Jeep Enthusiast Forums banner

.:95 ZJ Build: NightCrawler:.

6K views 73 replies 11 participants last post by  QuadraBeast 
#1 · (Edited)
Current Status-



-List Of Plans-

Exterior Mods
- IRO F>R Swap Kit
- TreadWright Guard Dog With Kedge Grip in the 31x10.50R15 Flavor. x5 because i have no spare :nono:
- Debating a set of 5 Cragar Black V5 Wheels. Everyone has Soft 8's and D windows. CRAGAR Wheels 365-5712 - CRAGAR Series 365 Black V5 Wheel for Jeep® Vehicles with 5x4.5 Bolt Pattern - Quadratec
- New Trackbar, any reccomendations? IRO?
- Custom Front Bumper with Winch Mount, Stinger, and Light Guards
- Rear Bumper with swingout for spare, jerry cans, and water cans. Will also have a special little built in surprise or two. I dont want to give away my plans yet! :teehee:
- Custom Roof Rack with Hilift and Shovel/Axe Mounts.
- Possible set of ARB air lockers
- Possible regear with lockers
- Hella 500's
- XRC10 Winch

Interior Mods
-CB
-Scanner Mount
- Head Unit
- I think it would be pretty cool to make a laptop stand, and get Terrain Navigator Pro: Maptech Terrain Navigator Pro It comes with a plugin for a USB GPS and it will show your location on the sattelite maps.
- G.E.A.R. Seat covers
- Paint Interior panels, touch ups, etc.

Im into more of the expedition style wheeling, and thats what type of rig im going for.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Beginning of the Build
Well, after my last ZJ kicked the bucket on me, i started searching for another jeep. After searching for three months, going to look at countless jeeps that turned out to be ghetto rigged clunkers, getting scammed, i finally found a ZJ while we were out driving around searching about 4 hours away from home. I saw it sitting off at a little car lot with no plates, so we decided to stop and see.

So, 1400 bucks and three hours later, we finally came home. Its a 95 Limited ZJ, Quadratrac, with a cherry bomb, a replaced 5.2, round fogs on the front.

After we got it home is tarted to find a few problems, other than what we found at the lot.

Whenever i turn sharp, it sounds like somethign is binding. My dad says it sounds liek the 4wheel, but ill have to check it out when it gets a little warmer.

The Gas guage is temperamental :rolleyes: The fogs dont work, the radio works pretty good though, the VIC isnt turning on, and the wipers only work on Low and High.

Theres a rats nest of wiring, we tucked it up out of the way for now. It looks like someone tried to put a remote starter in, but we got no remotes with it.

I feel pretty safe with it though, all gauges are reading good, and the original owner is a mechanic that works at the lot we bought it from.

Anyway, Photo op, i got stuck in someones ruts in ice and mud with the bald A/Ts :brickwall:









Rear Gate is rusted through, i ran aluminum tape in layers across it, and resprayed the gate black for now. Ill have to get a new gate at the junk yard. Tires are my priority though.

















Ill have to check out all the wiring, there are also two screws missing for the radio/heater gauge bezel.

Does anyone have any idea what the binding might be caused by?

Any clues to what any of those unplugged wires are? haha...

Comments, suggestions, ideas, and "your an idiot"'s are all appreciated.

Thanks guys! And im so glad to be back in a ZJ! :cheers2:
 
See less See more
13
#30 ·
Not sure yet. im painting the door handles at the moment. I may replace the badges with silver ones. Im going to spray the roof rack next, i did my wiper arms already.

What do you guys think about doing the mirrors the same color ans the door handles, grill, wheels, and roof rack? :confused:
 
#32 · (Edited)
I have one silver JEEP badge i anit gonna do anything with hint hint
:shhh:

Haha.. I cleaned up the front end a litle today and sprayed it with some dollar black spray paint just to dress it up a bit. It looks WAY better with the trimmed bumper!

Im running out of budget mods :( :laugh:

All in all, im pleased with everything, even though the first day (probably tomorrow) that i go wheeling its going to scratch the rims to hell and back!:banana:
 
#33 ·
Im thinking my tcase is going to go any time now. Its starting to slip occasionally on me, making left turns, and just occasionally at other times.

Stupid VC :brickwall: :brickwall: :brickwall: :brickwall: :brickwall: :brickwall:

I have to think of some more budget mods. :cheers:

My buddy has a set of 31's i may buy. 4 tires, no spare. They are Trail Mark Radial APR's. He said 250 for the 4, but i may offer him 200, or maybe jsut find another set. they have about half an inch of tread, and are worn evenly. They were on his 86 4runner.

What next? :shhh:
 
#37 ·
No progress lately on the jeep. Money is tight, insurance is this week, so no mods until me next pay check.

I took it out and wheeled it on some old fire roads, and some gameland access roads. I got it a little muddy finally, it makes me happy :laugh:

No pics sadly, but once i get tires, many pics to come. :thumbsup:

On the other hand, a friend of mine just got a Yamaha R6, so we did a little photoshoot. He's going to use the pics for his senior photos.

Heres a couple shots i took-











 
#44 ·
I was pumped when i started with it, but i have a different job, and soon i may pick up a job doing pizza delivery at night so the V8 just isnt going to work for me. And ive always wanted a YJ, Not to offend anyone here <3 :laugh:

Oh well, shes on craigs, penns, recycler, and some other sites, and tomorrow im just sitting her out by the road all day and seeing what happens..
 
#45 ·
Okay, im keeping my jeep.

Why not? Black, V8, upcountry.

I got a new job working at the stealership. Stuckey Ford and Subaru :shhh:

So, now ill be working more, and making a better wage, my manager at my current job promised me a raise after the first month. Its been four months now, and sitting behind a desk is not for me.

So hopefully soon my mods will be rolling in again! And I had to take back the awesome Nikon to my school, so now im cameraless. :thumbdown:

Anyway, update on the jeep.

I took it on a road-trip, i was adding water to the reservoir and it smelled a little funky. I couldn't really see in the reservoir though. So i drove about 180 miles round trip, then took it up to my paps to go on a fourwheeler ride, and as soon as i got there we unloaded my friends fourwheeler from his truck, and BAM.

Steam just starts bellowing out of every spot it can. I almost drop the fourwheeler and run down to find a puddle and water flowing down the dirt lane.

At least it didn't happen to me somewhere else.

I am picking up a radiator from the junkyard tomorrow for 50 dollars and my bad radiator. Not a bad deal.
 
#46 ·
Haha, I know what thats like, not fun when the rad goes...

I'm glad your gonna hang on to it, its looking really good!
 
#48 ·
DOnt need a lift to cleanthe under carriage, just a creeper some engine degreaser, LOTS of old rags, and some time
 
#49 ·
Yeah, i could probably do it here, i just figured it would be a little easier that way. Im debating where i want to put my CB. I have nice Uniden that was given to me as a gift, but i have a smaller one too, so i think i may hold off on the larger one and put the small one in place of my ash tray. I cant wait for my job to start and start making some more money, i plan on making my own bumpers, and i have some other cool and unique ideas that i havent seen yet, theres going to be A LOT of custom fabwork over the summer, so i think im going to start practicing a little on my welding now.

I cant wait! :D
 
#50 ·
good luck stuff you make yourself is always better than what you can buy, then you really can say it yours
 
#52 ·
Okay ive got a question for you guys. Im going to be getting tires here soon, and ive been reading a good bit about retreads lately.

Has anyone had them on their ZJ?

If you have how have they held up for you?

Ive read a few people saying off and on about how they arent very safe. However if i can get a few first hand opinions i was looking at the Treadwright Guard-Dog M/T in the 31x10.50R15 flavor.

Any opinions?
 
#53 ·
I cant help ya in that department, i know iv read on here and other places that people have tem and like them, nut i dont have any firsthand expereince, i was wondering this also
 
#55 ·
If there comparable to new tire, and can save a few bucks to put towards the jeep in other places id say go for it
 
#56 · (Edited)
Yeah definately. I was thinking about saving up for a big lift and big tires, but then i got to thinking. A ZJ with a decent lift, and decent tires, Locked, will go anywhere a huge ZJ with open diffs will.

For now i think im going to set my goals at the following:

Exterior Mods
- IRO F>R Swap Kit
- TreadWright Guard Dog With Kedge Grip in the 31x10.50R15 Flavor. x5 because i have no spare :nono:
- Debating a set of 5 Cragar Black V5 Wheels. Everyone has Soft 8's and D windows. CRAGAR Wheels 365-5712 - CRAGAR Series 365 Black V5 Wheel for Jeep® Vehicles with 5x4.5 Bolt Pattern - Quadratec
- New Trackbar, any reccomendations? IRO?
- Custom Front Bumper with Winch Mount, Stinger, and Light Guards
- Rear Bumper with swingout for spare, jerry cans, and water cans. Will also have a special little built in surprise or two. I dont want to give away my plans yet! :teehee:
- Custom Roof Rack with Hilift and Shovel/Axe Mounts.
- Possible set of ARB air lockers
- Possible regear with lockers
- Hella 500's
- XRC10 Winch

Interior Mods
- CB
- Scanner Mount
- Head Unit
- I think it would be pretty cool to make a laptop stand, and get Terrain Navigator Pro: Maptech Terrain Navigator Pro It comes with a plugin for a USB GPS and it will show your location on the satellite maps.
- G.E.A.R. Seat covers
- Paint Interior panels, touch ups, etc.

Im into more of the expedition style wheeling, and thats what type of rig im going for.

I have some othe cool mods im thinking of doing that would really set it apart, but im still tossing them back and forth.

First Post will now be updated with the most current pic and my list of goals :thumbsup:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top