Should I do a 97+ front clip?

[bigmistake]

I keep going back and forth over whether or not I want to a front clip conversion.  Do you gain anything by going with newer hardware?

 

Anyone regret updating their front clip after doing it?

 

Kind of a nonsense post... 

[dasbulliwagen]

Do the newer clip with Commander headlights. I

When I do another build, that is my plan.

[Pete M]

there is nothing to gain other than more modern looks.  and by "more modern" I mean you'd be replacing 30 year old parts with 20 year old parts so modern is a relative term here.   I prefer the classic look.

[DirtyComanche]

The only reason I like it is that it makes purists angry.

[Jeep Driver]

3 hours ago, bigmistake said:

I keep going back and forth over whether or not I want to a front clip conversion.  Do you gain anything by going with newer hardware?

 

Anyone regret updating their front clip after doing it?

 

Kind of a nonsense post... 

Excellent question. 

 

Spend your energy being original, why on earth would you want to do anything that everyone else is already doing?

 

And besides, the new old thing is a bore already, don't be a bore. 

 

 

[JMO413]

I like the original much better than the newer.

[FrankTheDog]

When I first got mine in 2011 I wanted to do the update. I never did and now I wouldn’t think of doing it because there aren’t many MJ’s or pre 97 XJ’s around anymore.

[johnj92131]

Just my opinion and it is worth all you paid for it!

 

I like the idea of the 97+ doors for the one piece window.  But can not see any actual value in the newer front clip.

 

Also, I have a complete XJ Waggy front with the 4 headlamps stashed in the garage.  If I ever get around to painting the Diesel Comanche, I may use the Waggy front.  But those old 4 lamp headlights do not perform very well at all.

 

In the end, it's your truck and your money.  So whatever turns you on!

[bigmistake]

Alright, I'm keeping the original!

 

I might end up doing the doors if I find a good deal... but keeping the front clip sounds good to me.

[DirtyComanche]

The doors are definitely worth it, and I've been looking around for a pair with no luck.

[Jeep Driver]

It took me two years of searching to find a pair manual window doors and I haven't seen another pair since I bought mine

[johnj92131]

I want power windows, door locks and power mirrors.  And it doesn't hurt that I still need to rekey my existing doors to match the ignition switch.  Forgot about that.

 

Also, 97+ power windows are much cheaper to fix right than the 96> power windows.  Lots of small upgrades in the 97+ doors

[Jeep Driver]

8 minutes ago, johnj92131 said:

I want power windows, door locks and power mirrors.  And it doesn't hurt that I still need to rekey my existing doors to match the ignition switch.  Forgot about that.

 

Also, 97+ power windows are much cheaper to fix right than the 96> power windows.  Lots of small upgrades in the 97+ doors

Yep and I'll have all that without the ugly switch panel

[bigmistake]

13 minutes ago, johnj92131 said:

I want power windows, door locks and power mirrors.  And it doesn't hurt that I still need to rekey my existing doors to match the ignition switch.  Forgot about that.

 

Also, 97+ power windows are much cheaper to fix right than the 96> power windows.  Lots of small upgrades in the 97+ doors

 

Does the existing harness have everything you need to plug in the windows/locks/mirrors?  Or is there something else you need to pull?

[Minuit]

The doors are an upgrade worth talking about for all the reasons listed above. The front clip is a matter of taste. I don't care for it, but I'm one of those dirty purists that DirtyComanche mentioned.

 

As far as I know, no MJs that didn't have PW/PL are "wired for it" in that you can just plug window regulators and lock actuators in and have it work. Through '92 all of that is on a subharness that plugs into the fuse box that can be added with absolutely no changes to the existing wiring. Starting in I think '93 it is more integrated into the dash harness, and I have no clue on the specifics of that.

 

When I added (year correct) power windows and locks to my 91, I snatched the cross-body and door wiring from a '92 and all of the other stuff from various 91-96 XJs. Didn't have to touch the wiring on my truck, and with some small modifications to the cross-body harness it all plugged into the fuse box.

[johnj92131]

2 hours ago, bigmistake said:

 

Does the existing harness have everything you need to plug in the windows/locks/mirrors?  Or is there something else you need to pull?

 

As Jeremy posted above.  The answer is NO.  Taking everything from an XJ is one solution.  Think Jeremy used <96 doors, not 97+ doors.  So to do the 97+ doors may be a little different.

 

Don posted a number of time a schematic diagram to simply make the required harness, which is what Don did.  Keep in mind the <96 power mirror harness has a 2 wire plug and the  97+ power mirror harness has 3 wires  (could have it backwards?).  Not a big deal, there is a posted solution in the DIY section.