Hello all!

Well I decided to stop browsing craigslist after many months and finally pulled the trigger. Ever since I was a kid I wanted an XJ, and used to sit up at night going through the Jeep parts catalogs and circle things I thought were cool. I'm sure I wasn't the only one! The last few years I turned my sights to a wrangler, a JK or JL rubicon, but decided I had better fulfill that childhood dream and get an XJ before they all (and I) get too old to justify it. Picked it up just a couple days ago, have been smiling ever since .

Just picked up this sweet 1998 Cherokee with 156K miles. Body is in great shape, no dents or dings, no major rust (Cali), and mostly everything is in good working order. Inside is clean too, even the seat is rip-free! Pretty much stock besides a cheap 2" lift recently installed, some Wrangler wheels, and some ridiculous tint. I seriously can barely see at night, even the front windshield is tinted...

Engine feels strong, auto shifts smooth. It's got the Dana 35, but I plan on swapping it out. Slight leak from the rear main seal, will replace it. Cold start up is a little weak, have to let it crank for a few seconds, will have to figure that out. I'm planning on doing an extensive overhaul- seals, injectors, spark plugs, cleaning and painting underneath- pretty much anything I can do to refresh this baby. I like working on my cars but am not the most experienced. I will be doing all the work myself. I've been going through the various threads on maintenance and fixes, but are there any good lists or guides for overhauls like this? Anything that spells out the main things to take care of? Trying to put together a list of all the stuff to do. Would appreciate any insight!

After getting everything back in shape, I will be tricking it out for sure

 

Welcome. Gook looking Jeep.