Well, I hear alot about people doing things with speakers and touchscreens, though I admit i don't see the point in prioritizing that on a vehicle that makes its claim to fame on a badge that speaks of simpler charming little vehicles in the Jeep name. While I may eventually put different speakers in as mine may be worn out, they still work and priority right now is keeping it intact(replacing rusty body panels, as it lives in Michigan like me) and considering how to make it more effective at off-pavement driving without sacrificing too much effectiveness as my daily driver for the times I'm not out on the road in an 18-wheeler.
I'm 100% with you on some of that. Modding a car when either the mechanicals, the frame or body isn't straight is a bit silly. It'll catch up to you pretty quick, then you're stuck trying to flip it back to original, or discovering that the beloved winch you put on the front or upgraded stereo isn't everyone's idea of a "value add".
Thankfully in the UK we don't have winters like you do, but they do salt the roads. Pats in the UK had their last official model year in 2011, so sub-frame and body rust is an issue that I'm checking on as it's becoming a general concern. The annual safety inspection record for cars is public in the UK, so you can check the history of Pats for sale. It's a very useful thing.
Check this ad which looks ace, but then if you go to
go to this site and enter the Registration "WN60 GXS" and you can see that everything that's been wrong with it.
Based on what I've seen the suspension pins & bushes seem to be a weak point, as just about all have it called out as having free play or being dangerous. Snap for the cam belt, so I'm budgeting for those jobs on top of the mods and I will not be going anywhere near a CVT...
The mods I'm planning are to suit what we'll do with the car. We don't plan on off-roading at all, so no lift kits etc. are needed. The stereo upgrade is about ticking a box for a 15 year old kid that spent way too much time at motor shows looking at car stereo stands and Alpine gear he could never afford until now. I love music, so something that hits is definitely a must. From a safety perspective I am also not a fan of touch screens, I prefer tactile buttons / knobs. But for me the stock stereo needs to be dragged into this century, and not just in the speaker department. I'd use Google Maps / Android Auto more often than a winch.
You're right the Pat does trade a bit on the Jeep's brand image, but it was designed to tick a lot of other boxes like MPG and some practicality for daily drivers. Pushing the car for better off-roading at the expense of that, is a personal choice (or there's always a wrangler?). I loved the look of what some of the guys on here did with larger wheel & tyre combos and a PWM, but will need to get some feedback of how that impacts on the MPG side of things. We have a newish 7 Series BMW as "the refined family car" so I'm not looking for the Pat to plug that hole. I drove a new Compass in 2019 as a rental. It was nice, but I like the Pat more exactly for the utilitarian vibe. I also get why they dropped the Pat vs the Compass which is basically a junior burger version of the Grand Cherokee. Would I like the Pat if it was more "refined"? probably not as much.
The battle now is to find the right one, in the best possible condition.
