When you begin counting down the days of summer and see the opportunity to start a new project slipping away, you then have to lower the potential investment price of your future top-down acquisition. Allow me to present to you an $800 Jeep Wrangler that’s been sitting for 10 years in Vermont and looks surprisingly solid. The YJ-series of the Wrangler is quickly becoming one of the most desirable generations as 90s-vintage vehicles continue to escalate in popularity, and this one looks like it could be a fun runner for the remaining days of summer. Find it here on eBay somewhere near Bennington, Vermont.
Yes, Vermont is known for some of the saltiest, messiest roads in the country that last long past the normal expiration date of winter conditions almost everywhere else. You can drive through certain parts well into May and still see snow on the road. However, it’s also a place where many folks keep a seasonal second home that also comes with a vehicle that gets parked for the months when winter is at its worse. The Wrangler looks amazingly solid down the sides, and while it is filthy, I don’t see any major holes except for what appears to be an isolated rust spot below the driver’s seat.
The tires still show white lettering that hasn’t bled off with years’ worth of rain and snow hitting it, not to mention sun just beating down on every exterior surface. I’m curious how it was stored outside, because the chrome grill still looks good and even the black plastic trim along the fenders shows up decently enough. Both of those areas would be heavily weathered by this point if the Jeep wasn’t kept under some sort of shelter. Now, I suspect your biggest job will be gutting the interior, which is easy-peasy in a rig like this. The seller clearly stored it with no top.
Here’s the hard top, buried under lots of vegetation and pine needles, but thankfully, still intact. Really, what more do you need? This is a classic “ran when parked” special, but with the burly 4.2L inline-six (only around for a short while in the Wrangler before migrating to the standard 4.0L) under the hood, it shouldn’t take much coaxing to get it to fire again. Producing a respectable 112 b.h.p. and 210 lb.-ft. of torque – thankfully, in this Wrangler, routed through a 5-speed manual – you’ll have plenty of fun in the sun when you get this Jeep to run. Would you make the trek to Vermont to save it?
Someone will resurrect it…
The all new Dodge for 1987.
When a sellers description focuses on parts the ad states “being sold as one piece” believe them. In my experience, when a seller says that they consider it a parts car, but include the word project that’s for the benefit of wishful thinkers.
When I used to part out cars there would always be someone that came and looked at a car that was 90% stripped, missing every expense/vital component and would ask if it could be restored, I’d tell them yes, but wouldn’t recommend trying. A few people, usually with their kid in tow, thought the hulk in front of them would make a good father son project. I’d eventually tell them they’d be better off finding something else and explain the economics and time involved, where they should look and to get the most complete car in the best condition they could afford as a starting point. These people were often beginners, looking for their first project, those people need to really think about what they are looking to buy, know the costs involved and the amount of time involved.
Steve R