Accidental Off-roading causes lots of cosmetic problems

TheChucklesStart · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:57 am

I was up in the Magdalena Mountains, going up South Baldy and I was going on maintained trails (I didn't want to do anything that might get me stuck since I was the only vehicle). It went from boring dirt road to the worst situation I have ever had my jeep in, in about 5 normal looking feet.

My problem: I heavily scratched my paint and broke off my gas tank cover. While I am not worried about pin-striping of my jeep, I am worried about these scratches. What should I do to make sure they don't turn into rust or other problems? Also, what do you think I should do about missing the gas tank door?

Story:
I drove pass a corner on a road pass a tree and the what looked like the road continuing was really just really deep soft sand on one side and bare dirt on the other. So I tried backing up and the soft sand really started eating my lines and pulling me down the steep slope. Every time I pulled forward or backed up to try to get a line to get out, my jeep would move about a foot towards the steep hill. I also eventually was sandwiched between 2 trees, on in front of me and one behind me so I drove down the hill. I eventually got turned facing up the hill and to the point where all 4 wheels were spinning and my jeep still didn't go up the hill (even when I rushed the hill).

I eventually found a new line that got me out but during the process of all of this I got very close to a tree on my drivers side and this is when all of this happened.

Alak · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 2:00 am

I would also like to know about scratches. I have a couple from two weeks ago (alot of dead fall on the trail. Quads cleared it, go figure).

Today I drove through the girly puddle all alone. There was 2 inches of water and 2 feet of UNKNOWN thick mud. I was half on dry land and half off. Had I had lockers, I woulda made it back out.

So a half-hour or so wait yeilded a 1 ton dually and a light tug.

Being the wifes first time 4x4ing, she had words, to say the least. The entire time I was trying to calm her down, telling her someone would be along shorty, there always is in such a small OHV area.

But after, it was all good. She was better, gained experienced and I was a hardend puddle vet.

Only damage was pride, and a crack in my air-dam.

Sorry to thread-jack, but back on topic. Scratches and a cure anyone?

TheChucklesStart · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 2:15 am

That how puddles always seem to be to me. I went in my old landcruiser and I slipped into a puddle, I had water up to one of my windows and 3 wheels on dry land. I wish our liberties would flex that much.

But I would like to know what you all think about major scratches and the missing gas tank door. (also, at one point my wheel well plastic thing on the front started loosing all of its rivets, does anyone have an idea about that?)

KJ04 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:14 am

If you're going to continue wheeling I wouldn't be to concerned about scratches..... you'll just get more, so learn to live with them. Find a gas flap at a junkyard for cheap and repaint it. The plastic rivets are cheaper at NAPA auto parts #770-2871.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:28 am

I must agree with KJ04
my wife hit a tree 2+ years ago out on a trail with the rear driver side ,put a good sized scuff/scrach spot on the flair
we never took the time to worry about it
I will not even start on the condition of the TJ but to give you some what of an idea
imagine what your rig would look like if you drove through about 1/4 mile of thorny bushes about 6' high and some where in ther there was a mud bank that you rubed so hard with the driver side that it packed mud on to the windsheild

and I have only had the TJ fo 2.5 years

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:34 am

How deep are the scratches? Are they to bare metal?

I have fixed scratches with Turtle Wax Stractch and Swirl Remover. However, this stuff wont fix scratches that are to the metal, only surface scratches.

KJ04 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:20 am

All I can say is, my KJ looks like it's been repeatedly beaten and raped by a horny porcupine in the past 3 yrs. of wheeling.

In the begining I used to try and buff out all the little scratches, then the scratches turned into scrapes, gouges, dings and dents. I figure untill I quit wheelin it, there's not much sence in trying to make it look nice at this point.

Bottom line, stinky poo happens on the trails, so learn to deal with the results of your endeavors, or don't wheel it.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 10:57 am

KJ04 wrote:

All I can say is, my KJ looks like it's been repeatedly beaten and raped by a horny porcupine in the past 3 yrs. of wheeling.

In the begining I used to try and buff out all the little scratches, then the scratches turned into scrapes, gouges, dings and dents. I figure untill I quit wheelin it, there's not much sence in trying to make it look nice at this point.

Bottom line, stinky poo happens on the trails, so learn to deal with the results of your endeavors, or don't wheel it.

so very true
I was yhinking about trying to buff the TJ but then said why do that the scraches show that I wheel the crap out of it
unlike the rest of the "wana be's" around here
we are the 2wd JK capitol of the world by the way had a guy yester day asking me about wheelin and where did I take the KJ
as nice as I could I told him
"places that you cant go" 2wd JK

It is your proof to wheelin

KJ4ME · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:14 pm

if they are on the bare metal i do recommend getting a bottle of touch up paint to go over it. not for cosmetic reasons, but to keep it from rusting. what can happen is the rust can actually spread underneath the paint and cause more damage. also if you do decide to go with touch up paint, apply it with a toothpick not the brush it comes with!

TheChucklesStart · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:39 am

thank you for your advice, that is what I was looking for, I have never had a vehicle that I cared about rust on before so I didn't know what to do.

I have been thinking and I am tempted to just get a locking gas-cap and forget about the missing door, but I don't know if that is the best idea either. It seems like that would expose the plastic gas tank to damage.

Does anyone know how to get to the gas-door, do you just take off the plastic liner on the inside of the jeep?

Thanks again for all of your advice.

Blue KJ in PA · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2007 1:37 pm

Try this...*S*... http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/perfo ... &partid=71

Jstodda79 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2007 6:02 pm

A good cover for scratches is fingernail polish.. usually works as long as youre not using 4 bottles to cover a 5 foot long scratch. just an FYI.

humptyjumped · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:54 pm

KJ04 wrote:

All I can say is, my KJ looks like it's been repeatedly beaten and raped by a horny porcupine .

My flares get it the worst!

Alak · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:41 pm

My Mirror is pretty beat up. The plastic is thick.

Accidental Off-roading causes lots of cosmetic problems

Who is online