Last time I posted about my ongoing Jeep project, I was about to install some armor plating to protect both my gas tank and the back of the car’s undercarriage. This is now done. Went with 6″ 1/2″ bolts through 1/4″ plate and the whole unibody frame rail, provided the state the job the previous owner had done with the hitch had left the bottom of it. Better safe and solid than sorry.

Once done with that, I reinstalled my back doors, then proceeded to take the windows and trims apart in the back in preparation for one crazy next step.

Building an off-road vehicle is fun, but it’s hardly unheard of. I really want this project to end up in a truly unique vehicle, one that I’m going to keep, enjoy, and abuse for years to come.

Besides fixes, bolt-on upgrades, and reinforcements, I want it to be unequivocally me/mine, as everything I undertake. So… I went a little crazy (in the best of ways), and chopped my XJ “into” an MJ, with a never-done-before twist: an extended cab cut.

So far, the feedback I got on the Cherokee Forum’s FB page has been nothing but amazing. Guess I’m on the right track.

Can’t wait to get started again, this weekend. Already bought the stock I need! :D