RockMJ

Looking back at those pictures made me get all nostalgic. I won best of show at the Jeff Daniel's Jeep Show 2009 with that 5.9. Ahh, memories! RockMJ

Its a good possibility! She was for sale outside of Orlando and listed on Craigslist about a year ago. I am glad you didnt go look at her because I would be without an MJ haha! I saw a picture of your two Jeeps together. I did not realize you have a 9'er as well! I regret ever selling mine and here is the reason why... She was one hell of an amazing Jeep and it still kills me today that I let her go. You live and you learn right? On an MJ related note, I will be ordering up a host of parts soon and I will be picking up my set of Moab's this Friday. Slow forward progress but progress none the less. More to follow. RockMJ

Incommando, I agree with you. My wife and I had a KJ and it was a superior vehicle in every aspect over my stock XJ. Wheeling it in stock form was an absolute blast and we have been out with mildly modified ones like you mentioned and were amazed at how capable they are. I have an immense amount of respect for the Liberty and what it can and has done. It never left us stranded and got us home in every blizzard or hazardous condition we experienced. But I am also very open minded when it comes to Jeeps and cars in general and I have found myself pleasantly surprised on a few occasions. And what you went in depth with is what I have been saying. The heritage in these new Jeeps is still there and alive and well even if its in a form we do not recognize right away. The quality and fit and finish on the new Jeeps are far superior to anything we have had in the past, and I'm surprised more people arent jumping for joy over this. I don't know, I guess call me a fool or what have you, but I really like what Jeep is doing and what they are trying to accomplish. Lots of good debates going on in here! I really like it. RockMJ

I had read that the Bosch one was not a direct replacement and had issues with the connections or something similar? I cannot seem to find the thread regarding it, but I had read that from a few sources. My fuel pump is so loud you can hear it in the cab so my best guess is its on its last legs. Hoping someone has some information about what fits and what doesnt, but if the Bosch works I would certainly do that one! And not a problem tagging along man, we are all here to gain knowledge. Thanks for the avatar compliments as well! RockMJ

This is all good to know. I was planning on ordering the NOS brake booster from Team Cherokee for the 95/96 XJ. Drahcir has done this mod on several of his Jeeps and I have yet to attempt it. I hear a lot of horror stories about grinding too much off the arm for the brake light switch. Should hopefully be ordering up the NOS unit soon and getting the brakes done. It is one of my top priorities right now because my Jeep does not stop, even with a new single diaphragm booster. Thanks for all the helpful posts. RockMJ

Hey everyone, I am going to be replacing my fuel pump in the coming weeks to hopefully start driving the MJ. My current one is no doubt OEM and its as loud as a jet engine. Before it dies on me I just want to replace it for peace of mind. With that said, I know that some fit and some do not so I am hoping someone can link me to a fuel pump kit that includes the necessary seals for the MJ. The Jeep is a 90 4.0. Looking on Advance Auto and AutoZone's websites were not helpful as they list a bunch of different ones that customer reviews label as "does not fit" yet the site says "exact fit." Thanks a ton in advance and this makes me one step closer to driving her. Not to mention the fuel pump is so loud with the Leer cap on the back you cannot hear yourself think. Thanks! RockMJ

I have seen people use Wrangler bumpers in the past and if you care about looks, go the other way. Nothing is going to fit the body lines of the XJ/MJ like a bumper designed specifically for them. Gaps all over the place and either too wide or too narrow and depending, a ton of overhang. Personally, its a waste of time and money and it will most certainly look terrible. Hope that helps. RockMJ

Never put two and two together but that would be very cool. If I can find the time soon I might try. Not sure what I would do for the wheels though, any ideas? Or use the hole saw pucks from the game tables? Great work btw, I liked the FB page. Could definitely use some stuff for the future home. RockMJ

I would like to. I have been trying to get out to the event for the past three years and something always comes up. Would be great to roll in there as a group. Maybe we could choose a meeting point and run up there together. I will ask my small group of friends and put the feelers out there to see who's interested. RockMJ

Well get after it! Those ditches arent going to come to you lol. The Cherokee Trailhawk is actually rather nice in person. The base and Limited models are hideous. They put a lot of time and effort into the Trailhawk and the fit and finish is top notch. Still not a fan of the front end but I have learned to hate it less. RockMJ

I have personally never understood this. Its a David vs. Goliath mentality that gets people killed. When I am in my candy white GTI people do not generally pull out in front of me. As a matter of fact, I cannot really think of one instance where it has happened and I slammed on the brakes. Tailgating is another thing entirely. When I was driving my 88 orange MJ I found that people generally stayed away from me. I don't know if its because of what you all have said. Its old, it looks unsafe, keep your distance, or what. I have yet to drive my 90 on the street but I am hoping for more of the same. People keeping their distance because I am an overly cautious driver. I keep my distance all the time counting to 3-4 seconds so I have adequate time to stop, signaling constantly when I make a move, and looking both ways, twice. In Florida if I am driving with other people I have found that it seems to be a matter of whats mentioned above. Basically "I am moving over into your lane and too bad." Its a damn shame that is how it is and drivers in Florida have scared me to the point of having a dash cam running every trip out in the car. Scary, scary stuff on these roads. RockMJ

I hope they sell so many of them the ditches are overflowing with them LOL. RockMJ

I couldn't agree more, but to keep the name going they also have no choice but to change and adapt to what sells in today's market and if that means that they need to sell small Fiat knock offs with the Jeep badge on, then so be it. I'd rather see the name continue and let the engineers dream and play once in a while to create some awesome rigs!... even if it is to tease us with fabled "potential future developments". Ben gets it! Yes, it is a cute-ute but people are missing the bigger picture. If Jeep were to produce what we all are asking for they would alienate themselves from sales and in turn seal their own fate. Way back when 4x4's were the hot ticket and every company was scrambling to produce a competitor for the Jeep. In recent years its slowly turned away from this mentality and auto manufacturers were starting to pull back from the 4x4 craze. Vehicles started getting smaller and more fuel efficient at the cost of off-road capability, but it is what the population was leaning towards. Like I said earlier, Jeep is not a high end exotic car manufacturer that can survive on a dozen, couple million dollar cars annually. They need to stay competitive with every other manufacturer that is doing the same. The thing everyone should be damn happy about is that Jeep is coming into territory it has never been in before and thoroughly dominating. Dominating a segment means sales and sales mean Jeep engineers might have the time and money to play like Ben mentioned. Lets face it, if Jeep kept making the XJ as it was the brand would have died out. People are fickle and never satisfied so auto manufacturers have to pour tons of gadgets and features into cars to keep people interested. Years ago when the JK was first released I hated it, still mostly do. The reason for my hatred was from what most of you are expressing. The new-age Jeep yuppies and the in pouring of them into the scene. It took me a while to realize that those yuppies actually saved the brand with buying all of those Wranglers. Hell, I met a guy about a week ago that had your typical JK owner mentality "...it can go on the beach because its 4x4 and the top comes off. Thats all I want it for." These types are a thorn in the side of us diehard Jeep fans but sadly for us, they are what saved Jeep. It was not all that long ago that Jeep rolled off its one millionth JK Wrangler. That is a pretty staggering statistic when given the relatively short production run they have had. I will never accept a guy rolling in the 2014 JK lifted to the sky sitting on 37's and 24's, but I really have no room to talk. I have not purchased a new Jeep ever and my investment in the company and the brand is non-existent. I have yet to purchase my first new, zero mile, Jeep (read new "Jeep pickup"), but with that said my opinion whether I love the new stuff or hate it is irrelevant. They are not catering to me or people like me because our interests do not translate to sales. Jeep will hone in on a segment, produce a ride that dominates it, get a whole gaggle of new Jeep owners and profits will skyrocket. This is not a bad thing. Read again, this...is...not...a...bad...thing lol. I just hope that Jeep does so incredibly well with sales that they finally have the time to engineer and design the Jeeps we always wanted. Basically guys, nobody is asking you to go out and buy one but at least be happy that the company is doing well enough to do these things. Hopefully they make more rides that dominate segments they have never been in. The more the merrier. I am just glad I am not the only one who sees it. RockMJ

Over the weekend I tracked down the latches I will be using when designing the drawer and storage system in the bed of the MJ. Took me a good while to track down ones I was happy with and locking for that matter. These things are really nice and are called marine grade slam latches if anyone is curious! Found two options so I will have to order up one of each and see which fits the overall flow better. Option #1 Option #2 Both are basically the same design and concept but quality and durability are important to me here. These being flush mounted will allow for a nice smooth surface to sleep on. The idea in my head is slowly transitioning into reality. And I mean, really, really slowly. Still progress I suppose. And on a similar note, I found the brake pedal rubber pad I ordered to replace my worn out one. Ill have to install that tomorrow when I am up at the Jeep. RockMJ

Looking good man! That blue interior is probably my favorite that came in the MJ's. One of these years we really need to get a FL MJ meeting going. RockMJ

Off topic, but what are the specs on the tires/suspension height on that? Looks really good. On topic, the most I spent on an MJ was $1400 and that was for a completely rust free, low mileage 2WD Pioneer. When I bought it the Jeep had barely 103K miles and zero rust anywhere on it. My current MJ is certainly rougher but is more mechanically sound that my previous one and I only paid $1050 for it. For that type of money you should be getting a near perfect example of a pristine MJ. Although, I would pay that money for a late model 92 Comanche, even in rough shape! RockMJ

:rolleyes: RockMJ

The 1.4L turbo engine and 6 speed that is in the Dodge Dart is pretty damn efficient and fun too. Global sales for the first year are estimated at around 1 million units. Whether that figure it true or not, time will tell. The size of the Renegade is aimed at a global market mainly in countries where tiny vehicles are the norm. Think South Africa, Asia, etc. I do wish they would release it here with a diesel option but the 1.4L is a nice option. If you want more power the 2.4L n/a motor and 9-speed are available. I think it will be a big time win for Jeep. Hell, if its efficient and reasonably priced I might consider it. I think people are a bit too closed minded when it comes to these new models especially when they don't take into consideration the bigger picture and where these pieces of the puzzle fit in. RockMJ

Really, in all seriousness, even if Jeep made a niche vehicle to appease you and everyone like you, would you even open your wallet to purchase it? Chances are probably not and It makes no sense from a business standpoint to manufacturer inexpensive/expensive niche market vehicles when you are trying for a global profit share. People do not seem to realize that CAFE standards are based on the ENTIRE carbon footprint of a manufacturer, not an individual model. With that being said, by them producing an efficient, low emissions, high mpg vehicle it is in fact saving the Wrangler. If things kept going the way they were the Wrangler would end up with independent suspension, a unibody, and a smaller engine for a more efficient drivetrain with increased weight reduction. So everyone who is on about the smaller Jeep's just keep in mind it is very well saving the "true" Jeep(s) from the government chopping block. Just my .02. RockMJ

Kill me for saying it, but I like it. I was having a debate with a friend of mine about this Jeep just this morning. I am all for Jeep creating vehicles that dominate every segment in sales, refinement, and overall quality. And yes, that includes cars. I agree with the AWD WRX chaser. That would be pretty damn impressive. I think people get hung up on the classic Jeep and what once was. Unfortunately for all of us, government standards and regulations are fueling most of these changes. I commend the people at Jeep for doing something different and pushing the boundaries. Yes, it is most certainly hard to take in all at once but I like it better than the new Cherokee. With a size comparable to the YJ and something like 16 different drivetrain configurations its pretty adaptable. On Jeep's website there are a few images that look better than the Anvil painted Trailhawk (horrible color btw). I really think its going to be a success and if it offers impressive mpg's and is 4x4 (even if its not a traditional 4x4 system) I'm all in. I think the thing people tend to forget is that the p215 tires this is coming with are the same size as what XJ's and YJ's were offered with way back when. I think in stock form it would hold its own against those two rigs. Obviously mod wise there is no possible way to argue which is better as I doubt many manufacturers are going to offer parts for these. But they might, who knows. Maybe with a small lift kit and some 31's it would look more proportionate? Like I said, I am all for the new direction Jeep is going and the boundaries they are pushing. Truth be told, if they catered to us diehard Jeep fans and gave us what we have been asking for most of us would not open our wallets and buy it. Its a smart move on Jeep's part and I hope it does well. If the company does well we might very well get that new Jeep pickup we have been asking for. Think of the bigger picture! Oh, and a price tag of 15-20K new is something to consider as well. RockMJ

Hey man, thank you but she is far from being where I am happy with her haha. I have looked at several vendors over time and they seem to carry them then not carry them. At any rate, I got them from Quadratec and I have included the links here -> (DS / PS). So I stayed true to my word and am sorry I did. The moon roof restore turned out to be an absolute nightmare not because the job was difficult, but everything seemed to fight me tooth and nail. Seemed like it was just one of those damn days where you cannot win no matter what. Anyways, the job entailed getting the moon roof out and stripping it off all the urethane, household caulk, dirt and grime, old seal, and flaking powder coating. Lesson learned, when you are in a pinch and do not have a professional grade caulk gun do NOT purchase one from Advance Auto. I was in a hurry and did not want to go back home to get my good one and I paid the price big time. Two minutes into using the Advance one the handle bends in half rendering it useless. I love throwing money away. Yippee! Because of this I had to apply the urethane with a flat head screw driver and smooth it in with my finger. Not the way you want to do things. Onto the details... Started the day with popping the old moon roof out. Glad I never drove the Jeep because it was barely in there and I was able to remove it with almost zero effort. Removing all of the old, dried up urethane was relatively easy but the fun started when trying to get all of the household silicone caulk off. I wished I kept the PO phone number so I could ask him what he was smoking the day he decided to do that and if he had any left lol. The glass, moon roof frame, and roof were coated in caulk that refused to let go. The stuff was on there and on there good. I managed to get most of it off the roof and all of it off the frame and glass. Thank God! They had laid the stuff on so thick I had to cut the glass away from the frame and pick the seal out piece by piece. Once all of that was done I got down to stripping the frame for paint. Most of the powder coating flaked off with a single pass of the stripper blade but some sections I had to hit heavily to get it off. To this point I was into the project about 3.5 hours and I was finally at the point I could start disassembling the hardware from the glass and frame and start prepping for paint. The underside of the glass had some ancient purple tint on the glass that I also took off and cleaned the glass up. That old tint glue is a royal pita to get off let me tell you! I was able to get the hinge brackets off the glass but the handle portions would not come off so I had to paint the pieces still attached. Had a bit of a tough time trying to figure out how the seal went into the frame, but I finally figured it out. The old seal was of no help so I had nothing to reference but it went in easily. Stuck a bead of urethane around the frame to hold the seal in place then hit the bottom of the frame. Really sucked scooping the urethane out with a flathead and applying it and smoothing it with your finger. I hope I put enough on the frame to seal it to the roof but time will tell. All in all, its a big improvement over what was there and for it costing me around $65.00 in parts and an afternoon of work, I consider it a success. Onto the pictures! What I started with... Cleaned these up so they would seal up nice and tight! I still need to clean the old stuff off the roof but I was running out of time to get everything done. Next time! Pretty happy with the results! I think you can probably tell that by all of the pictures lol. More to follow. RockMJ

Checked the mailbox earlier and I received the CRLaurence 15x30 seal for the moon roof. Tomorrow I will work on getting the old one out, cleaned up, resealed and back in! Going to take a lot of energy to get all of the silicone off that the PO slathered on everything. Hopefully all goes well and after tomorrow I have a working moon roof! Pictures to follow RockMJ

Small update on the MJ. In the next few weeks I should be picking up my set of (5) Moab wheels as well as ordering the ARB Snorkel kit, master polyurethane bushing kit, BB, trac-bar, and a few other things. Main focus right now is to get the interior finished off which includes the headliner material and speakers so I can put everything back together. This coming weekend I will be cleaning her up a bit more with some fresh paint on a few items. Should be driving her in the next month or two! RockMJ

Hey Buck! All is well my friend! Yeah, I have owned this gem for almost a year now but due to finances and moving I have not been able to do much work on it. I kid you not when I got the Jeep the entire interior was coated in a thick coating of ash. The seats were literally black from all the ash and tar. Because of the PO's smoking habits the drivers side bottom fabric was burned beyond repair and the base was broken so we sourced a new one. Thank God for that. Most every piece of plastic in the interior has a cigarette burn in it somewhere so I will slowly be swapping all of them out for non burned pieces. One thing I am grateful for is that he never rested a cigarette on the dash pad and its still in perfect shape. Soft to the touch as well. I hear ya on the smoke my friend. It sucks and I did not really realize how bad it was until having it closed up for a week then coming back to it. The Florida sun really brought out the stench! He also had a Husky or similar dog because the passenger side was coated in a heavy coating of dog hair as well. The cigarette smoke and combination of wet dog stink made for an interesting plethora of nauseating smells thats for sure. I think in total, I have probably 10-12 hours worth of cleaning I did of the stripped interior alone. This does not include the cleaning of the plastics, seats, etc. That 10-12 hours is just getting all of the dog hair, ash, and dirt out of the nooks and crannies the best I could. Still has a bit of an odor but nothing like it did. Its tolerable now. We definitely need to get together one of these weekends and do some chatting and possibly some Jeep wrenching. Drahcir told me you and him had spoken not too long ago as well. Great hearing from you my friend! Hope to see you and your MJ soon! RockMJ

Looking good man. Glad you got her back together. Looking at those pictures makes me glad I got out of the NY winters years ago. Is that block cast or aluminum? I have been on the hunt for a good donor for mine as well. RockMJ