Maybe in your area it isn't, but down here in Central FL I can't find a manual XJ in a group of 20. There are maybe three for sale in a 200 mile radius out of the other 50 or so I've seen

I'm going to install the frame stiffeners from front to back. I will buy the frame stiffeners, just because they are not very expensive and it's just cheaper to buy than trying to fabricate them. The stiffeners that you can buy are usually a good fit and are ready to go.

About the 4 link on the back. The whole belly portion (front cross member, belly skid plate and rear cross member I'm gonna buy from Clayton Off Road. We, at Goliath Off Road, don't have our own suspension system yet, so it will be much easier to just buy one for now. when it comes to long arms / links itself, I'm going to fabricate them myself.

Well, we are basically neighbors lol
Goliath Off Road is located in Lake country, Florida.

Anyway, I had a hard time finding a donor that was not a manual. You just have to look harder. They are everywhere.

Hot damn, you're like two hours away from me! I'd disagree honestly, cause I'm looking every day. Now granted I'm looking for a 97-99 specifically so that limits things.

I'm in Dunedin, west side of Tampa Bay

Oh, that's why probably. Most of them are pre '97...

So, disassembly continues. I spent whole Sunday doing that, and the jeep is pretty much stripped. I still have some little pieces left, like door handles and carpet inside, but other than that, I should be ready to prep it for paint pretty soon.
The jeep is almost rust free and I still managed to break two bolts. One from the rear bumper and one from the roof rails... I will deal with it later.
And of course, came out that the jeep is not 100% rust free. More like 95% lol
During disassembly, I found two tiny rust spots. One in the trunk, near the gas filler neck and one on the driver side floor. Both holes are the size of a golf ball. Nothing serious. The rest of the jeep is absolutely perfect.



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Coming along nicely for sure

So far is going apart nicely haha :laughing:

So not much progress today... Today was a 'There is a lot of work in the shop, that needs to be done quickly' kind of day.

However, I still managed to do something. Finished disassembling the interior. Took the carpet out, the rest of the plastics, center console and a few other pieces as well.
That being said, the interior disassembly is done.



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Of course had a few surprises on the way, such as soaked with water carpet or stripped seat belt bolt. I welded the nut to the stripped bolt and got it out with no problem.
The thing that worries me is the soaked carpet. It's only on the driver side, between the pedals and the seat. I'm assuming that the door is not sealed properly or the windshield seal is not holding good anymore.

I also have a dilemma... So the factory seats from the XJ are in very good shape, nothing wrong with them. But... I also have a pair of MasterCraft suspension seats that I bought for another project an never used them. They are brand new. What do you guys think? Leave the factory seats or upgrade to the MasterCraft ones?



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Quick question on wiring in the cab. I see you have all the carpet pulled so it should be an easy one for you.

I know there is a small bundle that goes from the rear seat to the e-brake/shifter. Is this the only wiring that is on the floor? I ask because we're making a 100% off road rig and I would like to plan ahead on how to hide them. I'm definitely not afraid to reroute them if that is needed.

THANKS!!

Yes, that's the only wiring on my floor. I have a short wire bundle going across the floor where the driver seat goes. You might not have it in yours. I know that floor shape and wiring differ from year to year, they are not all the same.

Awesome! I was hoping it would jut be a small amount.

Thanks!

I got the drivetrain out today. I must say that I was surprised how everything went smoothly :thumbup1:
I only had a little fight with the last bolt... of course lol
The passenger side motor mount bolt was stuck to the inside of the rubber in the motor mount. Got it out finally.
Other than that, I didn't break anything so pretty happy :blush:



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Off topic. I sold my ZJ yesterday. Now I need to hurry up and get this one done lol



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Also, I got the new Walker Evans wheels from my buddy. They will fit perfectly on the TANK.



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No Joke I've been eyeballing that ZJ for a while now, seemed like one of the better built ones in the area. Glad you got it sold!

Yeah, I'm happy that I sold it finally. Apparently, ZJ is not really high demand lol :laughing:
The pictures on the ad didn't do the justice... It looked 100 times better in person. The guy who bought it knew he is buying this one after like 2 minutes of looking. It was in very good shape in and out.
Actually, I own and owned a lot of jeeps and I must say, you can't really buy them in this shape anymore. This ZJ was super, and I mean super clean. It was serviced from top to bottom. Not a single leak underneath, nothing. Everything works and not a single light on the dash. Rare piece lol :laughing:
It was kinda sad to see it go...