The New Girl

[Wago-Nan]

Hey everybody,

I Just got a 1979 Cherokee Chief W/T as an early birthday present this year, and I plan on fixing it up so that it can be my family boat tower/camping-mobile/skiing-mobile truck. I have already learned a lot about this whole FSJ thing from you guys, so thanks for that. Before my brother bought it for me, my cherokee was sitting in some guys backyard for years, so it was in pretty bad shape when I got it. I am going to need lots and lots of replacement parts for this truck since it is soooo rusty, so plan on seeing me in the Wanted and For Sale forums a lot. see you around!!

here are some pictures of my crazy truck. they are from before i cleaned it out, so it is still full of garbage and gross yellow shag carpets. ha ha

[chr1s]

welcome to the insanity, and

WHAT THE HECK IS THAT ON YOUR HOOD??

[jeepskater433]

nice man find, looks like you got your work cut out for you, i had the same exact cherokee for about 3 months, same color, year, trim package, everything, even almost the same condition, although mine was used on a deer lease from the time it was new, good luck on your project, any pics of after you cleaned it up, or does it look the same?

[Wago-Nan]

ha ha. that is the giant bug monster from the movie Starship Troopers. My brother thought it added a nice touch. lol.

It looks a bit better now. I have only had it for a couple of weeks but I have completely cleaned out the interior (and found lots of rust in the process). The seats are in surprisingly good shape once I got all of the dirt off of them. I also power washed the exterior to get the layers of dirt, moss, and lichen off and I have removed the stickers to prepare it for compounding and general wash-n-shine. I will put up some pictures of it after I have shined it up as much as possible. My Dad keeps telling me that I might as well be rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, but I just ignore him.

Unfortunately, my brother still can't get it to run which is frustrating. I keep hoping though.

[HD_JEEP]

Hey I look forward to seeing this worked on Please send lots of update pics.

Oh and the giant bug monster. That is the size of Mosquitoes we have here in the South.

Welcome the search for parts. I am in the same boat as you.

[mattmopar440]

dig those mud flaps

[budojeepr]

Welcome! I recognized the bug instantly. Your brother and dad seem to have fine senses of humor. Titanic, indeed.

I hope you can get it to run acceptably...now that you're in the family, kiss your savings goodbye. Our community does its part to support our faltering economy.

[scannman70]

Welcome and good luck, I have a similar cherokee down here in Pa when you start you search for parts, might be able to help you out, your not that far away up thar...

[newtojeeps]

Nice truck keep plugging away and it will serve you well. One thing at a time.

[jaber]

Welcome.

[Danbert]

Very nice score man. Hmm another Jeep as a birthday present.. "Oh dear, I know what I want this year"....

[Wago-Nan]

hey thanks for the welcomes guys. i will definitely be asking around for parts. right now i am searching for new widetrack flares, new floors for basically the whole thing, and a t-18 case with the crawler gear. the cherokee is an automatic at the moment, but i am hoping to convert it to a 4-speed because standard is awesome

[Chuck Brown]

Welcome aboard Wago, and as you said there is no better place to find a better group of guys than here at this site!

I just gutted a bunch of parts (mostly interior and trim) from my 77 Chief, so feel free to post your future needs, these guys are the best at coming through when you've lost all hope.

As for moving forward, if you dont already know how to weld, consider buying one in the future and learning, or make good friends with someone who does!

Chuck Brown

[Wago-Nan]

i personally don't know how to weld, but my boyfriend is getting better and I have a few friends that can weld well. maybe i will try to have someone teach me. that would be cool.