johnwdillon

So here is the start of my build. I just became a member of Cherokee forum so I started the build before I could post, But I will try to post more as I add to it.

It started out as a very tired jeep.
The inside is mostly trashed(seat broken, no headliner, carpet badly stained, smells, interior trim pieces coming off or broken/missing ect)
The engine is pretty sad also. No power whatsoever. Ticks, Knocks and leaks (like your pouring your oil out directly on the ground)

The muffler had a hole in it. Didn't think to much of it, and decided to take it camping. Well I was pulling a small trailer with a small go kart on it and some camping gear down the freeway, and started smelling smoke.. Well... the muffler burnt a hole through the floor board and caught the carpet on fire underneath the back seat. That camping trip was shot. Decided to bring the jeep back and get it fixed.

That was exciting.. got a new muffler, and welded the floor board shut.
But that made it so I was very aware of every little bump sound and smell. Super paranoid.

I had a 91 2 door sport, at one point and just loved it.. Lifted 2 inches, flowmaster, K & N filter, 31.10.50 m/t's and a 5 speed. Nothing better. I thought buying another jeep would be the same...well.. not so much.


So I set out to have a jeep that would fill my 2 doors big boots.

The clear coat was peeling really bad.. So I decided to get it painted.
I painted in my back yard, so the paint is not gorgeous. But it looks fantastic for what it really is. I fixed some of the dents, and dings.. and I think it looks pretty good.

The jeep still ticks, and knocks, and overheats at any driving over 10 minutes in 70 degree weather. So I have made an appointment to have the cooling system checked out and repaired. At the same time.. I will have them try to figure out what is going on with the knocking and ticking.
I am thinking it may be time for an engine rebuild. I have talked to alot of people with xj's and they think it is normal.. but I just hate the sound. so if it is normal...its going away.

I bought a rack for it, and painted it and installed. Looks pretty good on there with black paint.
My goal will be to by some cragar soft 8's and get them put on, with 31 10.50's m/t's. Get a 2 inch budget lift(I dont have 1000 dollars for a real kit right now)Then get some bushwacker fender flares to give a little extra..

depending on what the shop says I may have the engine rebuilt soon too. So that it is actually a dependable truck.

If any of you have any suggestions as to the knocking that would be great. But if you are going to say it is normal and to just deal with it..please keep it to yourself. I hate that sound and need it gone.


Here are a couple pictures of the build so far. I will add more as I get things installed.

any constructive criticism is welcome.. if your going to be a jerk..please keep it to yourself.


Thanks for checking it out!




EDIT-

for some reason it only lets me post only one picture. if you are interested in the painted jeep pictures, check on my profile and comment there.
Thanks

johnwdillon

Here are a couple more pictures. One in the process of sanding out clear coat, and painting,
and the other painted.

johnwdillon

Worked on the jeep this weekend.
Got the grill and the fairs painted to match.

Took it to the shop to have a radiator installed and a few other little problems worked out..it's been there three days! They haven't even called to tell me what's up yet.
Getting kind of pissed.
I am hoping to take it camping next week. I will post some pics of the trip after.

I have a two inch budget lift..and I think that is all I am going to do for right now. Until I get the rest of the truck in working order.

I need new wheels and I need a new drivers seat..but to do the upgrades..we are lookin at another 1500 bucks.
So it may take a while.
Here is a couple fresh pics in the mean time.

johnwdillon

So I know it is pretty bad to be smack talking a shop online..
but this is pretty ridiculous..

Anybody in Hillsboro Oregon, beware.

Chaz Auto and R.V-
Bad shop.

So I took my jeep in there to have it checked out..
was overheating pretty quickly and had a miss that only happened at idle..
I was stumped by the miss.

The radiator I probably could have done myself.. but I needed it quickly so I decided to have a shop do it.

I called down there on a Tuesday, and explained my problems, and the owner said he could take a look at it on Thursday. So I show up Thursday, and he has no idea who I am. Not on the schedule, and didn't really remember the conversation we had earlier that week.

I re-explained the issue..Yeah, they are pretty busy, he must have just forgot no big deal. So I tell him to take a look at it and give me a call when they have it figured out.Thinking that maybe they would call later that afternoon with info for me.
no.
they did not call. So I waited till just before closing time (6pm as they advertise) to give them a call to see if they had checked it out. The guy on the phone says " I dont know.. the guy in charge of it is gone for the day".
I am like..ok..they will get back to me tomorrow.
So I don't hear from them friday either. So I decide to drive down there..
He says they haven't looked at it yet, but they will as soon as he is finished with the car he is working on.

End of the work day Friday, and I still haven't heard anything.. I call back down there..and they say " no the guy has left for the day, I don't know what he found yet"

So it sits there all weekend. On friday when I called.. he said he would look at it monday.. So I decided to be patient and just wait it out.

Well.. I got a little impatient and decided to go online and look up their company. I found two bad reviews about there company on the same page. (the only two on the page)

One of the reviews said that they had a customers car for a total of 6 weeks..(in and out..but a week at a time)

I started thinking.. oh heck no.

So I call down there about 2pm on monday and ask what is going on with it.. and they say the guy working on it is out to lunch..
Now I am starting to get pissed. He said call back in 45 minutes and he will be back.
I waited 45 minutes, called back, and they put me on hold for 20 minutes!
I finally hung up the phone and drove down there to see for my self what exactly was going on.
When I got there.. the owner and the "mechanic" were leaning against the wall shooting the breeze.. as soon as they saw me..they jump up and leaned over my jeep as if they had been working the whole time..and goes on to spout about my radiator being plugged, and how they flushed it and replaced the distributor cap..etc.

I explained that I had not authorized them to do any work at all..and they needed to call me before performing work.. I don't have hundreds of dollars to throw at the wall..so I need to know a price before I ok the work.. He gave me lip about "this is what we needed to do to figure out what was wrong"

What ever!
Call me and tell me that you need to remove/replace things to do any further diagnostics or something!

So I asked when they were going to be finished with it and he said should be done soon.(at about 3 in the afternoon at this point)
I said, " okay, call me after you fill it back up with coolant and I will pick it up tonight after my work shift..

No call still.
Show up back down at their shop around 5:30 in the evening..all the garage doors closed..shops lights off..and one little side door open. The owner was walking back to his car in the lot.. So I got out and walked in to the shop.. no one there..(let me remind everyone they close at 6???) the owner comes in and askes what I am doing.. I said I am here to pick up my jeep.. you should be done with it now.. its been here for three days!
He shows me to the jeep, parked 3 cars deep into his shop..buried.
pulls the dip stick and shows me that a little moisture got into my oil.Big deal. Been that way for years. SO I need an engine flush. I said I need the jeep back.. and I need it tonight.. He replied to me

" well I am not getting it out tonight. I cant move all of these cars to get it out."
I explained that it was 5:30, and I understood they closed at 6.. and I needed my car back..

He got angry, showed me the door and said you will have to come back later.

I got a little pissed. and told him it had been here 3 work days and over a weekend.. and I need the car back.. I was not giving it to him for a month.
I asked him how much I owed for the work that had been done(which I did not approve or know about. had no idea how much it would cost)
He told me 160.
I didn't want to argue.. so I just said fine. let me settle up with you now.
He said " no. come back tomorrow. and again pointed to the door to tell me to leave.)

(still before their closing time!!???)

Came back this morning(Tuesday) and picked it up right at 8 am.

Did not say a word. Handed him my credit card, he charged me and I left.


Anyways..
I took it in for a miss..
it still misses.
yes I inturupted their work..but it seems to me like they should have at least called to tell me it was going to take some time to figure out..and given me some kind of idea how long we were talking(Ie a few days?? a week a month??)

Also asked to have the radiator replaced..and they didn't do that either.
he suggested that the flush will be good enough.


This is a 91 jeep cherokee...241000 miles.. STOCK radiator!!! Put a new one on the thing!



Alright. Off my soap box.


If you have a different experience..go or bad with this company, I would be interested to hear.

johnwdillon

So just a few weeks after getting the jeep painted.. I brought it home to load up for camping.. Left it parked by my house over night.. Came back the next morning and found this....

It was parked on the street near my house... And someone crashed into it.

Stinking pissed.








Anyone have an extra drivers door they want to sell.. Pm me.
It's a 91 Laredo. And I want a strait door.