PCO6

I replaced the floors in my XJ and the quality of the repro floors was pretty good. As yxmj said above some massaging was required but it was pretty straight forward. If you just need some small pieces out of an old XJ I can see you doing that but if you're replacing the whole floor I think that would be a bit of work.

Here's my 1988 Eliminator 2WD with 110,000 mi. on it. The tires are 225/75/15 and the suspension is stock. My plans for next summer are to convert it to 4WD, add a small lift (2"?) and put 245/75/16 Duratrac tires on TJ Rubicon wheels on it. I have most of what I need and will be getting it ready over the winter.

I'm working my way through your list too cruiser. I bought an '88 MJ Eliminator this summer. It's in great shape and I haven't found anything that's seriously wrong but your list has sent me to places in the vehicle that I probably wouldn't have got to ... UNTIL SOMETHING WENT WRONG! Thanks for the great, easy to understand tips. I found your link here and your site is now saved in my favourites.

Man, we ain't got nothin on the JK guys.

Thanks. There's a shop close by that can handle that for me. I have other things to do while it's there so my down time shouldn't be too bad.

I just picked the parts up last week and am just getting into this. My MJ is a SWB and I haven't compared the rear shafts yet. I have the original MJ rear shaft of course. Am I looking at having it shortened? I wanted to sort out the transfer case (auto trans) before I deal with the rear shaft. The guy I got the axles from threw the transfer case in for free and I think I'm looking at rebuilding it (I put it into 2WD, 4WD, etc. and nothing happens at either output shaft). (Sorry Tarmac - don't want to high jack but all info is appreciated).

tramac2dirt - This thread has been very helpful. Thanks for posting. I also have a '88 2WD Eliminator that I will be doing essentially the same things too. I picked up a pair of axles and drive shafts from a '93 XJ that I will be rebuilding over the winter so that's covered. I'm currently trying to track down a transfer case. I have a set of 245/75R/16's on TJ Moab wheels and think a 2" lift should be OK. I have no plan to wheel it - basically a DD and camping vehicle. I'll be following your progress and I should have a build thread to post too.

LJ's, like MJ's, even have their own forum. http://www.jeeplj.net/forum.php

The wheel base length isn't shown on my TJ or LJ. My tags are "Daimler-Chrysler Canada Inc." and it may be a bit different in the US.

I've never seen or heard of anything from Daimler-Chrysler that identifies them as an "LJ". Sales brochures of the day listed them as a TJ Unlimited. Both versions also have a Rubicon model, the LJ being more rare ... and expensive!

No, it's strictly "enthusiast contrived" as you say. I have an '03 TJ and an '04 LJ (or more properly an '04 TJ Unlimited). The serial # for both starts with ... 1J4FA. For both Jeeps I have an "Equipment Listing" that I got online and an "Options Report" that I got at the dealership. The LJ Equipment Listing states ... Long Wheel Base (LWB) and the Options Report states Code 595S Long Wheel Base (LWB). There is nothing on the TJ sheets to say that it is "short".

"LJ's" were built form 2004 to 2006 and are technically a TJ Unlimited. I guess because it's a bit of a mouthful they became known as an LJ (long Jeep) but that was never an official name. LJ's have a dedicated following. Some like them, some don't (I do). There is a noticeable difference in length and the added interior storage is great for camping, etc. They are arguably nicer to drive on the highway because of the extended wheel base. Mechanically they are the same except that the LJ has a Dana 44 rear axle with disc brakes. LJ's came with an "Unlimited" sticker on the front fenders. It is the same sticker that was eventually put on the JK Unlimited. Here is a picture of the sticker on mine (only one I have of it is when I replaced the front fenders).

Not exactly "art" but it's my back yard lacrosse net and back stop. Great for practice with the kids ... PLUS ... it hides my Jeep junk yard. The good parts are in the sheds.

That describes my situation perfectly. That plus being retired helps! Lots of time to work on and play with them. That is a GREAT picture. Thanks for sharing it.

I have 4 Jeeps and 3 of them are year round daily drivers. The 4th one is a project and it's the one I worry the most about. The longer they sit the worse they get.

There's a TJ/LJ half cab hard top plus other parts for sale north of where I live. I've seen some nice LJ pick up conversions but I don't think they come close to a Brute ... or an MJ of course! https://www.kijiji.ca/v-auto-body-parts/muskoka/jeep-lj-scrambler-1-2-top-gr8top-wrangler-1-2-doors/1295421198?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

Some guys will drive anything rather than switch to round headlights!

I agree. I used to work next to a Volvo dealership and we got a lot of their overflow business. Very simple engine to work on and a fairly common one for transplants into MG's, Triumphs, etc.

I had a day when 3 guys came to my house for used parts. Two of them were from over 100 mi away. It turned into a small Jeep gathering. The parts I sold almost covered the cost of the XJ I bought. My wife was ... impressed! LOL

Thanks. I know they're out there! I found a perfect donor MJ about 3 weeks ago - also for $300. My brother and I drove 75 mi. to rescue it. It was seized up solid and we could not get it on the trailer. The vendor though he was sitting on a gold mine ($300) and it had to go as a complete unit - no parts taken off. It started to break apart every time we tried to move it. I asked him at least 5 time how long it had been sitting in his field and he wouldn't tell me. If he'd said 5 years I would have guessed 10 easily. It's still sitting there.

Coincidentally I missed out on a complete '90 XJ yesterday that was very close by. it went for $300 and I could have easily driven it home. The body was shot but it had all of the mechanicals that I need to convert my '88 MJ from 2WD to 4WD. I also have a '95 XJ so I could have harvested a lot of parts for both cars. If I have to track down all of the parts I need for the conversion I'm pretty sure I'll be looking at more than $300. I'll find something but it's all of the extra bits that I was looking forward to. It's great to have a stock of small restorable/rebuildable and saleable parts. BTW - my wife has a limited sense of humour about more Jeeps too.

That thing may be lacking in a few details and it may not be to everyone's liking but there is a lot of interesting fab work that was done. I've seen many "Chermanche" projects where a 2 dr. XJ has been chopped and some turned out very nice. Many did not! This guy took quite a different route ... and I like it. It would be a nice project to "take over" but at $15,000 that would be tough.

Another PM sent.

... but it comes with a Haynes manual!!!