BayouXJ

Well I have been on here for a bit but realized I never made a thread about my Jeep. Here's what I looked like sitting at the place I got it from.



It is an '86 Laredo that came with the 2.8L motor, AX5, NP207, Vac D30/D35 with 4.11 gears. The PO did some modifications to it some good lots bad/half .

The Bad: Lifted 3" without any supporting mods. Still had stock brake lines and trac bar. Lifted the rear with blocks. He put 33x12.5's on the stock Turbines (no spacers) and the fenders are still uncut. Pulled out the headliner Oh and stupid ugly off the shelf parts store special skull shift ****.

The Good: Pulled off the stock flares and left the Turbines with matching spare wheel. Pulled out the junk 2.8L V6 motor that it cam with and dropped in a 4.3L V6 and made it carbureted.



Ok a little info on me feel free to skip down past this. I was born in Alaska and lived there till I was 8. I then moved to Kansas till 2008 when I moved to Texas. In 2012 my job transferred me to Southern Louisiana and not long after that I bought this XJ. Then in March I moved my family back to my house in Texas because my Job was transferring me again but overseas this time. After a year back in Texas I moved to and currently live in Southern Missouri.

Ok bored yet? Now for the stuff I have done to the Jeep so far.

Cleaned up wiring and vacuum lines in the engine bay.
Striped the carpet out of the inside spray some cheap bedliner on the floor. Clean up wiring on the inside.
Installed a head unit and door/hatch speakers.
Painting my interior panels black because I dont care for the brown.
Go through my rear drum breaks (wheel cylinders, hardware, shoes)
Reseal rear diff.
Trim front fenders even with bottom of grill.
Cut stock front bumper.
Replaced front sway bar bushings.
Sealed up the sunroof
Remove rear sway bar.
Install new clutch slave cylinder which was a pain to find the right part because of the engine and bellhousing swap
Installed serious offroad 1 ton UTK steering kit
Installed 3" extended SS brake lines from Toxic Brakes.

Current issues that need addressing.

Super slow wipers if I'm lucky enough to get them to work.
Cowl cover mines snapped in half.
Ball joints need replaced.
Buy IRO trac bar.
Flip a coin to decide to buy new wheels or spacers to keep the Turbines.
Fix blinkers again.
Drain gas tank (same tank of fuel since last spring)
Replace windshield

I think that is a pretty good list for now. This all should take a while because I am buying a farm in the next few days and I am only home half the year (I work a month on and month off schedule). Let me hear your thoughts and comment below good and bad. I will try to get some current pictures of my jeep once it quits snowing outside. Thank you.

unidentifiedbomb

Looks really good. Any new pictures possibly offroad? Put some 1.25" spacers on the turbines and it'll be good. For the brake lines you can either relocate the hard lines in the front and unbolt the lines from the rear axle tube or run YJ lines that are 3"s longer. What does the lift consist of?

BayouXJ

More pics soon. Mixed parts for the lift no names on it anywhere. I have already replaced the stock soft lines with 3" extended SS lines.

BayouXJ

Well I went out to start the Jeep for the first time since the beginning of January and get some "action" pictures and its dead. So now I need to get find my charger in storage and then also install a battery disconnect switch for when I go to work. This battery lasted a year before it died. I haven't driven it more than 40 miles tops since last spring. Any tips or suggestions for prolonging my battery life on a jeep that will only be used every other month?

unidentifiedbomb

A month doesn't seem to be too long, maybe it was weak prior? Could always unplug the ground each time so it's not connected to anything and see if that helps.

BayouXJ

It was over 2 months this time but it was fairly cold out today. It tried to crank but not enough juice. I can seriously count on one hand how many times I have started it in the last year. Might even put it on a trickle charger when I go to work to help maintain it for the month I am away.

BayouXJ

I jumped my Jeep off with my wifes car tonight at dusk so no pictures but it runs and it felt great to actually drive it even thought it was only 10 miles.

BayouXJ

I got the going today and got you all some flex pictures. Well as much as I could till I stuffed a tire. Going to be doing some "free mods" soon (cut fenders and cut and fold rear quarters). Sorry for the cell phone pictures I don't have anything thing else to take pictures with.









Here is the only picture of the tire stuffing and the damage to the fender that turned without you having to hurt your neck to look at it.

unidentifiedbomb

Yea trim those fenders and bumpstop, then you can flex much more.

BayouXJ

I just bought some 1.25 wheel spacers from another member on here and will be buying an IRO DS Trac Bar today as well. Going to be having some fun in the next few days.

On another note I am signing the papers to buy my farm today which I am very excited about because I have wont have to travel to do some light wheeling.

BayouXJ

Wow its been a long time since I have visited this thread. Well not sure what happened a year ago but I didn't get the track bar ordered that day. I did however get it ordered today along with some control arms from N20jeep (very good price). I'm getting adjustable lowers with heims on the frame side and rubber bushings on the axle side and then fixed uppers with rubber bushings. I am going to get the bushings for the axle when they come in and will take pictures of everything installed. I really need to get this stuff done because my jeep has not physically moved in a year. It was having some death wobble issues when it was parked thats why I'm changing these parts out.