1988 XJ or Not?

Got an alert that an '88 XJ came into a local salvage yard. Checked online to see a few pics. At first it looked good until I got to the engine bay.

Here's the screen capture from the listing. The VIN does show to be 1988.



Here's the link to the listing search (just press "search") and you'll get the listing with the other pics.

https://www.lkqpickyourpart.com/parts/anaheim-1265/?year=1988&make=JEEP&model=CHEROKEE


Since I was targeting emissions parts I needed to find a Renix like my '88. The pic threw me off as it looks to be an HO engine. But lot's of older XJs have motor swaps. So an EGR may be out, but a evap canister is still a target.

Until I look closer at the pic in the add and see there's a lot of things in here non-Renix. The evap canister is the later one. Washer bottle different. The coolant overflow bottle looked like a factory install.

Did they mix up the pics and/or VIN? What year is this thing? So I go down anyway. If it's the wrong year, the interior is the same so I may be able to grab some trim parts.

Well, I get there and the listing is correct. That's the VIN on the vehicle but it looks 1991-ish in the bay. It even has the PDC next to the overflow (see later pics). There was a ton of other stuff packed into the cargo area. Rims (no tires), extra trim pieces and door panels (even though they were still on). Just piles of stuff that I'm not even sure where all for the Jeep.

So no evap, egr, etc. for me today. I did score some other parts I'll post separately.

So based on the ad and the pics I took (below), what's your best guess? The VIN says '88. It was a 4x4 and had Sport badging. Manual locks and windows, manual seat (but the rocking type so go if you need them).

That definitely isn't an 88 under the hood. Either someone went to a lot of work swapping the engine, harness, etc or they swapped the VIN. The 5th digit in the VIN is R, but I don't see that as a valid trans option looking at https://www.morris4x4center.com/knowledge-center/vin-jeep-cherokee-xj-1984-2001/

I see. I went through a bunch of vin decoders. This one:

http://www.offroaders.com/tech/jeep/vin_87-90.htm

Shows R: R 4-speed automatic, floor gear shift, part time 4 W/D

But the next 2 digits (77) say it's a two door, but this was a 4 door. The vin on the dash looked legit and matched the listing.

Also, the CA Smog history showed it last passed smog in 2017.

lawsoncl said:

That definitely isn't an 88 under the hood. Either someone went to a lot of work swapping the engine, harness, etc or they swapped the VIN. The 5th digit in the VIN is R, but I don't see that as a valid trans option looking at https://www.morris4x4center.com/knowledge-center/vin-jeep-cherokee-xj-1984-2001/

Click to expand...

Not that I would know any better and can't really see the CCV's clearly enough to tell but is that what it would look like if somebody swapped a closed cooling system for an open one?
Would an '88 have the closed one?

I'm going to say it's at least 1991 or newer based on the oil-filter warning sticker. I can't quite read it, but the 91-95 stickers had the extra line on the bottom that gave the filter number or equivalent versus the Renix which just had the picture and thread notation.

There are some who have gone through the amount of work that could explain the apparent conflict in year. "Souske" is one. Rolled his XJ and then swapped absolutely everything over into a donor body.

In all honesty, a complete swap is not necessarily all that bad. You are not moving each little part, one by one. You are dealing with things in large assemblies. I have done three frame swaps on modern vehicles. Each one was about 40 hours worth of labor. I have more time than that in just my quarter armor/tail light.

An '88 would normally have a closed system. Certainly plenty of folks convert to open.

There was no sign of a C101 connector either. Sure, plenty of folks bypass that but it leaves a huge bundle where the harnesses are patched together.

and, yes, the oil filter sticker has the part number.



So an interesting mystery.

Maybe someone just swapped the VIN? I'd be curious if the other hidden VIN markers match (not that I recall where they are).

I didn't notice a firewall tag like on my '88. Honestly, at that point I didn't really look any harder at engine numbers, rear axle, etc to see if the date codes matched. Of course, nothing unusual about swapping them out as well. The hood and tailgate were already replaced.

I was hoping to get Renix emissions parts (egr, evap canister) but managed to get enough to make the trip worthwhile.

I think on the earlier models, the sticker was added by dealers after the fact because lots of people kept buying the wrong filter and having them pop loose.