Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT Roboto's Garage

[BigNuge]

Re: Mr. Roboto's Garage Makeover

Yeah, I had vertical shackles too....quite stiff in the rear. If I had kept the XJ I was going to build shackle boxes myself (looked pretty doable).


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[Mr. Roboto]

Re: Mr. Roboto's Garage Makeover

The XJ is progressing nicely. Doing a great job.

Thanks man! I started to check out your threads which lead me to your youtube channel. You sure do keep busy!

Wow, that's a big difference! Gonna be awesome. It's been interesting reading and looking through all your photos as I've never done anything even remotely like this before. The garage is getting a workout!

Thanks Nick. It's been fun. Garage is getting a workout for sure, really makes me appreciate it. I don't know how people have the patience to all of this without a lift.

Right on! That is a lot of work, but also a lot of difference. I recently ran some new electrical wires on my pick-up. It was a lot of work, but in the end just made the dome light come on when I opened the door...lol

But now every time you open your door, you are reminded of all of the work that went into getting that light on!

Yeah, I had vertical shackles too....quite stiff in the rear. If I had kept the XJ I was going to build shackle boxes myself (looked pretty doable).


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We shall see... hoping the springs will settle a bit!

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Got a nice little stretch on Saturday to get a lot done on the Jeep. First, after letting the vehicle sit on it's on weight overnight, I torqued down everything in the rear end. Really digging how this all came together:

Then I started tearing apart the font. Removed the entire steering linkage, upper and lower control arms, track bar, shocks, sway bar end links, ABS sensors, and coil springs. When you're working on an old vehicle, this is what a pile of progress looks like:

I had to remove the studs that the factory sway bar end links use. These get replaced with the new JKS end links. They can be kind of tricky. I picked up a front end service set for doing this project, and it came in handy here. The stud was a little too long to fit in the tool, so I had to cut it down first, and used the old nut to keep the tool centered. Then some heat and force and it popped right out.

The control arm bushings that are in the axle can also be a little tricky. It put up a fight, but some more heat and the air hammer took care of it. The new one is in the axle, and I laid the old one on top for comparison.

Next, time to start getting the control arms in. Got the lengths all dialed in, and much ratchet-strapping was required to tug the axle in various directions to get everything to line up.

Changed out the factory bump stops and coil isolators as well. When I had the lower control arms out, the axle could really droop down quite a bit, so it was easy to get the new coil springs in at this time. Also, the new frame side track bar mount.

And that's that, all the control arms are in

Next up is the track bar, but I am going to look into one of the upgrade kits for the factory mount. Basically just a bigger bolt... the old hole is wallowed out a bit. This is one of the biggest causes of death wobble in these things.

 

[M-technik-3]

Nice progress. Any plans to for tq to help move the bigger tires around?

 

[xjjeepman]

Awesome, brings back memories of when I wrenched on my old XJs

 

[zmotorsports]

Nicely done. Enjoying the build.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Nice progress. Any plans to for tq to help move the bigger tires around?

I’m not sure. I’m still undecided on tire size. Once I decide, I’ll get them on there and see how it feels if I need to re gear or not.

Awesome, brings back memories of when I wrenched on my old XJs

Nicely done. Enjoying the build.

Thanks guys!

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Big steps... the front end is finally (mostly) all together. Track bar is in, and I replaced all the steering components with new Moog parts from a ZJ V8 Cherokee. All the parts are the same size as the XJ, but much beefier. Nice easy bolt in swap.

And, for the first time, sitting on its own weight at the new ride height can’t wait to get the new tires picked out and on there! Have an alignment coming up soon too.

Also, we decided to get a mini split installed in the mudroom. We had no HVAC in there since we finished the addition. Reason being, I’m getting kicked out of my office in the 3rd bedroom and my desk is going in this corner because....


WE’RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY... another girl! Pray for me

So, I gotta be comfy when out there haha. Glad I decided to rough in that electric drop while I was building.

 

[bigsteve2011]

Looks great!
Congratulations on the baby news!

 

[nicholam77]

Ooh, congrats man!!



How long ya got before you're in trouble?

Our second is coming in July, and I was so sure it would be another girl (maybe I wanted it to be?), but it's a boy so one of each. The clock is ticking!

At least you have that mudroom area, looks like it's going to come in handy.

The new ride height on the jeep looks great!

 

[TX4runner]

Congrats on the Jeep progress and the baby.

Nick - Congrats to you too!

 

[Arclitgold]

Re: Mr. Roboto's Garage Makeover

Congrats!!

And great progress on the keep!


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[Mr. Roboto]

Re: Mr. Roboto's Garage Makeover

Looks great!
Congratulations on the baby news!

Thank you!

Ooh, congrats man!!



How long ya got before you're in trouble?

Our second is coming in July, and I was so sure it would be another girl (maybe I wanted it to be?), but it's a boy so one of each. The clock is ticking!

At least you have that mudroom area, looks like it's going to come in handy.

The new ride height on the jeep looks great!

Thanks Nick, and a big congrats to you as well!!!! We are due early November, so I've got a little more time than you haha. We were hoping for a boy this time around, but are just happy to be expecting again.

Yeah, I built the mudroom pretty large (10x18) with this in mind as a possibility someday. Glad I did, otherwise my desk would have not had a home haha.

Congrats on the Jeep progress and the baby.

Nick - Congrats to you too!

Thank you very much!

Congrats!!

And great progress on the keep!


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Thank you!

I didn't take any photos, but I got the braking system squared away. Pulled out the ABS bump, ABS proportioning valve, and every brake line in the Jeep. I installed the non-ABS proportioning valve and ran all the new lines. I ended up getting a set of Dorman pre bent stainless steel brake lines. As is always the case with the pre bent lines, they are always a bit tricky to get into place, but are a time savings overall.

I put the wheel adapters and the Rubicon wheels back on, and the jeep moved under it's own power and saw daylight for the first time in weeks. Got the alignment next, and need to get some larger tires.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Got the front end all buttoned up before my alignment... JKS sway bar disconnects on, and greased up all the zerks fittings. Tried out my new Lock N Lube gun for this, worked great!

I made a new friend who actually lives down the street from me, who is a mechanic at a Jeep dealership. He did my alignment for me today. This shot was from his Instagram story haha...

Long story why I even have these, but I had another set of Rubicon 17" alloys, with a very bald set of 32" tires. I had to throw them on and see how it looked. I dig the size... pretty much exactly what I was going for. I will probably get the new rubber in this size, either B.F. Goodrich KO2s or Falken Widpeaks. The gearing felt much better than I was expecting, too. We'll see what the highway feels like. Couple shots at the gas station.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Got the new sneakers on.... I ultimately went with 31s and decided to keep the Rubicon 17" wheels. I could have fit slightly larger tires, but did not want to have to deal with any trimming, and the gearing will be better on the 31s. BFG KO2 255/70/R17

I am liking them so far, and am pretty happy with the stance. Looks way more aggressive than stock, and still more than capable. Getting some driveline vibes though due to the driveshaft angles. I ordered an Advance Adapters SYE and Adams CV double cardan driveshaft. Kind of a pain to go and pull the transfer case to do this now, but it's the correct way to do it. I've come this far, what's another $500 at this point!

 

[zmotorsports]

Very clean looking XJ. That has turned out great. Nice job.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Very clean looking XJ. That has turned out great. Nice job.

Thank you, I am petty satisfied with it!

Turned my attention to some interior detailing today. Took the seats out and went to work. Picked up a Bissell spot cleaner.... damn! It's amazing how much dirt can hide in the carpet of a car. It didn't look anywhere near this bad either. Crazy.

 

[theundermount]

Thank you, I am petty satisfied with it!

Turned my attention to some interior detailing today. Took the seats out and went to work. Picked up a Bissell spot cleaner.... damn! It's amazing how much dirt can hide in the carpet of a car. It didn't look anywhere near this bad either. Crazy.

great work man the XJ is looking great....mmmm looks like a nice pint of Guinness

 

[nicholam77]

Jeep is looking

Not that it matters what I think but it's totally to my tastes, in my opinion it's the perfect amount of aggressive and OEM+ look. The lift and new tires are

I love how boxy those older Cherokees are. It's making me want one!!

That bissel container is kinda disturbing haha

 

[Mr. Roboto]

great work man the XJ is looking great....mmmm looks like a nice pint of Guinness

Hahaha, it sure does now that you mention it!

Jeep is looking

Not that it matters what I think but it's totally to my tastes, in my opinion it's the perfect amount of aggressive and OEM+ look. The lift and new tires are

I love how boxy those older Cherokees are. It's making me want one!!

That bissel container is kinda disturbing haha

Thanks for the kind words - I do value your opinion!

I'll be honest, I'm actually quite discouraged at the mess I'm pulling out of the carpet. I mentioned it before, but I removed a dead mouse, a few mice nests, and repaired much damaged wiring due to what they chewed. I've had the entire interior of the Jeep apart and inspected every nook and cranny, and there is no more mouse evidence left. I am very confident of this. However, I've still noticed an odor persisting. I am pretty sure a lot of what I sucked up out of the rear cargo area is actually mouse urine that "rained" down from the rear speaker bar in the roof where they made their nest (isn't that quite a visual?)

Sucking it up actually made the odor slightly worse, since I seem to have disturbed it from where it was resting. I mixed up a concoction of baking soda, white vinegar and warm water which is supposed to help and sprayed the area down. I also ran an ozone machine in there for 45 minutes last night, and it's airing out now. If I still smell anything, I am just going to bite the bullet and order an entire new set of carpets for this thing. It's about $350 for the entire set, but It's literally driving me nuts, and I am beating myself up about it. Lesson learned: a mouse infestation is not the easiest thing to erase from a vehicle, and I will think twice in the future if I ever consider buying another vehicle in the future with this issue.


Also, it's kind of hard to see in photos due to the black color, but the front passenger door has a massive dent it in. Like someone literally kicked in the side of it. I was going to try and push it out some from the inside, but the door has already had some rust repair done, and had some bondo work performed along the lower lip. The rear passenger door also has some rust issues. Those 2 doors and the passenger floor pan are the only body related issues I need to tackle. I've been having trouble finding rust free doors anywhere, and was even wiling to pay $150+ for good ones. Then, like a gift from above, 4 very clean doors were posted on marketplace for a measly $80 bucks. I saw the ad as soon as it went up, and I messaged him immediately. After talking, he offered to actually meet me near where I work during lunch to make the swap in 2 days. I even offered to pay him ahead of time to secure them, because I know how hard it is to find XJ parts lately. He said no, they're all yours, but he left the ad up which made me a little nervous.

Sure enough, he showed up with the doors, and he told me he received over 40 messages on them. They're blue, so I'll need to get them painted, but I can sell the 2 doors I don't need, as well as the door panels and other miscellaneous parts for enough to pay for the paint work and then some. Nice to get a win sometimes!

 

[Bob Heine]

If you haven't already done this, you might want to pull the A/C distribution tubes apart. A mouse I poisoned made the heater core of my Vega GT his Hospice. Dead mouse smell would go away until the next cold and rainy day. I thought it would eventually go away but I believe I just got used to Axe Dead Mouse Final Edition.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

If you haven't already done this, you might want to pull the A/C distribution tubes apart. A mouse I poisoned made the heater core of my Vega GT his Hospice. Dead mouse smell would go away until the next cold and rainy day. I thought it would eventually go away but I believe I just got used to Axe Dead Mouse Final Edition.

Thanks for the advice, Bob! The one task the previous owner did for me, was remove the entire dash, clean out all of the ductwork, and replace the heater core and evaporator. He then gave up on this project and listed it for sale…. And that’s where I came along haha. Silly me. With that said, I’m fairly confident that the dash is clear. He showed me pics of the whole process too. He’s actually a good dude, we’ve kept in touch!

 

[Mr. Roboto]

I finally tackled the slip yoke eliminator installation on the Jeep. Removing the transfer case was a pain. Only held in by 6 bolts, but they were not easy to get to, and required numerous extensions, swivels ect. But, finally out



Case split apart



And done. New shorter shaft installed, new tail case in place, and most importantly, a standard yoke in place of where the old slip yoke used to be. I didn't take any photos during the process, as I was kind of nervous about screwing it up haha.

Transfer case back in the jeep, and new double cardan CV shaft installed.



Driveline vibrations are noticeably better, but still present. The rear pinion angle still needs to be dialed in. After measuring, I think I need a set of 6 degree shims to really get it perfect.

 

[nicholam77]

Nice! Once again I am jealous of your automotive skills. Every time I've tried to do something mechanical on a car it seems to turn out 10x harder than I thought it would be due to access, seized bolts, finicky trim pieces, etc. I've been wanting to upgrade the clutch in my GTI for some time but don't want to spend the $1200+ for labor. Every time I think of attempting it myself I chicken out haha. Good for you for getting in there and doing all your own work!

 

[MrPink]

Nice XJ. I miss mine I have had quite a few over the years.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Nice! Once again I am jealous of your automotive skills. Every time I've tried to do something mechanical on a car it seems to turn out 10x harder than I thought it would be due to access, seized bolts, finicky trim pieces, etc. I've been wanting to upgrade the clutch in my GTI for some time but don't want to spend the $1200+ for labor. Every time I think of attempting it myself I chicken out haha. Good for you for getting in there and doing all your own work!

Thanks Nick! It's certainly less stressful when you're working on a project car, and not your daily driver. I used to be quite intimidated when I first started working on cars as well, especially when it was my daily driver (15+ years ago) that I needed to use to get back and fourth to work and school. The more you push yourself, the more you will learn, and the more you'll be comfortable taking on. Doing a clutch can be a fairly difficult task, though, so I wouldn't beast yourself up over being intimidated about jumping into that one.

Nice XJ. I miss mine I have had quite a few over the years.

Thanks! This one is the second one that I have owned. I am having fun doing all of the things I wished I could have done back when I had my first one.

 

[MrPink]

Yeah I have owned 4XJ's, 3 ZJ's 2 WJ's and a YJ and currently own a lifted Mk74 chassis Patriot.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

I’ll spare you all the details on why this turned out to be such a headache, but the 5* shims are in, and the rear pinion angle is now a perfect 2.1*.
Now I can do 85mph on the highway, no vibrations, the Speedo is accurate, and it drives straight as an arrow!



next up is a front steering brace and upgraded steering box spacer. The box attaches to the unibody with 3 bolts through a cheesy cast spacer. The extra force from steering the larger wider more aggressive tires can often cause stress cracks in the unibody, so I’m going to prevent that with these upgrades.

 

[nicholam77]

Nice, must feel good to get it all dialed in!

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Taking a break from the Jeep projects, and had to shift my attention back to some house stuff. Ever since I've finished the inside of the mud room, I've been staring at this atrocity. What used to be the old exterior door of the house before the addition was added, and a set of temporary steps that I built hastily to get us by. I'm embarrassed to admit it's been like this for years, now.



We decided to go with a full window door here, So, out came the old, and in with the new.



Inside view. This was taken at night, but during the day, the mudroom has a ton of natural light, which filters into the family room and really brightens up what was a dark corner. Note: there is a film on the glass still, it is not frosted.



Started building the new steps too. With the price of lumber, I kept construction simple. I used scraps I had on hand for the framing, and am using one sheet of cabinet grade plywood I bought for the sides and the risers.



If you have a keen eye, you'll notice that I got lazy and did not miter the joints where the risers meet the skirt board along the sides. I've been putting this project off for years, so I just want it over with. Call me lazy, but oh well. I'll sand and paint and hopefully I'll be the only one to notice. And all of you, now that I've pointed it out haha.

Next up is installing the stair treads and cove molding underneath them. I am going to stain the treads, and paint the rest white. Then trim out the door casing and call it a day. I mentioned it before, but my desk setup will be going in the corner of this room to the right of the stairs. I emptied out the room that did house my office as it's becoming baby #2's room. I ripped up the rug in there as well, in preparation for the new carpet being installed on Thursday.

 

[Bob Heine]

If you have a keen eye, you'll notice that I got lazy and did not miter the joints where the risers meet the skirt board along the sides. I've been putting this project off for years, so I just want it over with. Call me lazy, but oh well. I'll sand and paint and hopefully I'll be the only one to notice. And all of you, now that I've pointed it out haha.

Mr. Roboto, this is a tiny ding in your climb to GJ stardom. I share your need to get it done more than get it perfect. Sadly, one day many many months from now, when you are feeling especially proud of yourself, one of us will refer back to this post.

 

[zanyad]

Finally made it all the way through your thread. Your house and XJ have both come a long way. Good job!

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Mr. Roboto, this is a tiny ding in your climb to GJ stardom. I share your need to get it done more than get it perfect. Sadly, one day many many months from now, when you are feeling especially proud of yourself, one of us will refer back to this post.

Hahahaha I can picture this now. "Yeah, but remember the time you didn't miter the risers on that set of stairs you built?!"

Finally made it all the way through your thread. Your house and XJ have both come a long way. Good job!

Thanks for taking the time to read all the way through it all! It's grown quite long and quite off topic from a garage build thread at this point, but it's been fun to track it all in one place over the years. After these stairs and the door in the mudroom are done, I don't have any more big plans for house projects for a long time, so it will be nice to sit back for a while.

 

[nicholam77]

Unless privacy or insulation is important, I'm all for more glass! Natural light is the best light. The door looks great.

I don't see any issue with ****-jointing the risers. Since it's plywood you could have edge-banded it if you really wanted to hide the plys, but like you said some things just aren't worth it especially if it's holding the project up. I have a few of those projects that have sat around for years I'm sure your treads will overhang and no one is going to be on their hands and knees inspecting the sides anyways. The plywood looks nice, it will come out looking great!

We are in the middle of playing musical rooms with forthcoming baby / daughter's room, too. I don't have the extra space so we are converting her "playroom" to new bedroom, and making her old room the baby's room. Not sure how that transition will go but hopefully not too many bumps in the road.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Unless privacy or insulation is important, I'm all for more glass! Natural light is the best light. The door looks great.

I don't see any issue with ****-jointing the risers. Since it's plywood you could have edge-banded it if you really wanted to hide the plys, but like you said some things just aren't worth it especially if it's holding the project up. I have a few of those projects that have sat around for years I'm sure your treads will overhang and no one is going to be on their hands and knees inspecting the sides anyways. The plywood looks nice, it will come out looking great!

We are in the middle of playing musical rooms with forthcoming baby / daughter's room, too. I don't have the extra space so we are converting her "playroom" to new bedroom, and making her old room the baby's room. Not sure how that transition will go but hopefully not too many bumps in the road.

I’ve been thinking more about natural light since we discussed it in your thread. As you can see, my family room is quite a dark shade of green. I’m thinking about re painting in there someday to brighten it up. When I first got my house, I thought dark warm colors were the way to go, but I’ve pretty much done a 180 on that school of thought! Hard to really know as a 25 year old buying your first house haha. 9 years later I’m just starting to figure it out.

And thanks for telling me my **** joints are OK! I used to obsess about every little detail on stuff like this. That was ok pre-kids when I had all the time in the world (even though I didn’t realize it at the time haha). Now, priorities have certainly shifted and getting things done in a reasonable amount of time while still looking good enough has taken priority. I try to limit my shop time to evenings after my daughter goes to bed with the exception of some sacrificial weekends when we don’t have anything happen anyways.

I pulled the stairs out into the garage to get to painting and staining. First coat of each was applied.


quick mock up to see how it will look.


1 more cost of stain, paint, and several coats of poly to try and protect the finish as best as possible since it will see a lot of foot traffic.

Also, the rug in baby #2s room was installed yesterday morning. It looks darker in the photo, but it really brightened the space up so far.

 

[racer-john]

Nice job on the steps.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Nice job on the steps.

Thanks! I finally finished up the painting/staining/poly. I got the steps into position, and got my desk set up in the corner of the room. Finally starting to come together. I still need to trim the door out, but we're getting somewhere!

 

[nicholam77]

When I first got my house, I thought dark warm colors were the way to go, but I’ve pretty much done a 180 on that school of thought! Hard to really know as a 25 year old buying your first house haha. 9 years later I’m just starting to figure it out.

I don't think dark colors are bad necessarily, but it's true they don't reflect as much light and will make any space darker if it doesn't have the windows or lighting to compensate. Not always a bad thing -- like at night it might be cozier. I've always hated how my white walls look at night under artificial light, they are almost too luminous and really pick up on any "color cast" from LEDs. A lot of this stuff is personal taste, anyways. The current green in your living room actually goes with the mid-toned millwork and flooring pretty well I think. While it takes some work, the nice thing about paint is if you do try something else and don't like it, you can always paint it back!

I 100% feel the same way about when we bought our house. I did not really consider anything, or have any idea what I wanted. I was just happy to have more space and something that was entirely mine. Now after being there for 5 yrs, the list of things I would change is exponential, but I guess that comes with experience and developing personal taste.

I used to obsess about every little detail on stuff like this. That was ok pre-kids when I had all the time in the world (even though I didn’t realize it at the time haha). Now, priorities have certainly shifted and getting things done in a reasonable amount of time while still looking good enough has taken priority. I try to limit my shop time to evenings after my daughter goes to bed with the exception of some sacrificial weekends when we don’t have anything happen anyways.

Totally, haha. It's exhausting, but I mostly do work at night after bedtime with the occasional weekend hours, too. I suspect you might be the same way -- my daughter and I are more or less attached at the hip, she doesn't give me much of a break. And I like it like that. It was an adjustment in the beginning for sure, but I quickly realized how fast they grow up.

Btw the steps turned out great, and they match the desk nicely, too!

 

[Mr. Roboto]

I don't think dark colors are bad necessarily, but it's true they don't reflect as much light and will make any space darker if it doesn't have the windows or lighting to compensate. Not always a bad thing -- like at night it might be cozier. I've always hated how my white walls look at night under artificial light, they are almost too luminous and really pick up on any "color cast" from LEDs. A lot of this stuff is personal taste, anyways. The current green in your living room actually goes with the mid-toned millwork and flooring pretty well I think. While it takes some work, the nice thing about paint is if you do try something else and don't like it, you can always paint it back!

I 100% feel the same way about when we bought our house. I did not really consider anything, or have any idea what I wanted. I was just happy to have more space and something that was entirely mine. Now after being there for 5 yrs, the list of things I would change is exponential, but I guess that comes with experience and developing personal taste.



Totally, haha. It's exhausting, but I mostly do work at night after bedtime with the occasional weekend hours, too. I suspect you might be the same way -- my daughter and I are more or less attached at the hip, she doesn't give me much of a break. And I like it like that. It was an adjustment in the beginning for sure, but I quickly realized how fast they grow up.

Btw the steps turned out great, and they match the desk nicely, too!

All part of the process, we figure out what we like over time! You’re right, paint is a cheap thing to change and is far from permanent. I do hate painting, though haha. I can see what you’re saying about the light walls at night, not something I would have thought of either. And yes, the older she gets, the more she wants to help. I do love the fact that she takes an interest and enjoys doing things together, but it can be difficult to include her in some things. I try to let her help out on some of the “easier” tasks.

Banged out a few quick Jeep tasks last night. First up, my diff cover has been leaking at the rubber fill plug. The lift plus the axle shims rotate the pinion angle up. This causes the differential fluid level to be higher than the rubber fill plug, which causes a weep. Lowering the fluid level to compensate is not advisable, because then you can starve the pinion bearing. New diff cover is the solution, with a higher fill hole that screws on and seals up tight.

I had to chase several of the holes with a tap. The new cover screws are longer, and I suspect a few of the threads were a bit messed up from the previous owner. Out came my grandfathers tap handle, complete with his initials and date scribed into it.



HK 1980. Some of the tools I have of his are scribed with dates dating back to the 50s. He was a big part of who I am today. A Greek immigrant who came to this country with $300 to his name. I could go on and on, but he was a self taught machinist who ran a full machine shop out of his basement. He went on to machine several components that went up into space for the Apollo missions, and went on to build out and run an engineering department for a company that still exists today. What I would give for just one more conversation with him. He passed 11 years ago.



The new diff cover also more than doubled the fluid capacity… something I wasn’t prepared for!

I also installed my steering box brace from Kevin's Off-road. This addresses another know weak point on the XJ. Definitely a noticeable improvement in steering response. There is still a bit of a dead zone in the steering, but it’s an old Jeep. I’ll live with it (for now). A new steering box may come way

Finally, I threw my old dusty roof box on. We’re heading to a lake house we rented for the week, and decided to take the Jeep. We needed the extra space.


JUUUST fit out the garage doors too. My doors are 8+ feet tall.




And that’s it for now. Thanks for following along as always!

 

[Mr. Roboto]

We’ll, I guess I’m a glutton for punishment. A listing on Craigslist popped up for a 1998 Cherokee with very little information. Asking price $750. One image, and it just said “no rust, leaking coolant, needs brakes, tires and other work. Best for parts”

I called him, young kid who just wanted the thing gone. I shot over to see it, and was presented with a 95% rust free XJ that came from California 2 years ago. He knew almost nothing about cars. After checking it out, I realized the water pump let go so it’s leaking coolant, and the belt is loose since the pulley has so much play, so none of the accessories are turning.

It also needs brakes and tires at a minimum. I offered him $500 and we settled on $550. And absolute steal. It’s worth more even with a blown engine. It starts right up and runs fine, I’m just hoping it hasn’t overheated at some point. I had it towed home.

so, here it is. 1998 Cherokee Sport with 157k miles, automatic 4x4. Fixed up in this condition, it’s worth around 6k I’d say. The values on clean rust free stock XJs have been shooting up. The only rust on it is on the rear passenger door, and a little surface rust on the bumper, as you can see. The real kicker, is that this Jeep has a set of 16” TJ Moab wheels swapped onto it, which are very desirable and worth about $400 on their own. I’ll be keeping those, fixing up the rest of the Jeep, and flipping it. Hopefully it’s not too good to be true, but it seems like an incredible deal that I should be able to profit on pretty damn well! I’ve always talked about flipping cars, so this will be my first one.