Mnicosia23’s ‘98 ZJ 5.9 Build

[mnicosia23]

Hey guys, i’ve been a member here for a little while but just finally bought my first overlanding project. It is a 1998 Grand Cherokee 5.9 and my intention is to turn it into a super reliable rig that I can take on multi-day trips as well as DD if need be.

The good:
-5.9 motor
-Very little rust which is rare for upstate NY
-Interior is in great shape minus wet carpet (more on that in the bad)
-Creature comforts (sunroof, heater power leather seats)

The bad:
-Highish miles (192,000)
-Pooling water on driver floorboard, passenger front and driver rear also wet
-Driver seat only moves a total of a couple inches
-Heated seat indicator lights up but they do not heat up
-One brake line has a slow leak in the engine bay area
-Needs a cat and muffler
-Door lock cylinders frozen



Snapped a couple pics next to my buddy’s ‘97, ignore the plate on mine as it came with the truck.

 

[Roverbob]

Looks like it's got a sunroof, I'd check its drains, water could be coming from there.

 

[Roverbob]

Also por15 is going to be a friend being up there, and leatherique is the best leather care there is I use it on my 1999 land rover discovery2, keeps the leather soft and hydrated so it doesn't crack and tear.

 

[Downs]

Very nice even with all the issues you still have one of the coolest most capable luxo Rocket SUVs there ever was.

 

[mnicosia23]

Thanks for the input guys! So here is a little update:

-Put new batteries in the stock key fob and it works like a charm so that is cool
-Bought regular maintenance stuff to freshen it up later this week (oil, filter, coolant for a flush, wiper blades, etc.)
-Ordered hood latch cable to replace the broken one
-Ordered lock cylinders with new keys
-After doing a little research I decided to order a cat (Walker #15820) and muffler (Magnaflow #11226) which will probably terminate with a turn down
-Iron Rock Offroad budget boost is also on the way
-Scored a brand new set of Cooper Discoverer A/T tires on facebook marketplace for $400

I spent some time working on it today, stripping the interior to remove the headliner (to re-cover) and remove the carpet so it can dry out. While I am in there I plan to undercoat the floor for a little extra protection. I was able to remove everything besides the driver seat because the front two bolts are covered in rust so the bolt heads are mangled. But while I was out there I figured out that the windshield is not completely sealed, I was able to push on it from the inside causing it to come off of the truck slightly so I am certain that is the cause of the leak. Unfortunately being that the DMV is closed for now I am unable to get her on the road but I am enjoying working on it! More updates to come.

 

[mnicosia23]

More updates!

-I was able to grind down the rusty bolt heads on the driver seat and get that out so I could finally remove the carpet. I forgot to take a pic but there was at least 1/2” of standing water in the driver footwell so thats cool!
-Installed Peel and Seal (Lowes $15) to the inside of the roof, not sure how much it will help with sound dampening or insulation but at least I feel better doing it.
-Got all the wheels off the truck including the matching spare, taking them to my buddy tomorrow to have the new tires mounted so they will be ready to go when the budget boost arrives.
-Ordered LED bulbs to replace all of the lights on the ceiling and shifter/4wd indicator, depending on how they look I plan on doing the gauges and dash later.
-Ordered a Raptor Liner kit from amazon. My goal is to shoot the floor for a little extra sound deadening and protection.

Before the headliner can go back in I need to recover it andddd of course Joann Fabrics is closed due to corona so that will have to wait. Carpet cannot go back in until Raptor Liner kit comes in which isnt for another 2 weeks so interior is at a little bit of a standstill for now. In the meantime ill find projects for the exterior and engine!

 

[mnicosia23]

Cinco De Mayo progress update:

-Got the old exhaust cut out and installed the new cat, muffler, and turndown. Pretty happy with the sound but can’t wait to get it on the road.
-Raptor liner got delivered today so tomorrow I will start prepping the floor to spray.
-Picked up a brand new set of 1” wheel spacers for $50 on marketplace, going to mock them up to see if I want to use them or not.
-Tires got mounted on stock wheels and look great, just need to get the lift installed then they can go on.

 

[mnicosia23]

Hey guys, it’s been a little bit since i’ve updated so here it goes..

-Swapped all the interior lights to led, it was a PITA to figure out all the different bulbs needed but I highly recommend doing this upgrade!
-Finally got the floor raptor lined. I ended up using all 4 jugs and i’m very happy with the results.
-Tonight I was able to get the rear half of the budget boost installed as well as the rear wheels and spacers.
-Last week I ordered a Cobra 75 WX ST cb radio so today I made a custom bracket to mount the 4’ antenna. I attached the bracket behind the taillight on the driver side and ran the coax through the taillight wiring grommet.

Floor before:

Floor after:
Antenna bracket is actually undercoated but just looks silver in the pic.

Next on the to-do list is to install the front half of the lift and get her back on all 4 wheels, run the coax throughout the truck, and possibly start getting the interior back together.

 

[Roverbob]

Looking good man!

 

[mnicosia23]

Slowly but surely she’s coming back together. Over the past couple days I have been able to install the front lift and get it back on all fours! I also stripped and recovered my headliner and speaker panel using black headliner material from Joann Fabric, turned out pretty good for my first attempt.



Now for the not so fun..while installing the lift I noticed the left front speed sensor cable was snipped (assuming by accident) by whoever worked on it last, not a huge deal but just another part I need to buy. Worse than that, I came out the other morning to find a puddle of transmission fluid underneath it so thats awesome. My plan is for me and my buddy to reinstall the ABS block as it should be then take it to a shop so they can properly bleed the brakes, replace the oil pan and gasket, and diagnose and fix the transmission leak which I know will be costly but its not something I want to tackle on my own.