etc., I OSPHO'd the under uni-body carriage/chassis completely once, and allowing the phosphoric acid to work it's magic for a rest day. Followed up with two more applications, allowing for rest day between each. My method was to purchase a simple window cleaner trigger spray bottle, dumping out the fluid, and using the empty bottle in which to pour the OSPHO into. Laying on my back, (with eye goggles, throw away gloves, and with a painter's suit with hood), I worked in such a manner as to 'inch' my way using the heels of my boots in a direction opposite away from the application performed with arm/hand/bottle outstretched in order to work the spray/dripping constantly away from meself. After an hour I mopped up the floor with disposable rags, and after another hour, crawled back underneath going in the opposite direction repeating the aforementioned process. Two days later, again. Two days after that, again. I also used a cheap box fan running air from my feet past my head so as to insure that I did not breath in any dangerous acid, (ounce of prevention...). Went back under, and hit spots with 3-m green pads, (whatever), and applied OSPHO again to those problem spots

One trick, well actually it's directed.., is to allow the acid to chemically change the rust oxide into an inert oxide. There are various color changes, i.e., black, white, gray, etc., that ultimately should be black. As already mentioned "Hammerite" is a good product, but so too are others. I look at priming, painting, as a necessary follow up over the OSPHO job. In addition I followed that all up with 3-M body panel spray. It gives further protection of the previous steps, from rock chips, high speed sand/salt erosion, etc., compromising the earlier spray, and rattle can layered job(s) meant to protect the metal.

I may have left out some points, or details, but all in all those mentioned will go a long way to protect what is left of your XJ, lol. Some following links might help you, (and others).

http://www.finishing.com/74/23.shtml Shares application points.

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/problem-ospho-235025.html Shares prep points.

http://www.ospho.com/ I maybe used a quart, under thirty dollars.

Point is; follow directions on these products, and you'll be happy you did.

I did mine in about six sections from the firewall back. I'd strip one section, weld in my patches, rough it up some then apply the Hammerite flat, it actually dries quick. Then a coat of gloss and cured it overnight with 500 watt floor lamps.

I've done other restorations and used Rustolium rusty metal primer. longer cure time (days at least above 70 F.). And then a coat of Rustolium gloss, which can take a month to really cure.

Hammerit is my first choice, but it is pricey. The traditional works better than the newer water based stuff.

I've never tried OSPHO on larger jobs. The coarse wire wheel on an angle grinder removes around ninety percent of the old paint, scale, surface rust and cancer. And lets you see what is salvageable and what isn't. The hard to get to places I'd use various wire tips for my hand drill.

What you have to watch out for is rot covered with scale or undercoating, it may look OK but may actually be structurally unsound under the surface. You may be able to poke your finger or a screwdriver through it.

Well, you guys have all had some great suggestions. This thing is so rusty that you can bang it and all sorts of crud falls off LOL. I tool the liberty of removing the interior. Here's what she looks like:

Kinda scary. Full restore is the way to go I guess

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Ouch!

Pictures like that make me appreciate what I have available here in SoCal.

I wish I had the time, money and storage space to pick up a bunch of solid XJs and stash them away for the future.

I hope you have a source for a complete floor pan kit. Even then, I'd have my doubts about the rest of the structure.

Did that rust from the inside out?

wesman42 said:

Well, you guys have all had some great suggestions. This thing is so rusty that you can bang it and all sorts of crud falls off LOL. I tool the liberty of removing the interior. Here's what she looks like:

Kinda scary. Full restore is the way to go I guess

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Ecomike said:

Did that rust from the inside out?

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I have absolutely no idea! Hindsight is 20/20 and I got it for $400 and it ran... Beautifully but the body has cancer. I believe it did in fact, rust from the inside out.

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I can believe that it rusted from the inside out. I don't think folks realize just how much water can collect underneath their carpets, especially if they have floor mats.

The old weatherstripping doesn't do such a great job of keeping out the rain, especially if wind driven. I have checked mine after a hard rain and found it necessary to remove the floor mats, wet-vac out as much water as possible and then leave the windows down during the daytime for several days in order to get the carpets to dry out.

You nailed it. That is a real problem. And in his case it was also rusting from the outside in due to being in the rust belt.... from salt on the roads to deice roads.

Anak said:

I can believe that it rusted from the inside out. I don't think folks realize just how much water can collect underneath their carpets, especially if they have floor mats.

The old weatherstripping doesn't do such a great job of keeping out the rain, especially if wind driven. I have checked mine after a hard rain and found it necessary to remove the floor mats, wet-vac out as much water as possible and then leave the windows down during the daytime for several days in order to get the carpets to dry out.

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Ecomike said:

You nailed it. That is a real problem. And in his case it was also rusting from the outside in due to being in the rust belt.... from salt on the roads to deice roads.

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Sounds like picked up a real winner guys! are they ever actually *too far gone*? If I flat out attack it with everything I've got, por 15 the hell out of anything and everything I see... Does it stand a chance?

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I had a 78 Dodge SW with over 400,000 miles that the gas tank sprung a leak on. The sand blasted it inside and out and 30% 0f the metal was gone, looked like swiss cheese. They used an elastomer-polymer coating on the inside and outside and used the remains of the steel to make me poly... tank. Worked like a champ as there were no used or new tanks available for it. It was specialty gas tank-radiator industrial firm I had do the job, so anything is possible. If it was me, I might buy my spare body I have no need for now (no drive train, under the hood is stripped) that is rust free and move all the important stuff to a good rust free body. But it is all the way in Houston. Might look for a rust free rig with a blown engine..... closer to you. But either way you have your work cut out for you. I would use some fiberglass myself, like for the floors, but they do make and sell entire new floor pans on line, but fiberglass does not rust. You may have some heavy duty steel welding frame work to do from the looks of the pictures.