MJ/2dr xj shortbox. code name payote

OK so this is something that I have been working on for a few years and its time to start building.

I am driving the j10 for dd/work truck.

Krista has the 90 waggy all on the road for her and the baby... me sometimes LOL

so I am going to cut up the 87 2dr xj and the 88 shortbox mj to make a 2dr 4 seater MJ short box.

I have done a lot of measuring and drawings to how I want it to look.

Where to cut and reweld... I have the int out of 3 2dr xjs and int out of 6 mjs here so I can match all inside panels to give it a nice finished/factory look inside.

I have a cage here from a cj5 that will just about fit inside, with some small mods to front bars around dash.

I would like to put amc 360 in it with a ax15 combo... or I have a 350chev with 350 turbo and np231 set up in a xj all ready that I could use.

thinking of bucket seats in the rear with console and arm rest.

the 87 2dr has 6.5" lift and I have a great d44 for the rear of the MJ to lift it up to match.

will probably put d44 in the front out of one of the waggys.

going to be a fun project

Anyway let me know what you guys think...

cutting starts next wednesday. I will start posting pics then.

the doors are 9" longer.

so you will need to make the cab longer than that in order to put rear seats in it.

I suggest cutting the xj behind where the small vent windows would be in the rear side windows, and melding the comanche in right there. cut the mj off right in front of the b pillars, and leave the cab vents on it.

actualy to have the rear seat in place I have to cut 1" behine the rear pop out window. that leaves head room for anyone in the rear.

as for doors and where elts I am cutting. as you know the subframe on the mj is different then the xj.

so I am cutting the mj's floor at the firewall.

that way the subframe and foor stay togeather. cutting the xj's floor just behine drivers seat the sliding them togeather..

like I said I have spent alot of time doing measurments and where things have to fit togeather to make it work out.

I will be trimming the floor of the mj back once I line it all up but just the floor not the subframe.

the subframe on the xj will be trimed ahead but not the floor.

and yes I have to keep the vents so its a mj...LOL

thanks for the insite JeepcoMJ

I know you will be alot of help along the way as I am builing this thing.

Two heads better then one thing....

I've done the same leg work lol.

my thought for putting the frames together was to find a piece of steel that fits INSIDE the frame rails, welding it into the back half with plug welds, sliding it into the xj's frame (since where the cuts will be leave the frame at the right width), and plug welding it in there after leveling it all out.

then cap the frame with some fish tailed C channel, plug weld and finish weld it in...then weld up the rockers and floor, and move onto the roof.

it's a shame that you're cutting up that mj...looks to be in good shape.

Sounds like a cool project, basically an extended cab comanche. That thing looks way too clean to be cutting up though! :(

I've done the same leg work lol.

 

 

my thought for putting the frames together was to find a piece of steel that fits INSIDE the frame rails, welding it into the back half with plug welds, sliding it into the xj's frame (since where the cuts will be leave the frame at the right width), and plug welding it in there after leveling it all out.

 

 

then cap the frame with some fish tailed C channel, plug weld and finish weld it in...then weld up the rockers and floor, and move onto the roof.

 

 

 

it's a shame that you're cutting up that mj...looks to be in good shape.

I am on the same thinking patern.. I have a friend at a sheet metal fab shop and he is going to make me an inside frame rail.

it will go from the xj front LCA mount all the way back to the Mj's frame where it is solid for the box. and also a frame rail for the outside of the subframe if needed.

I know that the mj is in great shape. I have it here and was going to stay stock as I have strong beleafs in keeping some jeeps stock.. they are harder and harder to find, most have not been lifted and wheeled to death.

SO with that being said I have decided that I will cut up to good jeeps and make one fine looking great jeep out of the 2.

No point in starting with rusted out stuff and making more work for myself... others cut and lift good ones and its time for me to do it..LOL

I looked into doing just an extended cab with the 2 dr by grafting the front half up to the B pillar on. (shop will do it for $3,000 for me)

well 3 grand for the work that involved is not a bad deal at all.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1041059

There's the build thread that i'm doing for a 4DR. The frames match up to a point (somewhat), the floor of the MJ has extra support that has to be dealt with, the rockers don't line up right, and the roof line and drip rails are different. Before you get into cutting something and doing something this extreme look at some of the pics I've got and if you want any more detailed pics of how they are different let me know.

will do dave,,,

like I said I have done a lot of measuring and I have 6mjs here. I have parted out over 40xjs this year...

I do know where the differances are.. I actualy have choped 7xjs this year and put mj cab backs on them for customers.. one with the mj bed rails and tailgate off a j10...

I have a good idea of what needs to be done and how I am going to do it..

I will be onhere with pics of the build and be looking for suport from people that are doing similer builds like you..

the plan for the roof line is to use the xj and do away with the mj one all togeather. but If I do use the mj the hole roof will be a few mj roof's welded togeather... I am just not sure on how that will look...

I do however have a brow from a j10 that will be grafted in if I decide to go with the mj roof.

as far as the subframe extra mounts and rockers.... where I plan on grafting the xj front and mj togeather this does not realy come into play...

one of the main reasons I have decided to do it the way i am is becasue the front part of the rocker is the same as the xjs and theirfore will line up.

as far as the subframe mounts they stay with the mj's subframe... now thats where the inside reinforcment subframe comes into play..

should be fun to so and I am sure I will be looking for help along the way. thanks for the offer.

if you need any help i can come over . i don't live that far down the highway.

looks like its gunna be an awsome project

if you need any help i can come over . i don't live that far down the highway.

looks like its gunna be an awsome project

thanks man I know you love your mjs...

I am about 2 days behind other work here at the shop but i am going to start next sunday... stop in if you want.

I am going to pull both engines, trannys and tcases so I can be ready to start cutting.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1041059

 

There's the build thread that i'm doing for a 4DR. The frames match up to a point (somewhat), the floor of the MJ has extra support that has to be dealt with, the rockers don't line up right, and the roof line and drip rails are different. Before you get into cutting something and doing something this extreme look at some of the pics I've got and if you want any more detailed pics of how they are different let me know.

just looked at some of your thread.. same type of idea i am going about it in a way different direction with the 2dr cherokee and its an 87 so the extra frame suports your dealing with on the mj that are not on your xj... are on my xj.... its an AMC they used them..

one many reasons a amc xj weighs in alot more then a chry xj...

good luck looks like your having fun..

remeber that 9" of angle where you put your subframes togeather will only make 2 week points instead of one..

you should think hard about going front to back along way from where you seled the subframe...

I was reading about your driveshaft... one of the reasons i am doing it the way I am is that at the end of my build i will be the same wheel bace as a long box mj so I am just using a DS from one of my parts trucks...

Yah it may create an additional weak point but I'm not going to be wheeling it so flexing the body doesn't concern me. When it's done I will be using 3" angle to create a stiffener from leaf mount to LCA mount to stiffen the entire thing. The 9" of angle was to support the two frames where they meet. Yah using an xj and mj from the same year would help greatly but I had a HO and didn't want to mess with the renix from the problems I see alot of the xj guys having. Will be finishing the roof next weekend being weather agree's with me and when I get it done I will update with some pics which will help you in deciding which way to go with your roof.

Yah it may create an additional weak point but I'm not going to be wheeling it so flexing the body doesn't concern me. When it's done I will be using 3" angle to create a stiffener from leaf mount to LCA mount to stiffen the entire thing. The 9" of angle was to support the two frames where they meet. Yah using an xj and mj from the same year would help greatly but I had a HO and didn't want to mess with the renix from the problems I see alot of the xj guys having. Will be finishing the roof next weekend being weather agree's with me and when I get it done I will update with some pics which will help you in deciding which way to go with your roof.

yeah wheeling or not you need the extra angle like you said to stiff'n it up...

can wait for the updates....

raining here and is going to for the next week we are told.

I understand about the ho thing...

I could use eather renix in mine as the xj has only 50k on it and the Mj has only 100 and they both work like a top.

seeings how this is a creation i am going to go extream and put a v8 in it just becasue I can...

I am realy leaning towards the mj roof with the brow from a J10 again becasue I can.... I like the head room in the mj...

well as this project has been in the drafting stage for 2 years now I am a week behind again.

I have the lined up and ready to be hauled apart but just to bizzy to start..

working for yourself most time you have no time to do anything...

oh well I will start a build thread soon as I start...

well as things go around here I have an other yj 360 swap to do.. but on a good note i bought a tj, 74 wagyy and a cj... oh and a yj

so this project is on hold till the customers yj is done..

but the 74 waggy I bought has a great frame, and runny gear. I am thinking i would take the rusted out body off and drop project payote ontop of said frame and running gear...

would be more work or just asmuch but if i can do it right so the body sits on the waggy frame would turn out great. ( I think anyway)

I think if i go this route i am just going to cut up the xj and use a 90 Mj that I have here with a very rusted out frame and floor. this way I am not killing the brown MJ...