So I know its not the ideal rig, but through financial curcumstances I ahve found my self with a 1989 XJ. Currently its sitting on a RE 3.5 or so lift, 32inch mud rover tires, 4.56 gears, and I picked up a rear locker for 100 bucks to put in, slip yoke illiminator, Bad A$$ roof rack.haha. So, lets hear some ideas, what would you guys build with it? I dont have a ton of money but I do have a job now and I'm trying to sell a 1965 T-Bird so that will help fund.

sell it.

HAHA. Thanks. Although that is good advice I'm afraid I cant afford to get anything much better seeing how its only worth $2500 or so. I paid $1000 so I just ahve to rock it for a while till I can get something else. Its the life of a poor college student wanna be rock crawler.haha

Take off those sweet chrome lights up top...



u paid $1000 for it.... omfg

Buy the frame stiffener kit, then just have fun wheelin it... The frame kit is cheap... takes a couple hours to weld in, and is the best thing you can possibly do if you want to wheel a station wagon...

But before that, resize that pic to a decent size so you don't have to scroll sidways to view this thread.

Posted By VERTIGO on 16th Apr 10 at 10:58am

 

Take off those sweet chrome lights up top...



u paid $1000 for it.... omfg

Yes I paid $1000 for it. You may not like XJ's (I'm not a big fan either). But with only 140xxx miles and a new trany and the few upgrades it does have, that was a killer deal and definatly the most capeable 4x4 you'll find for $1000 bucks.

Posted By 1uglyranger on 16th Apr 10 at 2:17pm

 

Buy the frame stiffener kit, then just have fun wheelin it... The frame kit is cheap... takes a couple hours to weld in, and is the best thing you can possibly do if you want to wheel a station wagon...

But before that, resize that pic to a decent size so you don't have to scroll sidways to view this thread.

I've heard of those, but I'm new to the whole inibody thing. Do you know of a particular company that makes one you would recomend? I'll research it and see what I find.

I'm planning on making armor/ fender flares like this for it soon.

Yes definitely do something about the unibody frame. Don't know much about the stiffiner kit but it sounds like it should help. Otherwise wheel the crap out of it and don't sink a bunch of money into it!

I dont know which kit to get. I have helped install two now, and they both looked about the same, and worked about the same. I just googled xj frame stiffiner kit, and got 10 options...pick one....buy a ton of flapper discs for your grinder (cause you have to clean all that crap ass undercoat off the body first, then weld the new pieces on..

Both kits took some "work" to fit properly, but they came out badass...

Dont worry about the gay ass fenders either... just stiffen the frame, and add some rocker protection...you will be fine.

Ya, rought stuff specialties has a kit for $179. Looks like its basicaly just 3/16 steel that boxes the inibody. Some owner before me welded on some rock sliders and they welded 3/16 steel all the way down the outside of the uni-body so I figure I just need to get some more 3/16 and run it on the bottom and then weld it to what already there right?

Cause it looks like the way the stiffener kits go, they cover the botton and the outside edge so the welded on sliders would be in the way so I can just use the 3/16 thats already welded on and add to it to make it stiffer? Does that sound right or am I missing somthing?

I picked up a 90 cherokee for $400. It over heated the entire 2 years I owned it. Then I sold it for $3500 at the seirra college auto fair.... fun donut truck! I even drove it to mexico!

I didn't know xj's cost more than 400 these days

did it smog? if not prepare for pure hell. that old renix engine management is a pita. when they're running good and not overheating it's a great rig.

you'll like it and will have fun with it for the money. don't dump too much into it that's not removable.

get some 33's or 35's on it and don't bother swapping axles. build some long arms for the front. rubi express springs.
get some long rear shacles going.
lock the rear
leave the front open

you'll be surprised where it will go and stay together if you don't get too crazy.

Posted By Sillyneck on 19th Apr 10 at 8:11am

 

I didn't know xj's cost more than 400 these days

did it smog? if not prepare for pure hell. that old renix engine management is a pita. when they're running good and not overheating it's a great rig.

you'll like it and will have fun with it for the money. don't dump too much into it that's not removable.

get some 33's or 35's on it and don't bother swapping axles. build some long arms for the front. rubi express springs.
get some long rear shacles going.
lock the rear
leave the front open

you'll be surprised where it will go and stay together if you don't get too crazy.

Phil I thought you were in Mexico Go drink some beer!!!

well.... I'm old.. I can only lay on a beach and drink so much per day. Had a blast yesterday... almost won a pushup contest for a bucket of beer... damn near puked though.

haha thats great! Cabo. what the hell is that bars name? there is like 2 or 3 of them right next to each other right on the beach right?
Damn phill next time you guys go let us know, amy grandparents live like 15 mins from downtown, well have to plan a trip next year!!!!

Ya, it smoged no problem. I'm going to run some chevy 52's in the rear with some shackles and throw that lock rite in the rear I got for $100 from a friend. Throw some 33's on it and maybe long arm eventualy, thats all I'm going to do to it I think. Then just rock it till it brakes.

If you wanted a yota, then you sure havent been looking all that hard, I have found a few good one over the past month or so. I even think I posted one for you on one of your threads?


Found this the other day, he had it u a few weeks ago for 2k
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/1698576418.html

yea been quite a few deals on CL like that the last couple months for toyotas!

I'm just realy low on cash. $2000 may have beena good deal for thet Yota but its still twice as much as I paid for the xj. As a broke college student I just have to rock what i've got for now.

I might be getting all the arms needed to do long arms, 3-link front and 4-link rear for dirt cheap. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Should flex awesome right? Once I have the arms is it super difficult to make the brackets and get the angles right for everything? Also, would I have to run some kind of track bar in the rear? how does that work?

Posted By OVkid on 21st Apr 10 at 10:45am

 

Ya, it smoged no problem. I'm going to run some chevy 52's in the rear with some shackles and throw that lock rite in the rear I got for $100 from a friend. Throw some 33's on it and maybe long arm eventualy, thats all I'm going to do to it I think. Then just rock it till it brakes.

let me know if you would like to donate your rear springs. i have been looking for a set of those. let me know

Ya, for sure. You can have em' once I upgrade. What are you going to run them on?

i am going to put them in a 92 jeep wrangler. i like to make mut leaf packs for my rides

Posted By kranker on 29th Apr 10 at 11:14am

 

let me know if you would like to donate your rear springs. i have been looking for a set of those. let me know

I've got a set on the sideyard if you pick them up, they are yours;)