95zj

It seems its about time for me to start my build thread so here it goes. It all started about 6 months ago~~~~~There I was sitting at home bored nothing to do so I decide I need a new to me wheeler. It had been a while since I was able to hit the trails with something other than my ATV, don't get me wrong I like it but its kinda a one person ride. "Whats wrong with that?" you say. I have three people in the house well two and a half, one of them will be three years old in March. I like the others in the house and wanted them to be able to join in on my adventures. So I created a mental list another K5, a TJ, a YJ, another XJ, or an old 4Runner. I hit up Ebay and craigslist 4Runners were too expensive so that got axed. TJs and YJs pretty expensive and more of a two person ride if you take as much crap as take with me so they got axed. wich left me with a K5 which I had before and liked or a XJ which I've also had. I decided that K5s are too big the one I had was a pain to try to squeeze down the trails around here it was more work than fun so that got axed. Which left me with another XJ plenty of room for three people and my stuff. Two months later and still no XJ they are hard to find in decent shape for a reasonable price around here. Then I got laid off which really cut my budget like almost all of it. Still searched craigslist every day with no luck then about a month ago I saw it a 95 ZJ for a decent price. I didn't ever think about a Grand. They are to big right? Quick trip to Wikipedia and nope they are just slightly larger than a XJ! So I called the guy made a deal drove two hours to look at it gave him some cash and drove it two hours home. It was a cold boring ride no heater(blendoor motor) and no radio. Got it home used 1/4 tank of gas not too shabby and pulled the running boards off and the headlinner out it was saggy. The next day put in a radio and a blendoor motor. You've probably stopprd reading by now so I'll wait on the rest and put up some pictures.

95zj

more pics

95zj

and more

95zj

more still

95zj

Well thats it stock I'll do more tomorrow. Let me know what you think good/bad or if you have questions or suggestions lay it on me.

00Pajeepcherokee

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djlarroc

Good luck. I don't miss those days at all! Can't understand how people can roll that dirty.

Did you get pretty good deal on it?

95zj

Thanks. Its finally clean. I traded a couple of guns and a grand for it so I think I did good. It just depends wether you want guns or a jeep more. The guy I got it from wanted the guns and I wanted the jeep so we both did good, but I did better.

95zj

Ok so with a radio and a heater installed all I had left to do was clean it, fix the rear windows they don't roll down, get a different tire on the right rear it was to big and I wanted to put the front driveshaft back in, find the exhaust leak, and oh yeah CLEAN IT. First thing to do was track down that exhaust leak. Turned out to be a simple diag. The exhaust from the cat back was just kinda sitting there. I didn't take pictures, but I should have it was pretty bad. It had a cobbled together tail pipe held up with a clothse hanger, an Autozone glasspack(I hate glasspacks) and to top it off the pipe was just sitting in the cat I pulled it out by hand. It had about 1/8" wiggle room. Solution, a trip to the muffler shop in a few days when I had the money. Next on the list was a tire I couldn't find the right size for free anywhere so a trip to the local used tire place and an hour later.......... the guy behind the counter comes up to me and says Mr. Jones we have a small problem with one of your lugnuts. So I go to check it out and its rounded off. They tell me they have a socket for removing wheel locks without keys and I said might as well try it its already fubared. They did, it didn't work so I drove home with my tail between my legs I had been beaten by a lugnut. Got home and went after that sucker with a drill broke 3 bits even my good 1/2" bit. It broke when I was almost done so a hammer an a big pry bar had to finish the job. I go back to the tire place with my head held high and a bounce in my step and got my new to me used Z rated sports tire. I raced home haha and put my driveshaft back in to wait for the snow storm we were suppose to get. Decided not to clean it up because of the impending snow.

95zj

Most snow I've ever seen.

00Pajeepcherokee

nice we only got a measly 10 inches

shanester

looks like alot of snow :P when i got mine it was all dirt grime sunflower seeds and ducttape so i know the feeling of getting a pig, just makes it that much better when ya get it all cleaned up tho

95zj

And there I was an official 21" of snow on the ground 3 4wheel drives in the driveway. What do I do take the ZJ out and screw off or stay at home. I took the Jeep out of course. It was awesome, but remember that crap exhaust? Well the snow drug that off about 1/2 a mile away from home so I went back home and got the sawzall out and "fixed it". Back out in the epic snow and had a blast with the wife and kid. So much fun that when I got home I put my truck on craigslist to get money to fix up the Jeep. In the mean time I redid the headlinner. I put a tarp on the kitchen floor and went to town with spray adhesive. Turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. I also added fishing pole holders to the celing.

95zj

more pics

95zj

The truck I sold to fund the build.