Pete M Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 as many of you know already, I was lucky enough to buy an 88 MJ recently. She's a 76k mile 2wd Pioneer with the that I acquired from the original owner. The interior is in great shape, the drivetrain works perfect, but there are some wiring issues and the exterior is, well... sun baked. 4.0L 2wd manual trans Colorado red tilt w/3spoke wheel A/C w/heavy duty cooling AM/FM cassette with rear speakers intermittent wipers 15x7 rims oh, and I'm guessing the fogs, cruise, and bumper gaurds are dealership add-ons. they aren't on the window sticker, but they are scribbled on the dealership invoice. the rear window is aftermarket replacement after the original slider broke. Problems to address: -address rust on floors -clean carpet -find rain leak -defeat various electrical gremlins (wipers, radio, fogs, etc) -front bumper mount needs to be pulled straight -plastic parts in wheelwells are toast -one missing body molding, others are falling off -there's a droning sound that I'm betting is the fuel pump -address sun damage on mirrors, flares, etc -replace all window wipes/channels -windows don't roll all the way down -fix/convert A/C -figure out how to get headrests -salvage the build sheet somehow -do something about the paint -etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted April 16, 2019 Author Share Posted April 16, 2019 first the good stuff fantastic interior! (except for the drivers floormat) how many of you have a jacking procedure sticker the stripes are in great shape the emblems are still shiny! (though pitted on top) needs some cleaning but it's all there Found the window sticker in the pile of paperwork for what it's worth I have a set of dealership emblem/hat/keychain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted April 16, 2019 Author Share Posted April 16, 2019 now the not-so-good bumper is pushed in on drivers side this has caused the fender to buckle slightly the floors are better than I feared, but need to be addressed the flares are so bad they are pitted on top trim is coming off one piece is gone. I'm torn as to finding a replacement or removing them all. I guess it's not really a restoration if I just yank the factory parts off. fenderwell plastic crumbles in my hands all of the window wipes/channels are toast and the mirrors are turning white Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted April 16, 2019 Author Share Posted April 16, 2019 right now we're in a holding pattern until my Dakota R/T is sold and I can pay back the money I borrowed (and hopefully get a little extra to put towards the MJ). So far I've yanked and dried the carpet and pulled the truck into the barn where the dehumidifier will keep it all nice and comfy til I'm ready to attack the floors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuit Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveW155 Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Well done!! That is a sweet ride! And you beat me to getting your purchase home. Great that you’re going the restoration route. Looking forward to following your progress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJXJjeepguy Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Your floor don't look bad at all!, look like all u need is sanding the rust then repaint to prevent from rust again, I fear to look at my floor on my new MJ I looked under it seem solid to me. Nice truck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokeyyank Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Nice! What are the plans? Doing a true resto or resto mod or.....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nashmanche Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Looks like most of that paint and body damage is compliments from the good ole blazing Georgia sun. Very nice truck though... and you beat me there by one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted April 16, 2019 Author Share Posted April 16, 2019 full resto. or at least as far as I can take it. I have no desire to mod this in any way short of adding headrests, AUX on the radio, and maybe some turbine wheels (but I'll hang on to the whites). plus any preventative measures such as the headlight relay harness or a flexpipe in the exhaust. 8 hours ago, MJXJjeepguy said: I looked under it seem solid to me. if you pull the 3 phillips screws in the lower entryway trim you can pry up the carpet and check for moisture. don't hesitate. it's not going to get any better if you ignore it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJXJjeepguy Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 50 minutes ago, Pete M said: full resto. or at least as far as I can take it. I have no desire to mod this in any way short of adding headrests, AUX on the radio, and maybe some turbine wheels (but I'll hang on to the whites). if you pull the 3 phillips screws in the lower entryway trim you can pry up the carpet and check for moisture. don't hesitate. it's not going to get any better if you ignore it. so true! We can't ignore it nothing getting better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooseinabox Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 We have identical trucks minus 2WD vs 4WD, tilt column (very jealous), and fogs, but I'm sure you already knew that! Looking forward to seeing the progress! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted April 17, 2019 Author Share Posted April 17, 2019 first upgrade is done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 YES! Best one by far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500 MJ Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 There are enough of us here, I doubt you’ll have an issue finding that piece of the moulding if we all keep an eye out for it. I’ll for sure watch for it when I visit yards. As you know, guys up north would love to have one this clean to start with. It’ll be a fun thread to watch! Oh, and you’ll really enjoy putting the next 24K miles on (you know, going to MJ related gatherings across the country and the occasional home improvement store run). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted August 17, 2019 Author Share Posted August 17, 2019 this MJ better be worth all the heartache. just sold my soul today. It was truly sad to see her drive away... ya gotta do whatcha gotta do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 I’d rather have the MJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500 MJ Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 24 minutes ago, neohic said: I’d rather have the MJ. Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted August 18, 2019 Author Share Posted August 18, 2019 apparently I concur. at least that's what I keep telling myself. I've spent 19 years with that R/T. It was more than just transportation to me. But I can't afford to give it the love it deserves and selling it allows me to give some love to my new truck. I can only do what I can do. I did splurge on a little something for my new baby. bought her a replica Jeep grille round logo emblem like this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted August 18, 2019 Share Posted August 18, 2019 I’ve got one from a salvage yard from a while back that matches the patina of my CJ. Really like those badges... adds a touch of class to an older Jeep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted October 27, 2020 Author Share Posted October 27, 2020 fired up the truck today! just needed to move it out of my way so I could get my spare engines into the back corner of the barn (brought them back with me from michigan and they are still in the trailer I need tomorrow). learned that my clutch pedal no longer has resistance, so I never got to move it at all. now there are 2 engines in the bed and jackstands supporting it all. but I did put the bedliner in first hopefully 1k lbs will flatten out the warping a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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