Mattnwhits 97 XJ
 

I picked her up at the beginning of the summer and she had been road hard and put up wet... Engine and tranny were pushing 195K and were not in the best shape. Leaky exhaust, rough idle, wasn't a fan of shifting into 2nd gear (or any gear) had no radio and a disaster of an interior.
Suspension had worn out bushings and tons of play in most of the joints. On the plus side the turdy5 rear was replaced with a 44 and the price was right...

I soon began slight modifications:

Removable Doors:
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...minjuly023.jpg

home fab tube doors:
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...minjuly066.jpg

Fender Trim:
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...dertrim004.jpg
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...dertrim018.jpg

did some bed liner on the rocker panels, bumpers, and rock sliders:
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...install089.jpg
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...seandXJ033.jpg

After a few months of fighting a crappy engine (3 radiators later) and a shot tranny I decided to do a comlete drivetrain overhaul.
I went with a local shop to rebuild my tranny with some slight tweaks and an ATK Crate engine.
out with the old:
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...epbuild080.jpg

In with the new and improved:
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...epbuild054.jpg

While I was at it I decided to go ahead and lock up front and rear:
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...install008.jpg
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...install035.jpg

Rear went just as smoothly as the front. I have 0 complaints about the lock rights... the on road manners are just about the same as the open diffs though you do heat the tail tail clicks associated with turning...

little climb pic
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...install035.jpg

Poser pics :)
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...inat4wp001.jpg
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...inat4wp002.jpg

Lift
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...wells039-1.jpg

more to come let me know what you guys think!!

That Jeep looks familiar. Buy it from a guy in Fort Worth? Good looking rig!

Ya actually I did...! about 4 months ago I guess I love it... It was alittle rough just needed some TLC (and a new drive train lol) Ive put lots of wrench time in it but Its all paid off!!

Awesome! The 8.25 from that thing is in my XJ actually haha.

haha small world!! do you ever hit bport??

Its been a looooooooong time since I've been to Bport. I drowned my XJ last time I was there almost a year ago. Jeep is still going some minor overhauls before I can take it out there again. Soon I hope!

thats a fine looking rig.

Thanks bud!!

While putting in a crate engine, lets through some lockers in! Sure why not!?

Beautiful jeep... jealous..

haha yeah its been a long time dream of mine (as with any jeeper) to buy and build a capabe rig...I was kinda bummed because when I finished the engine, tranny, and lockers I was thinking CRAP NOW WHAT DO I DO??? but I guess thats not a bad thought to have!! I really wanting a set of those Spyderlock wheels they are flippin sweet!!
http://www.spyderlockwheel.com/wheel...yderlocks.html but thats prob not for a while...

just an update:

built a license plate carrier

im loving the jeep, especially the tube doors you built

Looking good man!!

Thanks guys Its been one heck of a time:

well today I cleaned it up
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...35nu0mrj-1.jpg
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...35nu0mrj-1.jpg
and installed 2 new lights
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...8335nu0mrj.jpg

oh ya and built this a few weeks ago:
http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/y...platemount.jpg