When we purchased our well-used 1989 XJ Limited last year, we had no idea what type of care - or abuse - it had been given.

Since that time, we have determined that this particular XJ had been used primarily for on-road use, as there where no tell-tale scratches on the axles or skid plates. Also, the transfer case was fairly sticky, as if from non-use.

The body and interior are in fairly good shape, The engine, while in good mechanical condition, is showing its mileage (over 130k) and age (9 years), and does not seem to have received much attention from the previous owner.

For us to be able to trust this vehicle under serious (or even semi-serious) conditions, we’ll need to upgrade/rebuild/replace a number of items. The plan is to concentrate on these four major areas initially:

• Engine: Rebuild - The original 4.0L has plenty of HP and torque for our needs, but must be rebuilt to be trusted, and to fix a couple of oil leaks.

• Tranny/TC: Rebuild - The auto-transmission and Selec Trac TC both seem to be in excellent condition, but looks can be deceiving.

• Suspension: Upgrade - Although our Up-Country suspension is taller and offers more travel than stock, we feel we can maximize our XJ’s possibilities by upgrading to an ARB/OME 2” lift. We will also upgrade our steering stabilizer to handle the larger-than-stock tires.
  - Done! Look for pictures soon! -

• Electrical/Wiring: Replace - At this point, we have poor connections at a few sensors, and are over-taxing the output rating of our stock alternator. Wiring is starting to crack.
  

• Moss Bros Dodge	• Rancho
• Four-X Doctor	• Hi-Lift
• ARB/Old Man Emu	• Wal Mart

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