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unibody damage? XJ swap project help!

mr.marcovasi

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Connecticut
Hey guys I have two cherokees...
99 cherokee 2 door: Has a perfect body but has tons of frame rot underneath. Motor and everything else is solid.
00 cherokee 4 door: crashed the front end. Frame rails look intact as well as the front crash bar is nice and straight. Mostly cosmetic damage up front. Otherwise low miles frame is perfect no rust anywhere!

id like to take the front nose off the 2 door and swap it to the 4 door. The damage looks like be on the fender as well as the inner fender which is the most concerning to me since it seems to have pushed back the door and kinda separated from the frame rails. Otherwise like I said the frame rails look decent.

Im thinking of welding these pieces into it. This isn’t a daily driver (I have a 2017 JKU) this is just a hobby/project I’ve wanted to do for awhile. Let me know what you guys think or am I crazy for wanting to do this??? My family says I am!
 
Engine won't easily swap. 00 went to coil on plug, 2 cats and manifolds are different. So as long as you're not trying to swap engines, body parts are pretty interchangeable. Personally I would not deal with. Unibody are a bitch to work on but it can be done. Look in modified tech for project keeping it clean. Freerider did some amazing work on a busted up XJ.
 
engine swap isn't an issue -- you can certainly use most of the 99 stuff -- just have to swap over intake and exhaust manifolds -- the ignition stuff will swap right over too

I don't understand what you mean when you say "I'm thinking of welding these pieces into it" -- Welding what exactly?
 
Just tell them a fella needs a hobby.
 
engine swap isn't an issue -- you can certainly use most of the 99 stuff -- just have to swap over intake and exhaust manifolds -- the ignition stuff will swap right over too

00+ went to coil on plug so it's not really just a "swap"...
 
Better yet, just use a Viper coil and plug wires. I own 2 2k's and detest the rail when it comes to taking a plug reading!
 
The engine swap is simple, as are the bolt on body panels. Depending on your metal working and welding skills, a person can sperate portions of the unibody and replace them.
 
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sure it is -- you just take off the distributor and swap the Camshaft Position sensor into the distributor hole -- then you swap out the spark plug wires for the Coil rail -- Make a few small brackets and your done

Well good to know. I was always under the impression it was more involed and not worth the effort.
 
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