jwittlock
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Woodland Park, Colorado
Hey guys, its been a while since i posted anything, and the few posts I had before come nothing close to this. I Actually took pictures through the process, and waited until the end to unleash it to the public. I didn't take many pictures, due to the fact I did this all by myself, in my fab shop at my house, with no rack, lift, it was my very first swap. (or whatever your nomenclature for the thing that makes you not have to roll around on the ground that you may have)
SO, let the story begin. I was creeping through the local Craigslist ads as I always do. I was honestly looking for a dirt cheap, ugly, nasty, even 2WD, XJ I could find that ran and drove under its own power with a non-renix 4.0. Stumbling through the Birmingham, Huntsville, Atlanta, Nashville, and basically everywhere within 300 miles of me, I wasn't having much luck. All ragged out "southern owned" 4X4 means bury them in mud and water till they quit down here in the "heart of dixie". I had found one, that i told myself I'd pay the 4k to obtain a decent ride, that hasn't been hacked, up by someone with a hammer. Then a couple weeks in, after making trips to drive, and look at probably 10 overpriced ragboxes I struck GOLD. (or green however the words work better.) The ad said, 1999 Jeep Cherokee 4x4- $500.00. It had been posted a few seconds before I clicked. There was no Picture of the rig, but was said to have a blown Pwr Steering Pump, 152k, AW4, power everything, factory tow hitch, a couple dings ect. I instantly called the guy, thinking that he mistyped the $500 for $5000, or $4500, so something worth more than scrap value. I asked him what the asking price was instantly. He said, $500 cash. I asked if it started, and then he informed me of the situation. He was a recent engineering graduate from Auburn University, and ha scored a great paying job. He had just bought a Lexus. (lame) Then he moved into this super fancy town home complex in the area. The jeep had been sitting for almost two months, and he had no time for it, so he wanted to dump it asap. (Turns out the town home assoc. was going to charge him a $500 a day eyesore fine.) I told him I'd be there at noon the next day with my trailer to get it.
The next day I hitched up the trailer to my 6.0 F250 beast of a tow rig. I had still not seen the Jeep yet, i got there right at noon, and saw a gorgeous hunter green 99 xj, without a flaw. There was no way this was the jeep i was going to look at. Sure enough a guy greets me and shows me this jewel, he tells me about the fee they are charging him ect. I handed him 5 hundos. I jumped the jeep off my truck, manhandled the blown power steering pump rig on my trailer under full 4.0, and aw4 power. I was ecstatic. it purred like a kitten, hell it had 3/4 of a tank of gas in it. I had almost stolen this thing. I expected a rustbucket parts/rebuilt title or something. it has never been in a wreck, nor the mud. There is a god!
I swung by autozone on the way home, picked up a new pwr steering pump, and a duralast gold. (just as good as optima imho)
Here is a picture of the beauty after i got her off the trailer.
SO, let the story begin. I was creeping through the local Craigslist ads as I always do. I was honestly looking for a dirt cheap, ugly, nasty, even 2WD, XJ I could find that ran and drove under its own power with a non-renix 4.0. Stumbling through the Birmingham, Huntsville, Atlanta, Nashville, and basically everywhere within 300 miles of me, I wasn't having much luck. All ragged out "southern owned" 4X4 means bury them in mud and water till they quit down here in the "heart of dixie". I had found one, that i told myself I'd pay the 4k to obtain a decent ride, that hasn't been hacked, up by someone with a hammer. Then a couple weeks in, after making trips to drive, and look at probably 10 overpriced ragboxes I struck GOLD. (or green however the words work better.) The ad said, 1999 Jeep Cherokee 4x4- $500.00. It had been posted a few seconds before I clicked. There was no Picture of the rig, but was said to have a blown Pwr Steering Pump, 152k, AW4, power everything, factory tow hitch, a couple dings ect. I instantly called the guy, thinking that he mistyped the $500 for $5000, or $4500, so something worth more than scrap value. I asked him what the asking price was instantly. He said, $500 cash. I asked if it started, and then he informed me of the situation. He was a recent engineering graduate from Auburn University, and ha scored a great paying job. He had just bought a Lexus. (lame) Then he moved into this super fancy town home complex in the area. The jeep had been sitting for almost two months, and he had no time for it, so he wanted to dump it asap. (Turns out the town home assoc. was going to charge him a $500 a day eyesore fine.) I told him I'd be there at noon the next day with my trailer to get it.
The next day I hitched up the trailer to my 6.0 F250 beast of a tow rig. I had still not seen the Jeep yet, i got there right at noon, and saw a gorgeous hunter green 99 xj, without a flaw. There was no way this was the jeep i was going to look at. Sure enough a guy greets me and shows me this jewel, he tells me about the fee they are charging him ect. I handed him 5 hundos. I jumped the jeep off my truck, manhandled the blown power steering pump rig on my trailer under full 4.0, and aw4 power. I was ecstatic. it purred like a kitten, hell it had 3/4 of a tank of gas in it. I had almost stolen this thing. I expected a rustbucket parts/rebuilt title or something. it has never been in a wreck, nor the mud. There is a god!
I swung by autozone on the way home, picked up a new pwr steering pump, and a duralast gold. (just as good as optima imho)
Here is a picture of the beauty after i got her off the trailer.

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