Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

General => User Rides => Topic started by: Thunder Chicken on July 04, 2010, 04:16:07 PM

Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: Thunder Chicken on July 04, 2010, 04:16:07 PM
Not a T-Bird or Cougar though. Not even a Ford. I've replaced my deer-damaged front end on my Cherokee with stuff from an 80's Wagoneer. This is actually only a small part of a huge project I've been doing with this thing (brought about by that rotted front axle). Since I posted the pics of that axle I have replaced both axles with 3.55's, built a " pack" rear lift, replaced the front springs with the ones from my parts rig, and of course, stripped said parts rig.

Anyway, my newly four-eyed Cherokeer (part Cherokee, part Wagoneer):

Before:
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/96cherokee3.jpg)

Front axle and Wagoneer springs in:
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/96cherokee6.jpg)

Rear axle and  Pack leafs in:
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/96cherokee9.jpg)

Deer damaged front end:
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/96cherokee4.jpg)

And the Wagoneer front end on, making it a 4-eye:
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/96cherokee10.jpg)

I haven't got the new chrome bumper on yet. My plans for this thing include upgrading it to have the options the parts Wag had, including power windows/seats/locks/mirrors, tilt, cruise, 242 transfer case (has a "full time" 4WD mode in addition to the 2hi, 4hi, and 4lo) and A/C (yes, I'm swapping the entire A/C system in). This Cherokee is the most base of base, its only option being the full size spare. I aim to change that.

Oh, and the parts Wagoneer:
Before (paid $200 for it):
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/wagoneer1.jpg)

During:
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/wagoneer5.jpg)

After:
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/wagoneer15.jpg)
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: HAVI on July 04, 2010, 04:39:18 PM
Nice!
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: CoogarXR on July 04, 2010, 05:55:29 PM
I lol'd at the upside-down wagoneer...

Whenever I hear the word wagoneer, I think of Buzz-cut from Beavis and Butthead, the Patsies episode-

http://flimmr.passagen.se/movie/beavis_and_butthead_patsies.action (sorry for the foreign website, that was the first place I could find it)

"For todays's positive activity, you're gonna wash my wagoneer!"
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: flipnbird on July 06, 2010, 07:03:43 AM
What year is the cherokee? I have a 98 2door just like yours only black, payed $1000 for it 3 years ago in nearly perfect condition with only 52000 miles, it is now my daily driver. What kind of kit did you use to lift yours?, I have been wanting to lift mine 2-3 inches
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: daminc on July 06, 2010, 07:36:58 AM
After:
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/wagoneer15.jpg)

I love that pic... lol
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: Beau on July 06, 2010, 11:26:45 AM
Awesome! The new grille/lights definitely make it different and cool lol
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: crystal on July 06, 2010, 03:53:46 PM
no no no, it's shiny side up, not down silly

LMAO! Love the wagoneer nose!
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: thunderjet302 on July 06, 2010, 05:29:51 PM
Quote from: Thunder Chicken;327284

After:
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/wagoneer15.jpg)


Why do you keep turning parts cars upside down?:mullet:
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: Thunder Chicken on July 06, 2010, 05:51:59 PM
Quote from: flipnbird;327447
What year is the cherokee? I have a 98 2door just like yours only black, payed $1000 for it 3 years ago in nearly perfect condition with only 52000 miles, it is now my daily driver. What kind of kit did you use to lift yours?, I have been wanting to lift mine 2-3 inches

This one is a '96, with about 120k miles (just over 200k km). I paid $800 for it last year, and it was far from mint. I had to replace the entire floor from firewall to tailgate and rocker panel to rocker panel (except the trans tunnel). It was hard to find a 2-door, 4.0, 5-speed Cherokee.

Quote from: daminc;327448
I love that pic... lol
That seems to be a trademark of mine.
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/images/deadtc1.jpg)
Quote from: thunderjet302;327486
Why do you keep turning parts cars upside down?:mullet:
Because it makes it so much easier to get the stuff out from underneath. I don't strip 'em at my house, I strip 'em at a friend's place who deals with s metal (that would be him standing next to the wag on the U-haul in the pic above). That way I don't have to worry about disposing of the carcass or making a mess in my yard :mullet:.

By the way, for your viewing pleasure here's the Wag in the process of being flipped (I wish I would have remembered my Blackberry can take videos):
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/wagoneer7.jpg)

(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/wagoneer8.jpg)

(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/wagoneer9.jpg)

(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/wagoneer10.jpg)

See how nice and easy those rear ends are to get at? ;)
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: Thunder Chicken on July 06, 2010, 08:28:45 PM
Quote from: flipnbird;327447
What kind of kit did you use to lift yours?, I have been wanting to lift mine 2-3 inches
I forgot to answer this question. The front is lifted by installing stone stock '89 Wagoneer springs. I was expecting it to come up a bit, just because of the difference in weight between the fully loaded automatic Wagoneer and the base 5-speed Cherokee, but it came up way more than I could have hoped for. I'm expecting it to droop once I start driving it, if not for any other reason than I'm a pessimist and can't believe I got away with lifting it this much without doing anything.

The rear was brought up by my building a " pack" leaf set. I used my Cherokee's four leaves plus two Wagoneer leaves on each side. I wanted some weight carrying capacity since I will be towing a trailer frequently (for this reason I also left the rear sway bar connected). I cut the Wag's main and second leaves to custom lengths so they'd fit between the Cherokee springs nicely. Pics:
(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/96cherokeesprings2.jpg)

(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/96cherokeesprings1.jpg)

(http://www.foxthundercats.net/heep/96cherokeesprings4.jpg)

As the above pic shows, my rear end swap also netted me a brake upgrade (10" VS my stock 9"). I've got a set of longer shocks too, to replace the rusty (but still perfectly functional) ones in there...

Oh, and it's not as rusty under there as these pics make it look. Most of that is good ol' Nova Scotia mud. Yes, I drive this thing like SUV's should be driven :mullet:
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: HAVI on July 06, 2010, 09:51:34 PM
Rumor has it Cherokee springs in a Fox, lower it an inch.
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: Thunder Chicken on July 07, 2010, 06:03:25 PM
A 4WD 4.0 Cherokee is actually lighter than a fox T-Bird, believe it or not. I forget the actual numbers for my own vehicles, but I think the T-Bird weighed just north of 3300 pounds while the 'Cherokee weighed just over 3100. Advertised weights for the Cherokee were something like 3050-3250 lbs...
Title: So now I've got a four-eye.
Post by: HAVI on July 07, 2010, 09:44:54 PM
So with the heavier Tbird, they would compress a bit?

BTW, after talking about how I liked my Grand Cherokee and had no problems, I just did in the rear R&P. :(