a muddy jeep cherokee at the junkyard in kansas city changed my mind about paint

I used to think a cheap car had to look rough to be a deal. Then I saw this old Cherokee with peeling clear coat but zero rust underneath, got it for 1200 bucks, and two cans of rustoleum later it looks solid. Anyone else stop caring about cosmetic flaws after finding a mechanically sound beater?

2 comments

2 Comments

jake_chen6d ago

Wait you're telling me I could've just hit a junkyard instead of paying a detail shop 600 bucks to fix some scrapes on my civic that still runs like a dream? That Cherokee sounds like a unicorn honestly, most of the ones I find around here have more bondo than metal. People get so caught up in paint jobs and shiny rims they forget the whole point is getting from point A to B without the wheels falling off. Two cans of rustoleum and a Saturday afternoon sounds like a way better deal than a car payment for something that'll still get dinged in a parking lot anyway. You basically bought a beater that looks mean and runs solid, that's the dream right there.

ninah106d ago

Scored a 90s Ford Ranger with a cracked dash and faded red paint for 800 bucks last year. Thing has 280k miles on it but the engine purrs like a kitten and I just slap some cheap bedliner on the rust spots. Made me realize shiny paint is just expensive makeup for a car that's still gonna get you to work.