So I envisioned a problem with my plan for rewiring the lights.
The wire on the third eye is a super small gauge wire.
Thinking I am going to pull something out trying to handle this.
Well sure enough. So said screw it and rewired the circuit board.
Used some 16 gauge I had around but had to strip off a few wires to get it
through the pre-existing hole in the circuit board.
No idea how long this will hold up but.......

 

So it still works after assembling everything. LOL.
Like I said see how long it lasts.
I still have the old third eye and a good harness so...

 

Ordered some USC SprayMax (3680031) 2K Urethane primer for the new fender and clip.

 

I thought i would tackle the front brakes and hub today, but that didnt go as planned. Pulled the left front tire and its a rusted mess. More so than i expected, and after a couple minutes of messing with it, gave up. The caliper and rotor came off, eventually, but thats it. I figured the passenger side wasnt any better, so i ordered new knuckles. That wasnt part of the original plan, but its not being driven right now anyway, so whatever. Im just going to toss the old kuckle and everything bolted to it into the scrap pile for recycling.

The knuckles are Crown 52067576 (right) and 52067577 (left) should anybody want, or need new ones. They do not include the bumpstops, so plan ahead. If what i read is correct, 90-01 XJ and MJ, 90 Wagoneer, 93-98 ZJ, and 90-06 Wrangler use the same knuckles.

 

I just want to repeat something that I say often.
When trying to source factory parts that are not available anymore perseverance pays off.

My most recent example. The window molding for the hatch of a '97 and up XJ.
I just found one to buy on Ebay. Says new and the pictures show it still in the package.
To be frank I will believe that I actually did find one to buy when I have it in my hot little hands. LOL.

A few years back you could get one through the dealership. I did when I swapped out all my glass for factory privacy glass.
They are not available anymore. To make matters worse there is no aftermarket support for this part best I can tell.
No problem with '96 and down though.

I thought it was weird when my glass guy, who did do the hatch glass for me (I did the rest) said I had to get the molding.
But I really did not think much of it at the time cause it was as simple as going to the dealership and ordering it.
Cost me about $32 out the door.

Then I decided I wanted a second one. Reason is that my hatch is tweaked and it is causing a problem with me installing the SpoilerLight
reproduction of the Orvis rear spoiler. Was really hoping to find a good black one to swap in. With the privacy/rear defogger glass in it.

I got what I believe to be a usable red one cheap. My thinking was gut it and give to my body guy to paint. No masking and a red hatch truly becomes a black one.
But that requires removing the rear window. Hence the glass molding.

Now being kinda retired I have the time for stalking Ebay, Craigslist, and the internet for things like this.
But hopefully it paid off.

The one I ordered on Ebay cost me $42 out the door with free shipping. There was a make offer button and I was considering offering him $30.
But as cheap as I am I figured now is not the time to be cheap. MLOL.
So I just quickly paid the asking price before somebody could snap it up from under me.

I do have some questions about this particular scenario though.

One is what does a auto glass company, Safelight for instance, do when they have to replace the hatch glass in an XJ?
I figured if push came to shove I would call to find out. I mean there must something they do. Not like nobody ever would not have to replace hatch glass.
And like I said it was like my glass guy knew something. Specifically telling me I had to get the molding myself.

Another thing is can hatch glass be removed and you still be able to save the molding so that it is reusable?
Thinking the answer to that is no but now I am in a position to at least try. Maybe.
This I won't try but one of the things that popped into my head was if you shattered the window maybe you could salvage the molding.
Of course there is no guarantee that I won't accidentally shatter it anyway trying. Which is one of the reasons I might not.
The glass in the red hatch is also privacy/rear defogger and I like having spare parts so.........

 

So my 6 CD Changer started kicking in and out again. Which means I did not fix it.
So thinking that the wired remote was new when I put it in sometime back cause the one
in there started acting up thinking maybe the problem lies in the FM Modulator.
Cause the CD Changer in the enclosure in the back and the wired remote both get power from the modulator so....
And since I always have spare parts put in a brand new one.
For the time being everything is working as it should. Time will tell.
That is the old one.


So while I had everything apart thinking I should play with something I haven't mentioned yet.

It splices right in to the factory wiring but has a ground wire which you attach to the back of the radio
and you have to get power from somewhere for the wire that has a 5 amp inline fuse in it.
Thankfully I never use my little jump box for jumping the Jeep but use the **** out of it for a 12 volt source
when checking all sorts of things like this. Well good news it works and makes noise.
Bad news is the speaker needs to be refoamed.
But now that I am pretty sure everything works will spend the $20 for the kit to refoam it.

 

It is neat that you have fun restoring that stuff but I would just like to point out as a former master audio installer; The less mechanical a head unit and system is, the longer they will last.
I love optical sources but in a Jeep; When not feeding tunes from my phone, I use memory sticks which will never skip or get scratched.
I have a Pioneer Supertuner under dash unit I restored 15 years ago. The new belt is in the case (but not installed during long term storage). Hoping to find some car buff that wants a period correct head unit for his project.

 

Despite being a regular Sport she came with the CD enclosure in the back with the 6 CD Changer.
Now my understanding is that this is a dealer, not factory, installed option.
Came with the basic cassette player radio.
I have since added these.



Now my guess is that radio is from a ZJ but bolts in and hooks right up. The iSimple device lets me
play my 160GB iPod through the factory system. The iSimple device hooks up to that black
hole on the right of the radio that while you can't tell from the picture is one of those 9 pin DIN connectors.
At least that is what I think they are called. Both the radio and the iSimple device was $40 shipped off Ebay sometime ago.
And all the little indicator lights in the graphic equalizer work. LOL.
The DIN connector is really to operate a CD Changer. Taking the wired remote completely out of the equation.
But mine runs of the FM Modulator.
This is very redundant when you think about it cause every CD I own is in that iPod. MLOL
But I did it anyway. It is options she could have had from day one which is the point of my "build".
And I use that term loosely.

 

I can tell. Din's are nice data ports.
Right on.. I found a perfectly working ipod 160. Downloaded (then opened) iTunes one time.
Tossed the iPod since my old, Note3 device has 1Tb of space.
My point was only about sturdy, durable audio system builds.
Personal choices are just that. Good luck with the hardware.

 

So I got curious wondering how you take off the handle and that plate attached to the back seat that lets you release it from the latch to fold forward. Pretty easy it turns out.
There is a slotted spring pin, took me 10 minutes on the internet to figure out what that is called (LOL), that secures the plastic handle to the release for the back seat.
Just take a screwdriver and stick it where the drill bit is and pry it out. At at that point you can grab it with pliers to pull it all the way out.
The hook that comes through the circle on the plastic plate can be worked up and over that hook once you do that.


So I am not sure if I am going to call this finished but......


My OCD is kicking in and I might want to tweak it some more. MLOL.

Now I had to add an additional washer to the passenger side to the one on the right cause the posts from the headrest were hitting that bar.
Raised it up just enough to clear. Was thinking about cutting them down but did not really want to.
This one I did last week if you recall.


But for some reason I had to add a third washer on the driver's side one for the head rest posts to clear the bar.

I used allen head button bolts so it is not protruding so much through the seat cover in the back like a bolt would.
I also put a washer under the head of the button bolt but am thinking I might take it out so it is that much more flush.
Also still wish the headrests were sitting a little lower.
But between the CoverKing headrest covers and the upper back seat cover it will hide that small gap.

Here is where the rubber meets the road though sort of speak.
Holes have to be made in the seat cover.
The seat cover was not cheap and this is the part that really scares me.
All this other stuff is made from spare parts I have accumulated. If I were to bail on the whole idea no big deal.
But putting holes in the seat cover is a whole different story.
My buddies daughter sews so thinking I am going to let her handle that part.

 

Those CoverKing covers are expensive. I do not doubt the hesitation.

I have been dreading having to do this when I get my seat covers soon as I have one of my amplifiers screwed into the back of the back seat and I would need to figure out how much I'd have to cut to make that work.

 

Today I installed the Terra Flex steering damper and replaced the rubber hatch seal. It was leaking directly from the top middle, right onto my sub box, no bueno. It came out easier than I thought it would and was harder to get in than I thought too.

Interesting development: must have sealed an air leak because my system is a lot louder now. I have yet to do the front seat seals but they're on the list for tomorrow. I am actually excited to see how much this will quiet down the road noise.

More excited for the BBK throttle body, which arrives tomorrow...

 

So I got the rear hatch window molding today and it is what it was supposed to be.
New but the package had been opened. It will not lie flat but that is to be expected.
Seeing how it it rolled up in a bag. Not like my Mopar front one came.
Lying flat attached to a big piece of cardboard. Which was kinda funny when I went to pick it up.
Just figured it would also be rolled up in a bag like the rear.
Anyway it does look like the rear hatch molding is set up like the front. There is a channel that the glass goes in.
I always assumed they put the molding around the glass, gunk the channel on the Jeep, and place the glass and
molding in all in one shot.
So thinking it not lying flat is not a big deal. Let it soften up in the sun, gently hit it with a heat gun when using it, etc.
I have all the old glass from when I swapped over to privacy glass awhile back. Been meaning to pull of those turned
purple tints off all the glass that the PO put on and see if I could get a couple bucks for the glass.
Thinking maybe put the molding on the hatch glass, let it sit, and see if it conforms back to the shape it should be.

 

I'm always on the look out for wrecked Jeeps to pull spares I can store in my garage. I've got quite a collection going right now. I need to go by the Junkyard today and pull the rain gutter molding off of their only XJ there. If it's still there this fall I may get all of theglass out of it that's left.

 

I have been in parts hoarding mode for quite sometime now.
Both new and used. A long as feel the price is right.
You would not believe the amount spare harnesses I have.
Both pulled myself or if I feel the Ebay price is fair.
For instance got both front door ones with the rubber boot for $25 shipped.
Both rear with the rubber boot for $17 shipped.
I have all the spare privacy glass. Some from doors and the hatch I picked up.
Cargo I pulled from the boneyard.

I do have a question on the drip rail. I know that '96 and down are removable.
Are '97 and up too?