Baystate Jeepers

Hi All:

Joined the club this past year when I had my 2015 JKUR and was able to venture out on one of the Class VI wheeling trips. My girlfriend and I had an absolute blast and we were hoping to join more trips but unfortunately, circumstances changed and I had to sell my JKUR. We had so much fun that I'm looking to get back into wheeling with a rig that can be my girlfriend's daily driver (she drives maybe 10k miles a year, if that). I'm looking to buy an XJ or a WJ and build it into something we can take out on the beach, do some intermediate wheeling and be used to take the kids to hockey practice. Since I now live in the city I don't have a place to work on the jeep. Ideally, I'm looking for a trusted mechanic that would allow me to drop the jeep off at their shop via trailer, be willing to go through a vehicle to identify repair needs, make those repairs and install a lift, tires, etc. Any recommendations in the metro Boston area or South Shore would be great but I'd also be willing to trailer the vehicle further away if necessary. Obviously, with all this there is a budget, but I'm pretty reasonable with understanding the investment needed to get a 18-year-old vehicle up to snuff.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Best,

Pete

Ricky at Barrette Fabrication would be my first thought for this. He is a bit south tho in RI.
You could give Eric or Gillian a call at Offroad Elements they would be closer but I am not sure if work on older stuff.
3rd Ratchets Offroad in Pelham NH.
All 3 of these are huge supporters of the sport!

MDSRACING398 wrote:Ricky at Barrette Fabrication would be my first thought for this. He is a bit south tho in RI.
You could give Eric or Gillian a call at Offroad Elements they would be closer but I am not sure if work on older stuff.
3rd Ratchets Offroad in Pelham NH.
All 3 of these are huge supporters of the sport!

Excellent thank you! I'll try giving those guys a call. I don't mind trailering whatever I buy to someone just want whatever I buy to be gone through thoroughly and addressed without me having to chase the person. I did this years ago with my XJ with my brother's mechanic in Western MA and it was a pain in the ass. So much for trusting my brother!

MDSRACING398 wrote:Ricky at Barrette Fabrication would be my first thought for this. He is a bit south tho in RI.
You could give Eric or Gillian a call at Offroad Elements they would be closer but I am not sure if work on older stuff.

100% agree on both shops! Have used them both for ordering parts and they almost always beat the big box stores and online. Both shops wheel and Ricky at Barrette fab has been to the KOH wheeling - missed getting to every-man challenge due to tow rig issues but his TJ is my favorite TJ out there. Gill and Eric wheel the snot out of their Jeeps and both shops are the rare honest and well intentioned shops.

I've talked with Ratchets a bunch but have not shopped there but they seem like good people too.

If your serious on this path . Use Craigs list , Market Place , or just searches for a model you like and go SOUTH. Sounds stupid but there are dealers that advertise a no haggle price but it includes shipping . Drive down make the deal trailer home orrrrrrrrr , stick your plate on it. My brother moved to SC 8 years ago and sometimes they charge him more for a repair cause both his cars were born up here. Jeeptruck.com FjR68

Frank wrote:If your serious on this path . Use Craigs list , Market Place , or just searches for a model you like and go SOUTH. Sounds stupid but there are dealers that advertise a no haggle price but it includes shipping . Drive down make the deal trailer home orrrrrrrrr , stick your plate on it. My brother moved to SC 8 years ago and sometimes they charge him more for a repair cause both his cars were born up here. Jeeptruck.com FjR68

I have considered this since a lot of the XJs up here are rust buckets. I have a Touareg TDI as my DD which can haul an XJ on a Uhaul trailer and have a cousin down in South Carolina. Are you recommending this approach because of the prices or because of rust or both?

Definitely worth the trip or shipping cost to avoid the rust that these things get up here. You can recoup some of that when you sell it if it’s still clean.