Plasti Dip the grill to black it out. If you find you do not like it blacked out just peel the plasti dip up and it goes right back to stock color no harm no foul. Did this to my JK grill to black it out and is is awesome.
Agree with +Matt B. keep it paint matched. With the upcoming winch bumper and current black wheels, I think you have enough black going on. Perhaps the upcoming roof rack can be black.
Great to see you show the importance of up treated steering linkage and break lines everyone should share with their kids when build a 4x4 or street rod
This is so much fun watching this build! For the grill... I say black it out. The Plasti Dip is a great idea if you change you mind. You're not committed 100% then. Oh and love the Cooper tires! Your sons are lucky, you're a great Dad Brad. Thanks for sharing all this with us.
She's coming together nicely Brad. Those new headlights are such an improvement over the OEM's. I had the same battery box issue years ago on my Dad's Cherokee. He ended up going with a dual Optima battery configuration and I think he got the wiring from Painless. I love the Optima's cause you can mount them just about any way you want and they are built like tanks so they can take the punishment offroad.
Get it blacked out. The black grill will compliment your black wheels and really set it apart from other XJs. I did the same thing with my JKU and personally love it.
in my opinion the color matched grill looks a lot better. everyone blacks theirs out these days, it's cool to see people keeping body components clean and stock, and letting accessories and suspension/tires do the talking for the rig. love your videos
Might have been mentioned already but upgrading the headlight wiring is a good idea to brighten the lights. There's harness kits or you can make your own - basically the stock switch still activates the lights but they get their power from the battery through some relays.
Great playlist so far, all caught up now. I'd agree with Josh S below and plastidip the grill and headlight bezels, it creates a great look across the front of the Jeep.
I like the blacked out grille idea. That's probably just because I've got the Willys and I blacked out the KJ Renegade grille, so I think I'm kinda' bias LOL! This project is really coming along, and with a really good budget!
I like your channel. Glad to see it growing. I have been watching sense close to the beginning. This project is awesome and I think a little contrast with the black out would look good.
look into the putco headlight wiring harness for your jeep...great little upgrade for your lights along with the rampage lights...as for the grill, find a black one from a junkyard that way you could just swap it out
My xj I painted only the head light plastic pc satin black looks fantastic, silver stone body paint black bumper ends with blacked out headlight only looks great.
The grill was black from the factory on some years. I think 97-98. I painted mine black and love it. I noticed you didn't upgrade your headlight wiring harness. I run stock headlights with the harness upgrade and noticed a substantial light output difference. It was less than $30 on ebay and well worth it. I no longer feel the need for more expensive headlights.
Great vid! I love how you are keeping it cheap. People think that you have to throw tons of money at something in order to make it cool. Most of the time it just takes some work. As for grill...rhino line it! Or any bed liner. Turns it black and less scratches on the trail. 😂
For the knuckle side TREs, just take the castle nuts off, flip them upside down and thread them on a couple turns. Then give them a couple good whacks with a small sledge hammer and they will pop right out. The pitman arm TRE is still a pain in the butt, but the other two will pop out in less than 30 seconds each with no special tools.
I blacked mine out, but that was because the paint wasnt great. Yours is nice, I would leave it. If youre at the wreckers, find a backup grill/bezel for a couple bucks and you can try it first while keeping yours nice and body colour!
Cotter pin trick bud, use side cutters. Bend the ends as straight as you can, than grab the Head of the cotter pin with the tip of the side cutters as close to the hole you can. Then use the fulcrum and the side cutters to pry the cotter pin out. If I showed you once, you'd think it was a magic trick!
One of your videos you asked about exhaust. I went the cheap way and replaced my catalytic converter with a 2.5" in and 2.5" out, made a 2.5" mid pipe for the downstream O2 sensor then had my local exhaust shop make a 2.5" pipe from the mid pipe. I originally had a muffler but was too quiet for me. lol total cost was less then $100. Better exhaust flow and hopefully more power and gas mileage. I'm planning on modifying the exhaust manifold to a larger exit and making the crossover pipe of 2.5"
Man you guys have a really nice rig coming along their. Happy all is going well with the rig. And about the grill. I would say you need to break the color up. Should go with a black that matches the side mirrors. 👍👍👍😂😂😂😂
that thing is looking great! I would say black it out. Or if you are really conflicted find a nice one at a junk yard and paint it black then if you don't like it you can go back easy enough.
plasti dip it back and see if it makes it pop, and then later on if you do like take it of. I would also like to add some clear marker lights would make the paint pop! love the videos keep up the good work
check out rustoleum hammerlock paint they make it in a gray that does well on rims,bumpers.lower body panels where we get Arizona pin stripes from thorns.
Man that jeep looks so good clean and mean ! Awesome work fellas. My vote is paint it black but do that Trail hawk tribute JCR offroad did on his but not red, color match it blue
thank you so much for this awesome series. I am new to jeeping. my friends and family have wranglers and I am not so excited for them as it seems everyone has a wrangler. my best friend said I should at the XJ as an alternative and they make me really interested in trading my truck for one. keepmthis series going! I want to see how viable and affordable a build like this can be and maybe it will push me into jeep ownership too! and my vote is for blackout as well. plastidip is a great option and can be taken off if you guys decide you dont like the look
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this but you'll get much better output from your Rampage conversion if you do a wiring harness upgrade and run the lights directly from the battery using relays. The XJ wiring is notoriously poor and hindering your new H4s. The harness upgrade is cheap and simple.
Agreed, shorter cable runs via relays to the lights is the best and most effective approach.... don't know what they were thinking the way it left the factory
TrailRecon you have H4 bulb housing, it is easy to convert to LED OPT7 bulb from amazon for under $98 dollars, and it will light up nice at night, compared to halogen bulbs.
Black it out with plastidip first to see whether or not you like it. That way if you don't you could always peal it off and still have the color match paint.
That's awesome that your son is interested in building a rig. Great memories to share right there. Are you planning to do anything to the XJ to make it more overlanding-friendly, like a spare gas tank or dual battery tray?
Thanks, it's been fun working in the garage with them. Extra gas cans are on the list, but may look at a larger tank. Dual batteries are on the to-do list.
In a case like this, trying to decide what color to paint something, or not paint at all, I would first use Photoshop (or any other photo editing tool) to change the color of the grill on a picture and have a better idea of how it would look. Sure you can look at pictures of other XJs with the backed out grill, but seeing your own will help a lot.
You mentioned that the passenger side headlight, and possibly the bezel, were loose probably due to the accident which caused you to replace the battery tray. What did you find in/around that light and what did you have to do to tighten it up? Thanks!
You should have installed a headlight relay wiring harness. The stock design has all the voltage running through the switch in the dash and it can't hold the stock voltage that well, let alone new headlights.
Hello, I noticed I’m a little late to the party, but I recently got a 2001 XJ and found these videos which are almost identical to what I have planned to do. My question is about the brakes, did you upgrade them from Drum to Disk? or did you keep it stock?
Hi, congratulations on your channel and for the great job you're doing. You gave me some great ideas on what to do with my XJ :) I have some issues with vibrations while driving, and I think that it may be from the transfer case. Could you give me an advice, how do I know which is the right angle, in order to adjust it? Thanks :)
Plasti Dip the grill to black it out. If you find you do not like it blacked out just peel the plasti dip up and it goes right back to stock color no harm no foul. Did this to my JK grill to black it out and is is awesome.
Josh S agreed!!
Great suggestion... thank you!
Josh S That's exactly what I was gonna say. I Plasti dipped my wheels just to see if I wanted black wheels.
I plastipped the grill of my old 2004 wrangler. It looked great and lasted for several years. It still looked great when I sold it.
Honestly this series has been some of the best I've watched on UA-cam in a long time , all the best .
WOW! Thats a great complement, thank you!
Keep it paint matched! Getting a winch bumper will make a difference!
Bumper and winch coming soon! Thanks!
Agree with +Matt B. keep it paint matched. With the upcoming winch bumper and current black wheels, I think you have enough black going on. Perhaps the upcoming roof rack can be black.
Great to see you show the importance of up treated steering linkage and break lines everyone should share with their kids when build a 4x4 or street rod
Got to make it trail worthy and road safe! Thanks!
I like the grill the way it is. The whole rig is looking pretty sharp!
Thanks! Agree, she has really transformed now!
Jeep is looking pretty nice! As for the grill... I say leave it as is. The blue grill gives the whole body a nice seamless look. 👍
Painted! Your paint is so nice, show it off!
She does look pretty good in the sun! Thanks!
Painted for sure looks classic jeep
Classic is my style for sure, thanks!
I vote color matched. Btw I find using "diagonal pliers" work great on cotter pins.
Will have to pick up some of those... thanks!
Plasti-Dip! Man this Jeep is looking phenomenal, can't wait to see it all finished!
Thanks, she is coming along. Not sure it will ever be finished! LOL!
Black it out. Looks much better and gives contrast to that awesome blue. Consider blackout for both bumpers and fender flares also!
I like color matched. great job looking forward to more videos
Thank you, really appreciate it!
I would love this with the addition of lockers I could call this DONE right now! Great build!!!!
This is so much fun watching this build! For the grill... I say black it out. The Plasti Dip is a great idea if you change you mind. You're not committed 100% then. Oh and love the Cooper tires! Your sons are lucky, you're a great Dad Brad. Thanks for sharing all this with us.
It's a fun project for sure! Always appreciate your comments! Thanks!
She's coming together nicely Brad. Those new headlights are such an improvement over the OEM's. I had the same battery box issue years ago on my Dad's Cherokee. He ended up going with a dual Optima battery configuration and I think he got the wiring from Painless. I love the Optima's cause you can mount them just about any way you want and they are built like tanks so they can take the punishment offroad.
A dual set up and Optima deep cycle is in store, but for now just need to get this one secure. Thanks!
Get it blacked out. The black grill will compliment your black wheels and really set it apart from other XJs. I did the same thing with my JKU and personally love it.
I don't know, I think I see more and more XJ's with black out grills now... seems to be trending. Thanks!
in my opinion the color matched grill looks a lot better. everyone blacks theirs out these days, it's cool to see people keeping body components clean and stock, and letting accessories and suspension/tires do the talking for the rig. love your videos
but if you are thinking about blacking it out, test it out for $10 with plasti dip first, so if you end up not liking it you can just peel it off
I like your way of thinking!
Might have been mentioned already but upgrading the headlight wiring is a good idea to brighten the lights.
There's harness kits or you can make your own - basically the stock switch still activates the lights but they get their power from the battery through some relays.
Another good one guys, nice work!
Black grill get my vote 👍🏻
Thank you!
black grill.... nice job can't wait to check it out on the trail
Trail trip coming soon!
Great playlist so far, all caught up now.
I'd agree with Josh S below and plastidip the grill and headlight bezels, it creates a great look across the front of the Jeep.
Awesome man, thanks for checking out the playlist!
I agree with Josh S, plati dip, I'm going to be doing this with our stock JK alloy wheels. black will look awesome on the grill :-)
How is your plasti dip holding up on the trail? Thanks!
TrailRecon I haven't done it yet I'm waiting for new tyres first. I know other Jeepers have done it and they just touch it up when chipped.
Looking great...congrats on getting it ready to hit the trail!
Thank you!
Painted looks really nice!
Blacked out and line-x would look sick! Keep up the great work man, love watching your vids
Line-x would be cool. Thanks for the support!
Keep the color on the grill.JCR has a nice battery hold down kit.The build is coming along great....
Thank! JCR battery tray on order.
I like the blacked out grille idea. That's probably just because I've got the Willys and I blacked out the KJ Renegade grille, so I think I'm kinda' bias LOL! This project is really coming along, and with a really good budget!
Since you own 2 jeeps you get double the vote! Happy with the budget so far. Thanks!
I plasti dipped my front grill black and it holds up great!!
I like it how it is now, keep it paint matched.
Uograding the headlight harness will give you surprisingly brighter lights. Its pretty cheap and it only takes a couple hours.
love the videos and black out the grill makes it look better I think
Thanks, appreciate it!
I'd keep it painted. Looks clean and nice. If it ever gets beat up down the line, then black it out. XJ looks awesome by the way.
I like your channel. Glad to see it growing. I have been watching sense close to the beginning. This project is awesome and I think a little contrast with the black out would look good.
Man that's awesome, appreciate the long term support! Thank you!
The build is looking good!
look into the putco headlight wiring harness for your jeep...great little upgrade for your lights along with the rampage lights...as for the grill, find a black one from a junkyard that way you could just swap it out
I'm ready to see this thing on the trail!
You and me both!
I recommend a dirtbound offroad battery tray... low cost and great product... also blackout the grill
Thanks for the recommendations!
I say keep it color matched. The paint seems to be in great condition and it's a great color!
Only a couple spots the paint needs attention. Thanks!
Great job and fantastic build.
Oh ya, color matched.
My xj I painted only the head light plastic pc satin black looks fantastic, silver stone body paint black bumper ends with blacked out headlight only looks great.
Jeep is coming along awesome. I think you should hydro dip the American flag on the front grill.
it's looking absolutely beefy man! I love it 😎😎
Agree, she is looking trail worthy for sure! Thanks!
Definitely blacked out .. it will match the blacked out wheels!
The grill was black from the factory on some years. I think 97-98. I painted mine black and love it. I noticed you didn't upgrade your headlight wiring harness. I run stock headlights with the harness upgrade and noticed a substantial light output difference. It was less than $30 on ebay and well worth it. I no longer feel the need for more expensive headlights.
Thanks for the wiring harness tip, may have to be something we add to the list. Thank you!
Great vid! I love how you are keeping it cheap. People think that you have to throw tons of money at something in order to make it cool. Most of the time it just takes some work.
As for grill...rhino line it! Or any bed liner. Turns it black and less scratches on the trail. 😂
Thanks, trying to keep the budget within reason, but still lot's more left to do. Great suggestion the rhino!
For the knuckle side TREs, just take the castle nuts off, flip them upside down and thread them on a couple turns. Then give them a couple good whacks with a small sledge hammer and they will pop right out. The pitman arm TRE is still a pain in the butt, but the other two will pop out in less than 30 seconds each with no special tools.
I blacked mine out, but that was because the paint wasnt great.
Yours is nice, I would leave it. If youre at the wreckers, find a backup grill/bezel for a couple bucks and you can try it first while keeping yours nice and body colour!
That's a solid option, thanks!
Great video!! My vote is for BLACKED OUT grill
Thank you!
i personally like the look clean look of the color matched front grill. I suggest if you do go ahead and want to paint tbe grill black use plasti dip.
Thinking the plasti dip is a good option if we do it... thanks!
Cotter pin trick bud, use side cutters. Bend the ends as straight as you can, than grab the Head of the cotter pin with the tip of the side cutters as close to the hole you can. Then use the fulcrum and the side cutters to pry the cotter pin out. If I showed you once, you'd think it was a magic trick!
Dirtbound has a good battery box. I tried a black grill and prefer the painted look.
Thank you!
Awesome progress guys! I really like how it came out :) I would leave the front end blue :) it gives cleaner look I think :)
Thanks, really appreciate it!
I like it blocked out, my 2000 XJ came stock blacked out it gives the jeep a meaner look and it's just bad ass
I'm sure my boys prefer the meaner look.... thanks!
One of your videos you asked about exhaust. I went the cheap way and replaced my catalytic converter with a 2.5" in and 2.5" out, made a 2.5" mid pipe for the downstream O2 sensor then had my local exhaust shop make a 2.5" pipe from the mid pipe. I originally had a muffler but was too quiet for me. lol total cost was less then $100. Better exhaust flow and hopefully more power and gas mileage.
I'm planning on modifying the exhaust manifold to a larger exit and making the crossover pipe of 2.5"
Great video! Thumbs up for you :)
I say keep the grill painted body color. Looks clean as is. Great video guys!
Thank you, appreciate it!
Man you guys have a really nice rig coming along their. Happy all is going well with the rig. And about the grill. I would say you need to break the color up. Should go with a black that matches the side mirrors. 👍👍👍😂😂😂😂
Thank you, appreciate it!
that thing is looking great! I would say black it out. Or if you are really conflicted find a nice one at a junk yard and paint it black then if you don't like it you can go back easy enough.
I wish we had a junk yard nearby, that would be a great option. Thanks!
plasti dip it back and see if it makes it pop, and then later on if you do like take it of. I would also like to add some clear marker lights would make the paint pop! love the videos keep up the good work
I like the option of going back. Clear marker lights I think might be something on our list down the road. Thanks!
check out rustoleum hammerlock paint they make it in a gray that does well on rims,bumpers.lower body panels where we get Arizona pin stripes from thorns.
I'll be sure to check it out, thank you!
Man that jeep looks so good clean and mean ! Awesome work fellas. My vote is paint it black but do that Trail hawk tribute JCR offroad did on his but not red, color match it blue
Oh, that's a great suggestion... thank you!
thank you so much for this awesome series. I am new to jeeping. my friends and family have wranglers and I am not so excited for them as it seems everyone has a wrangler. my best friend said I should at the XJ as an alternative and they make me really interested in trading my truck for one. keepmthis series going! I want to see how viable and affordable a build like this can be and maybe it will push me into jeep ownership too! and my vote is for blackout as well. plastidip is a great option and can be taken off if you guys decide you dont like the look
No doubt the XJ is affordable and plenty of aftermarket support. You can't go wrong with an XJ build in my opinion. Thanks!
color matched! jcr has a battery kit
Just ordered their kit earlier today... thanks!
I definitely need to do those brake like upgrades, I’ve also been looking at the steering OTK with a steering box brace.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this but you'll get much better output from your Rampage conversion if you do a wiring harness upgrade and run the lights directly from the battery using relays. The XJ wiring is notoriously poor and hindering your new H4s. The harness upgrade is cheap and simple.
I've had a few folks mention it, so something I'm going to be sure to do. Thank you!
Agreed, shorter cable runs via relays to the lights is the best and most effective approach.... don't know what they were thinking the way it left the factory
Black it out! it will make the front more aggressive and match the black wheels 👍
plastidip it and you can also put a metalizer if you don't like the matte color. I did that in my jk and looks awsome!
Great suggestion, thank you!
Black it out to match the wheels!
I'm about to buy my first xj tomorrow
Congrats!
TrailRecon you have H4 bulb housing, it is easy to convert to LED OPT7 bulb from amazon for under $98 dollars, and it will light up nice at night, compared to halogen bulbs.
Black out grill will look like my 1996 XJ Cherokee OEM factory.
I like the LED look, but think these will hold us over for now. Gotta watch our pennies where we can. Thanks!
flat black grill to match those wheels!
Agree, if we go black, it should tie in with the wheels... thanks!
Black it out with plastidip first to see whether or not you like it. That way if you don't you could always peal it off and still have the color match paint.
Gotcha, thank you!
Just like those 69's, if the XJ is for your sons you HAVE to black out the grill! If its for you, stick with the body color. Great video!
It's dad's Jeep but they get to use it.... so hard to decide! Thanks!!
leave is color matched......mostly because the paint is so nice
That's awesome that your son is interested in building a rig. Great memories to share right there. Are you planning to do anything to the XJ to make it more overlanding-friendly, like a spare gas tank or dual battery tray?
Thanks, it's been fun working in the garage with them. Extra gas cans are on the list, but may look at a larger tank. Dual batteries are on the to-do list.
TrailRecon bleepin jeep did a great video on a daul battery set up cant wait to see what you do
black out would be nice awesome truck great job☺
Thank you!
In a case like this, trying to decide what color to paint something, or not paint at all, I would first use Photoshop (or any other photo editing tool) to change the color of the grill on a picture and have a better idea of how it would look. Sure you can look at pictures of other XJs with the backed out grill, but seeing your own will help a lot.
By the way, that color is awesome. I would keep it color matched.
Photoshop is a great option and for sure we have been looking at a few pictures.... just can't decide which one we like best. Thanks!
XJ is the best vehicle ever.
I vote blackout, mines blue and looks great with a black grill.
Got it, thank you!
I like it color matched
black it out, also the headlight bezles
How has the Rusty's steering linkage held up? We are looking for a solid upgrade for our '98 XJ, but can't decide which way to go yet.
You mentioned that the passenger side headlight, and possibly the bezel, were loose probably due to the accident which caused you to replace the battery tray. What did you find in/around that light and what did you have to do to tighten it up? Thanks!
How do you like the steering linkage? Any pro or cons? Looking to upgrade mine also. Thanks
It's great quality stuff, but only had it on the road so far. Hope to have the XJ on the trail soon to give it a full assessment. Thanks!
You should have installed a headlight relay wiring harness. The stock design has all the voltage running through the switch in the dash and it can't hold the stock voltage that well, let alone new headlights.
Are you still pleased with Rampage headlights? Looking to upgrade my stock 93 xj
Hi, i see you have replaced the track bar frame bracket, do you have also replaced the pitman arm with a lower one? Best regards
Hello, I noticed I’m a little late to the party, but I recently got a 2001 XJ and found these videos which are almost identical to what I have planned to do. My question is about the brakes, did you upgrade them from Drum to Disk? or did you keep it stock?
Hi, congratulations on your channel and for the great job you're doing. You gave me some great ideas on what to do with my XJ :) I have some issues with vibrations while driving, and I think that it may be from the transfer case. Could you give me an advice, how do I know which is the right angle, in order to adjust it? Thanks :)
Use black plasti dip for the grill
How are the rampage headlights? I just bought a 98. Any pros and cons?
If you change the bumpers then paint it black but if you keep the color match on the bumper it will look cheap.
Black it out!
Thanks for your vote!
100% Keep the color
Thank you!
Really want to do something new to my jeep. Its still in good shape
painted crew! looks good already! use the money for something else
I say keep it painted. It's looking great.
How did the T Case drop help with that size lift? And did it change once bumpers and etc. were added?
How's the new steering upgrade from Rusy's working? I'm thinking of getting the same set up on my 99XJ w/ 4.5 lift
With just the few times we've had her on the road, it's solid, no steering issues.
I prefer the color matched the black is the lower trim level