Old Man Minimalist

I think my following comments/question are not too much of a thread drift since the title said something about "Build Advice".

I will have in about 10 hours a new to me '99 XJ Sport. It is fairly close to factory currently. I'll even have the build sheet. I will let it sit in my garage for awhile before I start ripping into it. I am not an off-roader so no rock gardens, river crossings, flying over sand dunes, etc. It may see some 2-track and/or some fire roads. I want it nice, but I will be using it in my retirement as a daily driver.

Currently my options are:

1. Full factory restoration back to just how it left the factory in '99.
2. Rebuild stuff as needed, leaving any patina present elsewhere. (anything I rebuild will be done to factory new condition)
3. For lack of better terms; restomod. Restore it, but do some things that I may like. (add factory skid plates, put a transmission cooler in with a gauge cut into the center console, color change, etc.)

My main question is; would it be more valuable if I do number 1 vs number 3? Is/will there be a market for super clean unmolested XJ's? Or is the market for XJ's mostly for cut up off road toys?

I think I can do a combination of number 2 and 3. Rebuild as I go, making the changes/upgrades along the way. Number 1 would be a singular long term project with the vehicle not operable for a long time.

Red1992XJ

Old Man- I think that any combination of the three choices is just fine as far as keeping the value of the truck. You can't overcome patina on a vehicles that is almost 25 years old. Putting on factory skid plates would not bother many people in the sense that it will appear to be stock.

The market for XJ's seems to be uncut and clean XJ's. If you do modify it, and it is tastefully and neatly done, it should still bring money.

Old Man Minimalist

Thanks. Of course if my grand plan were to work out, I wouldn't be selling it anyway. I'd drive it until I couldn't drive anymore or really didn't want it, and I'd pass it to a grandkid if they were of driving age by then.

Rubicon640

I’ve used the OEM+ term for a long time. I’ve been around the VW world for a bit and it seems to be used there a lot.

i picked up a 98 XJ for my son. He’s only 14 now, so I have time to play with it. My plan is an OEM+ ish theme. I like to refer to it as what Jeep would bring to Easter Jeep Safari as a “concept”. A Jeep that their design team got the green light to make it like something that could possibly come to market, but probably won’t. Take some bits from other models, mild lift, the right tires, the right wheels, nice interior upgrade, interesting paint color (maybe a paint code from long ago recreated) and maybe a few off-road upgrades for capability on the trail. I have many EJS concepts, but recently the one that embraces all these ideas is the Grand One from 2017.

Everyone has their opinion of the perfect Jeep, just make it the way you want it.