What Would You do?

[MrShaft696]

So right now in the stable I have 3 vehicles, a 98 5.9 ZJ my 96 XJ, and my DD toyota 5lug (w/jeep alloys). The old lady drives the ZJ daily & we may be looking to get a more economical DD for her eventually. I was considering selling my XJ and building up the 5.9. I would keep my axles so I could go right to 4.56, just change some brackets, but I dont know if going over to ZJ would even be monetarily attainable for me. We are pretty tight on cash now, especially since we are getting married in 30 days. I dont want to get rid of the ZJ nor does she, but it has 130k on it now, but runs good & is clean, and i could eat off the undercarrige. My XJ has 140k and my truck has 100K.
My biggest hang up I think is the slush box tranny and the 249 transfer case, premium gas, the 5.9 is bad ass though. Anyone wheeled a ZJ? Think they are too big? Or would I just be messing with the 5.9 because I could? My goals would be modest, 33's or 35's but there is alot more to the suspension I know etc...
Im so poor at the moment I cant renew my naxja until after the wedding.

haha snow

 

[js_customs]

zj's are cool but xjs seem to have more of an aftermarket following, not to mention the fact that they made so many that parts will be abundant for a while. 5.9 zj's are pretty sweet but you could always just sell it (they're worth a decent amount) and keep money for your wedding expenses, etc.

 

[MrSimon]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. What I mean is, if everythig is paid for and running good ... no point in making any changes. I wouldn't build the Grand because you've already put so much time and money into the XJ. Just keep on going with what you have until you are forced to make a decision.

 

[Andy in Pa.]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. What I mean is, if everythig is paid for and running good ... no point in making any changes. I wouldn't build the Grand because you've already put so much time and money into the XJ. Just keep on going with what you have until you are forced to make a decision.

X2... Just keep driving what you have for now, and maybe re-evaluate in another year. Besides, I don't think you could wheel and auto...:confused1

 

[ARB-XJ]

Sell the toyota, DD the XJ until your ready to buy her a new car,then you drive the ZJ (looks beautiful btw). As a trail truck, especially for rocks i think they are just too big IMO

 

[MrShaft696]

Yeah the ZJ is really big & heavy, and it costs 60 bucks or so to fill it up, but its fun to drive on the street.
Haha yes Andy I dont like auto trannys so much, I can only think of a few times a millenium I wish I had one on some hill climbs, but I honestly perfer to tell my vehicles what to do, so slush box is a problem a bit, but I know there are trannys that mate up to the 5.9.

It is really stupid how much money I have put into the XJ with all the custom crap, I know ill never get my money back, Ill probably keep it. I really want to get her one, so she doens't have to DD the Zj, but I am really afraid of the 2000 & 2001 cherokees because of the head problems Ive heard about and the 98 & 99's usually have alot of miles on them.
Ill be red again eventually, we just went and finalized our wedding rings today, so that was quite a ordeal. Its funny how mine costs a buck fifty, and hers is way over a G.....
I cant sell the toyota, I have to drive it for another 100k, its one of the best vehicles I have owned, it has 100k on it and when I change the oil it still is clean as the day I put it in, both jeeps oil is dirty right after I put it in for whatever reason. I just hate the toyota suspension, I really want to lift it and do a pre runner thing, but there are not alot fo companies making the parts on the cheap.

 

[ROBZ95Xj]

you could save a bunch of money by switching your car insurance to gieco

 

[MrShaft696]

you could save a bunch of money by switching your car insurance to gieco

thanks Rob, R. Lee Ermy told me so MAGGGGGGOT!!!!!!!!!!.

 

[imoverit]

Hey dude - I agree with keeping the XJ and selling the ZJ. You have put a lot of time and money into the cherokee and it has served you well to this point, why ruin a good thing! Good luck with the decision I know it is a tough one!!

 

[xjnewbi]

My father in law just got a 99 WJ. As soon as we resolve his computer issues, we are going to lift it and go from there. Since we haven't done much to it yet, I can't say how it does offroad.
I may be faced with a similar decision in the distant future - wife has a 00 WJ 5.9L peppy V8 bone stock (but may agree to a mild 3" lift) and I have a '98 XJ with some money into it (still stock geared and axles though). I believe the ZJ also has coils and disc brakes all four corners with Akebono dual piston calipers so brakes are good and steering is more stout. Then again it has to be due to increased mass of the Grands.
Tough call - but I'm with Mr Simon; keep driving until you're forced to make a decision. Something might break and be too costly to repair and there is your decision made for you.

 

[kastein]

Don't really sweat the miles on the 98s and 99s, what's gonna blow up in one of these rigs? You can fix it with parts from the classifieds for cheap. Same goes for the 00s and 01s except they have more O2 sensors and precats and all that crap that makes parts harder to find.

I would agree with MrSimon as well.

 

[pajeepman]

What I would do is go to the "Hills" and get me some shiny 5.9 hood vents tonight. OK, not really my style, not even kinda. I was wondering where in Blue Bell you lived, I grew up there, my boss lives in your complex, had many freind in there when I was growing up. I'm pretty sure I've seen your XJ around the area.

 

[MrShaft696]

Hey dude - I agree with keeping the XJ and selling the ZJ. You have put a lot of time and money into the cherokee and it has served you well to this point, why ruin a good thing! Good luck with the decision I know it is a tough one!!

Ha it would me making a good thing better, thats usually how a project starts. I know what your saying because my last two projects went that way. I played with street trucks before I played with jeeps. Before I knew it my sonoma had all kinds of suspension parts, shaved body panels, blew up one posi, went to another with deeper gears etc etc. I know that once you start changing it starts to effect everything else. Was fun though. I have no money right now so we probably wont do much with the vehicle in the immediate future.

 

[MrShaft696]

What I would do is go to the "Hills" and get me some shiny 5.9 hood vents tonight. OK, not really my style, not even kinda. I was wondering where in Blue Bell you lived, I grew up there, my boss lives in your complex, had many freind in there when I was growing up. I'm pretty sure I've seen your XJ around the area.

Ahh the paint is peeling on the vents anyway, Hah well if your talking about whitpain hills, thats where I be. You will maybe see my tailights tonight on my way out of town, as we are heading to assateague, so this time tommorow I will be here .........

 

[xjnewbi]

Ahh the paint is peeling on the vents anyway, Hah well if your talking about whitpain hills, thats where I be. You will maybe see my tailights tonight on my way out of town, as we are heading to assateague, so this time tommorow I will be here .........

Love it down there - took my son on his first camping trip out there last summer. We stayed at one of the walk in sites on night and a drive up site the last 2 nights. I preferred the walk in site b/c we literally set camp on the back side of the dune. Nice breeze, kept the rain fly off and watched the stars with the sound of waves all night.

 

[MrShaft696]

Well I just got back, it was super nice down there over the weekend, the misquitos were a menace as usual. The sky was super dark at night, so there were a ton of stars, saw a few shooting things across the sky. It was fun driving in the sand this year, with 4.56 gears I could drive in high or low gear depending on how fast I wanted to go.

Here is a pic on one of the access roads to the back bay from the beach....I bought one of those harbor freight cargo carriers, that goes in the hitch, for putting chairs, firewood and other crap that doesnt fit with the other stuff.

This is my capsite just on the other side of the dunes

My friend cooking lunch on the cargo carrier...

I also got one of those screen huts, to keep pale white people out of the sun

Its a long walk to the dunes if your a chick and you have to pee.

No I am not wearing a white T-shirt that is my skin.

 

[D.I.T.A]

No I am not wearing a white T-shirt that is my skin.

DAMN i thought that was a 75 watt light bulb standing next to your fiancee

 

[CMNCHE]

you could save a bunch of money by switching your car insurance to gieco

Even more and a few headaches by not getting married....