That doesn't look like much damage at all, shouldn't be too much work to get it road worthy again!

 

I don't mean to rain on your parade, but the one reason most Patriots end up being totaled for even after minor accidents is that they are unibody designs, not body-on-frame. Even the most minor of impacts can cause the frame to twist or bend because the entire structure of the car is one gigantic piece of metal which renders the Jeep "totaled" in the eyes of the insurance company because it is nearly impossible to restore to original condition, which insurance companies aim to do.

I'm just offering some caution that your deal may not be what you think it is. Not sure how you'd be able to test whether or not the frame bent (and how much if it did), maybe putting it on a lift?

 

Hello , Welcome & Good Luck with your resto.

 

Not a bad price at all (at least in my opinion). I got an 07 with just under 21000miles on it with only one small blemish/paint chip in the bottom of the rear bumper (right under the cerase where the bumper turns in towards the wheels/muffler) for 13,800 - the pay off of the guys loan. Had the wheels left over after selling my CSRT4 (never put on - brand new on the 'Riot).

 

nice pick up. i looked at that jeep. I have dealt with that place a couple times before. I feel that from the outside looks, that it should be a pretty easy fixer. I only like side swipes. eliminates more frame, unibody, and engine problems which are the money pits. I notice that you did not show the inside of the door frame. this was the turn off to me. The creases, fold and bends to seat the new to close the right way was the deal breaker. If you can get salvaged doors and swap interior panels and spray the color, then you will save money and time. Good luck with the rest of the work. I can't wait to see the finished product.

 

Joel, you are correct, probably the most damning damage is that around the door frame, particularly on the B pillar. I unfortunately didn't pull that picture from Autotrader, although I wish I had. That's the part of the job we had originally intended to leave up to a professional body shop.

With that being said, my dad and uncle made the decision today that the labor intensity and relative difficulty of finding cheap parts as individuals far outweighed the cost savings of doing the work "in-house" and so they hauled it to the body shop to look into having them do all the work.

After checking it out thoroughly, the shop manager ending up quoting $2,100 for parts and another $2,100 for labor, and literally within 30 minutes had already located all necessary parts. So we're coughing up a bit of extra money, but we're also significantly cutting the man hours and overall time until its roadworthy; all still within the $12,00-$14,000 goal we had originally put in place for price tag to get it out the door.

I'm kinda sad I'll miss out on the opportunity to get my hands dirty on this project, but it's also an opportunity to have the work done better than we could do ourselves, and to get it onto the road within a very reasonable time frame.

 

If and when you get it up on a lift, could you take some pics detailing the front and rear assemblies. There doesnt seem to be many detailed pictures online.

 

That dent will buff right out...

Keep us posted on the repairs...

 

So I've put a little bit of thought into simple accessories and modifications I'd like to do once I get my hands on it.

First of all, I'll need a front license plate bracket. My Cherokee has a reflective license plate for the search and rescue team I volunteer with, and I'd really like to transfer it onto the Patriot once I start driving it. I've read through the debacle as far as it not having an actual bracket available, and I'm considering the options. Probably going to go to a dealership that puts ad plates on the front of all their new Jeeps to see what they do, because it looks like they use something more substantial like some kind of bracket.

Beyond that, I'm really liking the chrome accents in the threat entitled "30 minutes and $85 exterior mods" that I can't like to at the moment because of my post count. I think the chrome mirrors and door handles might really add a nice bit of flair to a relatively plain silver Jeep.

Eventually, I'll probably add a Yaesu amateur radio, another "toy" for search and rescue; not nearly as critical as getting the plate on the front, but it's something I've been wanting to install in the Cherokee for a while and just haven't had the money and opportunity to do so. Ideally, I'll be looking for a low-profile mounting location, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess.

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As far as restore-work, body work officially begins tomorrow. The guy who will be doing the inspection assures us that replacing the side-curtain airbag isn't necessary to pass, and is a waste of money, whereas the body shop agrees that it's not necessary, but would really like to put it in "for our safety" (and undoubtedly the added parts and labor income.) My dad and I discussed it over the phone today and will almost undoubtedly be getting the airbag replaced, because honestly, it seems stupid not to.

 

First, welcome to the forum!

A couple thoughts on your deal: As I see it, the 'down side' is that to me, the price of your Patriot seems a bit high for the damage. While it only has 19K miles on it, it IS an '07....THREE YEARS OLD. The 'up side' is that you intend to drive it as your DD for some time, so as long as you're not dumping a ton of $$ in it, then you should still be 'ok' in the long run.

I agree that the passenger side airbag be replaced. Without it, you'll have a constant "idiot light" on and not know if you have an issue with one of the other restraints or not. If you disable the system and you happen to have a serious accident? Not good either. Just bite the bullet and replace it.

Best of luck with your rebuild. I've done a couple in my day, with the help of a local body shop, and they're not always as easy as they may seem. Just take your time and do it right. :smiley_thumbs_up:

 

Got an update from the shop today, picture is below.

They took out the seats, carpeting and interior trim to get the best access to the B-pillar, which needs some work, but is really the only problem structurally. As far as the doors, they got some off a silver Patriot that got t-boned on the OTHER side, so that won't even require any painting. It'll probably even be done within the next week or so, and hopefully retitled and on the road before the new year.

They're sticking to their $4,200 quote for body work, which combined with the $8,500 selling price makes for still a fairly good deal.

 

they got some off a silver Patriot that got t-boned on the OTHER side, so that won't even require any painting.

That is truly a lucky find!

 

I'd remove the doors! Cut the top off weld in a custom roll cage, keep the front windshield. Remove the interior carpeting and drop in some rhino lining down. Jack it up two inches and put mudding tires on it. the end result would be a light agile Mudbuggie. But then again I'm a *******, and I do ******* things. But have fun sounds like one hell of a project and you got a great deal on it.

 

Got a text with some updated pictures from my dad today.

First picture is the original damaged b-pillar. Apparently they're going to just chop out the whole thing and put in a new one, which is what you see in the second picture. Same as with the doors (probably from the same 'Riot) the b-pillar is already the correct color, so, no painting required.

They're still under the quoted price as far as parts and labor, and also beating their estimate as far as how long it would be in the shop: they now have all the parts they need and actually might have it done before the end of the week.

 

Seems like a great way to start that restoration. It's a nice catch at 8.5K, the interior looks good and you'll just have to work on that damaged doors. Goodluck man!

 

ok

hey,that patriot doesn't look that bad,I'm sure you can fix it up nice,good luck

 

word of caution about salvage vehicles

This may not apply to you, but may for others.

Have you checked the laws where you live about rebuilding a salvage vehicle? Are there any laws concerning rebuilding and re-registering a salvage vehicle?

In georgia, you must be a licensed re-builder to purchase a salvage vehicle with intent to rebuild or restore it.

The vehicle must be inspected BEFORE painting.

You must tow the vehicle to an inspection station, you can not drive it.

Then you have to fill out the necessary forms to apply for the new title.

Just some food for though for those who are considering a similar project.

- Dan M

 

Actually yeah, it's just about done. I stopped in last week as was assured they'd have it Tuesday the latest, but probably by the end of the work day today.

Unfortunately, (or in all honesty, fortunately) I'm heading out of town today. I'm in the WVU Marching Band, and we're heading out this evening on our way to the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fl. So while the pat will be done today, I won't get a chance to drive it until next weekend. Such is life. I hope everyone had a nice Christmas!

 

Welcome to Jacksonville! Great job on the rebuild! I hope you'll be very happy with the Jeep!

My SBO Patriot (aka The Orange Crush) will be easy to spot in the Gator Bowl parking lot... It'll have the FSU flags flying!

 

So I haven't been around the site too much lately, that's because on January 5th, we got the 'Riot finished and inspected. I've been driving the hell out of it ever since. Did a round trip between Morgantown, WV and Wheeling, WV to do some shopping at Cabelas in Wheeling, ended up getting 25MPG. I'd been driving it for about two weeks by that time, but that was the first time I calculated my gas mileage. I was floored. As I think most of you would agree, it's just a lot of fun to drive. Very agile on the streets, but still fairly capable if you need to take it out into the woods a bit. Easily the best car I've ever driven as far as fun to drive, but also affordable, and really roomy.