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View Full Version : Finally My XJ has arrived!!!!!



Paddletrucker
07-13-2011, 01:30 PM
Got the call this morning that the hauler was within a few hours and we set up a time to meet in town. I finally got to drive 'er home. This is the smallest thing I've driven in over 8 years. It was like driving a go-cart or something. It was a blast. The little 207K mile 4.0 started right up, idled smoothly, and ran like a Taliban Jihadist with a SEAL team on his taill!! I was having a blast running up through the gears and hitting 70 on the ramps!!!

There are a few blemishes and things I found that I'm not real excited about that was not fully disclosed, but nothing I'd not take the Jeep over. Just afew more little projects that will teach me some skills that won't hurt me to learn. There is one dent that wasn't there in the pics that the hauler says was there and the guy I bought her from says it wasn't. It WAS listed on the hauler's condition report that the seller SIGNED, though. We're working that out now and I got a commitment for another refund. Still, though, it's not that bad. With the price I paid, the refund I got after the seller found some things he didn't tell me about, and the commitment of a refund I got on the phone a little while ago from the seller for the dent and a few other minir things he didn't mention, and the transporting, I should be into her for $900 bucks.

I've put 75 miles on her so far, about 15 of those being in town, in traffic, and the rest at 65-70 mph. She never saw 210 degrees, so I'm happy with that. There was a little bit of a gear oil smell when I got her home, but I think it's a seeping gasket on the rear pumpkin.

THe passenger mirror's is broken and not totally secured, and I was mad about that, until I drove it home. I'm a truck driver and I'm used to using my mirrors a LOT. I have a little trailer I'll pull and I'm gonna need my mirrors. It's the only way I can back a trailer up. I'm gonna hafta find a solution to those tiny ass mirrors. I don't know what I'll do yet, but I need a little bigger mirror! Those mirrors, including the broken one, are gonna hafta come off. I kind like some of the Wrangler mirrors. Might have to do a mock up to see what that looks like.

The bumper is bent a little. I don't care. It's coming off. The rear door opens and shuts easily and the gas shocks hold it up strongly. She doesn't rattle going down the road and all the doors shut solidly and seal up good. All the windows and door locks work.

The grill is broken loose on one corner and is faded. No biggie. I can fix that and paint her back up. Maybe take it off and put a coat of Herculiner on the grill. Maybe the only place I use the stuff.

I actually kinda like the stock flares and wheels. The leaf springs are a sagging mess, though, so a lift with new springs is probably happening.

SHe drives GREAT. Turn loose of that wheel and she'll run straight down the road for a mile before she starts to drift to the right a little. A little touchy on the wheel, but I'm not used to driving anything that small and I'm sure she needs new shocks. That'll all come with a lift, most likely.

Can't find a leak at all in the engine. Not even signs of a cleaned up leak. Just the seeping rear pumpkin cover.

I killed it about 5 times on the way home.:mad0029::ashamed0005::fail: That high geared little five speed doesn't at all drive like my 18 speed in my big truck. I'm used to shifting about 6 gears before I get to 20 mph!! Nor does it grab like the 6 speed in our 1 ton 4WD!! I'm gonna have to get used to that high geared first gear. I think I tried taking off in second about half the time. Oooops. It ought to be interesting in the morning when I jump into the XJ directly out of my semi!!:D But she has PLENTY of power and I'm very happy with the thing. It gets up to 5th gear and 70 in a hurry!

Very happy with her so far. CAn't wait to get her just a little more in the air and get some mud on her. OF course, right now, in the state of OK, you'd have to drive through a lake to find a puddle, but a mud hole I WILL find!!

I'm honestly a little torn about the lift now, after driving it home. One part of me likes how small it feels. I'm used to sitting 9 feet in the air and this thing felt like a go-cart on meth!! The smallness of it was fun for me, since I'm used to big. I really had a ball. Hopefully I can get it to stand up a little to make it look a little better and give me some more clearance for some bigger tires, without losing that nimble little ATV feel.

Anyway, I'm too excited and need a nap before I sit here and type a novel about the damned 'ol wore out thing!! Now, I need to name her.

Guess I'm now a member of the GREEN Jeep club. Not one of those sissy lipstick colored ones!:D:smiley-talk024::tongue0013::tongue0013::lolsign::trolls:: lame::allcrap:

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/IMG_0461.jpg

Mudderoy
07-13-2011, 01:36 PM
That's great thanks for sharing with us. I was going to say that going from a full sized Ford pick up to the Jeep was a bit of a shock. Then after driving the lifted 98 for 3 years (length of time I've hand it lifted) driving the stock 99 it felt really small. It's the same vehicle basically just 7" higher and bigger tires.

Perception is really strange.

xj4life2
07-13-2011, 02:05 PM
" Not one of those sissy lipstick colored ones!"

Wow Now thats way to funny !!!!!!

OverEasy
07-13-2011, 02:22 PM
Man, always good to hear someone excited about getting them a XJ! Glad to read that you are (for the most part) happy with it! Sorry that there is a little trouble being worked out on the deal tough, but at least it's getting worked out!

Please, when ya get into modifying / working on this, please make ya a build thread and share your pics and stories w/ us! I love how you describe things! BTW, speaking of which. . . Thanks for my new signature quote! Hope ya don't mind! ;)

Paddletrucker
07-13-2011, 04:21 PM
Thanks for my new signature quote! Hope ya don't mind! ;)

That's awesome. I'm pretty excited about the deal. Don't know how much of a build thread it will be, as my big truck and business keeps me really busy. And, I don't really have a place to work on it right now, but I'll try to post up when I do stuff.

I'm happy about the Jeep. Even with the few little things that wasn't perfect, it's still a lot nicer 5-speed Jeep for a whole ton less money than I can find around here. And, to be honest, I'm just as happy that the seller sent me some money back, than I'd have been if everything was 110%. Now I'm in the thing for less than a grand, and that's cool, too!!:cheerleader::cheerleader:

jccatt
07-13-2011, 04:43 PM
Great write up. Welcome to the green jeep club lol

bigjim350
07-13-2011, 04:48 PM
Great to hear. And let me be the first to welcome you to the Exclusive Green Jeep Club. Oh and on the mirriors, you can swap them with some 97+ mirriors. It is a direct swap, and they are bigger, and also better in every way.

Paddletrucker
07-13-2011, 04:55 PM
Great to hear. And let me be the first to welcome you to the Exclusive Green Jeep Club. Oh and on the mirriors, you can swap them with some 97+ mirriors. It is a direct swap, and they are bigger, and also better in every way.

PERFECT!! Thanks. Now........Off to exercise my Google! finger!!!!


Oh, and to look for tires. This simply will not do.

215/75 R 15? Really? What's that, like 26 and 3/4 inches? They gotta freaking go!!

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/IMG_0467.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/IMG_0466.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/IMG_0464.jpg

Paddletrucker
07-13-2011, 04:58 PM
It's gotta case of the sag ass, too. Gonna need new leaf springs, I'm thinkin';):thumbsup:

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/IMG_0410.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/IMG_0462.jpg

bigjim350
07-13-2011, 04:59 PM
Well on stock lift id go with either 235/75/15 or 30x9.50x15. But lift it and go 33" or 35" :D
P.S. It really is a great looking jeep

Paddletrucker
07-13-2011, 05:03 PM
I don't want to go too big on the tires, as this thing is gonna see more highway than mud. I'm planning on driving it daily, but also to use as my fishing and camping war wagon.

I'm really thinking about a 2" lift and 30's or a 3" lift and 31's. Or mix and match the two. Most likely not any bigger.


I'd really like to hunt down and see some lifted XJ's in person rather than on line to give me a better idea of what I'm wanting. I know where I can do that, just haven't got to it yet.

bigjim350
07-13-2011, 05:05 PM
3" and 31" work great, but you WILL want more I promise LOL

Paddletrucker
07-13-2011, 05:07 PM
Of that I'm sure, but I'm also wanting to get better fuel mileage than my POS Dodge pickup!!

bigjim350
07-13-2011, 05:10 PM
Trust me I understand. BUT the first time you take it wheeling that MPG issue will go out the window. You will be hooked and going crazy, thats a promise :)

Paddletrucker
07-13-2011, 05:18 PM
Trust me. I don't have that far to go to attain crazy.

prerunner1982
07-13-2011, 05:33 PM
215s were stock... really surprised it still has those. I am currently running 235s and had 30s on mine with no problem, but my suspension is not as saggy as yours.

Looks like a good looking rig though, glad you finally got it. Good luck with that mud hole though...:thumbsup:

Paddletrucker
07-13-2011, 05:33 PM
To be perfectly honest again, and in addition to the mpg issue, I don't really think I have any business going any more serious than 2 or 3 inches and 30 or 31 inch tires. My "wheeling" experience thus far only includes stock 3/4 and 1-ton trucks here on the ranch. In those cases, it's operational and simply trying NOT to get stuck and trying NOT to create ruts and tear the ground up.

I kind of think I need to 1)get used to driving something smaller and lighter, 2) learn to wheel on a smaller set up first, so that I don't end up getting just far enough in that nobody can get me out, 3) learn to NOT tear up the Jeep, and 4) learn a lot more ABOUT my XJ before I go doing some really serous stuff both to it and in it.

Maybe it's just my cautious nature, but I want this to be fun. Learning new stuff is fun. Even more fun if it's not learned by tearing up expensive stuff I don't know how to use yet or accidentally not being as safe as possible.

bigjim350
07-13-2011, 05:41 PM
I did things a bit different. The first thing I wheeled was a 85 shortbed chevy truck I built. Had 10" of lift 38" tires on 1 ton axles. Pushed by a nasty big block. Destroyed tons and tons of parts, but got to learn how to do trail fixes real good. Plus I was young, and VERY dumb at the time.

saar
07-14-2011, 12:56 AM
Nice Jeep.
You will be surprised from the things you will be able to do with 2" and 235s
I know I was :-)
http://www.pic.co.il/Files/0349364E2C3945329508FE05D26F4BCC/norm_DEE381E1DD344CD4BDCDB4A37EE6AD04.JPG

bluedragon436
07-14-2011, 01:18 AM
Glad to hear that you finally got your XJ in hand!! It is a way different feel for driving that is for sure.. I got mine lifted a little over 7" and am running 33's and it still feels like driving a go-cart of crack... so trust me you run like 4.5" with 32's and you will still love it just as much as you do now... you'll just be able to do even more with it than you can now... And above all other comments.. welcome to the GREEN XJ CLUB!!!

OverEasy
07-14-2011, 03:34 AM
Ahh, this is what I like to see!


And so it begins, carrying on the tradition! This, this right here is the "Jeep thing" others just don't get.