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I have decided to bring my old 1979 FSJ Cherokee back to life. It has a rebuilt 360 V8, rebuilt TH400 tranny, Quadratrac (full-time) 4x4, and D44's front and rear.
While I have other drivetrain plans in mind and have accumulated parts for this future swap, the first order of business was to get the oil leaks fixed from sitting so long. To date: leaks fixed/gaskets replaced, engine de-greaser applied, and now engine compartment is clean!
The next most important issue(to my wife), was to get the Cherokee a nice paint job. I bought it in a primered format, but it still needed some body work done before it was ready for paint. At the time of purchase, I didn't really care if it was painted, but since I have decided to get it back on the road as a daily driver, I'd like for it to look good. Here are pics, prior to any body work:
As I started to de-chrome this rig, my buddy started sanding down the old primer, and digging out the old bondo. We already had both replacement rocker panels, knew we needed some replacement rear fender flares, and found a spot or two full of bondo. Other than that, this old Cherokee is pretty straight, and will not be a major project getting ready for paint. Progress pics:
As you can see, the second pic shows some bondo (white areas). What we didn't know is that the entire side of the Cherokee is FULL of bondo, from the back part of the door to the rear tail light marker. Looks like someone had a little fender-bender. Nothing too serious, as the rear fender well is straight, and most of the areas are not too thick of bondo....with the exception of the above pic. That pic shows an area of about 3/4" deep of bondo. How it didn't crack, and how it stood up all these years is beyond me...must have been done by someone who knew what they were doing.
With this development, it looks like I have two options: (1) go see if I can get a "decent" side fender from a donor rig...chances of finding one without rust is slim-to-none, or (2) order some replacement fenders from J.C. Whitney for $100.
We will dig into this Cherokee a little more tomorrow and see what the best option is for now. More pics to come later.
While I have other drivetrain plans in mind and have accumulated parts for this future swap, the first order of business was to get the oil leaks fixed from sitting so long. To date: leaks fixed/gaskets replaced, engine de-greaser applied, and now engine compartment is clean!
The next most important issue(to my wife), was to get the Cherokee a nice paint job. I bought it in a primered format, but it still needed some body work done before it was ready for paint. At the time of purchase, I didn't really care if it was painted, but since I have decided to get it back on the road as a daily driver, I'd like for it to look good. Here are pics, prior to any body work:
As I started to de-chrome this rig, my buddy started sanding down the old primer, and digging out the old bondo. We already had both replacement rocker panels, knew we needed some replacement rear fender flares, and found a spot or two full of bondo. Other than that, this old Cherokee is pretty straight, and will not be a major project getting ready for paint. Progress pics:
As you can see, the second pic shows some bondo (white areas). What we didn't know is that the entire side of the Cherokee is FULL of bondo, from the back part of the door to the rear tail light marker. Looks like someone had a little fender-bender. Nothing too serious, as the rear fender well is straight, and most of the areas are not too thick of bondo....with the exception of the above pic. That pic shows an area of about 3/4" deep of bondo. How it didn't crack, and how it stood up all these years is beyond me...must have been done by someone who knew what they were doing.
With this development, it looks like I have two options: (1) go see if I can get a "decent" side fender from a donor rig...chances of finding one without rust is slim-to-none, or (2) order some replacement fenders from J.C. Whitney for $100.
We will dig into this Cherokee a little more tomorrow and see what the best option is for now. More pics to come later.
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