Ol' 88 XJ gonna get a makeover**
 

Hey everyone, just thought i would start a thread to inroduce Ol' Black Betty.
I'm new to the forum and like to say Hello fellow jeepaholics. :rockon:
I just sold my baby the armor queen...she was a 1973 Jeep commando. To much fabrication and to hard to find parts, so I had to let her go.
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Came across this beauty the other day and picked her up for a lil over a grand. Came across some 33x12.5x15's with 40% tread on the same day for $250...and so it begins...lol
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Here are a few photos of her. The plan....well to make her a solid DD but be able to go get dirty and flex her a lil bit...not rock crawling....just yet.
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Just for sh**s and giggles put the 33's on to see the difference....needless to say cant wait to start twisting bolts and putting the lift under her
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Big Plans--
4.5 RC x series lift
put on the 33's
Reseal all gaskets (try to leak a lil less oil) hehe
Do some exhaust work
cut and fold fenders
bushwhacker upgrade bolt on fenders...ect ect

Lil stuff I will do or have done already
Put a head unit in it
dropped in some subs
put speakers in the doors ect.
put in a custom cup holder in armrest
go to the junk yard and find some odds and ends to make her look better
redo the headliner...all F**ked up
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Thats what I got so far...Just passed smog today...somehow...lol
see where she goes next.... :thumbup:

Any help along this thread is GREATLY appreciated friends


:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

Welcome to the forum

Lol incredible that you passed smog... Great start! Welcome to Cherokee Forum!

Welcome, you will find Cruiser54 to be a very helpful individual when it comes to any electrical issues you may have or find. RENIX FTW!!!

Thanks you guys! Yea I was looking at cruisers threads and he is very informative. I will be taking full advantage of the awesome things you can learn about these rigs on CF.

Well I found some cheapo ($30) 31x10.5x15 tires yesterday to replace my pretty much balding with metal showing tires till I get my lift ordered and put on. These tires had about 30% tread left but I said F**k it and figured I'd mount balance and put em on for a few months. They turned out great. I rub a lil at full turn but that's easy enough to not do cause I am not wheeling it just yet.
Pulled off the tires, replaced the drum brake shoes cause they were squealing a bit and came across my awesome bump stops almost completely rusted out and gone...I pulled on it and it just crumbled...lol guess its time to replace em.
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But after doing all that put the new boots on the old girl and she looks like she got a friggin face lift, loved it!
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Honestly this just gets me more amped up to get this lift kit and get it going...

Looks like mine did when I got it. Takes you back. Good luck!

So a few things done to the ol' XJ this week, it snowed like 15" so didnt have good weather to work on it...but did some things.
Put on wheel spacers
Added the 31x10.5x15's I picked up off craigslist for $30 bucks:rockon:
Fixed windows in front that needed rewiring
pulled off the front fenders and inside wheel wells to stop rubbing :brickwall:
pulled off stupid stock rack and plugged and painted holes
Replaced super blown speakers in doors
fixed doors that wouldnt shut or open right (liquid wrench works wonders)
and added a nice JEEP license plate :thumbup:

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The tires will be spitting a little more mudd across the sides till I get my new bushwackers with the lift
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Well weather got pretty nice out, so decided to go ahead and start with the rear cut and fold on the fenders. I think they came out pretty nice, when I get the lift on her I will add the Bushwacker after market flares and it will stuff nice and the cuts wot look to bad. I just used a tin snip tool for the cuts cause I dont own a saw. Here in the near future I will use some bedliner to seal it but for now just spray painted it.:thumbup:
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Alright well did a few more things to the ol' JEEEEEEP...

Cut the front fenders along the factory line...pretty happy how they came out. Gotta love being able to match a flat black paintjob.
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While I was down there took the old brakes and rotors off and put new ones on.
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Thing stops great now that there is new
brakes all around.

Next I know there are some people who hate the cheapo racks for the roof, but I am building on a budget and those $500 roof racks just aren't a good buy for me. :dunno: Trying to get my suspension next so need to save the $$$. Came out looking pretty good and only spent $140 for it from Rage racks shipped.

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The connects were simple enough they just U bolted to the factory bars. I will def. be upgrading the bolts later on because they arent super heavy duty....not that you need HD for a simple roof rack like this. Today I'm going to build some mounts to hold the Hi jack lift and a shovel on the sides.
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:thumbup:

Oh to add on, I didn't like just having JEEP on the front so I went junkyard hopping and made a good front emblem....lol
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Alrighty did a few more things this week, Built a mount for my hi jack lift ($17) rather than buying the expensive one. Also did any easy shovel attachment that cost ($3) Gonna drill the 1/2 in bolt and add a lock thru it for security...And the shovel only cost $2 at a garage sale and a can of spray paint...to match the jeep.
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:thumbup:

Lift Question
 

So I am going to be buying the lift here in the next few weeks and I am wondering some of your thoughts on the 3" zone lift and adding extended shackles and coil spacers...or should I just wait and get the RC 4 1/2 in lift....
Thoughts?:dunno:

Well I ordered the new RC track bar, RC steering stabalizer, fat bobs pitman drop arm, and RE long slip yoke add on. The lift will be ordered in the next 2 weeks....super excited to put it on and add the 33x12.5x15 tires I got already....Its on buddy!!

Funny..this looks identical to my first xj

Welcome to the site.

Tony:head: