Dirty Harry

Started posting questions the other day and never bothered to introduce myself.

I owned a 1984 F-250 HD extended cab 4x4 diesel for almost 13 years. I had hoped to make it last through one more winter, as I finally pay off my mortgage in June '09, and I was going to treat myself to a "new" vehicle. Big Blue had gone it's last mile this summer however, finally giving out this past Spring. I know I could've nickel & dimed it to life again, but I was worried that it would break down on me at the worst possible time this coming Winter. Michigan back roads (where I do most of my driving) are no place to be stranded, so with a heavy heart I put the old truck out to pasture.

My aunt & uncle had leased a couple of Cherokees in years past and regretted not getting another, just one last time before they went out of production, opting instead for a Liberty, which they like, but say it has no where near as much 'personality' as their Cherokees did. That was part of what motivated me to get one. That and a ton of research: both in person and on line. I also saw that "crash testing a Cherokee" video on YouTube and got a whole new level of respect for the little unibody breadbox! So this is my first Cherokee, but it's not my first Jeep.

I have a 1985 CJ-7 that I've been working on for years now. I originally got it for my ex because she worried about being able to drive safely to & from work on our back roads in Winter. I bought it for $500 and told her I'd fix it any way she wanted - only to be stunned when she b!tched that she wanted jewelry & clothes, and that I'd actually bought it for myself. I told her I already had a rig that could climb over (and park on) the little CJ, had far more power, better ground clearance, was far more practical, etc., etc. She was unconvinced, so to spite her I parked it in the weeds out behind the house, and it sat there for almost 8 years. Well... she was long since gone when I finally decided to do something with it. I bought almost all the stuff I need to complete it (still want solid axles and a CJ-to-YJ leaf spring upgrade, as well as a few goodies like a bigger, taller tires, a Hurst shifter, and a decent stereo). I plan to finish it completely once my bills are paid off in a year or so.

Anyhow... I had trouble forcing myself to get a "good " vehicle. One that would more or less sit for most of the year. Let me explain: I ride 8 months of the year on a motorcycle, and would probably drive year 'round if I could put a chain on the rear tire and a ski on the front (J/K). Still, with my truck gone on to the auto graveyard in the sky, I did need something to fill it's shoes and still be 100% reliable in ugly MI weather & winters. After much research I settled on the Cherokee.

I found a dealer through eBay and ended up buying a 2000 Cherokee Sport with just over 77k on the clock that's in "like new" condition. The only things wrong with it are a busted latch on my center console lid, a broken ash tray cover, and the 4x4 light on the dash won't light up. That's it. All his vehicles come with a 125 pt. inspection and a full unibody/frame certification. Before putting it up for sale, he had all-new wheel bearings installed, new brake rotors & pads and a new steering stabilizer. This guy also offers a lifetime warranty on the engine & drive train (included in the price) for as long as I own the vehicle. All that for $5995 delivered to my door. I didn't want to do it, but knew I needed it - so I took out a small loan on my 401k and did the deed.

Before I even took delivery though, I knew that I wanted it to look and perform a bit better than the bone-stock shape it was delivered in. Wheels & tires were a given, but it also necessitated a lift kit. I wanted to offset the mileage I'd lose with bigger rubber, so I got an Air Force One intake & Borla s.s. exhaust (have one on my CJ). While I was at it, I thought I'd better get more robust bumpers, due to idiots on the road and the heavy whitetail population in these parts that love to commit suicide by throwing themselves at vehicles. Of course the ones I liked turned out to be the most expensive (ARB/front, Rock Hard/rear), but without a significant other right now, what better person to spend in on than me!? Royal Purple will replace all current fluids within the next week, along with a K&N oil filter and new fuel filter. That's about it... for now.

Later on I plan to get an IPOD-compatible radio and perhaps a set of comfier front seats for the creature comfort trade-ups. Reliability-wise I plan to upgrade to an SYE (just have the 1" trans drop kit in now), a Mean Green starter & Alternator (have 'em in my CJ & love 'em), and possibly a high quality roof rack with a full row of lights, so a dual battery kit may become necessary, too. (That's if I can fit it in the garage, I haven't had the chance to get my new tires on yet and do the measuring since I'm coating the wheel wells with Dupli-Color roll-on truckbed-liner right now.)

You can snoop through my photo album for the latest pics as I upgrade both my rigs. This forum seems like a nice place, and since my previous foul-weather rig lasted well over 10 years, I plan to be around here for a while. So hello to you all, and thanks for taking the time to read my long-winded "howdy" speech.

BTW... how do I go about getting up a CF sticker for my rear window?

RicanXJ

Looking good Dirty H.

You are not beating around the bush! ,nice goodies you got there, I love the silver color.

Welcome.

Yeap I would like to get the sticker too.!

trizzbizzle

welcome to the board. you got some nice parts i absolutely love that front arb bumper that thing is sick!

Jabo

Nice rigs .Welcome to the board

Dirty Harry

Thanks for the kind replies. Yes, I really love the look of the ARB. I also like TJM bumpers (something about the overbuilt Aussie stuff, I guess). I wish I'd found the TJM products before I bought the Rock Hard rear bumper. The TJM unit looks much nicer & sturdier, and it's a bit cheaper. Oh well, I can't complain. The R-H unit is nice. Just hope I won't regret passing on a rear bumper that can carry the spare. I don't see myself doing any hardcore off-roading, so I didn't think I would've gained much for the extra $400+ it would have cost me to upgrade. Besides which I didn't like that most of the rear window was covered by the spare. One of the great things about the Cherokee is it's outstanding visibility all around. I had the spare tire partially blocking the rear window on my old pick-up, and hated it.

Anyhow... I put my initial coat of Dupli-Color truckbed liner on Sunday morning. When I went back out at noon to slather on the second coat I rolled under on my creeper and trained a work light beneath. Noticed several light surface rust spots in the bright light and started covering them. Ended up going a little crazy and doing about half the underbody working in towards the middle. I think I've got enough stuff left to do a 3rd wheel well coating and go over everything on the under body that I hit earlier. Not exactly what I'd call fun, (those fumes will make you loopy), but a good thing to do in the long run I think. Heavy road salt use here in MI and the brutally rough gravel road I live on will have their work cut out once the underbody is lined.

moses

I love to be LOOPY! Bring on the fumes ha ha LOL

BlueXJ

Try this post to get more sticker info. Welcome to CF.
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f18/cf-supporting-memberships-1916/

Dirty Harry

Thanks for the heads-up, Blue.

Well... got the 3rd coat of liner on the wheel wells and put a second on the underbody. Looks so much better. -> [check my photos] Threw my new tires on and took it for a test spin. Surprised that the tires barely rub on the running boards, and only when I hit a big bump or pothole. I thought I'd have to chuck them first thing. I suppose that means if I don't drive too psychotic I might be able to leave 'em on. I actually like the look and they do act as mini mud flaps for the front tires. I need rear mud flaps though. Anyone got ideas? All the aftermarket jobs I've seen are too small. I may have to fabricate my own from a set of full-size dually pick-up flaps... or something.

Got a friend with a hoist who's going to yank my stock front & rear bumpers for me and throw on the Rock Hard rear. He's going to put in my aluminum radiator too - all in exchange for my stock unit, which is still in good condition. I'm still debating the winch control relocation thingy. It's going to be a lot of work. Hmmmm...

BlueXJ

Bedliner looks good. Never seen that style of running boards. Made mudflaps for my pickup from discarded tractor trailer ones procured for free from the truckstop shops trash bin.

Dirty Harry

I liked the running boards and had never seen them on another Cherokee before myself. I had wondered what aftermarket brand they were and when I rolled under to do the liner coating... lo & behold, there were little MOPAR stickers on the underside of each. Yet as I said, I don't remember ever seeing these on another XJ. Maybe they were prohibitively expensive?? Not sure.

I hadn't thought of scamming some from the "100% discount bin" at any truck stop. There's one about 20 miles east of me. May have to see what's available the next time I'm over that way. I have a Tractor Supply store in my town, so they can always get something new that will work with a little creative fabrication, but I like your 5-finger discount option better.