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Warning: in the following thread you will witness the dismemberment and final death of an XJ. Such questions as "Well why didn't you just do _____" and suggestions such as "You know you could have just ______" will be ignored. I love XJs as much if not more than most of you, so the fact that I ended up having to do... what you'll see here... instead of re-using this Jeep in another form really pisses me off. All because someone decided to take shortcuts and put their money in all the wrong places instead of spending $65 on a tow hook kit for the front and/or going to the junkyard and spending $60 or so for a hitch for the rear.
Backstory:
For those that don't know, my XJ started its life out as a 2wd. It was in extremely good condition, all of the electronics worked, and it had (I thought) low mileage on it. So to me, it was worth paying 1500 bucks for it and converting it to 4wd. So I had been on the hunt for the parts and/or a complete donor Jeep for a while.
I came across a Craigslist posting with no picture that said "96 Jeep Cherokee 2 door not running". I contacted the guy and he confirmed, "the motor is blown, I'm pretty sure the transmission is too. I don't have the title for it, I just need it gone."
I sent a buddy out to look at it for me because he lived right around the corner from it and this is what he found:
1996 2 door Cherokee.
4.0 liter
aw4
np231
HP d30
3" bastard lift (bronco or f150 coils w/ 3" spacers in front, 3" blocks in the rear)
32" Mudstar Tires on 15x8 Ultrawheels Gauntlets
not a single recovery point front or rear
So I went out to check it out further with my buddy. The guy told me if I took it home that night, I could have it for $250 (was asking 300). He said he bought it for his son, who took it out wheeling and blew the motor and tranny, and then lost interest in fixing it.
"I'm not going to fix it myself just so he can go and break it again. I want it gone."
So I handed the guy the cash, he made out a bill of sale, handed me the keys, and my friend and I tow-strapped it back to his house. He loaded it up on his trailer and towed it to my house the next morning.
It looks much more glorious in daylight. I liked it a lot. Not so much the color, but the rest of it. I had debated on throwing my motor and suspension in it and rolling with it instead of mine..... until I looked closer.
I didn't get any pictures (though I coulda swore I did), but the frame was trashed. They bent up the radiator support/front cross brace apparently putting a strap around it and trying to ****** it. The oval-shaped hole that provides access to the frame-side UCA mount had been essentially fish-hooked. They had to have put a metal hook in that hole, because the frame was literally torn through starting from that hole. The rear shocks were in two pieces on each side and and had punched through the cargo floor from god only knows what. There were remnants of cut ropes still wedged inside the rear eyes on the leaf springs where their recovery "ropes" got stuck and they couldn't get them out. Somewhere along the way, the motor was hydrolocked and threw a rod through the side of the block and penetrated the oil pan.
It was quite obvious that they got this thing stuck and tried everything they could to get this thing out. I was now glad that I only spent 250 because it was becoming abundantly clear to me that this was never again going to be a road-worthy Jeep. I'd at least be able to pull the parts I need from it and sell the useable parts to people that needed them.
So the salvaging began.
The wheels and tires were usable and larger size than mine, so I put them on my Jeep and sold my wheels and tires. The guy I sold them to "sold" me these to use as rollers in the meantime (said he'd buy them back, but changed his mind - they work great on my trailer though ).
I pulled the axle for myself and waited on pulling the transmission and transfer case until I had some tools and help. So it sat here like this lookin' all kinds of pathetic for a while.
While I was waiting on the other stuff, I started on the interior. It was just trashed. The carpet was originally tan, but was a nasty brown color now. There wasn't a single seat that didn't have a stain on it, and the door panels were 3 sheets to the wind - ya know, kinda like a highschool girl after her first wine cooler.
The more I took the thing apart, the more I thought about how most of this could have been avoided by putting the right money in the right place.
My friend and I wrestled with the stupid E12 bolts at the top of the bellhousing as long as we could. We got the one on the driver's side out, finally, but the passenger side wouldn't budge - not matter what we did.
After a 12 hour day of us both wrestling with it, I made the executive decision to pull the motor and transmission and cut the head of the bolt off. After the transmission was finally separated from the motor, I discovered a shiney brand new freeze plug on the back of the block... so whatever bastard changed that out decided to put those god-forsaken e12s back in. that guy.
Knock, knock.<br/>Who's there?<br/>Cylinder 3.
After I got the motor out, I wanted to pull the pan and figure out just how bad things were. Already was pissed seeing the rod protruding out the side of the block 'cause I knew I wouldn't be able to rebuild the engine by that point. But to satisfy my own curiousity....
So, after conferring with our fearless leader (Outlaw Star, for those who don't know), I decided to give the transmission a shot. Drained the maple-syrup from it and filled it with fresh ATF+4
Just kidding.... filled it with Dex/Merc. Had ya goin' though, didn't I. Anyway, transmission works great as does the transfer case.
Once the Jeep was thoroughly gutted- OH! By the way, someone actually wanted the turdy five in the rear. He grenaded the ring and pinion in his D35 non-c clip axle - I honestly don't know how the shafts outlasted the R&P - and swapped me axles plus a hundred bucks. The discarded axle now sits under my trailer... sans ring gear. Anyway, once all the useable drivetrain parts were removed, my friend asked me what my plans were from the body. I told him I didn't really know so he asked me if he could have the roof in trade for a HiLift extreme jack. "Have at it," I said. So the mutilation of the XJ began.
MONTHS went by and most of the parts were gone. I was still left with the roofless shell and I had planned on just hauling it off to a salvage yard along with the remainder of the parts. My plan was foiled by a phone conversation with a local parts yard owner:
Me "Well, I don't have the title. But a friend of mine that has experience with a situation like this said that you could do it without the title."
Scrap guy "Correct. I'll just need to run the vehicle's VIN."
"Okay, cool... the vin is _______"
"Sorry man, it's showing a lein on it."
"Oh great. Alright, I'll figure out what's going on and get back with you."
Turns out, the guy I bought it from worked for a car lot. I don't know if they took it in on trade and he borrowed the money to buy it for his kid, or if he already owned it and borrowed from the company against the car or what. But the company the guy works for put a lien against this Jeep.
"Okay, sooooo can they remove the lien so I can get rid of this thing?"
"I don't know man, you'll have to call them."
Whatver... called them:
"Hi. So and so works for you guys and said you had a lien on this vehicle."
"Oh yeah. No, we can't do anything about the lien."
"What? Why? Does he still owe you the money?"
"No, we already took it out of his pay."
"Soooooo.... you have your money. And the title to the Jeep-"
"No, he told us he sold the Jeep, so we shredded the title."
"So what does that have to do with removing the lien from the title?"
"Look man, he doesn't have the Jeep anymore and he's settled up with us. Our involvement with this thing is done and we're not spending anymore money on anymore processes involved with it."
*click*
So, by this point I'm pretty sure I'm getting unfairly screwed on this one. I'm sure it's not gonna cost them THAT MUCH to remove this lien from the title on the vehicle, and for whatever reason they're being dicks about it. Awesome. I'll be sure to never do business with them.
I had to do something with the Jeep and the roof was already gone... so I figured I may as well just cut the stupid thing up and haul it off as scrap. I had no moral objection to this seeing as the people that put a lien on it didn't want it and already had their money... so I grabbed a torch, some cutoff wheels, and some sawzall blades and went to town. It was actually kinda fun, but a lot of work.
So although there were some positive outcomes from this XJs demise, the moral of the story is - rather than spending 1200 bucks on wheels n tarz, another hundo on crappy paint, and probably abount a hundred on speakers and cd player (that was of course, NOT included), get your priorities straight and put that money where it should go. Make sure your Jeep is equipped with the BASIC trail necessities BEFORE throwing money at lift - and a proper lift at that - wheels and tires. Get yourself a basic hitch... the junkyard probably has plenty of them, and a set of tow hooks and brackets. If your friends have something to properly attach to in order to get your Jeep un-stuck, you can have plenty of fun in its stock form and still be assured your jeep will return home in operating and structurally sound condition.
We call it paying for your education,When yo do something that ends up costing you big time.And it is true it does make you think hard next time before you do things.
You should have titled this " When an Idiot Gets an XJ".
We have a health condition for just those kind of people its known as being "Eat Up With the DUMBAZZ"!! It's amazing what someone can do in such a short time without any knowledge.
But you ended doing quite well for what you had to work with and cutting it up. Would have been done as soon as the top was cut off, a torch would have been faster if you could have borrowed a setup.
At least you were able to get most of the parts required for yours to make it a 4wd, great story thanks for posting. Much to be learned from it when people start their builds and where there money is spent.
We call it paying for your education,When yo do something that ends up costing you big time.And it is true it does make you think hard next time before you do things.
Agreed! Sadly, I get the feeling the kid that "owned" this never will.
Originally Posted by Fred/N0AZZ
You should have titled this " When an Idiot Gets an XJ".
We have a health condition for just those kind of people its known as being "Eat Up With the DUMBAZZ"!! It's amazing what someone can do in such a short time without any knowledge.
But you ended doing quite well for what you had to work with and cutting it up. Would have been done as soon as the top was cut off, a torch would have been faster if you could have borrowed a setup.
At least you were able to get most of the parts required for yours to make it a 4wd, great story thanks for posting. Much to be learned from it when people start their builds and where there money is spent.
I really hope it drives the point home. We all see it, and all too frequently, people putting money in all the wrong places. Unfortunately, most see recovery points as an accessory rather than a necessity. If this helps change peoples' thought process on it, then my toil in cutting it up and writing this thread was worth it.
I did borrow a torch setup, but it was an Oxy Propane setup and I wasn't quite used to using a torch. The torch was pretty quick on the sheet metal, but once it got to the parts containing the frame rails and the door sills and whatnot, the 12" long sawzall blade proved to be much much quicker. Would have been EVEN quicker had I been using a high-quality blade that didn't dull out so quickly, but it still was quicker than the torch, just the same.
I cut up an 80 Camaro years ago after parting it out. I worked at a scrap yard and it was easier to haul a chunk into work in the morning every day for a week than to borrow a trailer to drag the remains onto. A portable band saw made quick of the frame. Of course, it's easier to cut up the frame when you can unbolt it from the body.
I'm not saddened by seeing the XJ cut up. The more that are scrapped, the rarer mine becomes. Lol. Looks like you made out well in the deal.
Great story enjoyed reading about your troubles. Remarkably I just bought 2 hooks for rear recovery this past weekend before I read your story oh and hooks come off of 97 to 03 f150 under front bumper and they will bolt up to the side of
my towing package gonna drill it for bigger holes upgrade bolts and maybe put a bead across it just for some added strength and by the way hooks were like 8$ lol
Last edited by jt_aleshire; 09-09-2016 at 09:10 AM.
Reason: forgot price
You are right a set of tow hooks is like 100 bucks new and a used trailer hitch is 50 bucks or less at a junkyard.Recovery and armor are always first to me those two are needed more then most think.Its not if you get stuck its when and how you get it out.Or they think they have triple A or roadside they can get towed,Well off the road more then a few feet they won't tow you or charge you a lot of money.
09-08-2016, 01:51 AM
The importance of recovery points.
). 
that guy.
