Hello everyone, this past fall of 2023 I started building up my 78 Cherokee Chief project that I bought back in 2017. Some unfortunate circumstances kicked this project off, my fully driving 79 Cherokee Chief was totaled by a falling tree during a tornado that went about a mile from my home. This was a big bummer, but it also forced me into starting this new project, which has been fun thus far.
The basic plan was to use the engine, suspension, wheels/tires, and any other good things that I could salvage from the damaged 79 Chief and put them into the new 78 Chief project. The new project did not come with an engine. Here's the progress so far:
Day I bought the project:
Building a structure to lift the body and store things underneath:
Cleaning out the body of the cherokee:
Building up the frame with the springs from the 79 Cherokee:
Engine installed and degreased:
Re-sealed engine intake, put on new valve covers, and replaced rear main seal while engine was easy to access:
I also wire brushed the bottom of the body and gave it a quick paint job. To my surprise, there were no rust holes in the floor of the body, it's completely solid, so I was super happy about that. My previous cherokee had several holes in the floor that I had to weld in patches for. Really happy I don't have to worry about that on this one!
I will try to keep this thread updated as much as I can throughout my build, hopefully it'll keep me motivated and I can keep making good progress! Next steps are to install the transmission and transfer case. Then moving onto new brake lines and installing a new fuel tank.