Restored Jeep XJ Took 1,000 Man Hours to Complete: Throwback Thursday Presented by the All-New Nitto Recon Grappler™ A/T

Restored Jeep XJ is truly one-of-a-kind and might be the best XJ build we have ever seen. Here is your chance to buy it.

There has not been a new Jeep Cherokee XJ sold for twenty years. Despite the fact that it has been two decades since it has been produced it retains a loyal following. The classic squared off design and the legendary 4.0L straight six have helped to keep the XJ on the radar for many Jeep enthusiasts. And now, there is an opportunity to once again buy a brand new one. Well, technically this is a restored Jeep XJ and there are over 180,000 miles on the chassis. But only 2,000 of those miles have come since the full restoration. And this XJ is better than any that rolled off the production line.

This week’s “Throwback Thursday” presented by Nitto Tire focuses on this restored Jeep XJ. It was built buy the folks at Davis AutoSports in Charles City, VA. The owner Jonathan Davis posted a recent video to the Davis AutoSports YouTube channel that covers every aspect of this build. And if you like what you see, we have good news for you. This Jeep XJ is currently for sale. The bad news is it is listed for $59,900. Is it worth that kind of money? Let’s take a look at some of the highlights so you can decide for yourself.

Boomerang XJ

This Jeep Cherokee XJ was restored and upgraded by Davis AuoSports. It was then sold to a gentleman in the military. He put only about 2,000 miles on the Jeep and when he found out that he was about to be stationed over seas for a couple years he reached back out to Davis AutoSports. They decided to buy the Jeep back as it was one of their best builds and was still in outstanding condition. It originally took 18 months and over 1,000 man hours to complete the work on this Jeep. This is a rare opportunity to get a fully built XJ like this and not have to wait. You can buy it today and drive it tomorrow. But $59,900 is a lot of money even for a fully built XJ. So, what exactly are you getting for your cash?

Paint and Body

This is what everyone notices so it is no surprise that about a third of all the time spent on this build was dedicated to paint and body work. The Jeep was taken down to bare metal and was then primed and sealed. The paint color is borrowed from a 2019 Toyota Tacoma and is called Concrete Gray. The paint was then topped with three coats of clear. The paint process was done right, as there are no signs at all of any previous colors. All glass, trim, hinges, and so forth were removed for painting. The Jeep looks great. Bushwacker fender flares were also installed. They were sanded and painted in the same Concrete Gray color and look amazing on this Jeep.

Exterior Modifications

There is simply too much to list here but a few exterior highlights on this restored Jeep XJ include a Warn 10K winch mounted on the new front bumper. All bumper mounted LED lights are flush mounted and color matched. The 17×9 wheels are painted red and wrapped with Nitto 295/70/17 Trail Grappler rubber. Out back is a Smittybilt XRC rear bumper and tire carrier. The list goes on and on. But suffice to say, the Jeep looks great with a lot of functional upgrades.

The Underneath Bits

The front and rear suspension is from Fox, and the lift ranges from 4.5-inches to 5.5-inches depending on setup. ARB air lockers front, and rear are installed on this Jeep. The Jeep is running a 4.56 gear set. The brakes up front are upgraded with drilled and slotted rotors. Out back the drum brakes have been replaced with a disc brake setup. And so much more. This Jeep XJ can be used to drive everyday or hit the trails. It is not too extreme on one end or the other. It was built to be a jack of all trades and it should have you covered no matter what.

Engine and Transmission

The Jeep XJ used the legendary 4.0L straight six and it is retained here, but it has been thoroughly reworked. Basically, aside from the block everything else is new. New lifters, cams, crankshaft, pistons, gaskets and so on are installed here. This is as close to a brand-new engine as you can get, and it should run strong for many years to come. The transmission was given a refresh as well with new gaskets, and fresh fluids. Exhaust will flow through a new catalytic converter and a new Flowmaster muffler. You probably noticed the word new being used quite a bit here. Again, this is truly like buying a new Jeep XJ.

Interior

Step inside and you are greeted with brand new custom leather seats that all around. The front seats are heated as well. The other big change is in the center of the dash you will find an Apple iPad system. There are new Polk speakers front and rear. There is a backup camera installed for extra safety as well as an alarm and remote start system.

Worth the Money?

Checkout the video below to get all the details on this build, as the items listed above really just scratch the surface. Once you see everything that went into this restored Jeep XJ you can better determine if it is worth the high asking price. Would you drop sixty large on this Jeep?

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