slimpartywagon
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Ney York
I don't know where to begin this story. Does this story start in Decmber of 1989 when I rebuilt my first Willies CJ3A with the help of my dad when I was only 11 years old? OR does it start a couple years (and jJeeps) later when I purchased a basket case 1957 Williys L6-226 Pick up (which I traded strait a crossed for a 1960 Willys OVerland Wagon). No Matter I have been a die hard Jeep fan for all my life. I have owned every thing from the vintage CJ to a 1999 TJ. In my Jeep world, I mainly do restrorations with very minimal modding, although ever single Jeep I have re-built, I wheeled.
No on to the Story. Back in 2001, I bought a 1998 Cherokee Sport. I drove it and wheeled it stock. IT was the best Jeep (and car) I ever owned. I had plans to lift it, add some lockers. Basically build amild trail rig but awsome street pounder. But in 2003 I lost my Jeep in my divorce and spent the next 6 year Jeepless. (this was the longest I have ever been with out a Jeep, let alone a 4x4). In August of 2008 my luck changed, I was driving a 1989 Ford f-150 extended cab from Austin Texas to Albany NY, when my engine developed a knock in Kansas. I decided to make a detour back to Colorado to Fix the engine, but upon getting to my in-laws I realized my Engine was beyond toast and I couldn't get it fixed in myshort amount of time. As I was staying with my in-laws, my wife was driving around town getting quotes on shipping our stuff to NY and flying when she came a crossed a 1990 Cherokee. I went and looked at it, but it was very beaten.. but sitting right next to it was a 1989 Cherokee Limited for $800... it needed a Radiator, but nothing else was wrong with it (or so said the sales man). I pulled out my wad of cash, and we hit the road... I was once again a Jeep Owner.
On our trip out east from Colorado, The engine started over heating, I replaced teh head gasket wich helped for a few months, but once the weatehr turned cold, the Cherokee decided I was going to have to walk for the rest of teh winter. From December 2008 to August 2009 the jeep sat in shops getting the engine looked at to find out why it was overheating.. I spent close to 6000 in diagnostic bills, only to find out I had a bad heater line.
The whole time my Jeep was in different shops, I was deployed to afgahnistan so I wasn't able to do any of the work myslef (otherwise I would have). Once I return, I spend another 1000 undoing everything the first shop did to my preciouse jeep. Now almost a year later the jeep is still running decent. (still have a few bugs to wok out) Things are finally starting to look up.. my wife has her own car now, so I have finally been given the goahead to BUild my Ultimate Jeep. I was leaning at getting anotehr Willys Wagon, or a YJ (my favorite two jeeps I ever owned) but after much dleiberation and compramizing (mostly on my part) I decided to go with my already purchased XJ.
My plans on this build are to go back to the past and build a wagon out of the Cherokee. I am going to fab up a Willies looking front end while retaining the XJ rear.
NOT mine, but looks very close to my starting package
Concept oof what I plan on doing
No on to the Story. Back in 2001, I bought a 1998 Cherokee Sport. I drove it and wheeled it stock. IT was the best Jeep (and car) I ever owned. I had plans to lift it, add some lockers. Basically build amild trail rig but awsome street pounder. But in 2003 I lost my Jeep in my divorce and spent the next 6 year Jeepless. (this was the longest I have ever been with out a Jeep, let alone a 4x4). In August of 2008 my luck changed, I was driving a 1989 Ford f-150 extended cab from Austin Texas to Albany NY, when my engine developed a knock in Kansas. I decided to make a detour back to Colorado to Fix the engine, but upon getting to my in-laws I realized my Engine was beyond toast and I couldn't get it fixed in myshort amount of time. As I was staying with my in-laws, my wife was driving around town getting quotes on shipping our stuff to NY and flying when she came a crossed a 1990 Cherokee. I went and looked at it, but it was very beaten.. but sitting right next to it was a 1989 Cherokee Limited for $800... it needed a Radiator, but nothing else was wrong with it (or so said the sales man). I pulled out my wad of cash, and we hit the road... I was once again a Jeep Owner.
On our trip out east from Colorado, The engine started over heating, I replaced teh head gasket wich helped for a few months, but once the weatehr turned cold, the Cherokee decided I was going to have to walk for the rest of teh winter. From December 2008 to August 2009 the jeep sat in shops getting the engine looked at to find out why it was overheating.. I spent close to 6000 in diagnostic bills, only to find out I had a bad heater line.
The whole time my Jeep was in different shops, I was deployed to afgahnistan so I wasn't able to do any of the work myslef (otherwise I would have). Once I return, I spend another 1000 undoing everything the first shop did to my preciouse jeep. Now almost a year later the jeep is still running decent. (still have a few bugs to wok out) Things are finally starting to look up.. my wife has her own car now, so I have finally been given the goahead to BUild my Ultimate Jeep. I was leaning at getting anotehr Willys Wagon, or a YJ (my favorite two jeeps I ever owned) but after much dleiberation and compramizing (mostly on my part) I decided to go with my already purchased XJ.
My plans on this build are to go back to the past and build a wagon out of the Cherokee. I am going to fab up a Willies looking front end while retaining the XJ rear.
NOT mine, but looks very close to my starting package
Concept oof what I plan on doing
