1985 XJ Minor Budget Build

[96xjeeper]

I have a buddy here in Ft Wood who bought a 1985 Cherokee that didn't run. It has the 2.8 V6 with NP 207 TCase. Well a little tweaking and the motor was running, not tops but running, This is what he got for $250

He brought it by and I convinced him to let me cut the fenders and bumpers, so some plasma cutter and grinder work resulted in over 1" FREE clearance.

Next he was given a KICK ARSE deal on a set of 32" AT's ($50 for all 4) so the next day we were mounting themin his driveway

after mounting the tires he removed both sway bars

Now he decided it was time for a paint job
PIC HOLDER PIXTO FOLLOW

Total into a running wheeling jeep about $320 icluding paint and other expendables. All the above was over the duration of 3 days and more to follow as we make changes. He has a 2" BB coming for it and on the 3rd of Apr he is gonna wheel it for the first time.

 

[96xjeeper]

Now he decided it was time for a paint job

 

[96xjeeper]

after sealing off some vacume lines and doing a tune up it runs like a champ now
this is the rear quater panel trim it received
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=29750

it received a rear corner panel and fold and we ramped it, no major rubbing but at full turn it rubs the control arms really bad
This was after the rears were cut

and this is what is in it's next 24 hour future

 

[96xjeeper]

So far: $250 for jeep
$50 for tires
$25 or so into paint
$25 or so in plasma cutter expendables
Total: $350+or- a few $

Looking for an inexpensive 2" BB or even 3" lift

This mimic the paint on mine except mine is black and red. The idea behind this is plain and simple it is easier to do touch up to wal mart black paint than Chyrsler Red. He liked the black bottom of mine and let his 7YO daughter pick the upper color, I guess she likes Harley Davidson

 

[XJ&CHZ4ME]

Thanks for posting this up. These are the types of postings that I enjoy more and more now a days. We have all seen the extreme builds over and over, so it is good to see these budget builds and knowing that the XJ world has another new member that got into the sport for under $500. Keep the pics and updates coming! Subscribed!

Cheeseman-OUT!

 

[96xjeeper]

update leading to a question. When he originally purchased the 4wd in the NP207 wasn't working, we determined it was the vacume pump. We fixed that problem but now after ramping we determined the front axle is engaged but the rear isn't. Could it still be in the vacume pump?

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

what do you mean the rear isnt? the rear is always engaged unless the rear driveline is pulled

 

[REWSTER]

looks like it is making good progress

looks good

 

[96xjeeper]

what do you mean the rear isnt? the rear is always engaged unless the rear driveline is pulled

I mean the front passenger side tire spun when on the ramp and no others did. I know I am confused too, we are going to pull the rear DS tomorrow and try a few things out but I figured someone may know of this happening before and know the fix

 

[FlexdXJ]

Thanks for posting this up. These are the types of postings that I enjoy more and more now a days. We have all seen the extreme builds over and over, so it is good to see these budget builds and knowing that the XJ world has another new member that got into the sport for under $500. Keep the pics and updates coming! Subscribed!

Cheeseman-OUT!

I'm with you Tyler. That paint job really freshened that thing up!

 

[XJ&CHZ4ME]

I mean the front passenger side tire spun when on the ramp and no others did. I know I am confused too, we are going to pull the rear DS tomorrow and try a few things out but I figured someone may know of this happening before and know the fix

it may be that the front wheel had the least resistance and it broke free while the others were still under power (as minimal as it may be with that motor) and kept it in place. :dunno: It is my understanding that the rear axle is always engaged regardless of vaccum. But I will be the first to admit I have VERY limited knowledge of the 207 t-case.

 

[96xjeeper]

Well I haven't updated this in a while so heres the latest
The latest pix are after a super budget 3" lift. A friend calls me one day from a thrift shop and says there are some jeep looking springs there for sale, I go look at them and yep they are jeep springs and lift BRAND NEW, so now what brand and how big? Don't care for $12 I buy them. I bring them to john and he puts them on wala about 3" lift up front. Well a week or so later We are loading the reminants of a Waggy and I tell him he can have the waggy springs, he takes them and after determining they are two different springs he butchers them and builds a spring pack for the rear useing a combo of Waggy springs and his jeep springs wala 3" lift in the rear, now awaiting shocks, unfortuntatly not so free

For the front "bumper" his neighbor gave him a pushbar off a truck. Well the pushbar had flat stock on each side. He took it apart and marked then drilled the flat stock, wala bumper mounts, he then welded a 2" tube onto the bumper mounts and put light mounts onto the tube, wala a "bumper", next drill the front and mount tow hooks

well also recovered off the waggy was a hitch. We were going to mod the hitch to make it work on the XJ.after building the "frame" of the hitch I kinda scrapped the idea because I figured it would lack strenth but we had the idea to use the fram we built and bolt it to the jeep and bolt tow hooks to it thru the frame and unibody of the jeep, so he bolted the new sub frame to the jeep with two factory bolts and started drilling. drilled two holes on each side leg to mount the hooks, and 4 holes across the center into the factory cross member. This resulted in 10 x 1/2" bolts holding this subframe piece on to the jeep.

Next on the budget build he actually spent a little. He replaced the factory fog lights with a pair of 100W off road lights but keeping in budget tradition reused the smaller lights that were up front as rock lights.

and here are current pix
the front "bumper" how it received it's new name "The Warthog"

the rear tow hooks

sitting next to my XJ ,mine is on 6" lift with 35's

and a bunch on the ramp testing things out

 

[96xjeeper]

and the rest of the pix
This jeeps maiden voyage off road will be next weekend, we are all excited to see how it does

 

[discosteve]

that is freaking awesome! reminds me of my luck when i built my 72 plymouth duster. deals kept falling out of the sky for me. i havent been so lucky with the jeep lol

 

[shortxjdoug]

Thanks for posting this up. These are the types of postings that I enjoy more and more now a days. We have all seen the extreme builds over and over, so it is good to see these budget builds and knowing that the XJ world has another new member that got into the sport for under $500. Keep the pics and updates coming! Subscribed!

Cheeseman-OUT!

i agree 100% makes me remember my first "builds".... more importantly wheeling little jeeps brings me just as much enjoyment or more than it did.... hell when my girlfriend bought her yj, teaching her to drive it open open on 31's was a blast! thats why we are keeping it under 35 inch tires, since we love what we can tackle in the xj but sometimes it good to just go and ride and be challenged by little stuff