Wuzzup, name is Jerry, always been a suit & tie guy but my heart is in working with my hands. I've modded/built/worked on computers, guns, stereos, furniture, rc cars, small engines and electronics to a limited extent, etc. but this is my first automotive project, my point being I'm capable and willing even if i don't know what i am doing.

My XJ is a running 1991 Limited that I got for $1200 and that is cheap in these parts. It is NOT a daily driver but i will drive top wherever I'm going so it needs to be streetable. It will be used for camping, fishing, offloading and hunting with my son, so reliability is #1. Here it is

 

First things first, the original owner put 4.5" springs and some blocks, he changed nothing else and left the track bar of because it wasn't long enough. Of craigslist i went and bam, there was for $75. Paid $50, then had buy the hardware, bushing and a 5/8 drill bit. Total cost $90. Lesson look at what else your going to need and factor in those costs. Still happy at $90 but not as happy as i would have been at $50.

 

Great first choice. You wont be disappointed. Just remember, it will start out as a hobby and then you'll start looking at what other people are doing to theirs. Then it happens..... you be come addicted. I'm on my second XJ and I have a long list of things I want to do to it to make it an expedition XJ. So again good luck and have fun with it.

 

Now its drivable, but now my concern is its a used car, what is the condition of the truck so i need to do all fluids.

Oh yeah and now I've discovered that factory brake lines are an issue when you lift over 4"...Also this damn factory alarm is an issue...And the seats...And the stereo...and the window seals, before it starts raining...

 

So concerning the new used car list of things to check, the following is what i found

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1096352

Pretty extensive lists in that post, this is what I've done

Lube and filter
Transmission service
Differential fluid change front and rear
Plugs, cap, rotor and wires
Fuel system cleaning
Cooling system flush

And i passed smog, so i'm no longer "rollin dirty"

 

Seats look like crap

 

Good solid start for a project, but man looks like someone took a razor blade to the seats!

 

I was looking on car-parts.com and found some 92 powet seats in tan at a semi local junkyard for $100 for both. I read that 84 to 94 Cherokee seats are interchangeable, unfortunately not all junkyard databases are correct so it's good to know what the seat base looks like you don't make the same mistake I did and buy the wrong seats. Fortunately the junkyard took the seats back, unfortunately they didn't have the correct seats...then as i was walking out guess what i saw?

 

The thing i couldn't understand is what vehicle they came out of because the base on the passenger side does not match anything jeep a far as my limited knowledge goes.

 

So i swapped my base to the new seats and voila, now i just have to reinforce the driver seat pan. Gotta love heep quality.

 

Here are the bases

 

Next was this damn factory alarm, easy to find out how to disable, ground the green wire with the Orange stripein the harness going to the driver door, but no pics, here ya go

 

Still gotta do the brake lines, trying to decide between steel braided and the cheaper 92-94 wrangler fronts w/96 durango 4x4 rear. Probably going stainless.

 

Got some rubicon express upper and lower control arms for $150 that i need to put in, then i have to get a sye eliminator and those brake line, from there i am not sure what i need to do...

 

amazon has the braided lines from Rugged Ridge for right around $65 for both fronts and rear.