Lateral-g Forums - 1983 Jeep Cherokee street fighter project

Lateral-g Forums (https://www.lateral-g.net/forums/index.php)

- Project Updates (https://www.lateral-g.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=16)

- - 1983 Jeep Cherokee street fighter project (https://www.lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php?t=48322)

1983 Jeep Cherokee street fighter project

Unconventional vehicle, I know. I have a soft spot for full size Jeeps, have been drag racing 4 door Wagoneers for years. This project was originally intended to be a drag car but I changed plans midway through and it's going to be more of a streetfighter build.

Clearly they did not build a 2wd Cherokee, so the body is now on a '71 C10 chassis. I went through various iterations of AMC engines but have finally decided on a 5.7 hemi and TR6060 trans.

Here is a quickie rendering of how I want it to look like, although color and wheels/tires can change.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...pse875d2d0.jpg

And the chassis, from a 1971 C10 long bed. I started with a long bed because of the longer rear overhang. It's actually better than it looks, it had been left outside after the body was removed and surface rusted. No major pitting or structural rust.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psda1343d5.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...pse4c7bff1.jpg

Cut 15" out of the middle to bring it down to 110" wheelbase. The factory Jeep wheelbase was 109" but the front wheels weren't centered in the openings.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps6192f971.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psa8963589.jpg

Body ready to be liberated from the 4x4 stuff.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psc0e96bf2.jpg

And it's free!
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps461cb97e.jpg

The 4x4 frame (ironically converted to 2wd and used on another project).
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps16353279.jpg

First trial fit on the C10 chassis.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psc8d3c71b.jpg

Fits pretty well, body needs a little clearancing to sit correctly on the frame.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps346083f7.jpg

But it's TALL. For now.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psb9038e7e.jpg

The floor needed clearancing in one spot on each side.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...pscb12cbc7.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps280205ff.jpg

Frame lines up just right in the back, like it was made for it.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps4f3e871d.jpg

Example of body mounts that I made.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps28a1e490.jpg

Got some fiberglass parts and made a lift off style front end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX3RpiTf1N8

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps71767cd4.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps647c9db1.jpg

And a shot of the engine plan (at the time). AMC 401 based engine with an 83mm turbo. It's now all in my '77 4 door Wagoneer.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psa5c1e32b.jpg

After the engine/turbo got donated to my Wagoneer, I threw this one in there for the time being. 712 hp all motor 401 stroker (454").
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psc94903d6.jpg

And now we're up to current, the new engine/trans showed up the other day. It's a 5.7 hemi and TR6060 out of a 2010 Challenger. Plans are to do a simple cam swap and build custom headers. Will be going MS3x engine management and a cable style throttle body.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psbd71e80a.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...pse700d4f0.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps71d0dda3.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps2c79cbaf.jpg

Do you expect the fit to be difficult? Glad it's moving long for you.

Very cool, love the look. I've always wanted to do a drag racing wrangler project.

Thanks for sharing, I don't know why but I've always kind of liked these types of truck conversions. Certainly cheaper bodies than an old musclecar, and you've got that straightforward body on frame construction, not a bad way to go.

Very interesting build, I like it.

This thing is awesome!

Very cool build, I love the different approach to a cool car/truck!:trophy-1302:

Wow, great looking project. Rendering looks nice with the front tires as wide as the back...and the color is perfect! I have a feeling that Hemi will see a turbo in its future!

"So I went to the local autocross this past weekend, and got my tailbone handed to me, by a guy in a Wagoneer!"
This project is cool. What do you think it will weigh?

Awesome build! You don't see those very often.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WSSix (Post 583413)

Do you expect the fit to be difficult? Glad it's moving long for you.

It looks like it's going to fit really well. I'm probably going to clearance the firewall just a hair to set it back some more but it would fit without it. Even clears the vacuum brake booster. And the trans clears the tunnel no problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crystalss (Post 583458)

Wow, great looking project. Rendering looks nice with the front tires as wide as the back...and the color is perfect! I have a feeling that Hemi will see a turbo in its future!

I keep struggling with the turbo thing, I keep having to tell myself "no". It's so much fun on the other Jeep but I think I would be more than happy with 450ish whp on this one. Things start to get expensive and that's what I'm trying to avoid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Che70velle (Post 583475)

"So I went to the local autocross this past weekend, and got my tailbone handed to me, by a guy in a Wagoneer!"
This project is cool. What do you think it will weigh?

I do that all the time (in a straight line) with my Wagoneer. Looks all stock and I haven't finished painting it so it looks like a beater even though it's a frame off build. But it's got a little over 1000 hp and hooks up on small street tires. That one weighs 4300 lbs with me in it. Hoping that this one is 1000 lbs lighter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by srh3trinity (Post 583484)

Awesome build! You don't see those very often.

Yeah, this one took a bit of a search to find. Wagoneers are difficult to find in good shape but Cherokees are nearly impossible, especially wide tracs. This one seems to have lived an interesting life, having been a Department of Defense vehicle in Italy before making it's way to Florida and changing hands a bunch of times before I bought it out of Wisconsin with no title. Got a great deal on it, $650 as I recall. And I got the frame for $200. Everything on there is a deal.

Trial fit of the engine. Everything fit pretty nicely, just had to clearance the frame in one spot for the alternator. Got started on engine mounts, hopefully finish them up tonight. They're almost the exact mounting locations for the AMC v8 so not much work needed.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psc8bacb84.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps6daf95af.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps0cf54472.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps54dc96c2.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psffcd64ca.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psa79268d2.jpg

Did a little more fitting work, got the motor dropped down another inch or so. The oil pan is even with the bottom of the crossmember so that's as far as I want to go.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps983027f6.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psd8693d49.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps7cad1607.jpg

Then got to work on a transmission mount. Came out pretty good I think.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps22708bfc.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps2cbef58a.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps89ea32f3.jpg

Yanked the front springs out so that I could measure for wheels/tires. These pictures show rough ride height but clearly the wrong tires. The fronts will stick out about as far as shown but the rears will come out another 2" or so. The rear wheels being sunk so far in makes it look like the rear isn't centered but it is. Going 275/40r17 front and 315/35r17 rear on 17x9.5 and 17x11 ZR1 replicas.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps6a61df50.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps342b3833.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psfe6aaf51.jpg

Pretty neat!

I'm just finishing up on an LY5/4L60E swap in an '89 Grand Wagoneer. Mine stayed 4wd though.

I've been following yours, nice work!

The tires showed up today. I ordered them yesterday at 5:00 pm and they were here today at 11:00 am. Wow. Still waiting on wheels and ordered adapters today.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps9d3cf7e5.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps8aefb87a.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psdfcc8b73.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Che70velle (Post 583475)

"So I went to the local autocross this past weekend, and got my tailbone handed to me, by a guy in a Wagoneer!"
This project is cool. What do you think it will weigh?

I've been beat by an International Scout before, so why not? :poke:

Cool project ghinmi...

What's the story on the Monte Carlo in the background of some of your pics?

I have a front cross member that is cut to fit a mustang rack and tubular control arms for that frame if you want them? I have the rack, the modified 2" drop knuckles (disk brake) and all that.

It wasn't low enough for me, so I went with Porterbuilt.

Would certainly free up some weight on the front end and probably give you better steering. It's pretty much been sitting in my shed for 3 years.

That Scout is SWEET! I'll need to look that up and check out his set up.

The Monte is my old '86. I bought it in 2005, just sold it this summer with 98k miles. Just a nice stock driver. I just had too many cars and didn't hardly drive it anymore. I've followed your build throughout the years here and montecarloss.com, I probably should've gone that route instead of the Jeep but I'm just warped in the head. :poke:

I would be real interested in that front end. I'll shoot you a PM shortly.

I think Tyler has a build thread on PT of his Scout, his username is "autocross_a_truck" I believe. It started out as a S-10 chassis with a cut up '47 truck body on it which he and his Dad later replaced with the Scout body.

looks great I love how low it sits!!

Spent the last week or so planning and ordering parts. Hopefully most everything shows up before Christmas so that I can use the free time to work on it. I'm lucky to have a friend at Bullseye. When I finally broke down and decided I needed a turbo, they had one for me the next day. It's a billet wheel S366. Should be instant boost and still make 500ish whp, great autocross setup.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psde2c39df.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psc318209f.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psfb7264df.jpg

Got the steering squared away. Took some figuring but I'm happy with how it came out. The rack is out of a Dodge Ram which kills two birds with one stone. Obviously it's a rack and has a much quicker ratio than the old steering box (2.75 vs 4.5). But it's also set up to accept the high pressure power steering pump on the Hemi. So no special pump or regulator like everyone else uses. Very little bump steer. I left some adjustment holes to account for suspension changes in the future. I can also take ackerman steer out with spacers if I want to try that.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps815ce879.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps792ee861.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps567a8cac.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psbf95e530.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps6de78954.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps617d3d4c.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps95b97cf1.jpg

Such a cool project, you sure are making fast progress on it!!

Thanks! I've been going a little slow lately, planning things out and buying parts. Things should start picking up again soon.

I always like this body style in the 2 door version. Great project.

Got the driver's side header done. Nothing special or fancy, one might even call it ugly. But it'll work and that's what matters. Hopefully have the other side and the rest of the hot side piping done before the weekend. Also ordered the Holley HP EFI today.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps5b292885.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psbaebb880.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psea8f023d.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps9107fe03.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps0fd0f344.jpg