irishexpat

2001 Sport
5" lift (i think)
33x12.5x15 Firestones



I'm glad to finally have it....even though while driving it i go from "this thing will run forever" to "holy crap the axle is about to fall off" every few minutes.



So....on my first trip ever in the new jeep....i took it to the local mall with the gf. Right before turning into the parking garage, another XJ pulled out in front of me. Not a normal XJ, but a lifted XJ, whip CB antenna, big ole tires, body armor, the works. I was amazed.....i cant even remember seeing another XJ like this around columbus.....and here was one right in front of me on my first trip out. So, since i've been lurking on this forum for the past week and a half, i follow the proper etiquette and follow the guy into the parking garage, up three levels, and park right next to him. During this whole time the GF is in the passenger side telling me "are you really following this guy? this is so awkward" and "holy **** what was that bang?" It wasn't really possible for me to explain to her that it wasnt really a weird thing to do....even though i tried to through anecdotal evidence of XJ cluster parking taken from this site (mostly the "You Know you drive an XJ when" thread). So, when i pull up next to the guy, he takes a quick look at my new rig, says that it "has potential" and tells me to join the local wheeling facebook group. And after that....i went to the lego store and got a new Darth Vader keychain (oooo.....possible jeep name). So, all in all, a good day.

00jeepXJ

nice looking rig! Don't feel bad about following him... my gf has started to point out other lifted jeeps and asking if we can go and talk to him.

xjmuddigger

looks real good,but i can still see ur paint job lol,NEEDS MORE MUD! lol

94jeepchero

Nice looking rig. I thought it was weird when my buddies would do it, until I bought a jeep

waltermitty

I just bought my first Cherokee. Being a dyed in the wool GM guy every time I fire the old girl up I immediately think something is wrong with it. Odd noises, fluctuating oil pressure at idle, odd noises, weird feeling pulling away from stop signs, odd noises...etc...etc...

After having put some 200 miles on it since purchase I'm still convinced something is wrong with it...but I have not discovered anything yet. After reading your post I'm convinced it's just because I've got Irish blood flowing in my veins.

00jeepXJ

aren't they fun?! I had a chance to drive a '10 GMC pick up and was freaking out how smooth and silent it was.... so used to the rattles and bangs that mine makes... hell if it goes silent inside the jeep I start to freak out and pull over into a parking lot to find out why it's doing it!

waltermitty

The first few hundred miles in an old XJ is a heart wrenching experience for the un-initiated to be sure. Being a GM owner, a licensed aircraft mechanic and a pilot I'm used to quiet and high tech. Add the spartan feel, manual everything, and neurotic Irish genes and it really raises the blood pressure.

gpXJ

Yup. My wife has been convinced since the day I started lifting and modifying my rig that it was going to fall apart at speed and me and any of the kids who might be riding in it were going to die.

Then she finally went wheeling with me last weekend and after seeing the crap it made it over, she just turns the radio up louder on the freeway to drown out the noises and never mentions them at all.

waltermitty