xj into an mj conversion question

knucklehead 61

knucklehead 61

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Cottage Grove, Oregon
it's time to build a truggy, so i want to turn my xj into an mj.
i think i found a beater mj cab to cut up.
i know the roof line does not match, so would it be best to cut & splice at the windshield posts? are the door jambs the same for both?
my windshield is cracked so pulling it out is no biggie. i can splice the floor midway through the door sills assuming they line up as well.
 
personally i would wall off the xj cab and build a new rear frame to accept a heavily shortened mj bed, not easy but would be really cool, the cabs dont line up well at all and are completely different
 
here is a link to by crap-tastic blog.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1042976
i want to truggy the rear past the cab fully with tube, no bed.
i already have a good running red xj, 231 doubler & d-300 in it, along with a lot of other mods, so starting over would be costly, although i have been looking for a budget priced mj to build from.
 
so do you want to just backhalf it or do you wanna ditch lots of whats xj and tube buggy it? personally if youve got a nice wheeler for the winter im a buggy fan, and xj is a big pig to get into some tight places when you wanna..... if you decide on a buggy theres a few places i can direct you for ideas
 
One of these days my XJ will be turned into a Cheromanche truggy sort of thing.

Im planning on cutting behind the B pillar (I have a 2 door), welding in a 97+ hatch, and making a bed with the remaining body work. Depending on money I will either cut the stock frame off, and tube it out with a 4 link + coilovers, or keep the stock frame and run my current leaf setup.

I will also be dovetailing it, dovenosing, adding a D60 front, and 14 bolt rear, and hopefully some 40'' MTRs.




And why do it to an XJ? I already have it. Ive already done a lot of modifications to it that I would rather not do again. I like the idea of cutting up a perfectly good XJ and making it into a "MJ". Did I mention I already have the XJ?


Some links for your viewing pleasure.

Timmay did exactly what I want to do, but with a 4 door.
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=664135

I love the look of Ashmans rear bodywork. I will try to see how much I can emulate that.
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139642

Freerider is sort of doing what I want to do, but with more tube, and less body.
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=856928&highlight=comp



I say do it. I hate the amount of body and glass I have behind the seats. I cant get to the rear storage, Im hindered by the amount of sheetmetal, and I want a pickup. I also want it "enclosed" for winter and storage. But Im a cheap, sentimental bastard who doesnt want to get rid of his XJ. I also enjoy making something that shouldnt be, into something that can be.
 
Starboard M said:
One of these days my XJ will be turned into a Cheromanche truggy sort of thing.

Im planning on cutting behind the B pillar (I have a 2 door), welding in a 97+ hatch, and making a bed with the remaining body work. Depending on money I will either cut the stock frame off, and tube it out with a 4 link + coilovers, or keep the stock frame and run my current leaf setup.

I will also be dovetailing it, dovenosing, adding a D60 front, and 14 bolt rear, and hopefully some 40'' MTRs.




And why do it to an XJ? I already have it. Ive already done a lot of modifications to it that I would rather not do again. I like the idea of cutting up a perfectly good XJ and making it into a "MJ". Did I mention I already have the XJ?


Some links for your viewing pleasure.

Timmay did exactly what I want to do, but with a 4 door.
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=664135

I love the look of Ashmans rear bodywork. I will try to see how much I can emulate that.
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139642

Freerider is sort of doing what I want to do, but with more tube, and less body.
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=856928&highlight=comp



I say do it. I hate the amount of body and glass I have behind the seats. I cant get to the rear storage, Im hindered by the amount of sheetmetal, and I want a pickup. I also want it "enclosed" for winter and storage. But Im a cheap, sentimental bastard who doesnt want to get rid of his XJ. I also enjoy making something that shouldnt be, into something that can be.
Click to expand...

and 2 doors have sex appeal
 
Starboard M said:
One of these days my XJ will be turned into a Cheromanche truggy sort of thing.

Im planning on cutting behind the B pillar (I have a 2 door), welding in a 97+ hatch, and making a bed with the remaining body work. Depending on money I will either cut the stock frame off, and tube it out with a 4 link + coilovers, or keep the stock frame and run my current leaf setup.

I will also be dovetailing it, dovenosing, adding a D60 front, and 14 bolt rear, and hopefully some 40'' MTRs.




And why do it to an XJ? I already have it. Ive already done a lot of modifications to it that I would rather not do again. I like the idea of cutting up a perfectly good XJ and making it into a "MJ". Did I mention I already have the XJ?


Some links for your viewing pleasure.

Timmay did exactly what I want to do, but with a 4 door.
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=664135

I love the look of Ashmans rear bodywork. I will try to see how much I can emulate that.
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139642

Freerider is sort of doing what I want to do, but with more tube, and less body.
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=856928&highlight=comp



I say do it. I hate the amount of body and glass I have behind the seats. I cant get to the rear storage, Im hindered by the amount of sheetmetal, and I want a pickup. I also want it "enclosed" for winter and storage. But Im a cheap, sentimental bastard who doesnt want to get rid of his XJ. I also enjoy making something that shouldnt be, into something that can be.
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to turn anyone off from it, but most people I've spoken with completely underestimate the amount of work involved. I saw Bill (RCMan) do his and decided i never wanted to work with sheetmetal that much. Trying to follow in timmay's footsteps would be even more work.

So i bought an MJ and ended up much better off. All I had to do was bob the bed and i end up with frame out back, longer leaves, stretched wheelbase compared to an XJ, etc.

Do it and take pics. I do love those builds, hell I want to copy timmays cage for my MJ.
 
ktm racer 419 said:
and 2 doors have sex appeal
Click to expand...
Werd

MoparManiac said:
I'm not trying to turn anyone off from it, but most people I've spoken with completely underestimate the amount of work involved. I saw Bill (RCMan) do his and decided i never wanted to work with sheetmetal that much. Trying to follow in timmay's footsteps would be even more work.

So i bought an MJ and ended up much better off. All I had to do was bob the bed and i end up with frame out back, longer leaves, stretched wheelbase compared to an XJ, etc.

Do it and take pics. I do love those builds, hell I want to copy timmays cage for my MJ.
Click to expand...
I do agree, most dont understand how much work it is. I see "I wanna chop my top" threads pop up almost every week, and I just laugh at some newb thinking it will take super glue and a couple rivits to make the Cherokee water tight and safe again.


My build wont be for another couple of years. Funds, and living in an apartment are limiting what I can do. But let me tell you, my ideas are awesome!

Tim, Ill post up some pictures I have after work.
 
I dont have as many pics of 4 doors as I thought I did, and most of these pictures require some imagination to get them to work on a XJ, so bear with me.

This is sort of what I have planned, however I would try and keep something in the back (tail lights and tailgate).
wed3.jpg


wed2.jpg


Another good chop
tater2buildup049.jpg


cage2.png


Timmays. Love his cage work and tail gate
IMG00666-20101017-1333.jpg


I believe this is Timmays bed, but I might be wrong
IMG00543-20100923-1102.jpg


Id love to incorporate this rear bumper into a gas tank skid, assuming I reuse the stock unit
rearcorner.jpg


The rear cage on this are awesome. Also a well done 'yota in general. The finished product is amazing
2339356520056933605WCJvHe_fs.jpg


Idea for a tailgate. Im considering chopping down an MJ tailgate, or finding something else
shop50093.jpg


"Roof rack" incorporated into the cage work.
tacoma_roofrack_01.jpg


Ashmans rear body work.
DSCN0118.jpg


DSCN0132.jpg


Finally, idea for bed storage
KOH2010TERI035.jpg


Like I said, not all on XJs, but the ideas can be used. Ill keep looking through my pictures to find more.
 
i think what i am looking for is the look of ashman's rig built from my 4 door heep.
mabey the answer is to keep the back of the cab open & weld the cut off body to the main cage hoop.
 
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