Project Nomad: Jeep 97 TJ

[Jeepthreat]

Hi!

I'm starting a new build for a 97 TJ. I currently live in NYC for work, so I have some specific things in mind for this Jeep. It's has to fufill being a occasional work vehicle which includes hauling equipment (film business) with the ability to go long distances on the highway comfortably and be helpful for solo self-recovery and survival when I go on overland expeditions of which I'd like to leave the first week of October for an expedition thru New Mexico, Arizona and Utah and then circle back to New York.

I am prepping it to be able to go offroad, but mostly for light off-road and tons of sand and climbing light obstacles such as small rocks and downed trees, but not rock climbing. It also has to have a bit of rough-edged elegance for the days I go trolling for girls as a single guy in NYC.

Starting with one beat up 97 TJ! There is tons wrong here - no driveshaft, coolant not flowing, seats are jacked, one is bent to the side, no lights in dash, scratches, dings from falling rocks in the mountains, flat spare just to name a few.

Here are the first pics:

Drivers seat - food - coins - tickets - girls hair - dog hair, everything in this bent seat that has messed up my back a bit.

Missing lens covers, tired tires, milk jugs - which you actually need in the city - a jeep bumper is deadly to fiberglass!

Bushwhacker Fender Flares that are mostly in good shape,

Under the hood: one working HID light, brown backed up coolant

Steering wheel covered in Grip cloth tape from work. Disgusting looking I know

I think homeless cats smoking cigarettes were using my jeep at night as a place to party

The short list for first round mods are for this fast build up:
new windowshield
bedliner Raptor
2" or 2.5" lift with new springs
New Tires / 32 or 33
New Rims Black / Or Sandblast and paint sock rims
Fox 2.0 Shocks
Battery Box
New spark plugs/wires
New Fluids!
new seats / twisted stitch!
underbody lighting systems
audio system/ in dash-linux based mp3 player
OBD computer reader tied to linux box.
new wipers
new glovebox/tuffy
two Garmin GPS walkie talkies 530cx (build one in dash!) or SMS/GPS device to track jeep if stolen or lost from it.
new driveshaft.
CB
New doors (old doors are shot, sorta)

Whew - that's a lot to do but I am open to suggestions and I'm checking everyone elses builds out for ideas. Please feel free to let me know what I am doing right or wrong!

 

[Mr. D]

wow you got a project ahead of you, the body looks straight and the glove box is already ready for the tuffy style

 

[inked33]

looks like a big project.....only advice i could really give is just fix one thing at a time insdtead of trying to fix everything all at once. for me it seels to work better if i do one thing at a time instead of taking on to many projects and taking forever to get even one completed.....good luck and have fun with the jeep

 

[NOMADIC_LJ]

whats the story behind the Jeep?

 

[Jeepthreat]

The story is that I've had this 97 TJ for a while. I used it as my work vehicle and rec vehicle. I had CJ-7's before the TJ. It got beat up during production use, as a shooting vehicle, lugging equipment all over, for features, music videos, and commercials. Then it sat while i was overseas. Now I'm back and hooking it up and taking it for an overland expedition.

Now it's time to break out the build up skills and get them on point so I can fix it on the road as well with the dream of being a overland expedition team at some point. My personal strength lies in electronics, electrical systems and rigging things.

Target date to leave is the 30th of sept or the first week of October.

 

[Jeepthreat]

Trucklites Amazing 7" LED Headlights!

I wanted these since I saw them on Hummers overseas. They took the pain and were bright. First Steps on this jeep are cosmetic. I only had one headlight for the last six months on this jeep - and somehow I didn't get a ticket! Maybe it's the ranger sticker on the back and the cops give me a break?

Box day: Trucklites are simple, plug and go - with solidly enclosed element with cooling fins. Just what I needed! I'm hard on headlights - this thing is bulletproof! Go Trucklite!

Removed Chrome Headlight retainers front and back and painted them. I have to do them over - wind blew tons of dust, newspaper bits and hair onto the spray paint before it dried. Still looks better than chrome.

Removed my DeltaTech HID's - while I would buy from DeltaTech again - aftermarket HID's just can't take the pounding and I spend a lot of money buying replacement parts.

Light Mounted up - In the daylight they sparkle like a vampires skin from twilight.

The top half of the light lights up in lo and both halves light up on hi. It gives the jeep a interesting face.

The light hits the road in front of me - but you can't see in this photo but it brightly illuminates a sign way down at the end of the docks. amazing.

Blurry too since I took it driving - but if you want light - trucklite delivers and it draws such low power you could leave it on all night by mistake and still start your jeep up! Okay - thats not true - but I can wish.

Also I feel bad for people driving in front of me , the laser like projection of the LED's flood the cars in front of me with bright white light. They sometimes pull over to let me pass. It's a bad side effect on the road for really low cars.

 

[Mr. D]

do you have a website link for the lights

 

[Jeepthreat]

http://www.jcwhitney.com/7-round-led-headlight/p2023192.jcwx?skuId=803971&TID=8014524FT4&zmam=15972153&zmas=21&zmac=141&zmap=244491

Jcwhitney is where i got them from but i see them on amazon for about twenty dollars cheaper. Offroad they have been good to me. I dont want to flood the whole world with a wall of light, but i do want to accurately see obstacles waay in front of me,

 

[Mr. D]

right on thanks

 

[Jeepthreat]

Phase 1 of the build up continues:

I used Raptor from U-Pol to line the tub so it can look great - but mostly not scratch up when I work hauling everything from girls with makeup cases, to dogs, to generators and air compressors and film cameras. $100 - I got the version without the gun!!!! Get the version with the gun!! I lost about $75 getting the wrong kit.

The flatbed of my jeep: pretty messed up! I un-installed the last of the back seat mounting brackets and back seatbelts - i don't rock with a backseat.

I sanded it down with this and by hand with a painters sandpaper brick. I didn't have power in the street, so I did a tie-in to the lamppost for electricity. Hey - I pay high city taxes!

Doing a complete build up on the New York City Street has it challenges. I think someone came by and stole my 1/2 inch wrench! Here is the front cab - it's a mess too. I wrenched out the drivers seat and other floor crap

Morning time! all sanded down and taped off shifters and parking break and plugged holes with painters tape , earplugs and screw anchors. I think Screw Anchors are fastest and best. Lost 2 dollars buying ear plugs.

After washing and vaccuming it again, the only tools I need are the air compressor. spray gun, upol and beer - which is illegal to drink on the street in NYC.

Coat 1/2 is finished! I botched lots of things during the spraying - wrong spray gun - sprayed sloooow. Kit is eaiser - my mistakes make it hard - still - looks better than it did didn't it!

From Above

Work Fast! This thing congealed fast into a thick rubber you could make a shoe sole out of

Here is the wasted bottle from a clogged spray gun next to my city accouterments - $50 down the drain

Okay - i got one last bottle out of another gun for one last layer. Looks good to me or does it look like I botched it?

From Above:

I am pleased with how this came out:


A couple of notes so that you don't shorten your life like i did working with this stuff:

Use a high end facemask with filter or respirator, I used a regular mouth covering and it's not enough - the fumes will get you.
Make sure you wear gloves and don't spill it on your hands.
Work fast - before it dries!

Even though i botched the job and lost 2 bottles because of clogged spray guns that involved me riding a girls bike with a basket at high speed down a highway to pep boys to get a new one - it still came out fantastic - and even my 3 thin layers doesn't scratch and looks 100 times better than spray paint - and more like a vampires skin in daylight from the Twilight Series if that makes sense. I plan to spray it again next year and hopefully get it to a thicker consistency like a play mat at a kindergarten!

Other jeep owners near me commented how good it looked and lots of girls stopped to talk and take pictures. That's NY! Still a lot to do, and it's the 24th already!!!!!!!

 

[FlexdXJ]

So you are doing a build on the streets of NYC?

 

[Jeepthreat]

Yes. I dont currently have a garage or driveway. Its almost like doing a build up on a trail except when im laying on the ground there are more used condoms and dog poo remnants around me.

Its gonna be a bit challenging, but i will go to a garage i am cool with for certain things and use their lift, for the price of buying everyone there lunch, but yes most of it will be done outside on the street near the condo where i live. The price for urban dwelling i suppose.

 

[NOMADIC_LJ]

thanks for documenting. I'm really enjoying the pics and write-up. I'll remember this next time I complain that my garage or driveway are too small

 

[grahamfitter]

Cool build.

Food for thought: If your Jeep has the same 3.07 gears as my '97 you'll probably find 31" tires are about as big as you can go and still make progress up hills on the interstate.

 

[Xodius]

Looks good. Curious how much you got that gem for? Would love a nice project like that one.