'05 Sport: What to do...

[fireba11]

Question for anyone with ideas. I've got a '05 Liberty Sport, which I use mostly as a second vehicle. The motor is currently seized, result of running too long on either a BHG or worse. Anyway, motor is absolutely toast.

The body is mostly good, though clearcoat on the roof is peeling between sunroof and windshield. Rear drivers-side window regulator is, as one might expect, busted - but I have a replacement piece ready if I can ever get the door open to pull the panel.

Suspension is good, AC works great, and exhaust is nice. Old AM/FM/5-CD in dash is 1000% theft-proof and still sounds OK.

Anyway, I've got this thing taking up space in my driveway. The cheapest way for me to put a used motor under the hood (with 2 year warranty) is gonna cost me about $2500-$3000. I know there are used KJs all around me that I can acquire for less, and I could send-off my broken one and get about $350 for it.

Problem is, my kid loves this old beater. It's the vehicle that first brought him home from the hospital. I drove him to/from preschool and kindergarten in it. Other than the motor and rear window (and probably new wheel bearings out back at some point), the rest of the vehicle is mostly good. And I kinda' like driving it around, too.

So, given all this, should I junk it, or spend way more than it's worth just to put a smile on my kid's face?

 

[lfhoward]

If your kid would need a car at some point, would $2500-3000 get him something reliable and practical, or is it better to have him driving the Jeep you know the history on, know how to fix, and that he will take care of because he loves it…

I am biased though because my KK is on its second engine.

 

[fireba11]

If your kid would need a car at some point, would $2500-3000 get him something reliable and practical, or is it better to have him driving the Jeep you know the history on, know how to fix, and that he will take care of because he loves it…

I am biased though because my KK is on its second engine.

This is more immediate. He's only 11 now, and that means another 5 years or so before he's on the road with his own wheels. So this is more about whether I want to put that much loot (which, sadly, would put quite a hurt on my wallet) into sentimentality.

Economically, the smart thing to do is take the $350 or so I can get from whatever group wants to tow it away. I know that. There is scarce logic in throwing money at this thing to put it back on the road. That is, until we get snow & ice on the roads and my daily-driver 30 year old Neon says "not today, pal."

I'm technically the second owner, since my wife bought it new at the time, but I got the Jeep (and not much else) in the divorce. Yeah, that's some takeaway.

 

[2TALL1]

What other type of vehicle are you looking for?
That you are going to afford for said 3000 dollars or are going to spend more and go deeper in debt.
Are you planning on buying your son a car when he turns 16?
If so how much were you willing to pay.
Were you planning on giving him the jeep?
If so that kinda answers your question.
If you don’t need it until winter I say save up and fix it. Teach your son how to drive it on and off road.
As you know they are great little cars easy to work on and easy to drive.
Keep it work on it together with your boy and give it to him when he can drive.

 

[trailside]

Unless you could find a good used engine to replace for under $1000 or so, I would look for a replacement 05+ in good condition and swap any parts you may need from the old one then part out or sell whole to someone looking for a parts vehicle.

 

[Him73067]

I would find a good used to put in it now and make a bigger investment, if it is still in good shape 4 years from now, when he is 15. Maybe he will be motivated to start saving for future improvements.

 

[jimbobwa]

You have heard the latest average automotive price range for a new vehicle is $50,000. $3500 bucks is a pretty cheap investment for another 5 years don't you think. I've had 2 of them that I bought with blown motors on. Rebuilt both of them and sold the other one for ALL the money invested. That was 7 years ago... I've put new rocker panels on it 3 times now ...I live in Wisconsin where everything rusts.

 

[Shankster]

I don't think I'd invest that much in putting in a used engine. Whatever you find will likely have over 100k miles - might go another 100k or it might blow up at 101k. Also, those $numbers seem a little low especially since you'll want to go through the engine and do a major service / inspection on it before installing it. I would install a rebuilt engine from one of the rebuilders that specialize in these things (i.e. they secure the valve seats). I bought one from flengines4less.com and am very happy with it - currently $2200 + shipping for a long block or $900 + shipping for a short block. At least that way you'll be reasonably confident that your investment will last. To me, an older, loved vehicle in good shape with a "new" engine is worth a lot more than the blue book value.

 

[2TALL1]

New FCA vin lookup link:

FCA RAM

fcagroup.my.site.com

For some reason the old one wasn’t working for me so here’s a new one.

 

[fireba11]

What other type of vehicle are you looking for?
That you are going to afford for said 3000 dollars or are going to spend more and go deeper in debt.
Are you planning on buying your son a car when he turns 16?
If so how much were you willing to pay.
Were you planning on giving him the jeep?
If so that kinda answers your question.
If you don’t need it until winter I say save up and fix it. Teach your son how to drive it on and off road.
As you know they are great little cars easy to work on and easy to drive.
Keep it work on it together with your boy and give it to him when he can drive.

I'm not looking at the KJ becoming his, so much as something to serve as a workable foul-weather backup vehicle, occasional off-road capable fun ride, and short-range cargo hauler. My daily is a '90s subcompact sedan, so the cargo space in the Liberty is useful at times.

I may have found a motor for lots less than the previous ones, with a reasonable cost for install. Stay tuned...

 

[fireba11]

Unless you could find a good used engine to replace for under $1000 or so, I would look for a replacement 05+ in good condition and swap any parts you may need from the old one then part out or sell whole to someone looking for a parts vehicle.

I had that exact thought, for about 5 minutes. Acquiring another vehicle, then lifting the motor and parting out the rest, is more [time+energy*work] than I'm willing and able to put into things on top of doing the full engine install on the existing KJ. If I still had my old garage space, that'd be another story