little treasure i found yesterday

FitchVA · Jul 25, 2004

went for a little saturday drive yesterday. sometimes i just like riding through used car lots just to look.

well i stumbled across this little xj:

looked at the vin and saw it was an '87. cool. guess i'll check out the rear axle...

why yello thar. :wave:

dude told me he'd sell it for $1k. i bet if i waved $800 in his face he'd take it.

so i could go 2 ways with this. buy it, swap the d44 w/ my 8.25 and resell the '87. or buy it, swap the d44 w/ my 8.25, then use the '87 as my little commuter to buzz around town in.

but my question, is it worth the hassle? i have the 29 spline 8.25 which i'm told and have read that it's only marginally weaker than the 44. but it has c-clips right? and i've been told that they're a tad harder to setup gears correctly. this interests me cause i'm gonna soon regear from my stocker gears to something that will sute my 32's more. whatcha think?

OT · Jul 25, 2004

The comparison of the 44 and 8.25 strength is debatable. However, the 8.25 is way easier to setup gears on. I have the 8.25 and wouldn't trade it for a D44, as the swap just wouldn't be worth the hassle to me. As far as I'm concerned, the c-clip axles are a non-issue. You do carry a spare right?

FitchVA · Jul 25, 2004

well once i get regeared and have a chance to offroad it, i'll have spares.

either way, thanks for the correction on the issues. :thumbup:

OT · Jul 25, 2004

FitchVA said:
well once i get regeared and have a chance to offroad it, i'll have spares.

either way, thanks for the correction on the issues. :thumbup:

Oh yeah, I'd still get the '87, though.

seanR · Jul 25, 2004

Man what I would give to find an XJ that old in that good of shape!
Up here in the salt belt a car is rusty in two years!
I need to make a trip down south!

FitchVA · Jul 25, 2004

oh yeah, 160k origininal miles. the interrior looks brand friggin new.

but the passenger's side rear door has a nice dent in it.

and most of the paint looks like this. but nothing a 200 macco paint job or 50 rattle can job wouldn't fix. heeeeeeeeey, maybe i could cammo this bish out.

glad this wasn't a rainbow smiley

only a grill a mother would love

who said jeeps don't leak

-- cat looks freaky, but new muffler

i dunno. i'll probably let it sit for a few weeks. my dad has been hinting at getting a beater and will be out to visit in 2 weeks. we'll see and let it sit. the guy will be more willing to deal as time goes on.

oh, the tires are shot too. but i've got a nice set of already mounted 29's from my current xj (sitting after lift and new tires) that only have 7k miles on 'em

the guy did have two nice looking mj's but the were both 2wd's

seanR · Jul 25, 2004

FitchVA said:
only a grill a mother would love

I happen to LOVE that Grill!

Eagle · Jul 26, 2004

I'd snap it up. That appeared to be a factory gas tank skid, too. It won't fit your XJ, but you could easily sell it to a needy NAXJA

member.

Personally, I would swap a D44 in place of even a 29-spline 8.25. The 8.25 may be a tad easier to set up, but they run noisier. Also, lockers are cheaper for the D44 and you have more choices available. Lastly, the 8.25 has puny little 9" brakes, where the D44 has comparatively huge 10"x2.5" brakes.

ZmOz · Jul 26, 2004

I would go buy it ASAP...that's a good deal, if you don't, somebody else probably will. You could probably part it out and make a few grand...

FitchVA · Jul 26, 2004

Eagle said:
I'd snap it up. That appeared to be a factory gas tank skid, too....

that's what i thought at first. but i tapped it with my fist and found that it was a plastic shield.

Dave in Eugene · Jul 26, 2004

For comparison, the 87 XJ I just bought, with 200K, nearly immaculate body and interior (same maroon color), 4.0, D44 rear but you-know-what 5 speed (the only component where oil leakage is visible), stock steel wheels and new tires, cost $1300 (beat down from 14). Depends on where you are, it sounds comparable to me for the differences in condition and features, but would have been a good buy here. If it was something I could use and it ran out good I'd buy it.

FitchVA · Jul 26, 2004

cool. thanks for the info. this one had an auto.

i'll give it a few weeks to sit. he's got it tucked back in the corner away from everything else. if he sells it, good for him. if it sits for a few weeks, good for me.

TNScrambler · Jul 26, 2004

Looks pretty clean

Yea, last week I was at a junk yard looking for the rubber intake hose to the air box....last xj I looked at the only thing missing was the tube I needed....so I walked around it lookin at it, thought I'd take a peak at the rear axle for kicks and sure enought it was a d44....went back to the front and checked, and it was a '87.....so $150 later it was loaded into the bed of the yota off to car wash to wash it....after a cleaning I found that it has the 3.55's that I have now...but also a limited slip.....so I guess I need to yank the d35 now.

Justin

Camshaft · Jul 26, 2004

I'd like to have that one to tool around in. Very clean!

DenLip · Jul 27, 2004

Dave in Eugene said:
For comparison, the 87 XJ I just bought, with 200K, nearly immaculate body and interior (same maroon color), 4.0, D44 rear but you-know-what 5 speed (the only component where oil leakage is visible), stock steel wheels and new tires, cost $1300

And, as ANOTHER comparison... I looked at a $1200 '88 here in PA a few
months back... 4.0/5sp/4wd/2dr/Laredo... with 149k miles... and rusted out
badly enough that I could put my fist inside the rocker panels!

Up here, that Jeep probably wouldn't last more than a day or two at that price!

Den

FitchVA · Jul 27, 2004

DenLip said:
And, as ANOTHER comparison... I looked at a $1200 '88 here in PA a few
months back... 4.0/5sp/4wd/2dr/Laredo... with 149k miles... and rusted out
badly enough that I could put my fist inside the rocker panels!

Up here, that Jeep probably wouldn't last more than a day or two at that price!

Den

well maybe i should buy the rig, swap the axles, and bring it up yalls way to sell it for at least what i payed for it :laugh3:

Jeff in VA · Jul 27, 2004

FitchVA said:
the guy did have two nice looking mj's but the were both 2wd's

What's he looking for on the MJ's.....curious minds over here in Richmond want to know. Mother-in-law's coming down for a visit this weekend, and I need a good excuse for a roadtrip outta here :helpme: PM me if ya can.
Thanks!
Jeff

Camshaft · Jul 27, 2004

Hey I just realized you're in Roanoke. Visited there a few years back. Really pretty up there.

If that was for sale around here I would have that thing right now. Go get it.

FitchVA · Jul 27, 2004

Jeff in VA said:
What's he looking for on the MJ's.....curious minds over here in Richmond want to know. Mother-in-law's coming down for a visit this weekend, and I need a good excuse for a roadtrip outta here :helpme: PM me if ya can.
Thanks!
Jeff

i'll have to swing by and ask him. i never thought to even ask. i might be able to swing by and snap a few pictures if it doesn't rain. but he'll probably be closed. but i can at least the the phone #.

little treasure i found yesterday

FitchVA

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OT

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FitchVA

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OT

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seanR

Want to puff on my pipe?

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Jeff in VA

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