I’m about to spend $250 on a spare tire carrier — that’s half of what I’ve spent on some entire vehicles! Why, you might ask? Well, this spare tire carrier is hyper-rare, and I’m one of those snobs who believes factory-original is golden. Plus, aftermarket spare tire carriers require the replacement of the rear bumper, and that totally changes the look of a machine that I think looks swell in stock form.
I realize this is a random little blog, but sometimes I just want to talk about cars with you all, fellow obsessed car-cultists. And today I want to talk about hyper-rare parts/accessories. Here’s the one I’m buying for $250:
That’s far too much money, but the seller has a monopoly! ZJ spare tire carriers are like hens’ teeth — complete unobtanium. I’ve never seen one for sale, and I’ve maybe only ever seen one on the road. They’re not exactly elegant, and they really eat into that departure angle; I’m not thrilled about that. Honestly, I’m worried I’ll bend mine off-road, but we’ll see.
I’m in the process of building the ultimate overlanding ZJ, and this spare tire carrier is part of the build. I don’t like putting spare tires inside the vehicle, since space is a big deal for an overlanding machine, and a rooftop tire is going to ruin aerodynamics and increase the chance of a rollover. Again, an aftermarket tire carrier isn’t going to happen since it replaces the bumper, and a hitch-mounted one that drops straight down is too inconvenient. This OEM one is the one I need. NEED.
Actually, rare spare tire carriers have become commonplace in the car world, with the VW Touareg famously offering this rather complicated one:
And then there’s the famous Cayenne rear tire carrier, which is also borderline-impossible to come by:
???? RARE REAR-MOUNTED SPARE TIRE CAYENNE TURBO!
— Cars & Bids (@carsandbids) November 19, 2021
Yes: 450 hp V8, impressive on- and off-road performance, AND the bizarre/interesting/rare spare!
The ULTIMATE weird car twitter-mobile!
Go check it out – with no reserve – on Cars & Bids!https://t.co/Gr6BEjkPSf pic.twitter.com/XWkanPL3Uq
What’s your ultimate part/accessory find?
Top photo credit: Facebook Marketplace
I’m about to spend $250 on a spare tire carrier — that’s half of what I’ve spent on some entire vehicles! Why, you might ask?
Because you now own a successful website instead of working for *the one that shall not be named* and realize spending disposable income on something you want is worthwhile.
I suggest welding it on if possible, a friend left his xj at the airport for a weekend, when he came back someone had stolen his tire carrier and rear bumper off it.
The 91-92 Jeep Comanche SporTruck squiggle graphics for my Comanche. I know that the SporTruck is the base model and mine is an Eliminator with the factory graphics, but these just look so much cooler.
https://images.app.goo.gl/5sDFXVS1i9Jcpv4Y9
I’ve found that it’s difficult to track down parts for the XJ Wagoneer. Until 1984, “Wagoneer” referred to the SJ but in 1984 the SJ became the GRAND Wagoneer, and Wagoneer became its own thing which, let’s face it, was just high-end trim level of the XJ Cherokee. The only difference between a Cherokee and a Wagoneer are the grille, grille surround and front and rear lighting. Even still, the Wagoneer was sold as a standalone model separate from the Cherokee. Weeding through search results that return Grand Wagoneer and Cherokee parts 95% of the time has taught me to be hyper-specific when looking for these unique pieces. To make matters worse, the XJ Wagoneer existed during the transition period between AMC and Chrysler so there’s a mix of Buick, Renix, and Chrysler parts hat seemed to change with every one of the six years this beast was in production. Even though I complain about it almost every day, I just. can’t. stop.
Factory first-gen smart fortwo bike racks are basically impossible to come by. They sometimes pop up for sale in Canada, but even just the base rack is pretty much nonexistent in the states since there were only about 3000 first-gens imported through the grey market.
The fold-out picnic table for a 1st Gen Taurus wagon.
A set of vent window doors for an 83 Thunderbird.
My personal favorite is probably the folding table that comes built into the 2nd gen CR-V.
I have an ’06 Honda Element. Mine has the normal, orange side markers/reflectors. I’d love to have the much rarer white side markers.
I’d love to find an Audi A8 fax machine…but nobody will ever find one, so don’t even bother looking. Not even Jason could find one on eBay or something…
Fun story, a friend of my grandfather designed one of these for Chrysler back when the Grand Cherokee was still in development. He even had an M-plated pre-production vehicle he drove me around in. I don’t remember anyone’s name so this is essentially folklore at this point.
As a former ZJ owner, I searched in vain for years, YEARS to find one and never did. I had a plan, however if I did indeed find a factory tire carrier. I was going to invest in a full restoration of the piece with a hard enamel paint job to ensure that if I ever sold the ZJ, I could sell on the tire carrier for a premium.
I very much remember these, and their awkward presence.
Why not make it a fun weekend project to bend some pipe and weld it up to make your own? With a spare tire on it’s not going to be very visible anyway
Some scrote tried (and failed) to break into my Polo, leaving the door lock destroyed. So I need to work out a way to replace the lock, ideally without having to get a new set of keys, and without paying VW the equivalent of my firstborn.
I’m hoping I can find a second hand one, and replace just the lock barrel, assuming that’s still in one piece.
I just bought a 98 Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited, in white, that has a boo boo on the grill. I’ve been able to find silver and black grilles, but the white ones have eluded me so far.
Like this one?
https://imageappky.car-part.com/image?seller=3384&partsourceid=3384&partGUID=77543DDC-0A97-4AD8-B70D-E52403F8D70D&vehicleGUID=D863F14F-A539-43F2-9F80-D2985BE2EDE1&display=1995%20Jeep%20Grand%20Cherokee%20Spare%20Tire%20Carrier-Stock%23%20J234