New to me when it was new!
09-26-2013, 01:53 PM
#1
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
New to me when it was new!
Hi guys, just thought I'd share my XJs birth and re-birth. I've been excited to have it back in my life and just in time to serve family duty!
Here's how it came from the factory. It was a special order BTW. I remember my brother picking and choosing all the right stuff like a Dana44! We then had to wait for it to be built and sent to our dealer.
Sharing the fame with the roomate.
Fast forward 19 years.
Fast forward another 6 years.
I couldn't pass these up for $55 ea.
Add some Rubicon wheels.
And Viola!
Dirtbound Fan Shroud installation.
Adding Roof Insulation
Here's how it came from the factory. It was a special order BTW. I remember my brother picking and choosing all the right stuff like a Dana44! We then had to wait for it to be built and sent to our dealer.
Sharing the fame with the roomate.
Fast forward 19 years.
Fast forward another 6 years.
I couldn't pass these up for $55 ea.
Add some Rubicon wheels.
And Viola!
Dirtbound Fan Shroud installation.
Adding Roof Insulation
Last edited by SuperRA; 09-26-2013 at 01:58 PM.
09-27-2013, 01:33 PM
#4
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Thanks guys. I gunned it the other day and the engine moved so much on new stock mounts that the water pump pulley chewed into one of the e-fans. I heard this noise like baseball card in spokes but x10! Now I'm waiting on some brown dog mounts.
This also isn't a typical 97+ conversion, I wonder if anyone can spot it.. It's pretty subtle.
This also isn't a typical 97+ conversion, I wonder if anyone can spot it.. It's pretty subtle.
09-27-2013, 10:00 PM
#6
CF Veteran
yeah, there's a lot of nice 97 upgrades.
are those waggy tail lights, or did you just paint the yellow section?
how was it swapping the door strikers?
nice job btw. and did you get rid of it for those years and buy it back, or did you have it the whole time and just decided to freshen it up?
are those waggy tail lights, or did you just paint the yellow section?
how was it swapping the door strikers?
nice job btw. and did you get rid of it for those years and buy it back, or did you have it the whole time and just decided to freshen it up?
09-28-2013, 01:31 PM
#7
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Join Date: Sep 2013
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
I wish I was better at remembering to take pictures during the restoration. There were many steps that would have been nice to show. Oh well.
So here's what I did. I didn't swap doors as it may appear. I cut the guts out of the newer door and grafted it into the older door. That way I didn't have to change strikers. Also I knew that my doors fit well and wouldn't have to deal with a poorly fitting door. Also, I wanted to keep my original interior, and using the later door would not work with my door panels. All this trouble and why? I really hate those vent windows. They leak, they're noisy and ugly IMO.
The tail lights are regular XJ painted red, but I swapped waggy lighting harnesses in so that it works similar to the waggy lights. I do have a pair of waggy lights if the paint doesn't last, but right now, the painted ones look a little better color wise. I spent a long time looking for some aftermarket amberless (where the amber portion is clear) but never succeeded. I know they exist as I've seen pics, but just couldn't find them to purchase.
Here's what I was talking about that's different. Typically in a 97+ conversion, one would just slap on some 97+ fenders and be done with it. I looked at the 97+ body style and I seemed to me that the designers just did a quick update rounding stuff off but screwed up the body lines. The older design had the angled surface continue down along the length of the body starting on the header panel to the fender to both doors and finishing in the quarter panel. I wanted to keep that styling cue so I used the older fenders and had to cut and modify them to mount the 97+ body parts. Coincidentally I had purchased a cheaper header panel from ebay which happened to be made from ABS plastic instead of fiberglass or whatever composite the OEM is made from. I first tried filling the corners with an epoxy "made for plastic" and was going to sand it down to match, but before I did, I tested it's adhesion. POP, the whole chunk of epoxy and fiberglass I put in came off like nothing. I was wondering what to do and then it struck me. Mount and line everything up and then use a heat gun to soften the plastic. Smash it down with a flat piece of wood matching the fender as you smash. And it worked perfectly! I was happy with the results.
It's all more work that most are willing to do, especially for a Cherokee. I guess I'm just that **** sometimes... lol
I was 11 when my dad bought it for the family. It was kind of for my 2nd oldest brother who picked it out. (I think it was between an XJ or a SAAB! 
) My oldest brother choose the important stuff when ordering it and also did most of the repairs while it was in our main family. My brother then got married and took the Jeep along with him and raised a family with it. Several years later, he was ready to part ways with it as it was rusting away and getting harder to pass smog etc. He's not the mechanic, but he did change the oil on schedule. Little things were being broken here and there and not getting fixed and he was also being given a little bit newer car from his in-laws. So he asked the brothers if anyone wanted to take it. None had the room or time for it, and neither did I really, but my heart sank thinking of it's demise if I didn't take it. So I said YES! So before I owned a house, it sat outside where I did all of that rust surgery, engine work and drive train work. When I got a house, I was able to work on the body paint and interior and here we are today.. 
So here's what I did. I didn't swap doors as it may appear. I cut the guts out of the newer door and grafted it into the older door. That way I didn't have to change strikers. Also I knew that my doors fit well and wouldn't have to deal with a poorly fitting door. Also, I wanted to keep my original interior, and using the later door would not work with my door panels. All this trouble and why? I really hate those vent windows. They leak, they're noisy and ugly IMO.
The tail lights are regular XJ painted red, but I swapped waggy lighting harnesses in so that it works similar to the waggy lights. I do have a pair of waggy lights if the paint doesn't last, but right now, the painted ones look a little better color wise. I spent a long time looking for some aftermarket amberless (where the amber portion is clear) but never succeeded. I know they exist as I've seen pics, but just couldn't find them to purchase.
Here's what I was talking about that's different. Typically in a 97+ conversion, one would just slap on some 97+ fenders and be done with it. I looked at the 97+ body style and I seemed to me that the designers just did a quick update rounding stuff off but screwed up the body lines. The older design had the angled surface continue down along the length of the body starting on the header panel to the fender to both doors and finishing in the quarter panel. I wanted to keep that styling cue so I used the older fenders and had to cut and modify them to mount the 97+ body parts. Coincidentally I had purchased a cheaper header panel from ebay which happened to be made from ABS plastic instead of fiberglass or whatever composite the OEM is made from. I first tried filling the corners with an epoxy "made for plastic" and was going to sand it down to match, but before I did, I tested it's adhesion. POP, the whole chunk of epoxy and fiberglass I put in came off like nothing. I was wondering what to do and then it struck me. Mount and line everything up and then use a heat gun to soften the plastic. Smash it down with a flat piece of wood matching the fender as you smash. And it worked perfectly! I was happy with the results.
It's all more work that most are willing to do, especially for a Cherokee. I guess I'm just that **** sometimes... lol
) My oldest brother choose the important stuff when ordering it and also did most of the repairs while it was in our main family. My brother then got married and took the Jeep along with him and raised a family with it. Several years later, he was ready to part ways with it as it was rusting away and getting harder to pass smog etc. He's not the mechanic, but he did change the oil on schedule. Little things were being broken here and there and not getting fixed and he was also being given a little bit newer car from his in-laws. So he asked the brothers if anyone wanted to take it. None had the room or time for it, and neither did I really, but my heart sank thinking of it's demise if I didn't take it. So I said YES! So before I owned a house, it sat outside where I did all of that rust surgery, engine work and drive train work. When I got a house, I was able to work on the body paint and interior and here we are today..
Last edited by SuperRA; 09-28-2013 at 06:11 PM.