1983 Jeep Cherokee street fighter project

[ghinmi]

Ooooooh, that looks like a great one to start with! I can't wait to see progress. An awd one would be sweet. What color scheme are you thinking? So many good factory and custom possibilities.

I know first hand how hard it is to find a clean one. Just went through that process again, this '83 got totalled out in July and I'm starting over again. Idiot in a big body Caddy was going twice the speed limit and ran a red light, I had nowhere to go. Luckily the safety equipment did it's job and I made it out pretty well. Hit hard enough that it broke the rear suspension crossmember and pushed the axle back. The new one is coming along well.

[rustomatic]

Man, that is some serious suck! Glad to hear you made it out okay, though. On to the next version . . .

[grendel]

That really sucks, sorry man. Hopefully, the Caddy had good insurance.

I plan to leave it stock, with all the patina. Just fix the rot in the rockers and rear lower quarters. Everything else is solid, well except for the mouse colony in the head liner.

Trying to figure out how to make Corvette 19x12" rims look like 15x8" Cherokee wheels.

[ghinmi]

Luckily I have good insurance because he had NONE. My insurance company paid out the agreed value and that's a good start on the new one.

You're going to love the huge wheel wells on the wide trac Cherokees. They'll swallow up those 19x12s even on the front. My new one will have 17x11 all around and they still look small.

[ADY]

Good reminder to check your policy for not only uninsured motorist coverage, but also UNDERinsured coverage. Here in CA the minimum required is only $15k coverage which will barely pay for decent damage and any medical costs (which of course your medical insurance company will try to get reimbursed from any payout).

Good to hear you came out of it unhurt; makes me think a cage in my Camaro is needed (especially for a side impact) just for street driving.

[grendel]

Originally Posted by ghinmi

Luckily I have good insurance because he had NONE. My insurance company paid out the agreed value and that's a good start on the new one.

You're going to love the huge wheel wells on the wide trac Cherokees. They'll swallow up those 19x12s even on the front. My new one will have 17x11 all around and they still look small.

Yeah, that was my fear... too small tire syndrome. I stopped a C/K5 project becuase the Blazer body ate every tire we could put under it and I would have to chop 3" of rocker off to make it look right.

Like I said, you're the inspiration for this madness... and that I have all the parts and can sell off the drivetrain from this easily. It's a 401/th400/quad set up.

And my family loves Jeeps.

[WSSix]

Sorry to see the Jeep was totaled. Really glad you came out safe and sound though. Good luck with the next one. Keep us posted on it. I loved seeing this red one come together.

[ghinmi]

Originally Posted by ADY

Good reminder to check your policy for not only uninsured motorist coverage, but also UNDERinsured coverage. Here in CA the minimum required is only $15k coverage which will barely pay for decent damage and any medical costs (which of course your medical insurance company will try to get reimbursed from any payout).

Good to hear you came out of it unhurt; makes me think a cage in my Camaro is needed (especially for a side impact) just for street driving.

Yes, quality insurance and knowing your policy is KEY. Michigan is the only true no-fault state which actually makes thing simpler in the case of vehicle value. You carry your own coverage, not the other guy. Everywhere else it absolutely sucks though.

The cage is definitely a double edged sword. In a pure front collision like mine it sure helped. In a side collision things can get ugly. You knock your melon against one of those bars and it's usually game over after you suffer for a while.

Originally Posted by grendel

Yeah, that was my fear... too small tire syndrome. I stopped a C/K5 project becuase the Blazer body ate every tire we could put under it and I would have to chop 3" of rocker off to make it look right.

Like I said, you're the inspiration for this madness... and that I have all the parts and can sell off the drivetrain from this easily. It's a 401/th400/quad set up.

And my family loves Jeeps.

I don't think you'll have much problem with the Jeep. The fender flares are relatively low in relation to the rocker. Mine had the tires about even with the wheel lip and still had a bunch of ground clearance. You should be able to sell that 401 for strong money, I had no problem getting rid of the 5 or 6 I had after I fully committed to the hemi.

Originally Posted by WSSix

Sorry to see the Jeep was totaled. Really glad you came out safe and sound though. Good luck with the next one. Keep us posted on it. I loved seeing this red one come together.

Thanks! I'm very lucky to have some really good people in my corner and it's been all hands on deck since the insurance released it. I'm waiting to post pictures until it's done but it's getting VERY close.

[waynieZ]

Oh man I'm sorry to see that, Glad you are OK. I'm looking forward to seeing the new project.