Jeep Cherokee stuff

[Cobound]

Did a little father daughter project this past week...her XJ needed a new headliner, has for some time now. She loves this thing, really wanted to make it her own, and she picked out a fabric w/ a pattern that is all her - this was not a for resale project

She did all the research, bought all the stuff, sent me videos, and brought it home. I was impressed, she was pretty good at getting this all ready. I watched her videos, and after we were all done and she was driving home I shot her a quick Venmo to cover all the costs and then some...it was her birthday Saturday, so it was an added gift for her also.

Super droop



Tear out





Cleaning it all off was the most time consuming, and messy...this is about 97% clean, I finished up the edges on it and it was spotless when I went to put the material on



Her pattern...



Finished panel...amazingly we got NO wrinkles...went on pretty well, a couple spots by the rear speakers were tough but it all worked out



Shameless hoodie shot and a finished look



Not as bad as i thought it would be, and when I say it was a project we did together, it was 97% me That said, was nice installing it w/ someone to help lay material down w/o sticking and there to hold it up when installing into the ceiling again. That said, I certainly don't look forward to doing it again, and I will eventually need to do one on my son's XJ, but that won't be for a while.

Removing all the trim was cake and the hardest part of it all was putting the visors back in the right place, aligning the screws...but, again, I was surprised at how well it went and NOT difficult it was. But that damn cleaning the old glue off, ugh, that blows!

Next up, she wants a small lift...has always liked them a bit taller but I was super hesitant, I've done so many XJ lifts I didn't want any of the headaches...and the thing is a tad crusty underneath. Well, long story short...I grabbed a budget boost for it and will be giving that to her for Xmas...front coil spacers and rear shackles I bought online for $80...her tires are already big enough to look good w/ just a small height addition...and should be a pretty easy install, considering.

She'll be stoked.

[xj_man_646]

That is awesome. Followed it on FB. What is the deal with the pattern? Is there a meaning there? Totally unaware .

[Cobound]

OK, so more Cherokee stuff...I did a thing last week. I had been looking at vehicles for a few months now and really wanted to buy something for my son to drive and get familiar w/ as his daily driver, possibly take a test in it...but mostly be ready to pull the trigger if the right vehicle presented itself rather than waiting until he gets his license and then needing one.

I looked at Subaru, Toyota, Honda and lots of Jeeps...you name it, all sorts of vehicles, wanted to get a feel for what was out there and what the value was for them all. Only stipulation was it had to have 4WD or AWD...holy balls are prices all over the place and miles are insanely high these days!!

I'm talking 20+ year old Tacomas for $10k w/ 200k+ on them, all the others the same...ugh! Well, my nostalgia got the best of me, and after test driving all the above mentioned and then some, looking at Grand Cherokees, a ton of rusty clapped out XJs, even considered flying out to CO to buy something and drive it home...I finally found a unicorn!!!

Newest addition to the fleet - 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport

121k
3" lift w/ 31s
SUPER CLEAN!!! Runs great, drives better than I remember mine ever driving!

It has had some rocker work done w/ some repaint but the underbody is absolutely rust free, just some old dried dirt is all that shows.

I'm really thinking about having it cleaned and an undercoat applied...a good black covering to keep the salt at bay!!! The winch on front is on a custom made bracket - guy took a Drawtite front hitch setup and made the plates and brush guard himself, actually done very well...but anyone that knows XJs knows they need to be reinforced.....I think I'd trust it w/ a straight pull, but not an angle...either way, he used the hitch to move boats around a shop and I'm going to remove it, install a factory, or decent aftermarket bumper to avoid the added weight....he doesn't need a damn winch to tempt him into getting stuck and ffffuking it up

Only other plans are to install some lower WJ control arms on it to keep the tires from rubbing on full turn (thanks for that tip, Sam - will be doing the same to my daughter's). Also, needs a clockspring...no worries there.

[Cobound]

Originally Posted by xj_man_646

That is awesome. Followed it on FB. What is the deal with the pattern? Is there a meaning there? Totally unaware .

Thanks.

Meaning, no...she's kind of a little hippy girl, so this was somewhat a sky pattern for her ceiling...she saw it a few months ago and really liked it, so she got it.

[Hoofmann]

Far out!

Nice XJ! It has less miles than my crawler!

[Dennis]

Full on Jeep Family! Love it!

[Jeepin Jason]

The white XJ looks awesome (except the spray painted wheels...), congrats!

[Cobound]

Originally Posted by Hoofmann

Far out!

Nice XJ! It has less miles than my crawler!

Ha, yeah...super low miles. Honestly, can't believe I found it, in MN no less!!

Originally Posted by Dennis

Full on Jeep Family! Love it!

Yep, have been for some time now, since I traded the Ram at least, haven't owned anything but a Jeep.

Originally Posted by Jeepin Jason

The white XJ looks awesome (except the spray painted wheels...), congrats!

Yeah, as much as I'd like a set similar to Grace's, I'm in no hurry....I can stomach the blackies for a bit...like always, keep my eyes peeled for the right set to pop up.

These did changed the look of her XJ a lot, and I got a great deal on them, they're out there.



Sadly, this XJ is slowly starting to go...the rust will take over before it can be stopped

[xj_man_646]

That is a nice find. I've thought about DD'ing one again for awhile now but they're not easy to find in decent shape as you are well aware.

Did you find this on FB marketplace? Since CL started charging to list vehicles, I haven't really been browsing there much. Maybe I should though...seems FB market is flooded with BS ads more often than I find what I'm looking for.

[Cobound]

I think CL scams are easy to find, and since they started charging the listings have reduced, both - scam and real, since it eliminates those that are not good sellers from listing randomly just to see if they can sell their stuff willy nilly, they won't spend the $5...I won't use it to sell a vehicle, it just breeds tire kickers and phishing folks.

I'd honestly DD one of these again, especially one this clean. I'd probably make some changes to it to fit me more, but overall even stock and rusty I do still like them. Wish I had the space, I'd probably own another one that I wouldn't care if it was rusty a bit, just a cool ride! Have a few neighbors that used to have them years ago and always tell me about them, what it reminds them of, and how they wish they still made them!

FB Marketplace is beginning to bring the phishing to a new level...so many scams, fake prices, false dealers, etc....you really have to watch what you're doing there now, too.

Funny enough, I found this on CL, and it was marked so high I think he scared people from even contacting him

I reached out, worked w/ him, went back and forth in person, on the phone...took a week away from it, circled back - was a recent HS grad that was taking a year off before going to college and his family was leaving for FL for a month or two this weekend, his dad actually owned it, had a small lien on it, so he was part of the process from minute one. It was a good experience for his kid, for sure...I appreciate his negotiation and knowledge of the vehicle he had...although I think he was a bit naïve to some degree...he was a good kid.

Let's just say I paid more than my original budget and more than what I wanted to spend, but less than the vehicle is likely worth, especially if I were to clean it up just a tad more and toss on some better wheels, I could flip it and make a few buck...but I'm hoping to keep this one and let my son keep it.

As far as considering getting it undercoated, we'll see how I feel about spending that money in the coming weeks...really days, cuz I should pull the trigger if I'm going to do it.

[xj_man_646]

www.rustcoaters.com will be my go to as long as that guy is alive. Its expensive, but worth it if the vehicle will see salt. He is booking into 2022 last I talked to him though

(don't judge the quality of the work by his website )

[Cobound]

Yeah, if I had done that years ago maybe...but at this point I'm not sure that intrusive work is going to work?

[freerider15]

Nice work and nice find, clean and good looking!

While I enjoy my '01 XJ that's mildly lifted, there are times I think a WJ would have been better overall (no I'm not selling it )...more room, more power, mo' comfy

I've taken the XJ out to wheel for one trip, and that's been it. I've got the buggy that gets out, so this one sits more. As my kid gets a little older, that may change and we three can go out (likely haul it on the crawler hauler with the truck though )

[Cobound]

While I agree, a WJ is so much more comfy, more optioned, there is just something about an XJ.

Oh, and yeah...I call dibs on being the first call/text you make if you wanna sell it

Of course, I drive a JT or JKUR and my kids are the ones in the XJs, so...

[nblehm]

Used to hate but now I love xjs. Ours is getting up there 240k on it. I have one I am pulling the motor on right now. Probably sell it though, fund some of the waggy project. My wifes dd 97 is going to need some work here soon. Thought about selling both I have now and getting a nicer lower mileage xj.

I will say though, love stock xjs. Would never own a lifted one over maybe a budget boost.

Also wouldnt own a grand cherokee. Never been a fan.

[6DoF]

jealous! i still have a super soft spot for XJs ... i want one in my life again

the 3" and 31s really is a great setup, and i can't hate on the grill guard either. i just hate that most new drivers end up crashing their first ride ... stay safe little XJ!

[Cobound]

Yeah, I have a bigger soft spot for XJs than TJs...mostly cuz I'm all about the room, gear space and added hauling ability. They both hold their perspective values quite well, also.

I'm w/ you, 3" and 31s is ideal, and I'm REALLY hoping he doesn't destroy this one
As much as I feel like taking the winch/brushguard off, I may just leave it cuz I'm lazy

That said, my daughter's first vehicle was an '01 XJ, low miles, relatively clean by MN standards and she hit a parked car week one, and several months later her front tire came off in a roundabout and caused some damage (luckily she was going slow)...was all good tho, I got an insurance check, fixed all the damage myself and it basically became a free vehicle

Holy hell have prices skyrocketed since then tho!!!! I was going to buy him a bit of a rusty one, but man, they weren't much cheaper and having that shyt in my driveway just didn't seem right, and once they rot they just keep getting worse, and spending money on a rotting vehicle isn't in my DNA.

I'm sad seeing my daughter's XJ start to go...it's yellow so it really shows...and I don't know that it's worth fixing cuz it's almost where you ask yourself, where do you start It'll go a long time tho, so at least she has something to get her from A to B while in college, she can buy herself something nicer when she's done, the natural progression of adulting


This was her first '01...few more options than the current two we own, and I wish I had those wheels for the white one...but it had 170k on it, was starting to nickel and dime and I came across a great deal on a TJ I couldn't pass up so we sold it...she got to drive a TJ for a year - that was a small debacle, but a good lesson for all of us!! Truth be told, I actually MADE more money on that blue one than I spent