james619

I am receiving a 2000 jeep Cherokee from my dad with 190000 miles on it. I was just wondering what can I do to it in the way of mods. I am not going to do any off roading on anything, just a street vehicle. Open to engine swap ideas as well.
Thanks

krazynezz

That's an extremely vague question. There are tons of mods. Any engine swap is theoretically possible. It all depends on money and fab skills. If you don't have fab skills then you need even more money.

james619

well money is an issue, and I have no fab skills. I am just open to all suggestions.

srb531

i suggest you forget a engine swap, how about a nice stereo system as a improvement on a steet jeep ?

Turbo X_J

Don't beat the **** out of it, just do normal maintenance and drive it.

one_speed_heuer

You could always get a budget lift like 1-2 inches. All you can really do with a street Jeep is drive it normally and put better sound into it. Ill admit a stock Jeep isnt as much fun. If you deal with snow youll have a blast in winter though. For summer I would almost consider it a gas hog if its just a street Jeep. For more power you could always stroke it, I will never do it as it messes with the rock solid 4.0.

What I think could be interesting: adding turn signals in the mirrors. I like the plastic molding off the doors or you could paint it a different color(I just removed all the plastic that is on the exterior except the roof rack and mirrors. You could swap to the old style roof rack that goes along the whole roof instead of just the rear.

What you may end up doing: fixing the speaker wires in the front doors that are bound to short out anytime or already have. Taking the rear plastic bumper covers off and fixing the rust if you live in a rust prone area.

Dont forget you may be able to ride some trails in your area even with a stock Jeep.

andrewmp6

Is it 2wd or is it 4x4?As far as mods depends how much money your willing to spend really.If you don't have 3 grand i would skip a engine swap they get pricey even if you can do it yourself.If it was me i would swap in leather seats from another xj if yours don't have them.Add a nice head unit replace all the speakers with better ones maybe add a single sub like https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f10/xj...y-10-a-120210/

Larry's XJ

Fred/N0AZZ

Knowing if it is a 2wd or 4wd would be helpful from what you said I think its a 4wd. If so and you have no desire to go off road you could turn it into a "Mall Crawler" that's a 4x4 that mostly all show and a DD.

Going that route you could do a small lift with larger tires and wheels as time goes by. If you plan on something like that take your time and pick up a few things at a time till you get enough to do one thing at a time.

As already mentioned start by doing a complete tune-up and I mean complete then change all fluids including the transmission, brake and coolant. These are the very first things to do along with checking for worn or broken parts (there will be some trust me). Besides needing to be done it will give you a chance to get to know your Jeep up close and personal a good thing.

Welcome to the world of XJ owners!

JeepaholicNinja

Simple mods that make a huge difference in comfort/looks/convenience, etc.

Tint (if you don't have it)

New head unit w/bluetooth (if you're not prone to distraction)

Aggressive tires make a huge difference looks-wise, but if it's not going off road they may just be a waste of money/comfort

New speakers/subwoofer/amp

Headlight harness upgrade (makes them brighter)

Off road lights are great (if you live where they won't pull you over for using them). Even on a vehicle used only on-road (I rarely go off the road), they really help with deer spotting.

Bumpers could be good for avoiding fender benders (well, you'll come out on top). Trailer hitch works pretty well for rear bumper protection, too.

Louder exhaust (if you're the kind of person who seeks attention, like me)

Jeep grand cherokee seat swap....

Good one looks-wise is clear turn signals/running lights, depending on the color of your Jeep.

You could always add aftermarket reverse lights or do an LED swap...

LED interior lighting swap

Colored footwell lighting

CB radio could be fun (if you're not distraction prone)

Replace sagging rear springs (admit it. you know they are haha)

Overhead console (out of a top-of-the-line cherokee in the junkyard)

If you're not sure if your jeep had a keyless entry remote, look inside the front interior dome light. If you find a green circuit board, you had one. I guess you can order a new one and have a dealer program it.

Wheels/rims

Stick-on blind spot mirror thingies

Believe me when I say that there will always be something to improve. You'll find yourself wishing you had all the features it had stock in no time! Power windows may go (if they work from driver's side only, you can bypass the window lock switch and make them work again). Power locks may go. Door speaker wiring wears out where it bends as the doors open and close. Rust will happen. It just will. If you go "muddin' after school" with your favorite "redneck" friends, you will probably be addicted. Best thing, however, is that if your dad took good care of the Jeep, it should last forever. Gas prices will kill you. I can use between $30 and $50 per week in gas just going from home to school and karate, piano, jazzband, track, and stuff (all of which are under 15 miles away and only once or twice per week)

one_speed_heuer

The one thing I disagree with Jeepaholic Ninja. Do not smoke your lights. Even turn signals.

I was following a Mustang with smoked tail lights. Doing the 4 second rule. Then BAM. He decides to stop and I couldn't see his lights. I ended up driving into the ditch to avoid him. I'm pretty sure I caused him to soil himself especially when a truck that is about 4 feet taller goes right past your window about 20 mph faster than you. I can tell you he would have had a terrible day if I had hit him.

Even smoked turn signals really set me off. There's a reason I really hate living in the city. But at least my jeep is much bigger than everything. My bumper is at window level with at least half the cars here. I know I'll walk away. Not sure about them. If they have smoked lights I won't lose a bit of sleep except for the fact I just ruined my jeep.

Sorry if I seem a bit fired up. But I am. Safety is number one when you drive.

JeepaholicNinja

'Sall good. I'm a big fan of the clear lights and when I say smoked, I mean like I've seen some greyish/silverish signals...Probably not as bad as what you're thinking of. But yes. Disclaimer: They may not stand out as well as stock signals while flashing. I would NOT smoke the stock signals or tails. Especially not tails. one speed, I was talking about something along the lines of the signals on post #2 of this page (https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f46/pr...ck-blue-43746/) ...Still though, clears are probably safer than smoked. Just be sure to get amber bulbs with them.

Edited my previous post to just "clear signals"

JeepaholicNinja

Oh and I genuinely thank you for your safety concerns.

Oh, and to the OP...

drhoward1988

Fwiw an old saying we have in drag racing.... Fast, reliable, and cheap. You can only pick two.

JeepaholicNinja

Except it's a Jeep. Cheap is not an option haha