xjTalk has a new member - Deviate!

[4.3LXJ]

Glad you joined our group Deviate!

Are you an old Jeeper, or new to the hobby? What brings you to our site? Do you have an off road monster, a daily driver, or something in between?

Check out "Announcements" "How to post an image" for help posting images.

[Deviate]

First Jeep, my 24th vehicle overall (since '97).

It's neither an offroad monster, daily driver, nor is it really anything in between. It's a project that I took upon myself.

I traded a nice BMW E34 Touring for this XJ, and admittedly I got the raw end of that deal.

The XJ has been in my family since it rolled off the dealer in '96. 245k miles, 2-door, 5 speed, 4x4. Pretty basic with manual everything.

As purchased:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0499.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0498.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0495.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMAGE_155.jpg

Super-sweet custom fuel cap:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMAGE_150.jpg

I got ~10 miles on it before a catastrophic engine failure. The car already had a foot-and-a-half in the grave. Apparently that 10 miles was enough to put the proverbial bullet into Ole' Yeller.

The oil pan:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0533.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0537.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0536.jpg

Sooooo, 245k miles on an engine that obviously failed badly enough to send shrapnel through the pan? Time for a new (used) engine!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0502.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0503.jpg

Tore it down to clean it up:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0505.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0507.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0519.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0523.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0532.jpg

Out with the old:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0530.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0544.jpg

In with the new:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0546.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0548.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0549.jpg

Mmmmmm, I love the smell of neglect in the morning:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0550.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0551.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0553.jpg

As it currently sits with a set of TJ Canyons on there (not "cool", but at least they all match both in appearance and offset now):
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/XJ/IMG_0554.jpg

I've only had the XJ for ~ a month. New balljoints, tie rod ends, windshield and possibly the left mirror will be coming this week.

And a parting shot to the E34 I had to give up to make this project XJ possible:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Touring/IMG_0475.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Touring/CRL_Spring_Cruise_132.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Touring/CRL_Spring_Cruise_134.jpg

[Deviate]

Here's a few of my other current project: 92 Miata

As purchased back in February:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/Photo-0002.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/Photo-0012.jpg


New (used) top after the old one cracked along the rear window:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMAGE_072.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMAGE_071.jpg


Goodbye 18-year-old, peeling OEM steering wheel, hello Momo Mod 88:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Mobile%20Uploads/0_IMAGE_059.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Mobile%20Uploads/0_IMAGE_063.jpg


Bulky, cracked, useless center console out, Barchetta console in:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Mobile%20Uploads/0_IMAGE_075.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Mobile%20Uploads/0_IMAGE_078.jpg


Ground control SpecMiata Coilovers with Bilstein HDs:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMAGE_084.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Mobile%20Uploads/0_IMAGE_092.jpg

~2.5" drop:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Mobile%20Uploads/0_IMAGE_095.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMAGE_099.jpg


Rollbar goodness (woot! for reduced likelihood of death!):
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Mobile%20Uploads/0_IMAGE_122.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMAGE_126.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMAGE_125.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Mobile%20Uploads/0_IMAGE_131.jpg


Some Duplicolor bronze on the wheels, just for the hell of it:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMG_0105.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMG_0104.jpg


Alignment (little out of spec):
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Mobile%20Uploads/0_IMAGE_141.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Mobile%20Uploads/0_IMAGE_142.jpg


RCI Platinum (2 extra years of SFI certification) camlock 5/6 point harnesses!:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMG_0363.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMG_0366.jpg


Carpeted the console/shifter surround since I couldn't get the black plastic of the console and the painted black fiberglass of the shift surround to match:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMG_0374.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMG_0375.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMG_0380.jpg


New (free used) Radio #1 after some *** stole the faceplate from my ~15 year old Panasonic:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMG_0467.jpg


Shiftknob and visor blanking plates:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMG_0472.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMG_0473.jpg


And last (so far): New Radio #2 after I dropped the faceplate from New Radio #1 down a storm drain... oops:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/Deviate_3s/Miata/IMAGE_219.jpg


At some point soon, I need to coat the floorboards with truck bed liner. I have the stuff to do it, just lacking the time/desire/drive. :thumbsup:

[4.3LXJ]

Glad you got the Jeep running again. Tough break with the motor, but you will have peace of mind now. Nice Miata too.

[Mudderoy]

Those are some great and interesting pictures.

[Thomass]

Nice and interested photo's, Hope to see more of your doing's

[XJ4IV]

Welcome from the southside (houston) I think you live near where I used to live in plano... those apts look familiar

[Deviate]

Glad you got the Jeep running again. Tough break with the motor, but you will have peace of mind now. Nice Miata too.

I kinda knew what I was getting myself into on the Jeep before I agreed to the deal. I'd just hit the proverbial wall on the Bimmer; I got bored with it.

The XJ has had to tolerate my little brother's abuses over the last ~6 years. He drove that thing into the ground and neglected it really, really badly (see brake rotor pics as an example). So I traded my E34 to a friend for a solid little E30 318i for my brother to drive, then I took over the Jeep.


Welcome from the southside (houston) I think you live near where I used to live in plano... those apts look familiar

Fort Worth, actually. :thumbsup: