iViva MMi: I bawt 'Murrican

[Goodspeed]

Everyone else was doing it, so it must be cool: I bought a XJ yesterday.

The details: 2000 Sport, 4.0L/AW4, Forest Green, 71k miles.

It's totally badass. I always knew they were, but suspicions confirmed after driving Thayer's lifted '92 when the Supra's fuel pump shit the bed, I knew I had to get one, and I'm sure it'll be a perfect compliment to the Miata.

Besides the usual maintenance/inspection stuff, it needs an alignment/drag-link adjustment - the 70's B-movie tire squall action is hilarious but annoying, and I plan to replace the mediocre stock lamps with some IPF H4's.











And yeah, I might like it to look like this after its paid off

[fiveoh2go]

Nice. :thumbup:

[balactm]

Schweet. Looks good man, I'm glad you finally got your xj. and yeah, you're right, there seems to be a trend of e36 m3's and xj's...wtf

[ScottyB]

that is way too clean for a jeep. nice find!

[Feersty]

Looks good man.

[HAULN-SS]

yah..get that thing on some dirt roads ASAP to unsissify that engine bay

[Jake]

Cool! Looks really clean. Was this a CL find or where?

And since you gave my E30 a LOLWUT, I'll ask what the reasoning was behind the purchase. Sure is nice having a trunk and backseat, I can confirm all that

They are pretty fun. Very rudimentary, easy to fix, not much breaks, and they have a ton of character, especially as they age. Congrats :thumbup:

[TorinoCobra070]

I agree, that is super clean for a Jeep. Better get a hitch for the Miata and make the Jeep a trailer queen.

[D_Eclipse9916]

yah..get that thing on some dirt roads ASAP to unsissify that engine bay

Its Goodspeed, the spark plug wires are probably already waxed after he got done his tip...I mean exhaust tips...

Clean pickup goodspeed!

[Goodspeed]

^Lol....thanks everyone

Cool! Looks really clean. Was this a CL find or where?

And since you gave my E30 a LOLWUT, I'll ask what the reasoning was behind the purchase. Sure is nice having a trunk and backseat, I can confirm all that

Found it through pure dumb luck, after looking at a couple misrepresented POS's and a clean one in my area that I was considering, I went to this dealer in MD to look at a black one and mine was parked next to it. They had just gotten it in and did their inspection/maintenance but hadn't yet put it on the website, and it was the year ('00 or '01) and color I wanted the most.

I got it for 4 reasons:

1) Just wanted a 2nd vehicle, as I've always wanted a fun car and a sensible DD and I'm already really enjoying seeing that through.
2) I really didn't want to track my only vehicle but this allows that to happen either late this year or the next, too.
3) I already got what the Miata is, so might as well have gotten what it ain't, and that includes something that can survive a future snowpocalypse.
4) I don't think I'm one of those people who could DD a 6spd sports car and enjoy it all the time, it was already starting to wear on me in Nova traffic and I was getting tired and bored with it. Now the Miata can be purely for fun.

I agree, that is super clean for a Jeep. Better get a hitch for the Miata and make the Jeep a trailer queen.

Already looked into that...a Class III hitch and accessories is pretty cheap for the XJ, though you'd probably want a trailer with brakes. Plenty of success stories of towing cars/boats with these, however apparently its a bitch to rent a car trailer from UHaul for these as they classify the XJ into a lower-capability category than it possibly is.

[Evan]

Nice cherokee, I really liked my 93

[Evan]

Already looked into that...a Class III hitch and accessories is pretty cheap for the XJ, though you'd probably want a trailer with brakes. Plenty of success stories of towing cars/boats with these, however apparently its a bitch to rent a car trailer from UHaul for these as they classify the XJ into a lower-capability category than it possibly is.

the guy that bought my 93 flew in from california, bought my jeep, drove it to NJ where he bought a boat, then drove it cross country towing the boat with no problems

[HAULN-SS]

I have rented u-haul a couple of times with mine..no problems. The only thing they questioned was the class of the hitch

[D_Eclipse9916]

Soo that means youll be signing up for Hyperdrive or HPDE 1 in November? :twisted:

And what he meant was a hitch on your miata to tow around your "showcar jeep".

Personally id be weary to tow around a miata and trailer with an XJ as its what...4500-5000lb towing capacity? A light steel trailer is 1500, full steel trailer is 2000lbs, plus 2800lbs full car, your right at the top limit of your tow capacity. I would get BIG ass transmission cooler and temp gauge, and DEFINITELY not do the top safari rack, or any grill gaurds, lifting or big tires as that will severely hurt your already underrated towing capacity for towing that miata.

However...your more than welcome for the November event to use my trailer if something happens to your car. A stock miata...you dont need to tow it :wink:

[xvxax]

Congrats on the purchase. I love XJs and my dad had one for the majority of my childhood. He sold it with 285,000 miles on it, and it seriously looked and ran like new. Awesome truck.

On a related note, my dad and I restored a tractor together when I was young. We used a dual axle equipment trailer and his XJ to tow the tractor to the Berryville, VA tractor show one year. Even though it had a towing package and a brake controller, with the tractor man did that thing struggle. Like 35mph on hills, oil temp rising on Route 7 struggling. I don't know how I would feel about doing that more than once. This is the same reason I won't tow a car with my 4.0 Ranger, despite the 5500lb rating on it.

[Goodspeed]

Yeah I didn't buy mine with the intention of towing with it - just an afterthought that might be worth trying once, if it can't do it I won't do it. How heavy is that tractor? XJ's have a 5000lb rating, I figured a 2300lb Miata (+random crap) on a light trailer might be doable.

[JustinG]

Just a heads up, screw the ipf head lights search autopals on ebay, ill be getting a set, they are glass and comparable to hella and IPF. Guys on the forums swear by them and they are 1/4 the cost for a set with bulbs. Also upgrade your headlight harness and you'll notice a huge difference even with stock headlights. If you want a hitch let me know ill keep an eye out at the junkyard since mine was only $26, compared to $126 new.

[xvxax]

Just looked it up. 4400lbs for a Model T, which is what I think we had. Add to that a full wood deck trailer, and I'm guessing maybe 5500lbs? Oops.

[kcook]

congrats on the new jeep goody! I see OG is paying you well bah I need a 2nd car badly for this statement

"it was already starting to wear on me in Nova traffic and I was getting tired and bored with it. Now the Miata can be purely for fun."

I was saying I needed a 2nd car when I had my wrx..

[Ryan T]

I wouldn't tow with it. Even though mine has everything DJ mentioned going against it (lift, tires, roof rack), it'd die with a car and trailer behind it. I've towed an aluminum trailer full of brush and wood (prolly about 3,000lbs total) and it struggled. Shit it's all a cherokee can do to get up to the speed limit on the interestate and stay there.