84-96 rear hatch to my 99 XJ

[aztec848]

Seen these? :eyes: Not 4" rounds...but your free to mod it anyway you like

http://www.jcroffroad.com/category/XJArmor.html

 

[johnw00d]

XJRubicon What kind of $$ are you talking? What would you do?

 

[XJRubicon]

XJRubicon What kind of $$ are you talking? What would you do?

The job would require a donor vehicle for the back half of the truck, like these people have been saying.

You would take a pre 97' rear section of the XJ and mate it to your truck. I see XJs on craigslist all the time for cheap that are all rusted out underneith, but the rear hatch area is usually decent. Maybe it don't have a title or maybe the motor is blown up. Can't go to u pull it, they don't allow cutting. Just sold one yesterday. I actually had one a few years back for my 2 door that rolled on Holy Cross in Colorado, but decided against spending the money. Scrapped the spare roof for it. It was right at the time but today, I wish I would have repaired that truck. RIP xjrubicon.

So once you get the extra back half, you are talking quite a few dosen hours of fabrication and bodywork to get it right. Little bit of wiring for the wiper, adapt the washer line... Then u need the plugs off the old school trucks tail lights.

I have owned probably 15-20 XJs and though they look about the same there are big differences that would have to be addressed between pre/post 97'.

I would say it would start at $1000 and go from there just for labor.

All thing considered, a very expensive modification.

Anyone could make it work, takes lots of time and patience to make it right. Been fabricating since I was 8 in my dads shop, I'll be 35 this year.

When I was younger I had a nice truck that I made a mistake and ran it into a mountain side. I liked the truck a lot and it was only body damage, no damage to the frame. I bought another truck $100 that had been sitting and did not run and cut the inner fenders off its firewall and grafted it onto my truck. When I was done it was nicer then before the crash but I spent about a week on it.
(Toyota) years later it was dominating Moab with lockers front and rear!

In an blizzard when I was in highschool, I slid off the road and totaled my mothers XJ. The radiator was cut in half by a phone pole. After we got her a rental and then a new XJ, I began to rebuild the old one for myself. I picked up a donor truck that had a nice front clip and a knocking motor for $100! I cut the front unibody from the firewall and grafted the new one in place reinforcing with .25" plate. When I was done, I had a front end that I did not worry about damaging the unibody from winching. Over the years, I used that truck to winch out many fullsize rigs from the mississippi river bottoms. RIP Battlewagon!

Things to consider:
*You'll never get the money back out of it selling. Sure you may be able to ask a bit more but not what it cost to make it happen.
*Being without the truck while its being created and given a new life.
*Cost

Always liked the fiberglass liftgates better. But is it worth it to you?
Personally, I couldn't see paying someone to do it. But if you donno how to do it I guess thats the only choice

To me stock is boring and I like when people do things outside the norm.

Custom is king! (long as its done right)

XJR

 

[johnw00d]

Wow I appreciate the detailed response. Why don't you shoot me an email since you're in Minnesota as well

[email protected]

I'll give you my cell there ok?

John

 

[Anak]

To drag something back...

I came across this Craigslist post: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/4922803297.html

It certainly appears that someone has managed to install an old style hatch and tail lights on a '98.

I know the C/L post won't last for long, so here are the most relevant pics posted by the seller:

Besides these there are pics of the interior and it certainly looks like a late model. No pics under the hood to see if there is a single fuel line/Renix bottle or anything else useful like that.

Title on the listing is "1998 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 - $3900 (Moreno valley)"
Text just says "98 cherokee 4x4 runs strong clean title current registration call or text (show contact info)"

It looks to me that the rear hatch doesn't quite line up with the body lines, but the pics are not entirely conclusive on that front.

I simply saw it and thought of this thread.

 

[XJRubicon]

Cool!!

 

[Tim_MN]

A guy I know had two wrecked XJ's, one hit in front, and one hit in the back. After a few weeks he had one good XJ, and some scrap metal. So, it can be done.

Grafting the older tailgate onto the newer body can be done, but nothing is gained for the effort.

 

[kastein]

Either that or whoever did that just committed a felony, because they put the front clip, doors, and VIN tags from their rearended 98 on a 96- chassis.

Wouldn't be all that surprised.

 

[Tim_MN]

Either that or whoever did that just committed a felony, because they put the front clip, doors, and VIN tags from their rearended 98 on a 96- chassis..

That was the first thing I thought of.

 

[Anak]

Either that or whoever did that just committed a felony, because they put the front clip, doors, and VIN tags from their rearended 98 on a 96- chassis.

Wouldn't be all that surprised.

The C/L ad has some pics added to it, including a pic of the emissions decal. The year is over to the right hand side of the pic and at a bit of an angle, but it looks like it probably reads 1998. There is also another perspective on the hatch and it again looks like it does not quite line up with the body lines, maybe 1/2" too low.

Link to new C/L ad:http://sandiego.craigslist.org/ssd/cto/4922819041.html

Posted just to make the point that I do think someone has made the switch rather than tried to scam the unwitting.

 

[Tim_MN]

Somebody has put together a Frankenstein Cherokee. The question is, how well, or how poorly was the swap done ?