Cheap Trail Rig and Daily Driver Combo Ideas

[Clickpopboom]

In the coming months I'm thinking of picking up a cheap vehicle that can be used as a daily commuter and also as a worthy trail rig. I'm figuring on staying low budget ($1500ish)

Ideally I would like a K5 Blazer or 80's Suburban, but I'm afraid that it may end up being too thirsty to use as a commuter.

I'm not looking for specific vehicles quite yet, as I do not have the money put together for one. Rather, I am looking for ideas on which models and year ranges of vehicles fit into this category and budget. I've only offroaded in a 91 Explorer, 02 Explorer, 75 K20, and a bit in my H3, so I'm not very knowledgeable about the capabilities of the other options out there like Cherokees, S10 Blazers, etc.

[Robert B]

the K5 and sub are waaay too thirsty for daily driver i tried for alittle bit with a 10 mile round trip daily and was spending alot every week in gas my cousin uses an S10 as both and it seems to work pretty well

[offroadwonder]

I looked very seriously into the Jeep cherokees for a dual purpose rig. I really like how small and light they are. Plus they are simple to work on, get 20-ish mpg, and are easy to modify.

[ExplorerTom]

Everything is a compromise. Can a Cherokee with 33"+ tires and a lift really get 20ish mpg? Maybe it can, I don't know.

Personally, I like having one of each- a trail rig AND a commuter. You can get a 4 cylinder commuter for $500-$2500 and save probably a minimum of $40-$50 a month (with fuel savings and after insurance) instead of driving some kind of 4wd that gets 15ish mpg. Depending on how far you drive of course. I had a Saturn SL2 for awhile that was getting 32 mpg on a bad tank. Now I'm commuting in a VUE that gets 27. Still better than my explorer that gets 17. Plus I'm not wearing out expensive A/T tires on the pavement and having the second car allows me to perform projects that can scratch out over the course of several days/weeks instead of needing to finish before its time for work.

You may also want to consider not only the capability but also the aftermarket support. As I'm sure you're aware, Explorers have horrible aftermarket support. Toyotas and Jeeps have support out the wazoo.

[xaza]

One benefit that I like about the Cherokee is over the course of 17 years there was minimal changes making parts readily available. If you have the right gearing to match with tire size you can maintain stock fuel economy. For instance if your engine runs at 2k rpm at 65 mph with 29" tires, then as long as with 33" tires your engine runs 2k rpm at 65 mph you get same fuel economy. I agree with separate commuter vehicle. Nothing worse than breaking your rig on a Sun then having to worry how to get to work the next day to pay for repairs.

[Java]

XJs are the best deal in wheeling by far. More aftermarket than anything but a wrangler and everything is affordable. I agree with the daily driver, I have an old ford that I call The Zinc, it's like a sacrificial anode for my Jeep.

[KFM1961]

Get 2 vehicles; I have a 91 Geo Tracker for wheeling. While it gets over 20mpg with 31's, its WAY too small & noisy for a daily driver. Besides, if it breaks I don't have to worry how I'm going to get to work.

[carpenle]

XJ seems to do the trick. My friend just bought a 96 for $800 he is averaging 19 MPG. It is stock, but stock xj's seem to do well on the trails.

[Colin]

Everything is a compromise. Can a Cherokee with 33"+ tires and a lift really get 20ish mpg? Maybe it can, I don't know.

Personally, I like having one of each- a trail rig AND a commuter. You can get a 4 cylinder commuter for $500-$2500 and save probably a minimum of $40-$50 a month (with fuel savings and after insurance) instead of driving some kind of 4wd that gets 15ish mpg. Depending on how far you drive of course. I had a Saturn SL2 for awhile that was getting 32 mpg on a bad tank. Now I'm commuting in a VUE that gets 27. Still better than my explorer that gets 17. Plus I'm not wearing out expensive A/T tires on the pavement and having the second car allows me to perform projects that can scratch out over the course of several days/weeks instead of needing to finish before its time for work.

You may also want to consider not only the capability but also the aftermarket support. As I'm sure you're aware, Explorers have horrible aftermarket support. Toyotas and Jeeps have support out the wazoo.

My friend's Cherokee on 37s gets around 16mpg:steer: combined...

[Clickpopboom]

Sounds like an XJ is the way to go. Right now I'm driving the Hummer to work, so anything over 18mpg is an improvement in mileage. I don't mind keeping an extra set of stock size wheels and tires and swapping back and forth- I have access to shop air and a lift every day at work.

As ExplorerTom said, there is almost no aftermarket for the Explorers, but there seems to be tons for the XJs. Now I just need to start hunting for a cheapo XJ. Ideally one with a good drivetrain but plenty of cosmetic issues to drive the price down.

[Adaa60]

i got my XJ for $1,100

but im a power flipper on CL and do a lot of trades

it has 4.88 gears and 33's gets around 18 city / 22 hwy. when i add 1oz 91% alcohol for every 6 gal of gas i can boost up to 24mpg hwy

http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l578/Badaa60/IMG_20130314_113205_844_zpsdc8bf2c5.jpg

[Squshiee1]

Well i know not many people like rodeos, but mine is a great trail rig and an awsome DD, but not much aftermarket support.
You can find them cheap, they do great off-road ( i would love to see what a locker would do), good gas mileage, 16 city and most of the time i get 20 highway.

But as most would say it is an isuzu so prepare for the (its not a jeep) comments. lol

[sunk]

For the price the Cherokee would be a good option, the only thing I would say is that my K5 gets the same fuel economy as the 2003 Cherokee that I had. A properly maintained 5.7 gets the same MPG as those 4.0L (as long as you can control your right foot...)

[ExplorerTom]

Yeah but a K5 is about as wide as an H1.

[offroadwonder]

Interesting that everyone is preaching that two vehicles is the way to go. I really would have to disagree. Unless you plan to wheel beyond your/your vehicle's capabilities on a regular basis then the economies don't really make sense. If you can find a vehicle that meets 90% of both your on and off road needs then you will save the most money by reducing the fleet.

It definitely comes down to your needs though. If you need a rig that can handle the trails rated in the 8-10 range then you are probably better served with a trail rig and a separate daily driver. But if you want to take weekend camping trips up the 6 and under trails then I see no reason why that can't be had from a daily driver.

Of course as Tom and so many others have mentioned, if you break it then you're SOL. However, I can only think of a couple of times in all of the vehicles I have owned that a rig that I depended on was out of commission for more than a day.

[Chris]

We're trying that out now Jared. Our DD is the 4Runner and we don't forsee any problems with it as used in a variety of situations from grocery getter to off-road to trailer hauler. I know if I had another truck just for trails it would become a never ending build so this also saves money since additional mods would be counter productive.

[ExplorerTom]

Back when I had my SL2 I was keeping track of fuel savings. At the time, with the distance I drove (25ish miles a day) and the price of gas (about what it is today) I was saving $75 a month in gas alone. Add on $30 worth of insurance and the monthly savings is cut to $45 a month- that's $540 a year. People switching to GEICO save less than that. Seems to make sense to me. And that's not factoring in that I could buy a set of tires for the SL2 for the cost of 2-2.5 tires on my Explorer. I don't need all-terrain tires to get me to work (it's paved the entire way). Plus a FWD car has less fluids to maintain.

Plus that one time when you're up to your elbows in grease and you've got your rig spread across the garage and you need to run to the store because you need a tool or a new part, that second car is now worth it's weight in gold.

I will always have a commuter and a trail rig separately. I use to have a commuter and track car when I lived in KS.

[Coonburger]

just look for a good mechanically sound rig dont go one way or another. Go test drive get a feel what fits you. I like my wife's jeep but its not for me i couldnt have one. Good rig but not for me. For around 1500 to 2k u can get a decent rig for three if u can swing it u keep ur eyes open ull find a great rig for that price that been maintained properly. Good luck on your search.

[offroadwonder]

So from my perspective I have never been in a genuine one-vehicle situation. When I lived at home with my parents I always had one of their vehicles I could fall back on. When I was in college I had room mates that would help me out, and now I have my wife's car if mine is out of commission. So I can concede Tom's point about the broken rig issue when there are no other vehicles available. It would be tough to decide to do much to my truck without backup transportation.

As far as the cost savings go. I am an on-again-off-again motorcycle rider, and I have tried commuting on my motorcycle to save a few bucks. I found that the money saved in fuel was spent on an extra vehicle's maintenance, upkeep, insurance, and registration (plus it took up valuable space in my garage). However, my commute was only about 6 miles each way, and 12 miles a day takes a long time to add up to much. So at 25 miles or more each way, I could see the fuel savings adding up.

But I digress. I don't mean to send Kelly's thread off on a tangent.

[Fordguy77]

There is nothing overly wrong with the idea of daily driver trail rig combo. It can be done, but it is very hard to do on the cheap.

From my personal experience, anything in the $500-$3000 range is going to be a project almost right out of the gate. Most things in that price range that are 4x4 are already at least 10+ years old, and many of them have 150k+ miles. Finding one where all of the maintenance has been kept up on, can be an all but impossible task. But lets say you find one, where the owner did do the basic stuff like oil changes, plugs, wires, battery, breaks. That still leaves things like U-Joints, differential fluids, transfer-case fluids. transmission fluid(if its an automatic, and in the 150k range, unless the filter was regular changed, with the drain and fill method, it could very well be on its way out in some cases) ball joints, tie rods, suspension components and not to mention things like rubber hoses with heat rot, or even oil leaks. Sure the rig runs fine now, but now you take it off road, and haven't gone through the rig 100% and this use and abuse takes it toll and now your rigs broke. With nothing else to get you to work, you have to be fairly mechanical minded, or have some awesome friends and hope you can pull an all nighter to get back up and going, so you can keep making your daily commute. Not trying to discourage you, but these are things you need to keep in mind when trying to use a rig for both off road and daily driving. Even if you fix all of these things, the wear and tear on your new components going to have to be watched, and it will be more stressful than if the vehicle was just used for a "sole purpose".

The trend on the forum to me, seems most of the people who are using there rig as both a DD and Rec vehicle, do one of the following. They either have an old rig, that they have been going through, and over with a fine tooth comb making it more and more reliable, all while keeping up on all the other aspects of the rig, or they driver a newer rig that hasn't seen years of abuse and neglect, and are still keeping up on the issues as they arise, and not letting them compound on to themselves.

There are some very nice rigs in the 4-7K range, that have been gone through, and made to be usable as dual purpose rigs.

However it all comes down to you, what you want, what you want to do, and how you plan on using the rig. Just trying to help keep some things in prospective.

[Chris]

Good points Chris. My truck's 8 years old, has 150k miles, goes offroad, tows a trailer and is our DD. Why would I need a backup? :erm:

Of course this one car thing lasts only until Barb wants a new car. :lmao:

[scout man]

or you break yours... you know... whichever comes first!

[The StRanger]

Interesting that everyone is preaching that two vehicles is the way to go. I really would have to disagree. Unless you plan to wheel beyond your/your vehicle's capabilities on a regular basis then the economies don't really make sense. If you can find a vehicle that meets 90% of both your on and off road needs then you will save the most money by reducing the fleet.

It definitely comes down to your needs though. If you need a rig that can handle the trails rated in the 8-10 range then you are probably better served with a trail rig and a separate daily driver. But if you want to take weekend camping trips up the 6 and under trails then I see no reason why that can't be had from a daily driver.

Of course as Tom and so many others have mentioned, if you break it then you're SOL. However, I can only think of a couple of times in all of the vehicles I have owned that a rig that I depended on was out of commission for more than a day.

Iv always been a 2 rig kinda guy
1 DD & one hotrod/trailrig

[Fordguy77]

Good points Chris. My truck's 8 years old, has 150k miles, goes offroad, tows a trailer and is our DD. Why would I need a backup? :erm:

Of course this one car thing lasts only until Barb wants a new car. :lmao:
haha well there are exceptions, yours wasn't in the $1500 price range the op was looking to be in...

[Rick]

they are out there. Paid 4k for my truck,detroit rear,arb front,built bumbers,onboard air,extra drive shafts,slidersv10 w/ 78,000,all fluids up to par,and others. 4x4's here are over priced imo compared to the southern states. My truck came from Phoenix so you may want to look down that way and possibly get more for your $$$$$. Had my truck 2yrs now with really no issues.

[The StRanger]

Gota love a good dodge
And I bleed Ford blue ...

[Rob]

They either have an old rig, that they have been going through, and over with a fine tooth comb making it more and more reliable, all while keeping up on all the other aspects of the rig, or they driver a newer rig that hasn't seen years of abuse and neglect, and are still keeping up on the issues as they arise, and not letting them compound on to themselves.

And some of us have both one of each. Not the economy route, but I also have only a two-mile commute. :)

Jared, have you considered selling the H3 and getting a dd with great gas mileage and a dedicated rig?

Elder Chris, what happened to Barb's Honda?

[scout man]

whats this "editing your post" junk Rob? We all know you said "OLD CHRIS" the first time around!! :lmao: :brody:

[Java]

I sort of fell into my daily driver, some idiot hit my wife while she was driving it and the insurance mess took so long that we got sick of renting and ended up car shopping and bought her a forester... got the old taurus back fixed, finally, and it's worth so little that it was worth more to keep than sell, IMO. Registration is about $40.00 a year and it's appearance and age are perfect theft-proofing. On the plus side I'm the only "mechanic" to touch it so I know it, on the downside it's a Taurus.

[Chris]

Elder Chris, what happened to Barb's Honda?

She was talking to our son who was having issues with his Ranger. Out of the blue I hear her say "Do you want my car? Pay the shipping and it's yours." :eek:

I didn't raise any dummies, it's now in Maui.


whats this "editing your post" junk Rob? We all know you said "OLD CHRIS" the first time around!! :lmao: :brody:

Hey, give Old Rob some slack Steve, he's an editor and sometimes can't turn that off when he gets here! :D

[Chris]

haha well there are exceptions, yours wasn't in the $1500 price range the op was looking to be in...

:oops: Another failure to follow the entire thread.

[Java]

here you go. Asking $1000.00:

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3705914037.html

1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo
Forest Green
New Starter
Nice, new snow tires (less than 2 years old)
Missing small triangular window on driver's side
No stereo or faceplate but wired for radio (subs and amp included)
Minor fan belt squeak but no major maintenance needed
183,000 miles
Great car if you are looking for Jeep parts or are interested in an off road vehicle or just a car to drive around town!!
http://images.craigslist.org/3Ea3I13Nb5L95Ec5Hed3q04b70c029f7b1b3c.jpg

[scout man]

seems like a deal right there!

[ExplorerTom]

Missing triangular window and no stereo....... Related perhaps?

[offroadwonder]

If you're patient, those cherokees go for a lot less than that. When I was shopping I found several 1997 or newer for that price (lower miles too). That age can be had for $500-ish. And if you want a project, they are notorious for blowing head gaskets after an overheat. So find one that has a head gasket failure and even the 1997+ rigs go for $500 - $700. New head gasket and a gasket kit and you're up and running.

[Patrolman]

Personally, if I could only have one vehicle, it would be my 87 4Runner. The 22re is super reliable and I get 20mpg in town. It gets about 22mpg on the highway, but I don't have a heavy right foot and it is a manual transmission. I run 4.30 gearing and 32's, but my 87 truck had the same 4.30's and could run 33's. The 4Runner seats 5, back 1/2 of the top comes off, etc. They can be found as low as $1,000 if you look around. Worst part is you can't be in a hurry to go anywhere, particularly in the mountains, and an automatic would only make that worse.

[Java]

this is a good resource, it's the state of colorado's ebay auctions for vehicles. they have a potentially ultimate camper there now, two cop cars, a liberty and two trucks. it changes all the time.

http://colo-auto-sales.com/

[Clickpopboom]

Lots of good info here, thanks everyone. The Cherokee Paul posted looks perfect, just wish it wasn't a month away from me having the money together for it. After running through my budget, it looks like the first weekend of May is when I will start shopping. My commute is only 2 miles each way, so an economy car is not really needed.

As for getting one with a headgasket issue, It's not plausible for me right now- all of my tools are in a storage unit in Idaho. I've done too many headgaskets to count when I was mechanicing, but it's a little hard without my tools.

I want to have two vehicles. Even though I work close enough to home that I can come home in case of an emergency or my wife can drop me off if she needs the vehicle, it would be a lot easier to have a vehicle for each of us. I also have to occasionally use my vehicle to transport parts to our mechanical shop, and I would prefer to not ding up the interior of the H3.

[ExplorerTom]

2 miles?!?!? I'd be riding a bicycle.

[The StRanger]

2 miles. I could walk 2 miles...

[Rob]

We all know you said "OLD CHRIS" the first time around!!

:lmao: You're too quick, Steve. Just trying to respectful of my elders.

[Clickpopboom]

If I didn't occasionally need a vehicle at work I'd be much more inclined to walk. They're putting in another bridge over the creek on the greenbelt between here and work, so once that's done and I have a 2nd vehicle I may just park it at work during the week and ride my bike back and forth. That way I have the truck at work if I need it and I get a little more exercise.

[The StRanger]

Its all good
Just think it funny caus I walk like 6 to 7 miles a day...
2 miles walking is still 2 miles walking..

[glacierpaul]

The whole thing about a cheap trail rig and DD is a fallacy! (unless it is a mountain bike) Trust me, once things start breakin it aint cheap, once you start buildin it aint cheap, basically I have found owning a vehicle(or 5 :) ) cheap stopped when I purchased said vehicle:).

[otisdog]

Nuff said.
Jim

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/otisdog4/Smart.jpg

[The StRanger]

I hope that at least got a V6 in it
Caus that 1.0 3 slinger wont cut it !!!

[Clickpopboom]

The whole thing about a cheap trail rig and DD is a fallacy! (unless it is a mountain bike) Trust me, once things start breakin it aint cheap, once you start buildin it aint cheap, basically I have found owning a vehicle(or 5 :) ) cheap stopped when I purchased said vehicle:).

Repair costs don't bother me too much- I get around 35% off on factory parts and about 40% off on aftermarket stuff through work.

[offroadwonder]

Repair costs don't bother me too much- I get around 35% off on factory parts and about 40% off on aftermarket stuff through work.

Well hello, new best friend!

[glacierpaul]

Well hello, new best friend!

X2! That certainly helps!

[carpenle]

Here is a 1990 XJ with 3" lift 33" tires for 1k obo http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3710248926.html

[carpenle]

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3710963441.html How about a dodge?

[Clickpopboom]

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3710963441.html How about a dodge?


That's a lot of truck for the money, but I suspect I will have nightmares with Arapahoe County emissions on it.

[carpenle]

That is the best thing with it, 75 and older no emissions just put classic plates on it

[offroadwonder]

Why is that dodge running a Chevy axle?

[scout man]

That is the best thing with it, 75 and older no emissions just put classic plates on it

This is a common misconception. 75 and older you still have to pass emissions, but if you put "collector" 5 year plates on it and never let them expire, then you never have to pass emissions again. You do still have to pass them once though. That said, emissions on that old of a vehicle arent too bad. On my 75 scout they just put a sensor in the pipe and a sensor on the driver seat and let it run for a certain amount of time. I got the impression that as long as the fumes received at the driver seat werent going to kill me, then I was pretty much good to go.

[Clickpopboom]

This is a common misconception. 75 and older you still have to pass emissions, but if you put "collector" 5 year plates on it and never let them expire, then you never have to pass emissions again. You do still have to pass them once though. That said, emissions on that old of a vehicle arent too bad. On my 75 scout they just put a sensor in the pipe and a sensor on the driver seat and let it run for a certain amount of time. I got the impression that as long as the fumes received at the driver seat werent going to kill me, then I was pretty much good to go.

I wish emissions here were like Idaho- anything 81 or older there is exempt from emissions testing completely.

[glacierpaul]

This is a common misconception. 75 and older you still have to pass emissions, but if you put "collector" 5 year plates on it and never let them expire, then you never have to pass emissions again. You do still have to pass them once though. That said, emissions on that old of a vehicle arent too bad. On my 75 scout they just put a sensor in the pipe and a sensor on the driver seat and let it run for a certain amount of time. I got the impression that as long as the fumes received at the driver seat werent going to kill me, then I was pretty much good to go.

Move to Clear Creek County.....no emissions :)!

[Hypoid]

If you are seriously considering a Cherokee, buy one that has not been altered or driven off road. Then, start with boring things like frame stiffeners and armor.

I've stayed out of this thread because I don't know what you mean by "trail rig." Many stock vehicles can go a lot of places, which would give you more choices.

[Fordguy77]

That's a lot of truck for the money, but I suspect I will have nightmares with Arapahoe County emissions on it.
You'd be surpirsed. Having a vehicle older than 78 pass emmisions is eaiser than havaing something 79 and newer pass. Most things 78 and older have no cats and have minimal if any emmissions vacuuming and crazy egr nonsnese. Most vehicles 81 and older, simply have to pass a idle test, and do not get put on the dyno and have to meet the emmision standards of the year they were made, or an excessivley high limit standard for the years that diddnt have standards set. My 72 plymouth with a 440 that bruns richer than rich passed with flying colors and all i did was preform a lean drop on the carb to lean our the fuel mixture and it passes everytime with no worrying. Older vehicles arent as scary as some people make them out to be. The only vehicle that has ever failed on me is Kateys 1998 Dakota and its because of a factory flashed ecu having the wrong paramters that there was a recall for years ago.

[Clickpopboom]

Great advice there- How is the frame stiffening usually done with the unibody construction of the Cherokees?

[offroadwonder]

Great advice there- How is the frame stiffening usually done with the unibody construction of the Cherokees?

Lots of products out there, but I think the best bang for the buck is buy/build sliders that incorporate a frame piece.

[Chris]

http://www.jeepinoutfitters.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=562

[xaza]

These are the ones I am ordering for my Cherokee
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/XJRAIL.html

[carpenle]

[QUOTE=scout man;226110]This is a common misconception. 75 and older you still have to pass emissions

I believe they changed the law. I had a 66 Mustang and a 68 CJ 5, both times no emissions needed, just put classic plates on them. I was surprised, but the lady said they changed and anything that is 75 and older does not need emissions if you put the classic plates on. It use to be, that the veh. had to pass once, then if you renewed your plates, you did not have to do it again.

[Fordguy77]

TnT Customs makes some awesome frame stiffeners, and get my vote
http://www.tntcustoms.com/uni-bodystiffeners.aspx
Made just north of the border up in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

[Clickpopboom]

Got a lead on a 91 XJ that a coworker is getting ready to sell. He should have some more firm details for me tomorrow.

[xaza]

Does that mean you are actively seeking new vehicle now? Have you chosen Cherokee or are there other potential candidates?

[Clickpopboom]

I have decided on an XJ Cherokee for sure. I'm still about 2 1/2 - 3 weeks away from the date that I will be buying one. The upside to this one is that I know it has been well-maintained. The engine was replaced 30k miles ago, and it recently had all the u-joints and brakes replaced. He's also willing to take $1000 up front and let me pay the remainder over the next few months.

[mattzj98]

the perfect solution actually is :
One trail rig
one Tow Rig
one trailer
one commuter
one wekeend go-fast car...

that's if you're into cars :)


( I keed I keed...)

[gm4x4lover]

If you change your mind on the k5 I am going to put my k5 up for sale, 87, 350 efi, 4" of lift, 37's, 4.88 gears, 14 bolt rear, hybrid dana 44 and 31 spline 10 bolt front. Runs and drives great. I hate to sell it but I have some personal problems that have come up that forces me to sell it.

[ColoJeeper]

Matt....you forgot the motorcycle!


the perfect solution actually is :
One trail rig
one Tow Rig
one trailer
one commuter
one wekeend go-fast car...

that's if you're into cars :)


( I keed I keed...)

[mattzj98]

DOH! what was I thinking

[Patrolman]

Sounds like my house. :)

4Runner for the trails
Toyota Custom cab to tow the dolly...
Pair of Prius (aka Prii) for 50mpg commuting
99 Miata and 72 Datsun 240Z for weekends!

And the list goes on and on.



the perfect solution actually is :
One trail rig
one Tow Rig
one trailer
one commuter
one wekeend go-fast car...

that's if you're into cars :)


( I keed I keed...)

[Clickpopboom]

Sounds like my house. :)

4Runner for the trails
Toyota Custom cab to tow the dolly...
Pair of Prius (aka Prii) for 50mpg commuting
99 Miata and 72 Datsun 240Z for weekends!

And the list goes on and on.


That's how it was before I moved here-
Explorer for trails/fishing trips
06 Jetta for commuting
Rabbit Convertible for summer fun
Souped up 82 Rabbit for going fast.

I still have the 82 in storage in Idaho, but the rest were sold when we moved.

[Clickpopboom]

He's bringing the XJ to work tomorrow for me to check it out. He told me there's a stack of receipts that come with it. They just had a shop replace the MAP and IAC, U-joints, pinion yoke, and rear brakes. He put brakes and rotors on the front last year. I guess his son was using it as a daily driver but took a job further from home and bought a new Subaru to save on gas.

[Adaa60]

I still have the 82 in storage in Idaho, but the rest were sold when we moved.

I WANT IT

[Clickpopboom]

I WANT IT

I'm planning on keeping that one for a while. I spent about 2 years looking for a rust free 4 door, and then way too much money finding and rebuilding the super-lightweight magnesium 4 speed. Then a ported big-valve head, 2.0 forged bottom end, high-rev dual springs, sodium filled exhaust valves, big cam, adjustable cam gear, serpentine conversion, polished intake manifold, big bore throttle body... etc.

I parked it to rebuild the front end and then moved out here a couple weeks after.

[zukrider]

can you walk me through the reason for sodium filled valves?! im always down to learn something new. headed to google now.

[Clickpopboom]

can you walk me through the reason for sodium filled valves?! im always down to learn something new. headed to google now.

Compared to sodium stainless is a poor heat conductor. Sodium filled valves allow much better heat transfer from the hot exhaust gases in the combustion chamber to the body of the cylinder head. This keeps combustion chamber temps down and helps prevent pinging or its dangerous friend detonation. I used them for 2 reasons-
To compensate for the loss of heat transfer when I replaced the castiron exhaust manifold with a header, and in case I decided to go turbo in the future.

[Clickpopboom]

Well I ended up getting the 91 XJ.

[Patrolman]

Post some pics before people harass you over it. :)

[Fordguy77]

Post some pics before people harass you over it. :)
Just when i was gonna say
:pics:

[Clickpopboom]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8258/8665605711_eb0126e604_b.jpg

[Clickpopboom]

Needs a windshield, sway bar end links, and a gas cap. Well, that and a lift, skid plates, bigger tires, etc


Has the upgraded interior with the overhead console that has the temperature and compass.

[offroadwonder]

Damn fine choice! I love those XJs.

[xaza]

nice!

[The StRanger]

Ya, Sweet ..

[Patrolman]

Will be a nice ride when it is done! Good find!