Chop Top Ideas

[Matt99XJ]

For my birthday I got a 2 door XJ.

I plan on chopping the rear off like Rev Den did on his 2 door. But, I plan on enclosing it like Beez did but I was wondering if the hatch from a 97+ XJ would be sufficient.

Mainly I am wondering if it will be too thin and be a pain? Wrecked MJ's are hard to find around here so I am thinking that this might be a cheaper/easier solution.

[Matt99XJ]

Anyone have any thought on whether or not this will work?

[4ward]

What year is your 2 door? I don't know if the lines from the older style would match too well for the newer style.

Are you wanting to keep the hatch opening ability or just want it for something to weld onto the back?

Think about what you really want and then give us more details.

Sean

[Matt99XJ]

Sorry for the lack of info.

It is an 85 2-door

I only want something to weld onto the back like Beezil did. I will most likely build a bulkhead like Beezil did and just use the top section of the hatch where the window is.

[Rev Den]

I have the hatch off my 90....if you want it....its yours. Getting it to you may be an issue.


Rev

[Matt99XJ]

Thanks Rev but I am going to need a 97+ one that is steel so I can weld it up there.

[bgcntry72]

Like Beezil did?
What is a Beezil?
:confused1
Homer Simpson, smiling politely.

[Matt99XJ]

Here is a pic of Beezils rig. He put an MJ back window on it. I want to do the same thing but MJs are hard to come by around here. So....I was asking if anyone thought that a 97+ steel hatch would work just the same. They should be alot easier to find.
http://users.rcn.com/beezil/public/Body8.JPG

[Kejtar]

Originally posted by bgcntry72
What is a Beezil?

Beezil is otherwise known as the missing link... there have been some sightings... but they are all unconfirmed :D



first one (http://users.rcn.com/beezil/public/Lite!.GIF)
second one (http://users.rcn.com/beezil/public/Beaversight.JPG)


Kejtar

[Kejtar]

Now... on a serious note... Beez is the fabricator of all fabricators... he owns (?) a metal shop... so most of the stuff he can do... we can only dream about...

Kejtar

[Georgia Mike]

Matt......I know where two MJ's are in a local yard..... :firedevil

[bgcntry72]

You kids wanna see a dead body?

[Matt99XJ]

Mike e-mail me at OlllllllO@cox.net with some info on where those are at.

I have searched the Pull-a-part webite and came up with nothing.

There aren't any real yards around here though.

[Beezil]

Here is a pic of Beezils rig. He put an MJ back window on it.

no sir, I did not.....

I made the thing, since I have the same challenge you do....not only are mj's hard to find in our yards, but JEEPS are, and if you are lucky to find a donor vehicle, they want too damn much for it....

fabbing from scratch was the way I had to go.

[Georgia Mike]

Matt,you have mail!

[Matt99XJ]

wow, beez I knew you made the bottom section but I thought that the top was from a MJ. That must be Borton that I am thinking of.

Do you have any kind of write-up or anything on how you made it?

[Beezil]

no, I don't, wish I had time to write, but most of it would sound like "stick material in an X machine"...

in the case of the upper part, its a tubular frame, and the tubes were rolled on a plate roll, that has a notch machined out of the rolls for rectangular tube....

[Matt99XJ]

Hmm, I kinda see what you are saying. It is round tubing on the outside edge.

What it the window out of? How did you make the area for the window to seat?

[Beezil]

no, its rectangular tubing, rolled in an arc.

the glass and weatherstripping is from a 95 xj hatch.

nope, no seat in the rear, don't like passengers, plus, there's no room with the rollbars.