it was actually 1983 when Lee iacocca started building minivans. I know for a fact because I was hired January 4th, 1984 at chrysler assembly plant 2 in Fenton, Missouri (Saint louis). many good memories from my youth working there. we built the diplomats there until 1985 to keep up with demand. great channel Tony and Kathy!
Three days ago we had “goodbye gambler hello gasser”. UTG says “ I am not an off-road guy and I can’t imagine pulling chunks of mud and grass out of every nook and cranny“. Three days later UTG is applying the law of abundance to XJ jeeps and talking about doing a 4 x 4 conversion?? I can’t help but think uncle Kathy is a saint/One bad ass chick lol. I love XJ’s.
And a "hybrid" was a De Tomaso Pantera, Jensen Interceptor, or Iso Griffo...an Italian car with an American V8 lurking under the hood. Now look how that term has been misappropriated and bastardized... :-P
@@aussiebloke609 -- yeah, buddy! I remember those cars. Pantera was powered by a 351 Ford, if I remember right, and Jensens had 413 Mopar power...never got close enough to a Griffo to check it out, but that was the Golden Age...and you're so right about these embarrassments they're turning out today. They all try to look like an Audi, except for the ones that look like they're competing for Ugliest Golf Cart awards. Back in the day I had my "fleet of Chargers," 4 different ones, so I get that law of abundance thing, too.
@@lordphullautosear Almost. I believe the Pantera was exclusively 351 Ford (with both Windsor and Cleveland blocks), but Jensen has a choice of 360, 383 and 440 (the 440 being the most common I saw as a kid in Australia.) Never heard of one with a 413, although from Jensen, anything's possible. :-) PS: Just to confuse matters, the Iso Griffo was offered with either a GM 327, 427, or 454...or a Ford Boss 351. :-P
The 97's weren't.... that's the year they introduced them. Bought a brand new one end of 96, ours was a lemon but we kept it. Took about two years to excise all the deamons. A bunch of them went out without a rubber grommet on the main wire bundle that ran through the firewire. That's when I learned all about chafing...
Uncle Tony has the XJ itch! I love it! Thanks for the shout out buddy! Love the channel. You are the Mopar G.O.A.T.! Been watching you since the beginning.
Good to see that I'm not the only one. Every time I find a vehicle that I really like, I end up bringing home several. I've done this with Darts, Broncos, Novas, Monte Carlos, F150s, etc.
I have been asked why I want more than one of a certain car. Well one has a black interior and the other has a blue. I have always bought multiples of certain cars. It kind of makes sense if you know the car you can fix it easier.
If those parts are for the VR4 and TT you have a small fortune on your hands and liquidating them would be very easy, especially driveline related bits (the market has went to the moon on 6-speed Getrag’s, there associated transfer cases, and have he LSD rear ends for those cars)....
I’ve had an 01 xj, a 90 xj, and am now daily driving a 91 MJ. These are great vehicles even the grand Cherokees ZJ/WJ are awesome suvs. Excited to see what you do with them and the new one when you get it. Bleepinjeep is a good channel as well!
Impala wagons 76 or so did the same thing. Drops like a power window. Had a chance to buy one all original body and paint with a little stroker motor swapped in but didn't have the cash. It's cool though I still know the guy that ended up with it.
That was great until your accounting book in high school drops down there. I told my teacher what happened and she said it was OK, it had happened to her on her GM wagon too.
I had one of those, briefly, (Really a friend loaned it to me while my Duster was between engines. He had lots of cars cause we did some minor wheeler-dealering and flipping at the time. I was considering kinda turning it into like a trades van inside, but feeding the 455 kinda wasn't sustainable if I wanted to put anything toward my Duster, (I did deliveries for work but the gas bill was more than I got paid for it..)
First car was a 98 Jeep Cherokee Sport in line 6! Had a fast 4 high, 4 low and 2 wheel drive stick shifter and a sweet emergency brake. I beat the dog crap out of it on the highway to the trails. Loved that thing!
That was a vehicle I always wanted along with a Jeep CJ, but now both are a small fortune. The stance on a Eagle with some good mud tires always had a sexy look IMO, & the Eagle really seemed more like a modern crossover then a wagon or SUV.
Convert an injection computer managed 4.0 to a carb and distributer. I've been trying to figure out how to make an EMP proof XJ. Working on two of them right now.
A 258ci intake & dizzy is all you need + a FPR for the carb. RADesigns has a manual rail shifter for the AW4 auto, or a 5 spd requires no electronics...
You know Tony, when I was in high school I had an SUV. Only it was actually a 1955 Plymouth station wagon. Put an old hemi in it and had a ball. Today I own a Jeep station wagon. Only now they call it an SUV. It's funny, they both were and are 4 doors with space in the back. The Jeep does have a sort of four wheel drive but I can no longer work on it cause it's just a rolling computer. If changing names and making it impossible to work on is progress, well...
I just did a 96 xj and I love it ... I did a 6.5 long arm lift front and rear steal crawler bumpers 33s skip yoke eliminator and double Caribbean driveshaft... It's a true beast on the trails out here in the Colorado Rockies and still is good on the road. Next is 456 gears with lockers
I had an 89 Laredo 4x4 from 89-93 in Northern Jersey. I loved that truck, best all around vehicle for snow, rain and no trouble. I would like another one for the snow here in PA.
Had a '98 XJ, 4-door, 4.0L, with the 5-speed manual and 4x4. It had 265k miles on it when I gave it to a friend and was still going strong. Really wonderful trucks and I wouldn't mind having one again.
Very True , The Van Conversion Replaced the Family Station wagon , But the Good thing it Opened The DIY Market Cause theirs no Right or Wrong in Your Own Design. Just Safety.
I want one of these so bad. Up here in WI, everything on these things below the Cherokee badge on the front fender is solid rust. They are good snow vehicles, so they got run every winter, and even being durable as they are 30 years of salty roads utterly destroys them. Want to make some money? buy those things down south, milage doesn;t matter so long as it is clean, and haul them up here to sell. You will double your money.
Not what I want to hear… my daughter has a 2-year job at U. Wisconsin at Madison starting in October. She has a totally rust-free 2-door, stick, 4x4 99 XJ, and I kinda hoped maybe Madison didn’t use salt as much as they do from Ohio eastward. I think I’ll try to persuade her to find a sh*tbox Subaru for a couple of years and keep the XJ safe.
@@stevelacker358 Wise. I90/94 will paint her car white in less then 1 mile in the winter. Madison's beltline is about the same, and you don't get anywhere even local without running on that. We put things away by Halloween up here.
Tony, I got a 95, 254000 original miles, ran without burning oil 4wd with the awd transfer case. the ignition switch quit and its just been sitting for last 2 years as i was just using it for my farm only driver. it is still all complete and although quite a few miles ran just fine. you can have it for free if you want to come to Pa to get it.
I’m in Toledo, Ohio... everyone is either related or knows someone who has worked at Jeep. My father-in-law painted them from the mid 70’s till mid 2000’s 👍🏻 I have the ‘70 AMC Ambo coupe 😉 for sale if looking.
I'm not a big Jeep guy but when I drove past the old plant and saw the lone chimney with JEEP on it and most of the buildings gone I felt so bad, sad for America :(
After ignoring them for more than 20 years I now have an '03 Durango R/T. Used it to tow the Demon to the track last time out, it's a keeper. 5.9 liter (360) v8, 46RE Torqueflight, 8-1/4 rear axle, will fit tall tires if needed (275-60-17 factory). I'd been thinking about a Jeep but nothing with much tow capacity till the newer stuff.
I picked up a 97 ZJ this winter for two reasons. 1) The engine was done and the owner was tired of messing with it (his messing with it ensured it was done btw), and 2) it was only $750 and a Texas Jeep (no rust at all). I also have a rebuilt 5.2 magnum out of a 2002 Ram 1500 sitting around doing nothing, so, project initiated. I have all I need to do the conversion from 4.0l to 5.2l and have been gathering other bits and pieces to upgrade on the cheap. Looking forward to your jeep content as I work on my jeep...and my 98 Ram 1500 4x4...and my chevy Tracker (one of two), and my wife's 2003 International school bus conversion...but I digress.
In 1990 I was driving a 1973 factory 454 impala. Now I'm driving a 1990 ford aerostar three liter long body and loving it. Me and the dogs and cruise control withe factory cassette deck. Time and perspective change.
Ive always been a ford guy, never been into offroading or jeeps, early 2020 I picked up my first XJ, it was an unloved rustbucket that had been sitting under a tree in someone's back yard for God knows how long, immediately fell in love with it. They really are just a happy vehicle, I can't explain it fully, they're chirpy, loveable,you have to drive one to understand. Since that day in 2020 I've owned 4 XJs (3 of which I still have and one which was too rusty to salvage now gone) one ZJ and two WJs My Falcon and mustang now sit patiently waiting for me to finish messing with multiple jeep projects but I can't seem to stop buying the damn things, truly there is something special about the XJ and even it's ZJ and WJ brethren.
Hi Tony , im a 60 yr old in Sydney Aust and have been into aussie mopars all my life . I currently own a 1970 valiant pacer hardtop which i love . I recently bought a 95 xj for a runabout and carrying our dogs , now i like it so much ive bought another 96xj for $ 900 with a supposedly blown head gasket however the headgasket is fine . Seemed very coincidental with your story
I get it Tony. I have my dart, and my power wagon, and a few others. Bough the cherokee to flip. Fell in love. Still have it and still love to drive it. can't wait to see what you do.
Dude I'm with ya, I've been an AMC fsj fan since before I could drive. My first jeep is an 80 j10 that I pulled from my grandpa's field. I've since gotten a fsj cherokee and now an 84 Grand Wagoneer. I've owned at least 5-6 amc jeep since 2020 and a few more before that.
I worked on these things for years. I was with AMC when they were sold to Chrysler. They were great vehicles. I started with them in 86 and left Chrysler in 2008. I know these things like the back of my hand. I remember when CJ’s were still under warranty. I remember working on a Golden Eagle CJ. Black with gold Eagle on the hood. Lift kit with big tires. Had a V8 with side pipes. All the chrome was gold plated. Gorgeous truck. You let the clutch out and it would just chug along.
Last year, I bought the wife a 1999 jeep grand cherokee 4x4 She absolutely Loves it! And I'll admit, I am very impressed with it myself. I can understand the following that these vehicles have..
had 3 a 99 a 2000 and 2001 4x4. didnt know they even made a 2 wheel drive. here in Maine the roads where full of them 15 years ago and now i haven't seen one anywhere. rust never sleeps!
I absolutely love my XJ, I've had 7 Jeeps of various models and can't deny that they are my favorite model. I feel the exact way you feel about them, they're bare-bones and simple. When I can't drive my Fury, the XJ fills that itch for something mechanical and simple. I'm really excited to see the Jeep content coming up as you are my go-to source for anything Mopar and I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Jeeps.
260,000 miles on 6 cyl Jeep XJ from early 90s and still running well. Great engine and solid platform. One item for improvement would have been the automatic transmissions.
not sure what the early XJs have as a auto trans, but the AW4 auto thats pretty common in the 4.0 XJs is actually well known for being super reliable and routinely lasting for 200k+ easily. mines on 310k and still going strong, and still shifts firm.
But they were Chryslers 😖 The big reason the 4.0 went away is in the end it was down to one platform (WJs) and it needed too much redesign to meet future emissions and economy goals. Plus KEP was the red headed stepchild as far as corporate was concerned. KEP had too many inefficiencies in the facility. No interstate access. Older disjointed facility. Plus corporate wanted to concentrate engine production in one area for transportation costs.
It warms my heart that Tony can’t mess with such nicely preserved copies of classic, iconic vehicles. Some things are sacred in this world after all. 😎😎. I can’t wait to see what he does when he has a beater to tinker with! I just sold my all stock 1996 4.0 5spd 4x4 and I miss it so much.
up here where i live in northeast pa....on any given night you can hear them rust away...but that being said they are popular as hell...easy to modify...unbelieveable after market support....and they are fun as hell to drive..
I'm with you about the law of abundance. We bought a XJ about 15 years ago for my mom, because she liked it. Now, we're into our 3rd Jeep product. The XJ is being passed on to my son who just got his license, I have a J10 (well, used to be anyway) and a CJ5. I keep wondering what's gonna follow me home next.
I grew up doing late 60s Darts and Valiants, loving the Miatas when they came out but never had one, andI still have my 21 year-old Plymouth Voyager and I use this thing like a truck. The only thing missing to make this channel perfect is a Grand National
I've got a 96 XJ I bought in 97 with 20k on it. The thing was as basic as they come, 2 doors, 2wd, 4.0, stick, AC and nothing else, it didn't even have a factory radio. It's now almost a quarter century and well over half a million miles and I still love driving the thing. Spent a few hours changing the oil and giving it a good cleaning and will be taking on a trip around the North Carolina Outer Banks in a few weeks.
I understand your obsession with the older Cherokees. We had one or another from about 07 to 2015. I loved them. Simple, easy to work on and decent gas mileage. Mine were all 4x4 because we towed it 4 down behind our RV. I bought a new one in 2015. Not the same car. Better mileage, a little quieter softer ride but not the same and virtually impossible to work on. We kept it until last December after feeling the transmission start to hesitate. The transmissions on the fiat jeeps sucks for reliability and longevity. Getting old now so my wrenching days are pretty much behind me. Got the wife a Subaru because of consumer reports keep listing it on top for reliability. Still not a Jeep but she is happy.
Luv my minivans. Friends in school drove their parents station wagons. Practical AND fast. 400/454/460 beasts. My '13 Grand Caravan purrs at 80mph and gets 25+ mpg. Use them for work and can't be beat.
My first car was a 6cyl 5-speed XJ and while I've had to drive other vehicles due to availability and northern winter destroying cars, I don't want to drive anything else but the XJ. It's practical. It's comfortable enough to go long distance...but I can still feel every motion and know for example I'm about to lose traction in the right rear unless I back off. It's not much to look at, it's not particularly fast, but it feels like it's capable of anything you need it for to just get in it and go. I'm glad I'm not crazy in feeling this way.
Im stoked for this! I accidentally fell in love with my '95 XJ that I bought from an ex employee who was moving to Colorado and couldn't take it. Threw a rad and water pump in it and thought I'd sell it, but I've been driving it every day since for the last year. Let's do this!
I own a 95 XJ 4dr. Stock 4.0 litre engine. Swapped in a Ford 9" rear and Dana 44 disc front from a 79 F150, easy enough swap. Great little rust free 4X. Getting hard to find these up here in Montana land.
I had a 2001 Cherokee, 4x4, 4.0L six and I loved the thing but I had to commute 30 miles to work every day so I ended up getting a new Subaru and now I am a Subie nut. I'd like to get an old Jeep CJ though, I still like the off-road capability and driving around in an open top in the summer.
I used to feel the same about Jeeps too, now I have two Comanches and a WJ. Personally I love the AMC 150. I want to stroke and cam and see how much power that little 4 banger can get.
I used to be a mechanic when the XJ was everywhere and seen tons of them. The 4.0l is a bulletproof engine and I’ve seen several with almost 400,000 miles on them. I’ve always been a Jeep fan and currently own a 2010 Liberty. I bought it not really entirely caring for it but it served the purpose I needed it for which was basic safe reliable transportation for my family. I’ve owned it since 2012 and as much as I love the new Jeep trucks and want one I can’t bring myself to get rid of the Liberty it’s just too good of a Jeep it still runs perfect it gets me through every snow storm every muddy trail to and from work and even long trips and at first I wrote it off as a wannabe Jeep but it’s a true Jeep and other than the wrangler and gladiator probably the last of the true Jeep’s
My dad drove Chrysler cars, And Jeeps for work back in the day. He drove a big 'ol Cherokee Chief all thru the '70s. then in the 1980's he had a couple of these XJ types. He even ended up buying my mom an AMC Eagle 4 wheel drive wagon in the '80s after he gave up on Mopar offerings at the time. They drove those till he went to his reward!
loved my xj 4wd was an excellent car, it was pretty thirsty in the hill city i live in but a good tow vehicle. the only trouble was the rear axles get worn with the bearings running on them.
It's a jeep thing gets REALLY expensive! just remember, jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket! I'm excited to watch the XJ vids! I built a 2002 TJ. It took 9 years, but i think its finished!
"Perspective and time changes everything." Btw, friend of mine used to have an interesting jeep. Willys CJ5, actually. '70 or '71, which from what I remember was an in-between year from Kaiser to AMC. It had a Buick V6. On highway, maxed out at like 70mph, but would climb any hill like it was coasting. You and your Buick friend should talk.
Great topic. I have a 97 xj grand cherokee and am thinking you will teach us how to deal with the crappy wiring, crappy plastic parts that break. And crappy door locks.
The XJ I wanted was the late 80s Cherokee Limited, but I could never afford one, but you are right the XJ is an awesome vehicle, my second favorite is the Gen 1 Liberty just something about the design
this is what I love about 90's and 2000's cars, they are still mostly based on the old technology. The EFI and ignition are 80's era tech but the rest is just revised parts they've been using since the 50's. A little more complicated, but still manageable.
I love my 2000 4x4 xj! My parents had a 87 back when I was a kid and my dad got a 01 later down the line. I've always liked them and being a mopar guy it was only natural that I would look for one to add to my mopar line up and I found a really clean one with 99k miles on it. It now has 117k miles on it and runs great. I recently put 1 flowmaster 40 series muffler on it and it sounds good. It's more throaty at idle and sounds like a v8 now. It's my daily and very practical. It's perfect for dogs because the back seat folds down making a nice open flat surface for them. Other than the muffler swap I tinted my front two Windows as the backs were already tinted and I had the strip along the top of the front windshield tinted. I also went with a nice bigger tire with rugged tread.
I have had an itch to build a drag XJ for ages......Small block swaps are a thing. Slap an exploder 8.8 under the back for some 4.10s and disc brakes, small block with an overdrive, lower the back and radius the wells, leave the front in the air, tunnel ram with dual quads, cage, red tint windows and try to go 11's....
I bought my first XJ in January of this year, a 2000 2wd. It's a great car for me, I want another one and they are not so easy to find. As the man says, a good, "basic" vehicle. All of today's popular family cars are really not much different than when I was growing up in the 50's and 60's. We had a station wagon called a "Cross Country" with a fold-down back seat that made an almost flat area for sleeping. What about the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser,, another nice one. Really now, are these crossovers and SUV's and mini-vans so much different? We didn't have front wheel drive until much later, which changed the layout dramatically. Fuel injection and computer management allowed for smaller engines. Same idea though - a steel box going down the road with people and stuff in it.
I had a '81 short wheelbase Ply Voyager I bot new and I absolutely loved it. I was told the longer ones ate transmissions, but that coulda been the dealer (scumbag) trying to sell me the one he had in stock. Yeah, a bit nerdy, but very reliable. I had a business where I needed to transport modest amounts of stuff and it served me really well. Plus made about 15 trips LA > SF and back and it could make that drive at 80 mph all the way no problem. As Tony said, they are stupid useful, practical.
If you find some seats from a Grand Cherokee in the junk yard (I've seen some really good shape ones in Knoxville Pull-A-Part) they bolt right into those seat mounts. And they have better nuts too.
Helz ya man. My daily is a 79 F150 4x4 300. But... I just picked up a 98 XJ a month ago. I'm building her to be as capable and nice as my 79. It's kinda like working on my 79.
I'm just doing my darndest trying to find an XJ in good enough condition that I only have to worry about the drivetrain. I want it to be used in teaching my son and daughter about not only learning to drive but how to maintain a vehicle.
Lol tony is just like me i fall in love with cars and trucks too much. i feel like i have to keep them stock but i still want to modify them, but make the best of what there.
I own a 1996 xj 4.0 manual now. I had a 1986 xj with the 2.5 and when I got rid of it I felt I made the wrong choice. So when I got my 96 I vowed never to get rid of it. The xj is by far the best jeep made. But I will concede that the willez/cj/wrangle line is the most iconic. I will be honest before I die I will have a WW2 jeep or a cj1.
haha I've been in love with the Jeep XJ since they came out. We've had 6 of them in the family. Road salt is their main weekness. I currently have a 1990 XJ that I've POR-15 it underneath and inside hoping it lasts me the rest of my life.
Gave my 2000 4x4 4.0 sport to my daughter as a first car (Jeep), seemed right as my in laws gave me the XJ after my 96 Bronco was T-boned by a mini van (of course). Bought a 07 TRD Tundra 5.7. Miss the ole xj and still getting apx 12 mpg city 15 highway.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
it was actually 1983 when Lee iacocca started building minivans. I know for a fact because I was hired January 4th, 1984 at chrysler assembly plant 2 in Fenton, Missouri (Saint louis). many good memories from my youth working there. we built the diplomats there until 1985 to keep up with demand. great channel Tony and Kathy!
Hey Fenton how you doing it's Arnold. Appreciate the time you put in over there off of 44.
@@TA_Plus_Hemi yes sir Arnold! living in creve coeur now. miss the old place. it's gone now!
@@kurtzimmerman1637 my cousin was hired as an engineer in 1984 at the Chrysler plant in Fenton. He is now at Emerson
84 was the first model year though.
@@alanmerritt860 yes, your correct. they built'em in late 83 in Canada . I think it was windsor plant at first.
Three days ago we had “goodbye gambler hello gasser”. UTG says “ I am not an off-road guy and I can’t imagine pulling chunks of mud and grass out of every nook and cranny“. Three days later UTG is applying the law of abundance to XJ jeeps and talking about doing a 4 x 4 conversion?? I can’t help but think uncle Kathy is a saint/One bad ass chick lol. I love XJ’s.
ya, I think UT's losing it a bit!
$$$$
His son's project
Lol “ of all the things I’ve lost I missed my mind the most“
Ozzy
We will always get what we say we don’t want.
When I was working on cars, a "crossover" was a pipe that bridged the dual exhausts, just back of the collectors, LOL...
And a "hybrid" was a De Tomaso Pantera, Jensen Interceptor, or Iso Griffo...an Italian car with an American V8 lurking under the hood. Now look how that term has been misappropriated and bastardized... :-P
@@aussiebloke609 -- yeah, buddy! I remember those cars. Pantera was powered by a 351 Ford, if I remember right, and Jensens had 413 Mopar power...never got close enough to a Griffo to check it out, but that was the Golden Age...and you're so right about these embarrassments they're turning out today. They all try to look like an Audi, except for the ones that look like they're competing for Ugliest Golf Cart awards. Back in the day I had my "fleet of Chargers," 4 different ones, so I get that law of abundance thing, too.
@@lordphullautosear Almost. I believe the Pantera was exclusively 351 Ford (with both Windsor and Cleveland blocks), but Jensen has a choice of 360, 383 and 440 (the 440 being the most common I saw as a kid in Australia.) Never heard of one with a 413, although from Jensen, anything's possible. :-)
PS: Just to confuse matters, the Iso Griffo was offered with either a GM 327, 427, or 454...or a Ford Boss 351. :-P
"I don't want to go too crazy". Words I never expected to hear on this channel.
LOL!!!!
Crazy is relative
Just wait...
The 4.0 XJ's are perhaps the best Jeeps ever. They'd easily run to 400K with proper maintenance, and the HO versions are fantastic.
The 97's weren't.... that's the year they introduced them. Bought a brand new one end of 96, ours was a lemon but we kept it.
Took about two years to excise all the deamons.
A bunch of them went out without a rubber grommet on the main wire bundle that ran through the firewire.
That's when I learned all about chafing...
Over 400km on the original '94 driveline. Tough as nails.
@@GasserNorm I'm closing in on 400k with my 95 K2500. Still runs like a clock.
Yea stay away from the 96’s and early 97’s they had a lot of “one year only garbage on them. Renix jeeps are even more simple.
Uncle Tony has the XJ itch! I love it! Thanks for the shout out buddy! Love the channel. You are the Mopar G.O.A.T.! Been watching you since the beginning.
Good to see that I'm not the only one. Every time I find a vehicle that I really like, I end up bringing home several. I've done this with Darts, Broncos, Novas, Monte Carlos, F150s, etc.
I have been asked why I want more than one of a certain car. Well one has a black interior and the other has a blue. I have always bought multiples of certain cars. It kind of makes sense if you know the car you can fix it easier.
Yup... And now I have a 13x30 space full of Stealth and 3000GT parts... And im back into the 60s cars again. So mow what???🤦🤣
If those parts are for the VR4 and TT you have a small fortune on your hands and liquidating them would be very easy, especially driveline related bits (the market has went to the moon on 6-speed Getrag’s, there associated transfer cases, and have he LSD rear ends for those cars)....
Once had two Subarus, same year and color.
I have 3 Dodge Daytona's, 3 Dodge Shadows and a Rampage.
I bought my '88 Jeep Cherokee brand new and it still gets me around!
With age comes wisdom. Thinking about and trying to integrate your experiences into your world view is how you gain wisdom. I like your videos.
I’ve had an 01 xj, a 90 xj, and am now daily driving a 91 MJ. These are great vehicles even the grand Cherokees ZJ/WJ are awesome suvs. Excited to see what you do with them and the new one when you get it. Bleepinjeep is a good channel as well!
I miss that Pontiac station wagon where the dang tailgate would slide down outta sight behind the bumper. Now you see it, now you don't, it was wild.
Impala wagons 76 or so did the same thing. Drops like a power window. Had a chance to buy one all original body and paint with a little stroker motor swapped in but didn't have the cash. It's cool though I still know the guy that ended up with it.
We had a 1973 Pontiac Grand Safari in white with the fake woodie trim.
I hated them because I had to work on them back in the day PITA case closed
That was great until your accounting book in high school drops down there. I told my teacher what happened and she said it was OK, it had happened to her on her GM wagon too.
I had one of those, briefly, (Really a friend loaned it to me while my Duster was between engines. He had lots of cars cause we did some minor wheeler-dealering and flipping at the time. I was considering kinda turning it into like a trades van inside, but feeding the 455 kinda wasn't sustainable if I wanted to put anything toward my Duster, (I did deliveries for work but the gas bill was more than I got paid for it..)
I watch your channel all the time , I never thought I’d see an XJ! Mine is mostly restored !
First car was a 98 Jeep Cherokee Sport in line 6! Had a fast 4 high, 4 low and 2 wheel drive stick shifter and a sweet emergency brake. I beat the dog crap out of it on the highway to the trails. Loved that thing!
I really miss my 1985 AMC Eagle wagon with 4x4... Great times were had in that, should have never sold it.
Had a friend that had one in the 80s..we rode it everywhere..great times..you could get a whole crew in it
Yep the original crossover
That was a vehicle I always wanted along with a Jeep CJ, but now both are a small fortune. The stance on a Eagle with some good mud tires always had a sexy look IMO, & the Eagle really seemed more like a modern crossover then a wagon or SUV.
Front beam axle, huh? Cherokee Gasser coming right up!
Convert an injection computer managed 4.0 to a carb and distributer. I've been trying to figure out how to make an EMP proof XJ. Working on two of them right now.
A 258ci intake & dizzy is all you need + a FPR for the carb. RADesigns has a manual rail shifter for the AW4 auto, or a 5 spd requires no electronics...
You know Tony, when I was in high school I had an SUV. Only it was actually a 1955 Plymouth station wagon. Put an old hemi in it and had a ball. Today I own a Jeep station wagon. Only now they call it an SUV. It's funny, they both were and are 4 doors with space in the back. The Jeep does have a sort of four wheel drive but I can no longer work on it cause it's just a rolling computer. If changing names and making it impossible to work on is progress, well...
I just did a 96 xj and I love it ... I did a 6.5 long arm lift front and rear steal crawler bumpers 33s skip yoke eliminator and double Caribbean driveshaft... It's a true beast on the trails out here in the Colorado Rockies and still is good on the road. Next is 456 gears with lockers
I had an 89 Laredo 4x4 from 89-93 in Northern Jersey. I loved that truck, best all around vehicle for snow, rain and no trouble. I would like another one for the snow here in PA.
Had a '98 XJ, 4-door, 4.0L, with the 5-speed manual and 4x4. It had 265k miles on it when I gave it to a friend and was still going strong. Really wonderful trucks and I wouldn't mind having one again.
Very True , The Van Conversion Replaced the Family Station wagon , But the Good thing it Opened The DIY Market Cause theirs no Right or Wrong in Your Own Design. Just Safety.
I want one of these so bad. Up here in WI, everything on these things below the Cherokee badge on the front fender is solid rust. They are good snow vehicles, so they got run every winter, and even being durable as they are 30 years of salty roads utterly destroys them.
Want to make some money? buy those things down south, milage doesn;t matter so long as it is clean, and haul them up here to sell. You will double your money.
Yeah, I'm in WI, too. Rust is a constant battle on the older Jeeps.
Not what I want to hear… my daughter has a 2-year job at U. Wisconsin at Madison starting in October. She has a totally rust-free 2-door, stick, 4x4 99 XJ, and I kinda hoped maybe Madison didn’t use salt as much as they do from Ohio eastward. I think I’ll try to persuade her to find a sh*tbox Subaru for a couple of years and keep the XJ safe.
@@stevelacker358 I've lived in the Madison area for over 40 years and the main thoroughfares see a lot of deicing.
@@stevelacker358 Wise. I90/94 will paint her car white in less then 1 mile in the winter. Madison's beltline is about the same, and you don't get anywhere even local without running on that. We put things away by Halloween up here.
Tony, I got a 95, 254000 original miles, ran without burning oil 4wd with the awd transfer case. the ignition switch quit and its just been sitting for last 2 years as i was just using it for my farm only driver. it is still all complete and although quite a few miles ran just fine. you can have it for free if you want to come to Pa to get it.
I’m in Toledo, Ohio... everyone is either related or knows someone who has worked at Jeep. My father-in-law painted them from the mid 70’s till mid 2000’s 👍🏻
I have the ‘70 AMC Ambo coupe 😉
for sale if looking.
I'm not a big Jeep guy but when I drove past the old plant and saw the lone chimney with JEEP on it and most of the buildings gone I felt so bad, sad for America :(
An XJ my first vehicle. I share your enthusiasm. Need to get me another one again.
Those inline-6 4.0L HO's from the early 90's were incredible.
The Cherokee Sport models were off-road beasts!
209,000+ on my 4×4 Jeep Cherokee Latitude, V6, still going strong. Love it!
After ignoring them for more than 20 years I now have an '03 Durango R/T. Used it to tow the Demon to the track last time out, it's a keeper. 5.9 liter (360) v8, 46RE Torqueflight, 8-1/4 rear axle, will fit tall tires if needed (275-60-17 factory). I'd been thinking about a Jeep but nothing with much tow capacity till the newer stuff.
I picked up a 97 ZJ this winter for two reasons. 1) The engine was done and the owner was tired of messing with it (his messing with it ensured it was done btw), and 2) it was only $750 and a Texas Jeep (no rust at all). I also have a rebuilt 5.2 magnum out of a 2002 Ram 1500 sitting around doing nothing, so, project initiated. I have all I need to do the conversion from 4.0l to 5.2l and have been gathering other bits and pieces to upgrade on the cheap. Looking forward to your jeep content as I work on my jeep...and my 98 Ram 1500 4x4...and my chevy Tracker (one of two), and my wife's 2003 International school bus conversion...but I digress.
In 1990 I was driving a 1973 factory 454 impala. Now I'm driving a 1990 ford aerostar three liter long body and loving it. Me and the dogs and cruise control withe factory cassette deck. Time and perspective change.
Ive always been a ford guy, never been into offroading or jeeps, early 2020 I picked up my first XJ, it was an unloved rustbucket that had been sitting under a tree in someone's back yard for God knows how long, immediately fell in love with it. They really are just a happy vehicle, I can't explain it fully, they're chirpy, loveable,you have to drive one to understand.
Since that day in 2020 I've owned 4 XJs (3 of which I still have and one which was too rusty to salvage now gone) one ZJ and two WJs
My Falcon and mustang now sit patiently waiting for me to finish messing with multiple jeep projects but I can't seem to stop buying the damn things, truly there is something special about the XJ and even it's ZJ and WJ brethren.
Hi Tony , im a 60 yr old in Sydney Aust and have been into aussie mopars all my life . I currently own a 1970 valiant pacer hardtop which i love . I recently bought a 95 xj for a runabout and carrying our dogs , now i like it so much ive bought another 96xj for $ 900 with a supposedly blown head gasket however the headgasket is fine . Seemed very coincidental with your story
I get it Tony. I have my dart, and my power wagon, and a few others. Bough the cherokee to flip. Fell in love. Still have it and still love to drive it. can't wait to see what you do.
my favourite jeep is a 96-98 grand cherokee, limited with the 5.2 or i once owned a 98 5.9 amazing suv. i still wish i kept the 98
Dude I'm with ya, I've been an AMC fsj fan since before I could drive. My first jeep is an 80 j10 that I pulled from my grandpa's field. I've since gotten a fsj cherokee and now an 84 Grand Wagoneer. I've owned at least 5-6 amc jeep since 2020 and a few more before that.
I worked on these things for years. I was with AMC when they were sold to Chrysler. They were great vehicles. I started with them in 86 and left Chrysler in 2008. I know these things like the back of my hand. I remember when CJ’s were still under warranty. I remember working on a Golden Eagle CJ. Black with gold Eagle on the hood. Lift kit with big tires. Had a V8 with side pipes. All the chrome was gold plated. Gorgeous truck. You let the clutch out and it would just chug along.
Last year, I bought the wife a 1999 jeep grand cherokee 4x4
She absolutely Loves it!
And I'll admit, I am very impressed with it myself.
I can understand the following that these vehicles have..
had 3 a 99 a 2000 and 2001 4x4. didnt know they even made a 2 wheel drive. here in Maine the roads where full of them 15 years ago and now i haven't seen one anywhere. rust never sleeps!
I absolutely love my XJ, I've had 7 Jeeps of various models and can't deny that they are my favorite model. I feel the exact way you feel about them, they're bare-bones and simple. When I can't drive my Fury, the XJ fills that itch for something mechanical and simple. I'm really excited to see the Jeep content coming up as you are my go-to source for anything Mopar and I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Jeeps.
My first car was a 1981 AMC Eagle 2 door. With the factory CB radio inline 6 258. Tough-as-nails went everywhere
I totally agree, I want at least one "get in it and go anywhere" bone stock vehicle.
Yes I love it. I grew up around jeeps everything from willys to yj. I'm so happy to see you building jeeps
Im an xj and zj builder and they are absolutely perfect for everything
They were my favorite when I worked for a Jeep dealer. 4 liter XJ with a 5 speed would flat out rip, fun little automobile.
260,000 miles on 6 cyl Jeep XJ from early 90s and still running well. Great engine and solid platform. One item for improvement would have been the automatic transmissions.
not sure what the early XJs have as a auto trans, but the AW4 auto thats pretty common in the 4.0 XJs is actually well known for being super reliable and routinely lasting for 200k+ easily. mines on 310k and still going strong, and still shifts firm.
But they were Chryslers 😖 The big reason the 4.0 went away is in the end it was down to one platform (WJs) and it needed too much redesign to meet future emissions and economy goals. Plus KEP was the red headed stepchild as far as corporate was concerned. KEP had too many inefficiencies in the facility. No interstate access. Older disjointed facility. Plus corporate wanted to concentrate engine production in one area for transportation costs.
@@mpetersen6 4.0 was in production until 2006 in the TJs and LJs. WJ wasnt the only, or last platform
It warms my heart that Tony can’t mess with such nicely preserved copies of classic, iconic vehicles. Some things are sacred in this world after all. 😎😎. I can’t wait to see what he does when he has a beater to tinker with! I just sold my all stock 1996 4.0 5spd 4x4 and I miss it so much.
up here where i live in northeast pa....on any given night you can hear them rust away...but that being said they are popular as hell...easy to modify...unbelieveable after market support....and they are fun as hell to drive..
I'm with you about the law of abundance. We bought a XJ about 15 years ago for my mom, because she liked it. Now, we're into our 3rd Jeep product. The XJ is being passed on to my son who just got his license, I have a J10 (well, used to be anyway) and a CJ5. I keep wondering what's gonna follow me home next.
I have a pretty banged up XJ, but the entire drivetrain from engine to axles is still solid, still drives just like it always has!
I've had my 96 xj for 22 yrs. Best motor I've ever had net to the 7.3 power stroke
Thank you for not lifting it and cutting it up. That thing is a survivor. Fix it up a preserve it
I grew up doing late 60s Darts and Valiants, loving the Miatas when they came out but never had one, andI still have my 21 year-old Plymouth Voyager and I use this thing like a truck. The only thing missing to make this channel perfect is a Grand National
I've got a 96 XJ I bought in 97 with 20k on it. The thing was as basic as they come, 2 doors, 2wd, 4.0, stick, AC and nothing else, it didn't even have a factory radio. It's now almost a quarter century and well over half a million miles and I still love driving the thing. Spent a few hours changing the oil and giving it a good cleaning and will be taking on a trip around the North Carolina Outer Banks in a few weeks.
You don't need much to bolt 31's. I did one with a little tweaking on the fender lip. Just bolted them on and went.
I understand your obsession with the older Cherokees. We had one or another from about 07 to 2015. I loved them. Simple, easy to work on and decent gas mileage. Mine were all 4x4 because we towed it 4 down behind our RV. I bought a new one in 2015. Not the same car. Better mileage, a little quieter softer ride but not the same and virtually impossible to work on. We kept it until last December after feeling the transmission start to hesitate. The transmissions on the fiat jeeps sucks for reliability and longevity. Getting old now so my wrenching days are pretty much behind me. Got the wife a Subaru because of consumer reports keep listing it on top for reliability. Still not a Jeep but she is happy.
Luv my minivans. Friends in school drove their parents station wagons. Practical AND fast. 400/454/460 beasts.
My '13 Grand Caravan purrs at 80mph and gets 25+ mpg. Use them for work and can't be beat.
I love XJ's and Foxbody's call me crazy!!! My 2 favorite platforms!👈💯🔥
my brotha from anotha mutha 😄😄😄😄
@@motownXJdad9565 Right on!!!👈😂
My first car was a 6cyl 5-speed XJ and while I've had to drive other vehicles due to availability and northern winter destroying cars, I don't want to drive anything else but the XJ. It's practical. It's comfortable enough to go long distance...but I can still feel every motion and know for example I'm about to lose traction in the right rear unless I back off. It's not much to look at, it's not particularly fast, but it feels like it's capable of anything you need it for to just get in it and go. I'm glad I'm not crazy in feeling this way.
Im stoked for this! I accidentally fell in love with my '95 XJ that I bought from an ex employee who was moving to Colorado and couldn't take it. Threw a rad and water pump in it and thought I'd sell it, but I've been driving it every day since for the last year. Let's do this!
Bought my 2000 Sport SE in 2002, still a great jeep today.
I own a 95 XJ 4dr. Stock 4.0 litre engine. Swapped in a Ford 9" rear and Dana 44 disc front from a 79 F150, easy enough swap. Great little rust free 4X. Getting hard to find these up here in Montana land.
I had a 2001 Cherokee, 4x4, 4.0L six and I loved the thing but I had to commute 30 miles to work every day so I ended up getting a new Subaru and now I am a Subie nut. I'd like to get an old Jeep CJ though, I still like the off-road capability and driving around in an open top in the summer.
I used to feel the same about Jeeps too, now I have two Comanches and a WJ. Personally I love the AMC 150. I want to stroke and cam and see how much power that little 4 banger can get.
One vote here for modding the 4.0L! Long time AMC fan, especially the 6 cylinders.
Yes! The stroker mods would be really cool. My ‘04 WJ has been a champ!
I used to be a mechanic when the XJ was everywhere and seen tons of them. The 4.0l is a bulletproof engine and I’ve seen several with almost 400,000 miles on them. I’ve always been a Jeep fan and currently own a 2010 Liberty. I bought it not really entirely caring for it but it served the purpose I needed it for which was basic safe reliable transportation for my family. I’ve owned it since 2012 and as much as I love the new Jeep trucks and want one I can’t bring myself to get rid of the Liberty it’s just too good of a Jeep it still runs perfect it gets me through every snow storm every muddy trail to and from work and even long trips and at first I wrote it off as a wannabe Jeep but it’s a true Jeep and other than the wrangler and gladiator probably the last of the true Jeep’s
My dad drove Chrysler cars, And Jeeps for work back in the day. He drove a big 'ol Cherokee Chief all thru the '70s. then in the 1980's he had a couple of these XJ types. He even ended up buying my mom an AMC Eagle 4 wheel drive wagon in the '80s after he gave up on Mopar offerings at the time. They drove those till he went to his reward!
You fall in love with anything that has a engine🤣
loved my xj 4wd was an excellent car, it was pretty thirsty in the hill city i live in but a good tow vehicle. the only trouble was the rear axles get worn with the bearings running on them.
Once I got my 1987 XJ 2.5 L, I was done looking for a 4x4. Perfection.
It's a jeep thing gets REALLY expensive! just remember, jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket!
I'm excited to watch the XJ vids! I built a 2002 TJ. It took 9 years, but i think its finished!
Always wanted one, i used to work on them at my old body shop great vehicles.
"Perspective and time changes everything."
Btw, friend of mine used to have an interesting jeep. Willys CJ5, actually. '70 or '71, which from what I remember was an in-between year from Kaiser to AMC. It had a Buick V6. On highway, maxed out at like 70mph, but would climb any hill like it was coasting. You and your Buick friend should talk.
Great topic. I have a 97 xj grand cherokee and am thinking you will teach us how to deal with the crappy wiring, crappy plastic parts that break. And crappy door locks.
I love the xj i have modified my xj so much and i just love it more. Im super happy to see more videos about it. This will be my forever car
The XJ I wanted was the late 80s Cherokee Limited, but I could never afford one, but you are right the XJ is an awesome vehicle, my second favorite is the Gen 1 Liberty just something about the design
I understand these feelings - have four XJs - love them all.
this is what I love about 90's and 2000's cars, they are still mostly based on the old technology.
The EFI and ignition are 80's era tech but the rest is just revised parts they've been using since the 50's.
A little more complicated, but still manageable.
I have a 2001 Jeep Cherokee 2wd I love it. 130k miles. I think it will out live me.
I also have 2 XJs, getting harder to find but love driving them.
First suv? What about the broncos, ramchargers and blazers? Or bronco ii?
Those are body on frame trucks. The XJ is the first compact unibody that could serve as a practical grocery getter and put work in on the trails
@@ericlandstrom6155 got it
Im so happy we're getting some UTG XJ content, thank u sir 👍
I will say the 4.0 HO is a great motor I had a blast in a 4×4 one back in the day. You couldn't kill it and trust me me tried lol
I daily a 1999 2 door xj 4.0 4x4 5 speed. It has 240k miles, doesnt smoke and drives great
I love my 2000 4x4 xj! My parents had a 87 back when I was a kid and my dad got a 01 later down the line. I've always liked them and being a mopar guy it was only natural that I would look for one to add to my mopar line up and I found a really clean one with 99k miles on it. It now has 117k miles on it and runs great. I recently put 1 flowmaster 40 series muffler on it and it sounds good. It's more throaty at idle and sounds like a v8 now. It's my daily and very practical. It's perfect for dogs because the back seat folds down making a nice open flat surface for them. Other than the muffler swap I tinted my front two Windows as the backs were already tinted and I had the strip along the top of the front windshield tinted. I also went with a nice bigger tire with rugged tread.
I've been living the The UTG Law OF Abundance my whole life all this time. I always have several copies and variants of anything I like.
Talkin about crossovers I always considered the AMC Eagle to be the first crossover
I have had an itch to build a drag XJ for ages......Small block swaps are a thing. Slap an exploder 8.8 under the back for some 4.10s and disc brakes, small block with an overdrive, lower the back and radius the wells, leave the front in the air, tunnel ram with dual quads, cage, red tint windows and try to go 11's....
My 76 trailduster was advertised as a car I have had three ram chargers also one of the best 4x4s I have ever owned
I bought my first XJ in January of this year, a 2000 2wd. It's a great car for me, I want another one and they are not so easy to find. As the man says, a good, "basic" vehicle. All of today's popular family cars are really not much different than when I was growing up in the 50's and 60's. We had a station wagon called a "Cross Country" with a fold-down back seat that made an almost flat area for sleeping. What about the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser,, another nice one. Really now, are these crossovers and SUV's and mini-vans so much different? We didn't have front wheel drive until much later, which changed the layout dramatically. Fuel injection and computer management allowed for smaller engines. Same idea though - a steel box going down the road with people and stuff in it.
I had a '81 short wheelbase Ply Voyager I bot new and I absolutely loved it. I was told the longer ones ate transmissions, but that coulda been the dealer (scumbag) trying to sell me the one he had in stock. Yeah, a bit nerdy, but very reliable. I had a business where I needed to transport modest amounts of stuff and it served me really well. Plus made about 15 trips LA > SF and back and it could make that drive at 80 mph all the way no problem. As Tony said, they are stupid useful, practical.
If you find some seats from a Grand Cherokee in the junk yard (I've seen some really good shape ones in Knoxville Pull-A-Part) they bolt right into those seat mounts. And they have better nuts too.
White one needs a 5 speed. My buddy has a 99 cherokee 4L 4x4 5 speed. I fell in love with it the first time I drove it.
Helz ya man. My daily is a 79 F150 4x4 300. But... I just picked up a 98 XJ a month ago. I'm building her to be as capable and nice as my 79. It's kinda like working on my 79.
I'm just doing my darndest trying to find an XJ in good enough condition that I only have to worry about the drivetrain. I want it to be used in teaching my son and daughter about not only learning to drive but how to maintain a vehicle.
They really are at the top of the list for first cars....
i use to have an xj. best part is there are so many vids on yt to show you how to fix them.
Thanks for giving AMC LOVE!!!
Lol tony is just like me i fall in love with cars and trucks too much. i feel like i have to keep them stock but i still want to modify them, but make the best of what there.
I own a 1996 xj 4.0 manual now. I had a 1986 xj with the 2.5 and when I got rid of it I felt I made the wrong choice. So when I got my 96 I vowed never to get rid of it. The xj is by far the best jeep made. But I will concede that the willez/cj/wrangle line is the most iconic. I will be honest before I die I will have a WW2 jeep or a cj1.
haha I've been in love with the Jeep XJ since they came out. We've had 6 of them in the family. Road salt is their main weekness. I currently have a 1990 XJ that I've POR-15 it underneath and inside hoping it lasts me the rest of my life.
Gave my 2000 4x4 4.0 sport to my daughter as a first car (Jeep), seemed right as my in laws gave me the XJ after my 96 Bronco was T-boned by a mini van (of course). Bought a 07 TRD Tundra 5.7. Miss the ole xj and still getting apx 12 mpg city 15 highway.