96 XJ Sport

My Heep is looking for an identity and it just hit me that it's like a trusty sidekick, kind of like Robin is to Batman or Gilligan is to the Skipper...well maybe more trusty than Gilligan It's an extra vehicle, but I do drive it to work about a third of the time.

It's an all stock 96 Sport, 4dr, 4wd, 4.0, AW4, 137K. Bought it last Fall to use as a backup vehicle, occasional towing/utility, occasional DD, and eventually some WHEELIN I'm limited by the D35 out back, but I've got a LOT of other things to tackle before considering an axle upgrade. I'm the third owner...second owner was a man in his 80s who owned it for 10 of its first 13 years, so it has led an easy life.

Things I've done so far:
--new 3 core radiator, hoses, water pump, 195 stat, fan clutch, belt
--installed Class III hitch
--tranny filter and fluid
--spark plugs, cap & rotor, oil change & seafoam

Here's "THE LIST" in no particular order:
--2" or 3" lift - thinking OME leafs and coils, Bilsteins or OME shocks
--some 15 x 8 Cragar V-5s and new A/T tires
--POR-15 on surface rust on the underside
--rockers are rust free, but strip molding and put on bedliner
--install factory overhead console
--maybe swaybar discos to go with the lift, but need to understand benefits first
--replace cat back with maybe magnaflow or something else that sounds pretty stealth
--replace cracked header probably with the APN
--Engine, TC and gas tank skids
--front tow hook brackets with D-rings

Sure I'm forgetting some things, but wanted to get it in writing so I can start to prioritize. I've got 3 young kids and a very demanding job, but hope to chip away at the list this year as a means of stress relief, if that is possible with an XJ

My buddy is coming over next weekend with his Tacoma and we should knock at least one thing off the list. Probably going after the rust first. Feel free to comment, add watch-outs, whatever...I'm pretty novice and appreciate any advice. I've learned a lot from you guys already, so thanks!

96 XJ Sport

Oh, and it's earning the name "Trusty" this week, because my "good" car is on the bench with a busted water pump. It's a 95 Nissan Maxima with over 250K miles, so I guess it deserves a little break...

96 XJ Sport

Well, my build is getting off to a crawl...quite boring, in fact LOL. I'll at least post up some "before" pics and the little bit I've done recently. Took these today, but it's just the way I bought it, bone stock.

96 XJ Sport

The body is nearly perfect, no rust at all, but I did find this underneath...





These were both after knocking off the loose stuff with a wire wheel. Not too bad, really, just surface. POR15 going on the next chance I get. Someone please tell me why Jeep only brought the undercoating out to the frame rail and then stopped!!!

96 XJ Sport

My buddy came over a couple weekends ago and helped me put on these JY tow hook brackets. They came off a wrecked XJ, so the front part of the bracket was pretty mangled, but a hammer and a little patience fixed em right up.





Now just need to snag some D-rings from hicountryoffroad...

96 XJ Sport

Edit to my first post...thought I had a turdy-5, but turns out it's an 8.25. Don't know how to tell if it's has 27 or 29 spline shafts as apparently a 96 can have either.

Dynomax cat back coming tomorrow to replace my rotted out muffler. Not a huge upgrade, but it'll be nice not hearing the sputtering coming from the current gaping hole

JakeWI

looking good. super clean as well. looks exactly like mine when i started, minus different wheels haha.

96 XJ Sport

Thanks! How do you like those Grabbers? I'm looking at those for after I do my 2" lift. They make a 265/70/15 which works out to roughly 30 x 10.5 x 15. I think that size would look good with only 2" of lift and not like there's too much tire stuffed in there.

JakeWI

they are great. they are almost 100% identical to the bfg at's

Natedg&2

I would suggest pulling the carpet up a bit on the drivers floor pan. It can be surprisingly nasty under there even when it looks clean everywhere else.

a1racer

nice start. make sure to cap those bare wires in that last couple of pics.

96 XJ Sport

Good point. I was assuming that the inside would be clean as long as the outside wasn't rusted through. But I should know better than to assume anything on a XJ, LOL. I'll check.

96 XJ Sport

I'm pretty much sold on the Grabbers. Everyone that has them seems to love them, and can't beat the price vs the BFGs.

96 XJ Sport

Oh, those are the fog light wires and they have been soldered back together and wrapped with electrical tape. Thanks for checking, though. Don't want any shorts...

96 XJ Sport

Installed some d-ring mounts and d-rings from hicountryoffroad and I like 'em. I may not make it far on the trails just yet, but at least you can pull me out



I decided to keep the plastic air dam thing for now and just notch it out.


You can tell from the back side that I just hacked it out with a utility knife.