xjtrailrider

So the old RENIX motor dropped #2 rod last week. The newer 98 long block is in.

New engine is going in soon! I picked up a low mileage 98 long block to replace the ailing RENIX. Stay tuned!

I just found a 98 with 130k on it less than an hour from the house! Thanks everyone for looking out for me!

CT is a long ways from me LOL! I have never been that far north to be honest. I got to DC one time and turned around SMH! Mapquest says 10hrs just to the southern CT state line. Thanks for looking out for me though! Keep them comming guys, someone is bound to have a solid running 4.0 sitting around

La is a bit far for me! I'm in Roanoke VA

My son's 89 MJ is on its last legs and I need a new engine. Cheap or free and running. I will pull it if I have a solid surface to work on. PM me here or just reply, I will be checking in more often.

Thanks! It was a labor of love. My dad bought it new in 90. He drove it until he died in 2003. It was in rough shape mechanically. My step-mother sold it before I could get to it. I found it 3 years later at the back of a vacant lot with a dead engine(the head was laying in the back of the Jeep) and a homeless guy was living in it. I tracked down the owner with help from a local detective and bought the XJ home for $475. I have a little over 5k in it doing all of the work myself except spraying the paint and machining the block.

I saw you when you passed through Roanoke but I was in my XJ. Nice MJ! There are a few around but most need a lot of work Really? I saw alot of XJs, some really nice and a couple built up. I was hauling my ax15 home for that drive from fisherville. You probably saw the little shifter stick popping up from my tailgate, haha. Yep, a camo painted MJ sticks out around here! My son is going to camo his soon I was in my resto-modded 1990 "Laredo" XJ, pic below;

I saw you when you passed through Roanoke but I was in my XJ. Nice MJ! There are a few around but most need a lot of work

I stopped and looked at this today and no offense to anyone on here that may own it but its not worth $11,500! It is a solid $6000 truck. Everything is leaking, engine, pukegoat, NP231 all need new seals and gaskets! It has the D-44 It is a clean, freshly painted truck with a factory fresh interior. I did not start it or drive it. http://roanoke.craigslist.org/cto/3781027257.html

All painted up and mounted. The fit was perfect.

I saw you rolling north on 419 at Tanglewood Mall last Friday. Nice truck! If your on here, we need to meet up so I can check your rig out. I have not seen another MJ built that much in Roanoke.

How'd that go? Works perfect! We have remote starts(Viper) on all 4 of the XJ's and the MJ. Its all in the install and Drew knows his stuff! Thank You!

I built the head-ache rack/canoe/kayak/ladder rack for the MJ today. My son is an avid kayak fisherman and a 13' yak will not fit in a 7" bed very well! I made it out of steel and pipe, all bought at Lowes by my son for less than $100. I had the expanded steel laying around but the rest was all purchased. He is going to paint it tomorrow and I will mount it on Sunday. Note: Comanche beds are not the same width front to back! The front of the bed is wider than the rear by 1"(glad I measured)

Wow! Time for an update! My son has driven the truck trouble free for 5 months now. We still haven't gotten it painted or even completely primed yet. The only things I have done to since putting it on the road is to lock the disconnect axle by shimming the fork over and a couple of oil changes. He is an avid kayak fisherman so I'm fabbing some custom kayak/canoe racks for it. I will post pics when done.

No hood New hood. This is a aftermarket hood that I picked up for $20 in Mt Airy NC. Ron filled in a couple of low spots and I primed with some Omni high build primer We had to get a new windshield as well. The one we had installed leaked badly so the windshield place put another one on and we used a gasket in place of the tin trim that came from the factory

The "new to us" hood is primed and ready to fit to the truck!

Yes, I made a fixture or "jig" to drill out the rims to accept the Jeep caps. i despise the Crager center caps. I'm working on some different caps for the Turbine rims as well. i love the Turbines but hate the dated stock caps. I found some wrangler caps that will look good on the Turbines its just going to take some machine work to make them work right. I just hope they come in the 5 on 4.5 pattern. the ones shown are 5 on 5 Picture these caps on the Turbine wheels;

Remote start installed tonight! Thanks Drew! (trailreadyMJ)

FEY makes a nice step bumper for the MJ and its relatively cheap/fits good(I drilled 2 holes?). I think I payed $120 shipped

Jon Hammes Roanoke VA(Lived for a short while in Nashville TN) Diesel Mechanic by trade and a 1985 NADC grad, I rebuild locomotive components for Graham-White in Salem VA We(my son) has a 89 MJ SWB/4.0/AW4/NP231. Just brought it back from the dead! it was rolled for the second time last winter I'm a Jeepaholic! I have; 09 Hemi Commander, 08 JK Sahara, 90 XJ Laredo(restored), 96 XJ Trail rig(too much to list), 00 XJ Classic, 94 XJ Country

Thanks! It drives really good for a Jeep that last ran for 5 minutes upside down! The old 4.0 with 170k on it is still pulling 30psi oil pressure at idle and 45 off idle. I simply topped off all of the fluids, changed the oil/filter and bled the brakes, that was it mechanically. Everything else was all body work.

Its street legal now! He just has to save money for paint. I had my buddy at Brambleton Auto Repair pick it over real good since the last time it ran, it was upside down in a creek! He said he even sniffed the tail-pipe and its running clean(even though we do not have emissions inspection here) The old RENIX system is doing its job!

The truck is ready to drive! I will take it Friday am to get the VA state safety inspection done and he can drive while saving money for a paint job, Pics tomorrow when its daylight.

I burnt some midnight oil tonight! The front end is together, all the lights are in it, the rear bumper is on and I got the flares on after I shot the pics.