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Native to the hills of Central TX


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Some more info on the truck -

I searched for nearly a year to find one with a 4.0 and the AX-15. When I came across this one up in Dallas, it was sitting in the back lot of a Just Jeep place. It didn't run, and needed a clutch and the AC was discharged. I paid waaaay too much for it in the condition it was in, and for how the salesman flat-out lied to me about the mileage and condition of the truck just to get me to drive up there. I trailered it home. With a fresh battery, it barely ran enough to drive it off the trailer. It was a zombie Jeep.

 

The mechanical restoration was and always will be an ongoing thing. The clutch was done at the Jeep dealership, since I was busy with school. The AC was charged with R-12 by Carlisle auto air here in town. I drove it for about a month, then got the TJ Rubicon wheels and some fresh Michelins and threw on a spacer lift and rear shackles.

 

Since I live near a college campus, I drive daily through Mecca for the world's worst drivers, so I had a girl pull out in front of me on a rainy day and couldn't stop. Although she was determined to be at fault, the insurance company was only willing to give me a grand for the damage. I dumped three more into a paint job that took the shop that did it two months to finish, and it was a crappy job. I shoulda sued them for my money back. The paint is peeling on the roof and fender flares, now. They're willing to repaint the roof and flares for free, but I had another accident in the meantime which damaged the entire front clip. Its cobbled back together decent enough for daily driver duty with a beefier front bumper from Quadratec(OR-Fab). I painted the brighter silver highlights on the rockers myself, as well as the Jeep lettering on the tailgate.

 

I bought the rack from Northern Tool, and modified it to fit the MJ by cutting 17" of length out of it, and lowering the rack height by 4.5". The mounts are modified to be much smaller than what came in the box, and I countersunk the bolt heads on the bed rails so the factory Comanche lettered bedliner would fit back over the rack mounts. The rack was for a kayak that I never bought, but it has served as an awesome lumber hauler and general cool modification, personalizing the truck to me. I have a rack on my 2007 F150 because of how much I liked the rack on the MJ. The MJ's rack does not make any wind noise, but the one on the ford needs a fairing on the front tube to get rid of a howling noise it makes on the highway.

 

I recently finally got the brakes to work the way I always wish they had all along. The WJ dual diaphragm booster swap is the best upgrade you can do for your MJ/older XJ. I did all the recent cleanup work on the truck to try to sell it, but, now that it drives the way I want it to, I'm keeping it, in spite of my wife thinking I have too many project cars.

 

I almost forgot - yes, its an Eliminator, no that bench seat was not factory - I swapped it in so my wife and son could ride around with me. Its out of a junkyard '86 MJ. My son is now too big to ride in the middle, so I had to get a bigger truck, and I liked the Ford SuperCrew design, so I bought an FX4. Too bad Chrysler doesn't build a crew cab Jeep pickup.

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