So about a week ago I picked up a lifted red '95 2 door with 275K on the clock for $900 with the intention of parting it out and using what I wanted and making a few bucks. Well I went to pick it up and was amazed how nice it was and how well it ran. It started right up and purrrrrred! No knocks, no ticks, no taps. Had a little blow-by and the VC gasket leaks but it sounds better than my '99.

Now for the bad. It has a couple of rust issues but nothing that can't be fixed.



















Well as you can see it was just too nice to part out, so my next thought was put a $1500 price tag on it and let someone else enjoy it but after a couple of days of it sitting in my front yard looking at me I decided it was just too damn nice to sell too so I decided to keep it. My daughter just turned 14 on Thursday so I decided that over the next 2 years her and I are gonna build it and she's gonna get a huge suprise on her 16th birthday!

 

The hood latch was also broken when I got her so I decided to take care of that today. A friend and fellow jeeper/CF member suggested hood pins and doing away with the latch all together, needless to say I though it was an epic idea!

He picked these up for $17 at Advanced Auto


After removing the corner latches we were able to use the holes that were there to mount the oem latches for the new stud, just had to run a drill bit through it to open it up a hair.


Also had to drill a 5/8 hole on the inside to allow access to the bottom pinch nut

My friend also had a great idea about using the stock springs that were on the original latches to allow it to pop up after releasing the pins so you can get your hand in to open the hood. Took a couple of washers I had laying around. Notched the bottom ones and slid them into the spring, the top pinch nut secures the washer/spring. The top washer is there to help keep the spring from interfereing with shutting the hood by keeping the spring below the head of the stud.


We ran the studs all the way down, lowered the hood and gave the corners a few hard taps to mark where it hit the studs, after that we removed the hood and started drilling the holes.



After the holes were drilled we adjusted the studs to the proper height, then went on to reinstalling the hood and getting everything lined up. Next we rivited the pins to the top of the hood.


Drivers side needs to come down a bit, I'll take care of that tomorrow.


Overall I'm really happy with the hood pins and may do the same to my '99. They are very secure.

 

While I had the front end apart I also decide to take care of the faded ugly gray grill/headlight bezels. I had a couple of leftover cans of spray on bed liner from painting my '99's rear bumper/tire carrier, worked great looks great!

Before


After

 

Nice work, and a cool idea to fix it up and surprise your daughter with it.

 

Ya sweet idea when I was 15 my dad hit a dog on the highway and wrecked the whole front end. Then gave it to me. So I sold the dirtbike and some stuff and bought a lift ,wheels, and tires and fixed it by myself. When I turned 16 my dad handed me the papers and what not so it's actually mine now. I'm almost 17 now and love this rig. It's a great idea that your doing that ! Keep it up. Subscribed

 

Sunroof for the win! sweet man, subscribed since its for a good cause.

 

Those are some fine looking hood pins

 

Yes they certainly are!! Thanks for the ideas and the help

 

Sunroof is going to be deleted, they leak too much.

 

Came over to check out the sweet hood pins. Nice job mang.

 

Looking good Frosty, and a big for building it for your daughter. My son will be driving in a few years, he will be getting the XJ

 

Good show Mike, good call on keeping it. I would have.

 

damn, beat me to it Frosty...hoodpins was on my list of things to do this summer. Guess I'll be the 2nd MD guy with them. Love the look and you just backed my idea of doing it...may hit you up for help

Good cause too, wish my parents would've done something like this for me!!

 

I'd be happy to help, we're doing them on Nate's too also gonna put them on my '99. I really like the way they turned out

 

Dude, this rocks!! This was a heck of a deal you got.....it paid for itself in tires and wheels just about. Best part is what your dong for your daughter.....nice job bro.