A MJ build.. The story of a dead XJ

[WiscoXJ]

Well I got my first xj a year ago and I loved it. Until this happened..

Yes it is fixable but with the condition of the rest of it it wasn't worth it my friend just so happened to know of a Comanche that needed some TLC. So I went for it. It is a 2wd 4cyl with 122k original miles. Needed a motor and trans so thus my xj comes back into play and lives on slightly.

My xj

The MJ

The engine,trans, and tcase will all be swapped over as well as the front axle.

Hopefully I can get a start at it this come the weekend. I just got the Comanche today

 

[87manche]

holy shit, another MJ with those goofy mirrors!

I thought this blue one was the only one.

Whats the other options look like? I see dummy light cluster.
A/C
cruise?
it's some sort of super wierd option. I'm not even sure if those mirrirs ever made it to cherokees.

 

[WiscoXJ]

I hate the mirrors. I may try to switch them out for the ones on the xj.

Yup dummy light cluster.. I'll by combining the two clusters. I don't want dummy lights. No ac. N cruise. My xj has ac though so that is actually getting added before the engine even goes in.

 

[MoparManiac]

I had those mirrors on my MJ.

 

[WiscoXJ]

I got RE 4.5 coils for the front, just ordered Dodge van front brake lines and the Dakota rear line. Going to the shop this weekend to get a new heater installed and clean up for the swap. Getting pumped!

 

[WiscoXJ]

Well I started working on the gauges today. I wish the odometers were closer.. The MJ is at 122041 and the XJ is at 169701 by whatever it'll run forever either way

Pictar time

I'm going to stick with the column shift so I have some modding to do..

The xj cluster originally had a great bezel but I like the black more so I'm going to drill the whole for the trip reset

My gal gets annoyed with all my jeep things and automotive shenanigans but we did arts and crafts tonight so she was a little more OK with it well she crocheted and I did jeep things

 

[Johnnie Walker]

You could always paint the grey to be black?

 

[WiscoXJ]

Meh, for the two seconds it'll take me to drill a hole isn't worth the fiasco of painting

 

[xcm]

Ive allways just swapped clusters... what a pain having a column shit looks to be...

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Well, in theory that indicator is not really required. I had thought about just using an older GM column with the indicator on the column itself, if I ever had an MJ with a column shift.

 

[DansGreyMj]

You can always do this before you swap in the cluster -

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=76857

 

[WiscoXJ]

I know its not required.. I came from the hotrod scene so I have a thing for originality. I'm guna swap the windings for the fuel gauges so they read correct too. Lots of little things is what makes a build original

PS. If anyone has a lead on a mini council let me know. Them things are a hell of a commodity

 

[ehall]

Lots of little things is what makes a build hard to maintain and impossible to sell

FIFY

 

[WiscoXJ]

I don't plan on getting rid of this thing and maintenance is half the fun.

 

[87manche]

Well, in theory that indicator is not really required. I had thought about just using an older GM column with the indicator on the column itself, if I ever had an MJ with a column shift.

YJ column. Bolts in, has the indicator on the column itself.

PS. If anyone has a lead on a mini council let me know. Them things are a hell of a commodity

I will have one early next month, along with a complete blue MJ interior, bench seat manual mini console. 2WD, so you'll have to find the bezel for the 4wd lever. I would assume it's the same as an XJ full console bezel.

 

[WiscoXJ]

You can always do this before you swap in the cluster -

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=76857

I've though about that.. too much work to do that to a electronic cluster.. Hasta

YJ column. Bolts in, has the indicator on the column itself.



I will have one early next month, along with a complete blue MJ interior, bench seat manual mini console. 2WD, so you'll have to find the bezel for the 4wd lever. I would assume it's the same as an XJ full console bezel.

Ya I like the originality of the in dash one though. its not too hard to fab it in.

Hell ya ill take it!!! I have the bezels from the xj so that's not a problem. how much would you want?

 

[WiscoXJ]

87manche if u have a renix cluster with the little fuel gauge when u get that stuff next month, I'll take that too if the price is right

 

[WiscoXJ]

Pulled an all nighter last night and had so much fun and made so much progress. Found some uh oh areas but got them taken care of and now the rig is ready for all the xj donor parts

The rust we found. First spot was under the battery tray. That ties into the spring perch so I wanted that fixed.

Fixed

Next, of course, was the floor pans. They weren't bad so we just threw some patches on there.

Passenger side

Mostly just surface scale. Beat around with a hammer and cut out the bad stuff

Drivers side

I have to finish up the welds on the drivers side and paint it. Under side of both sides needs to be ground down as well. Going to prime, seal, then bed line the bottom of the cab.

 

[WiscoXJ]

Some other pictures from the night

The front x member had been damaged to so that was pulled and hammered and reinforced. Hence the large c clamp lol

Next week the xj gets the tear down then to the scrap yard with her

And if anyone has a clean red dash let me know.. Mine has sun damage.

 

[WiscoXJ]

Not a whole lot of progress but I got all of the the electrical pulled out of the xj. Next is the heater core and engine