Welcome JTsXJ87!!!

[cantab27]

Hi JTsXJ87, welcome to the xjtalk forum!

We would love to know more about you and your Jeep. How you found us, etc...

Be sure and check out our XJ TALK SHOW! (http://podcasts.xjtalk.com) It\'s about Cherokees! It\'s like a radio talk show, but from the Internet.

Check out our sister sites, http://www.WranglerTalk.com/ and http://www.di-dah-dit.com/

[JTsXJ87]

Aaaah, finally a moment. Wow I can't believe it's been three weeks since I joined the forum. Sorry for taking so long to introduce myself. I'm not one who is very active online but I think this site might change that.

I just got my first Jeep and its and an XJ, Yeeeah buddy! I bought it from my step dads cousin Ronnie. His dad was the original owner but he died almost ten years ago and Ronnies been storing it at his house pretty much unused ever since. Anyway I inquired about it and he had no problem selling it to me. I think he was about to graveyard this national treasure because I found a cash for clunkers card sitting in the center counsel when I first got in it.

$150 - Thats how much I paid for it. The price of the last two year's registration. Yeeah buddy!

It's a 1987 I6 4.0 Laredo. Perfect body, never been crashed, banged or bumped. When I first got the paint was heavily oxidized but I've been working on that with rubbing compound a little every day. The Interior, beside a small tear on the driver seat is perfect. I'll post pics.

Not having spent much to buy this black beauty is decided to get busy making road worthy again.

So Far I have... In order

Put new tires, Wrangler ATs
Replaced the rear door shocks
Lubbed up the dried out rubber weather stripping along the windows so I could roll up and down the windows.
Oil Change and filter
Seafoamed the engine
Replaced all the belts under the hood
Checked the brakes, they were perfect
Removed the valve cover to replace the gasket - it was seeping oil,
Replaced the oil Cap
New spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor
K&N air filter - Not the cold air intake
Fuel filter
and yesterday after feeling I like it was still lacking in some power, tightened up the throttle cable by lifting my accelerator pedal even with my brake pedal and placing a nylon spacer in the space left between the end of the cable and the end of my accelerator. That job cost me $1.50. Now I've got a passing gear for the freeway.

Anyway that's it so far. Trying to think of what else I can do to it. Right now I'm getting about 16 or 17 miles to the gallon an a twenty gallon tank. I'd like to get that up to 20 if I can.

If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear em.

Thanks, hope to hear back from you all.

Yo Mudderoy, Love the pod cast. I've listened to #40 through #51 in the past week and can't get enough. Keep up the good work.

Oh yeah one last thing. I was informed by cousin Ronnie that neither he or his father have ever put the Jeep in 4wheel drive. Whaaaaat! 26 year old Virgin 4x4! Guess I'll have to do the deed huh?

[JTsXJ87]

Here it is

[Mudderoy]

:welcome: to :xjtalk:

:thanx: for taking time to join, and nice job on the find and the save.

We love the pictures around here! :popcorn:

[4.3LXJ]

Oh man, pristine for sure

[XJ Wheeler]

Very nice! And you just can't beat free. Unbelievable its never been put in 4wd, its gonna LOVE that first time.

Welcome to xjtalk. Great to hear you're liking the show, the guys put a lot into it. Hope we can help ya get your jeep outfitted to your liking. What's your plans for it?

[JTsXJ87]

Plans for now are just making sure it doesn't brake down on me. But reading all the praise and glory that the 4.0 gets I'm thinking it wont be to tough to make sure that doesn't happen. It definitely going to be a daily driver. I've got about a 20 mile commute to work, stop and go. Gas mileage is the key right now. I am one who really enjoys camping, hiking, fishing and generally just be out doors so eventually I will be finding me a dirt road out there to break the baby in. The first weekend in May I will be heading out to Lone Pine/Big Pine CA to go fishing. Should take me about 5 1/2 hours to get there from the Los Angeles. It will be the longest drive with my XJ so far.

I'm thinking eventually. 4 inch lift on 33s will look pretty kick ass and should allow be to have some fun. I've been watching a lot of YouTube vids with stock XJs doing some pretty crazy stuff. Its amazing to me what things are capable of without the lift and big tires.

Looking under the Jeep today i noticed that the shocks that are on right now are Gabriel Gas something LJs, can't read the label clearly because its worn and sorta all rusted up. Would these be the stock shocks still on or are these aftermarket upgrades? Should I just get some new ones being that it just sat around for 10 years and don't know when they might have been replaced before that? If I could get some suggestions that would be great.

[XJ Wheeler]

Plans for now are just making sure it doesn't brake down on me. But reading all the praise and glory that the 4.0 gets I'm thinking it wont be to tough to make sure that doesn't happen. It definitely going to be a daily driver. I've got about a 20 mile commute to work, stop and go. Gas mileage is the key right now. I am one who really enjoys camping, hiking, fishing and generally just be out doors so eventually I will be finding me a dirt road out there to break the baby in. The first weekend in May I will be heading out to Lone Pine/Big Pine CA to go fishing. Should take me about 5 1/2 hours to get there from the Los Angeles. It will be the longest drive with my XJ so far.

I'm thinking eventually. 4 inch lift on 33s will look pretty kick ass and should allow be to have some fun. I've been watching a lot of YouTube vids with stock XJs doing some pretty crazy stuff. Its amazing to me what things are capable of without the lift and big tires.

Looking under the Jeep today i noticed that the shocks that are on right now are Gabriel Gas something LJs, can't read the label clearly because its worn and sorta all rusted up. Would these be the stock shocks still on or are these aftermarket upgrades? Should I just get some new ones being that it just sat around for 10 years and don't know when they might have been replaced before that? If I could get some suggestions that would be great.

Sounds like a good start. Perfect use for a Cherokee, the outdoors fits them well. :D

Well, i doubt many XJs of that age still have the stock shocks anyways, but they're are probably just a stock replacement. If you're gonna do the lift they're coming off anyway. Since its been sitting for that long it would be a good idea just to check them for compression. And also check out all the bushings, isolators, and generally any rubber pieces. They hate to sit like that. Give everything a good lubing and since you don't know its history give the engine compartment and undercarriage a GOOD look through. Don't want any part barely bolted on, or missing hardware.

You could start a build thread if you wanted, that way it keeps all your work chronicled for you or others to look back on.