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Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

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  • Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

    Hey everyone. Just posted in the introductory section of the forum (Belton, TX thread). I'll go ahead and paste bits of that post so you don't have to go back and forth between them. Well, here we go:

    I'm an avid detailer in an area where I see people wash their vehicles with dish soap and grungry brushes, then dry them off with bath towels, oily rags, or old clothes. I had about $120 worth of product that was thrown away without my knowledge, unfortunately, so I literally have nothing left to take care of my vehicle... no liquids, dressings, pads, microfiber towels, chamois, anything. The only thing I was able to salvage was some tire gel, and a little bit of wheel cleaner. I do have a first-gen Porter Cable 7424 (not the XP).

    Anyway, I have a '97 Cherokee. 4.0L straight six, 4x4, 5 speed. It has 179,000 miles on the clock and it looks like it has 179,000 miles judging by how the previous owner took care of it. Runs strong, though.

    On the roof, it has very oxidized paint and apparent clearcoat failure like you wouldn't believe. There are other badly damaged areas as well. There are cat and branch scratches on it, and swirls everywhere. I've gotten door dings from the college parking lot that have scratched it down to panel almost, and my brother-in-law leaned on the front of the faceplate which created pressure cracks right in the middle directly above the front Jeep emblem.



    The previous owner did some type of construction or used the vehicle for work, I believe, because there are disgusting yellow stains in the seats which look incredibly exacerbated when taking a photo of it with the flash on. I'm thinking he got really dirty, just jumped in the jeep, and went home every day.

    He also hit a deer which damaged the front of the faceplate (or, heck, I dunno what its official name is), and pushed it into the front left fender which, in turn, pushed it into the front of the driver's door. So, the front of the driver's door catches on the back of the fender when you open it and makes a grating pop/scraping sound. It has worn it down to the panel and it's now rusted.

    I have about 50+ photos illustrating all the ridiculous damage done to my Jeep due to the previous owner's negligence, and I have no idea if it could be recovered. That's why I'm here!

    MISSION: To restore this Jeep as best as possible with products you guys could recommend, and my trusty 7424. I have no experience in wet sanding or rotary buffers. I'd like to have the undamaged paint/CC looking great, and at least minimize the terrible look of the oxidized paint as best I can so I can protect it before it spreads, or worse, rusts. I'd also like to get the interior looking flawless. Lastly, I'd like to restore the metal bumpers, and all exterior trim, whether it's rubber or plastic. Basically, I want to give my Jeep the detail of a lifetime. (By the way, what's great for cleaning and dressing undercarriages?)

    Thanks in advance.
    (By the way, all photo titles will appear above the picture and be in bold.)

    Near the wiper arms



    Right Fender


    Right Fender Closeup



    Wiper Arm/Filter/Whatever it is Panel


    Roof 1 - This is where the worst damage is


    Roof 2


    Roof 3 - It almost looks like it's reflecting the clouds in the surface of the paint... man I wish that was true.


    Roof 4 - Rear - It's basically turned the paint blue



    Roof 5 - Sort of blurry. Stupid camera phone.



    Front passenger door damage


    Damage down the A-pillar.



    Chalked up fender flares - they have an almost greenish appearance in person (not caused by the paint reflection. It's a different green)



    Door ding from college parking lot - I amassed several dings just days into my college semester. People don't care.


    Hatch Damage


    Disgusting and messed up rear bumper



    Close up of hatch w/ dull 3rd brake light.


    Rear-left of roof


    Vomit-inducing seat stain.


    Not as bad up here, but still bad.



    Cupholder mess


    I guess somebody had really long nails or REALLY couldn't find the keyhole.



    Speaking of the keyhole...


    Swirls and big scratch


    This appeared out of nowhere one day after class

    Big ol' scratch - (bad photo)


    More paint damage


    A branch had scraped up against it. The previous owner also used this as a hunting rig, so that probably explains that.


    Dirty filler cap, etc. There's a chip, too, right above the gas door opening.


    Wheel


    I don't even know what that is.


    Branch damage on hatch


    Messed up wiper arm. The yellowing on the license plate trim... no worries. It has a hole in it on the left (can't see it in the photo) and will need to be completely replaced anyway.


    I really don't know what happened with that. It's not any type of polishing residue.


    Branch swiping again


    Jacked up emblem, etc. Can partially see the pressure cracks caused by my brother-in-law leaning on it with all his weight. Next photo is clearer.


    Pressure cracks very apparent in this photo. They have a bumpy texture.


    More bad scratches


    Paint chip caused by the same brother-in-law that caused the pressure cracks. This all happened because he was helping me work on the Jeep,
    and he caught that edge with a ratchet. (Bad photo)


    Another chip along with right fender's paint damage again


    Under the hood


    Engine 1


    Engine 2


    Engine 3


    Deer damage from previous owner hitting it. (Note the dent right at the bottom of the left fender there right behind the blinker. The reflection of the bumper is warped)


    Close up of the fender dent. You can't really see it, but it's definitely there.


    This is where the front edge of the driver door rubs against the rear of the left fender. It pops and scrapes every time you open the door, and is rusted.



    Okay, fellas! Those are all the photos with essentially all the damage and everything included.

    Suggestions would be infinitely appreciated. Thanks a lot.

  • #2
    Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

    Hate to be a bearer of bad news but a re-paint is the only thing that is going to fix this paint.....sorry man!
    Black......the ONLY color!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

      Originally posted by SVT Lightning View Post
      Hate to be a bearer of bad news but a re-paint is the only thing that is going to fix this paint.....sorry man!
      +1

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

        Originally posted by SVT Lightning View Post
        Hate to be a bearer of bad news but a re-paint is the only thing that is going to fix this paint.....sorry man!
        Yeah, that's what I was figuring. Are you referring to all the oxidation, or just... basically everything I've shown except maybe the swirls that could be corrected?

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

          Good luck with that!
          Originally posted by Blueline
          I own a silver vehicle and a black vehicle owns me. The black one demands attention, washing, detailing, waxing and an occasional dinner out at a nice restaurant. The silver one demands nothing and it looks just fine. I think the black vehicle is taking advantage of me, and the silver car is more my style. We can go out for a drive without her makeup and she looks fine. If I want to take the black one out, it is three or four hours in the "bathroom" to get ready.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

            Originally posted by Porsche993TT View Post
            Yeah, that's what I was figuring. Are you referring to all the oxidation, or just... basically everything I've shown except maybe the swirls that could be corrected?
            This is not only oxidation. It looks more like clear coat failure. Nothing but a new paint job can fix this problem.
            Is the truck still worth enough to have it completely resprayed ?
            A good interior cleaning is on the to-do list as well.
            How long have you had this Jeep ?

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

              You're really going to make us say this, aren't you?

              Here's the ugly truth - for the most part the paint on this Jeep is simply gone, and we mean that in the literal sense; the clear coat has failed and is flaking off, breaking up and cracking off, or otherwise delaminating and just falling apart. There is only one real fix for it and that is a full strip and repaint. Sure, some of the lighter scratches can be buffed out, but so many of the scratches along the side of the vehicle appear to be down to the primer and, again, you can't fix those with anything that comes out of a bottle.

              The plastic fender arches can probably be made to look better with something like Ultimate Black, but it's almost pointless to shine those back up when the rest of the vehicle looks so, um, well traveled.

              You might be able to make the wheels look a bit better with a good paint cleaner like Ultimate Compound, but again, you've got a situation similar to the wheel arches.

              Now, the interior may well be worth your time and effort since that's where you'll spending most of your time with this Jeep. APC (All Purpose Cleaner) diluted 10:1 or even 4:1 with water can do wonders for cleaning up all the vinyl and plastic on the inside, effectively removing the layers of funk currently there. Cleaning the seats might be a bit more difficult, however, unless you have an extractor. But some Quik Out is certainly worth a shot, even if you need to do multiple applications with it. Just don't saturate the seats, go easy with anything you use on them or you risk loading the foam padding with the product and creating a bigger problem down the road. Or just buy some inexpensive seat covers and call it a day.

              What are your goals with this Jeep? Is it your primary transportation, or a fun off roader? If the latter, then at least you won't feel bad if you add a ding or scratch while bouncing over logs, ruts and rocks. If it's sound mechanically, then with a little interior clean up you can have a full on blast with it and not have to worry about "hurting your baby" so to speak.
              Michael Stoops
              Senior Global Product & Training Specialist | Meguiar's Inc.

              Remember, this hobby is supposed to be your therapy, not the reason you need therapy.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

                What a Quest, but you will be able to improve the looks,
                not like new status because there are too many bad spots as Maestro Michael Stoops mention
                but...... Some Improvement is Improvement...
                Good luck, have fun.... :

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

                  I do (and already did) understand everyone telling me about the roof being done for along with some other panels. I was also wondering about the other panels that haven't experienced any failures in the clearcoat department, but now I've had that answered, so it's cool. I didn't expect to be able to save any of the bad stuff. Like I mentioned before, I'd like to salvage what is left as best I can so I can at least isolate it all, and protect what's left so I don't spend a ton of money respraying the entire Jeep.

                  It's a daily driver. No off-roading. The goal is to have a clean little Jeep, and have it look at least respectable rather than its current trashed out state.

                  If it requires some type of a respray, fine. I believe the vehicle's still worth it. Everything mechanical is in impeccable shape, and I'd eventually like to have the interior and exterior the same way.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

                    If it's mechanically sound then that's a huge plus. If you can buff out the sides to make them look a bit better, maybe you could look into a couple of the Wraptivo kits available on Amazon and do a carbon fiber vinyl wrap on the hood and roof where the clear has failed completely. A heck of a lot cheaper than repainting.
                    Michael Stoops
                    Senior Global Product & Training Specialist | Meguiar's Inc.

                    Remember, this hobby is supposed to be your therapy, not the reason you need therapy.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

                      Originally posted by Michael Stoops View Post
                      If it's mechanically sound then that's a huge plus. If you can buff out the sides to make them look a bit better, maybe you could look into a couple of the Wraptivo kits available on Amazon and do a carbon fiber vinyl wrap on the hood and roof where the clear has failed completely. A heck of a lot cheaper than repainting.
                      Hmm, thanks for the info. Looks interesting. Maybe I could get that sometime and at least get the roof. Haha, then it'd look like an M3 CSL.

                      Maybe one of these days I'll do a before and after of all the other stuff I can do to the Jeep in the meantime.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

                        this is a candidate for a rattle bomb spray can job or Wraptivo
                        but you need to look at a couple things

                        How long do you plan to have the vehicle?
                        How much money do you want to spend?
                        How do you want it to look?

                        Im leaning towards a spray can job

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

                          Originally posted by Bjkearns View Post
                          How long do you plan to have the vehicle?
                          How much money do you want to spend?
                          How do you want it to look?
                          -Basically indefinitely
                          -Any amount that isn't outrageous
                          -I want it to look as close to factory as possible, if not completely factory

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

                            What is going to be the main point of this vehicle and what do you want it to be??
                            daily driver that gets to play on the weekends?
                            play mainly/hard life but gets driven on the street?
                            daily driver?


                            If this jeep is going to be a trail toy, weekend beater, haul the dogs type of truck
                            Im thinking I would spend less on appearance and put that money towards parts and maintenance

                            Im thinking like a rhino lining on the lower sections and a flat spray paint up top

                            a good paint job is going to be some heavy cash that I feel could be better used for upgrades and maintenance

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Forest Green Jeep Cherokee - A Horror Saga

                              Originally posted by Bjkearns View Post
                              What is going to be the main point of this vehicle and what do you want it to be??
                              daily driver that gets to play on the weekends?
                              play mainly/hard life but gets driven on the street?
                              daily driver?
                              Sorry, I thought I had essentially answered those questions. Lemme explain further:

                              The Jeep is going to be, in no way, a trail vehicle, beater, or junker. It will always be a street vehicle, and my daily driver for as long as I have it since I don't need to bust something up at a trail then suddenly not be able to go work or school because of it. (Plus, I've never really taken any of my vehicles on trails.)

                              I don't want to convert it into the durable rig-type vehicle; as in, no rhino lining anything or just slapping primer on whatever.

                              So, in this case, since the Jeep is torn up in several ways, I'm wanting to restore/clean it up rather than do what a lot of folks would do with their Jeeps in that situation and convert it into a hunting rig or whatever.

                              Lastly, I've thought about your spray paint suggestion. I'm thinking I could go get my factory color, sand the roof down (and remove the stupid roof rack), and see what happens with that. I mean, what's to lose since the roof is already literally destroyed? I should maybe try that, and then see where I am with everything.

                              Comment

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