The New Jeep Is Here!

just got it officially alligned today. Now it drives much better...lol


It will be a while before this suepnsion sees some action. I have a nsaty vibration I have been trying to diagnose in the rear for a while, and finally got my answer today. I need a new pinion seal in the rear end, and possibly now, new gears....

But this is only phase one....lol.... Once I get some more money to throw at this, I am replacing the bumpers, adding a roof rack and spare tire holder, and a new, fresh set of tires. THEN, it will see some action. I am planning a three day camping/wheeling trip to Rausch Creek this upcomming spring, anyone interested in joining us?

Anyways, thank you for the compliments and comments. This weekend, as the weather improves, I will get some much better, daytime pictures up. And soon, hopefully, at least a small build video...LOL

*Knock*Knock*Knock* Hello! Junior, this is your engine speaking, I'm not feeling any love and I need some! Right NOW!

merlin5577 wrote:

*Knock*Knock*Knock* Hello! Junior, this is your engine speaking, I'm not feeling any love and I need some! Right NOW!

Not even so much as any pictures or even Mods or dress ups under the hood ???

hey jr.. i could put a "small" v8 in there if you needed some extra power.. lol.. i dunno how much wheeling ill be able to do in the red truck but you never know what im gonna pick up next.. i am thinking 2000 grand cherokee right now but who knows.. i have been lookin for one with a blown motor for some time now.. i have a good lead on one, just a matter of going to look at it..

The motor is comming gentleman. There is nothing wrong with it... and the pics of the engine are on the first page of this thread....LOL

Speaking of V8's.... a HEMI?! LMAO

anyways, I still need a few more things to finish off the exterior, then maybe some engine mods, but probably not until spring. It will be done and complete come may however, because that is when i am planning to wheel it, thern in july is the Jeep show.... so....

im sure i could fit this little gem in there.. lol..

what is that? a 360? Full powertrain huh? tranny and tc I see..... hmmmm....... you got me thinking! LMAO

I would need newly built Dana 44's to match! LMAO

yep.. that would be a 360 out of a 98 durango.. its for the big jeep.. it should be sitting pretty inside that jeep by monday or tuesday..

Well it took me plenty long enough! With my schedule, this wwas the best i could do, but the jeep is finally cleaned up and I got some decent daytime pictures...


This is truely my Pride and Joy!

what.... its clean.. you need to go out and get it dirty then take pics.. lmao..

Loooking Goood

Maybe my eyes deceive me Junior, but it looks like she is sitting bull-dog.

If you look at the gap between the front tire and the front fender, it is larger then the gap between the rear tire and rear quarter panel. Is it suppose to be like that?

Yes, and no. See the front wheel well is actually larger then the rear. So factory it "looks" level, but the front is lower by about 1.5"..... the frame is level now, so in a way, yes it is supposed to be like that.

However, visually, it is driving me crazy, so I am sticking with no, because I am having 1.5" blocks installed in the rear to "visually" make it better, even though, by rights, it will be sitting higher in the rear then the front....

No worries man, 'its a Jeep thing' understand?

Here... in these pics it does not matter if it sags! HAHAHA










These were taken at my work in the service parking lot..... no worries, legitimate ones ARE comming, just have not had the time. Ironically though, it was this little bit of flexing that blew out my steering box... HAHAHAHAHAHA.... so once that is fixed next week, and the blocks are in and the new tires are on, I found a guy here in the city who knows a great spot to get some mud on the tires, and some nice flexing shots.... so keep an eye out! LOL

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, nice Jeep, now on to the important part. Whos the chick in the passanger seat?

Ummm... that "chick" is my mother, thank you very much...lol....n we were on our way to get my daughter...lol....


As for important stuff, lol, I got invited to join the NAXJA, (the North American 'XJ' Association), and run my jeep up in the rocktoberfest XJ show this month.... it is up at Rausch creek and I am thinking about going, what do y'all think? I mean should i go, or wait until I have everything done that I want done to my jeep?

Oh, I would hold out. Give them something worth waiting for for. Not that it's not worth waiting for NOW but. If it is capable of being better? then make it something worthy of show casing. Hopefully the invitation will still be good for a few months till the work is finished.

Well, it is not just a show, it is a trail run. And I would like to run it, but I would hate to brake it...lol... which i have a tendancy of doing! LMAO

When is this NAXJA Rocktoberfest? In October I presume.

October 22nd and 23rd. And due to some recent difficulties with this machine, I will not be attending. Fortunately, it keeps breaking near home for now, I cannot afford to destroy it two hours away...lol....


Good news though, only a few more parts and I will be good to go. But sadly, not in time for the event this month, but there is always next month.

I like your optimism Jr. We need more people like you.
What's happening when it keeps breaking down near home?

Well, its a long story. but lets put it this way... by the end of the next week, the entire brake system, and I do mean ENTIRE system, lines and everything, will be brand new. The entire steering system, (pump, resivoir, steering box, lines etc.) will all be brand new. And of course the entire suspension system is brand new. So basically, when i am done this will be a brand new Jeep! LMAO

your forgetting one major thing.. the entire driveline.. lmao. then again i think i have something i could STUFF in there..

well, for now, (knock on wood) the powertrain is in good running order. So, My next major project to tackle will be the axles themselves. I am going to re-gear them, lock them and strengthen them up.

afterwhich, I will move on to semi-performance parts, like a high flow exhaust system, a K&N snorkel intake system etc.

Then it will be armor. Bumpers front and rear, rock sliders and bullet proof skit plateing.

shortly after that will be some of the accessories like a safari style roof rack, moon visor, winch, lighting etc.

Once that is done, I will then move on to the minor body work it needs. Patch a few trouble spots, weld in some bracing for the spring perches and get it ready for paint. I am going to have the under side coated to death with rust proof protection and that black rubberised undercoating, and then I am getting the exterior repainted. I am going to Keep the color scheme I currently have, just more like a refresher.

NOW, ONCE that is done, then, should I wish to continue, I will consider tackleing the powertrain with either a new performance 4.0l, or a 5.9L conversion. But I have no where near decided that yet.


But in short, like I mentioned before, by spring, this will literally be a brand new Jeep.


For those skeptics out there I will immediately say, YES, I am aware that is a lot of money, time and enrgy into a 15 year old vehicle, and I do know it would be cheaper and probably better, to just buy a brand new one. But I think it will be worth it. Once done, I know I will never be able to trade or sell it for anywhere near what I will have into it, BUT then again, I will be able to keep for many, MANY more years to come. And all in all, (since I have already priced all of this out with the exception of a new motor) I will only be into this thing for a grand total of about 7500 bucks in parts anyways. Maybe more if I run into issues, or change my mind on components. I also have not priced out, or considered an interior work, like upolstry, or whatnot, so that will also be a concern as this build progresses. Ultimately, I want it to be done by first week of may, tested up at the ORV park by first week of June, fine tuned by first week of July, and entered into the Jeep show the second weekend in July next year! So keep an eye out for the changes. infact, I may have to start a whole new thread, just for the build....lol.