“Meow!” I hear as an orange cat bounces around the interior of my hyper-rare 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee five-speed, a vehicle that I often refer to as the “Holy Grail.” As I open a door, the cat drops out from…somewhere…and scurries away among the many other cars in the Galpin Media parking lot. The Jeep looks sad; it’s been sitting abandoned in this lot since I arrived in California a few months ago, and before that was sitting abandoned in my front yard for months. Before that, it was abandoned in my backyard, and before that it was abandoned in a field in Virginia. But fear not, oh Holy Grail, for glory awaits you, as I am amassing the greatest stockpile of factory-original parts ever assembled. Why? I’m building The Ultimate Jeep Grand Cherokee. Here’s how.
The automobile I first learned to drive was a first-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, called the “ZJ” internally by Jeep and also externally by weirdo Jeepers like me. The vehicle played a pivotal role in my trajectory, introducing me to the off-road world, and inspiring me to dedicate some of my life to studying engineering so I could work at Jeep in Detroit, developing the next-generation of off-road machines (I was lucky enough to arrive at Chrysler in 2015, just as the JL Wrangler program began). Here’s the machine that made me the weird Jeep-man I am today:
I love the ZJ. With a stick, I think it’s the best budget-overlanding Jeep in the world, and it is without question the best-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was initially meant to act as the successor to the venerable Jeep Cherokee XJ, which had been around since the 1984 model-year. But when the ZJ debuted for 1993, the XJ stuck around as the less-expensive, smaller Jeep, and the ZJ became its bigger, younger brother. The ZJ would later be succeeded by the bigger, heavier WJ, which had a spare tire well in the trunk that reduced ground clearance, plus the WJ was just a generally bulbous machine. The WJ was still a great off-road Jeep compared to the independent-suspension-equipped Jeep Grand Cherokees that would follow, but Jeep’s best Grand Cherokee was its first, and it’s the one I’m using as the basis for the Ultimate Grand Cherokee — specifically the ultimate overlanding Jeep Grand Cherokee.
My Starting Point Is The Best Grand Cherokee Model Ever
I’m starting with a “Holy Grail” Jeep Grand Cherokee, one of 1,400 Grand Cherokees ever built with a manual transmission (in the U.S., the only Grand Cherokees ever offered with a stickshift were 1993 and 1994 models). This is a big deal for a number of reasons, the most important of which is the fact that the Chrysler transmissions offered in other Grand Cherokees were known to be unreliable. Other advantages of the rare stick is the fact that it’s more fun to drive than an automatic, it’s easier to repair, and it offers another way to fire up the car should there be issues with the starter (you can roll-start the Jeep).
The video below shows me buying my very first “Holy Grail” manual transmission Jeep Grand Cherokee. Its accompanying article, and my old article about a Wisconsin man who planned to junk his rare Jeep due to rust, brought numerous “Holy Grail” Grand Cherokee owners out of the woodwork and into my email inbox. As I described in my article “Here’s How I’m Going To Save A Doomed ‘Holy Grail’ Jeep Grand Cherokee Sitting On An Old Wisconsin Dairy Farm,” a man from Virginia sold me his red one for $350 (I towed it back to Michigan, then to California), though it was missing a transmission; the aforementioned Wisconsite then sold me his rustbucket for $350, and together I had the makings of a nice, solid Holy Grail Grand Cherokee, and all for just $700.
(The one below I sold, in part because it looked terrible due to its bad paint, and also it had 260,000 miles on it, but really it’s because I knew if I didn’t save the Virginia Jeep using the rusty Jeep, they’d both end up in junkyards).
My red 1994 ZJ’s stickshift is bolted to the stout 4.0-liter AMC inline-six, which is an unstoppable engine so long as it’s kept cool. Luckily the ZJ Grand Cherokee — unlike the XJ Cherokee, YJ Wrangler, TJ Wrangler, and other legendary Jeeps — was originally designed to fit, and thus cool, a 5.2-liter V8 motor. So the radiator — which dips down to a lower cooling opening (which the aforementioned 4.0-liter Jeeps don’t have) — is enormous; ZJs do a great job at keeping their cool, as I explain in this video clip:
View this post on Instagram
But my Jeep isn’t just a 4.0-liter five-speed “Holy Grail” Grand Cherokee, it’s actually a Holy Grail among Holy Grails. That’s because my manual Grand Cherokee is a base “SE” model, featuring crank windows, manual locks, manual cloth seats, and very few niceties. Jeep sold very few Grand Cherokees with manual windows and locks in 1993 and 1994, and in the model’s third year of production, it no longer offered such a basic trim.
With a stickshift and very few interior electronics, my ZJ is a truly basic machine built on an excellent platform. In fact, the platform marks the very first time a high-volume production vehicle offered a five-link coil-sprung solid axle suspension both front and rear. This later became the standard for Jeep; every Jeep Wrangler generation since the ZJ’s launch has utilized such a suspension. The ZJ’s novel rear suspension — called “Quadra-Coil” when paired with the Jeep XJ’s “Quadra-Link” front suspension — would later be adopted by the Toyota 4Runner, Mercedes G-Class, Ram 1500, and more. It’s now the standard for solid rear axle coil spring suspensions because it offers excellent ride quality, excellent off-road suspension articulation, and handling improvements over a leaf spring design.
Pair that engine, transmission, and suspension with a unibody that offers good interior space without weighing that much, and add a genuinely comfortable and quiet (but super basic) interior, and you end up with an (arguably) modern Jeep that’s reliable, comfortable, practical, and genuinely off-road capable. It’s an excellent starting point for an off-road build, but mine needs some upgrades before being a true off-road warrior and thus the ultimate Jeep Grand Cherokee. Luckily, Jeep offered lots of options on the ZJ, and they can be found in junkyards everywhere.
Turning My Base ‘Holy Grail’ Jeep Grand Cherokee Into ‘The Ultimate’
The more I look at the ZJ, the more I love it. Good size, reasonable weight, solid axles are flexy and durable, nice comfortable interior, decent ride, reliable, good visibility, and more handsome each day. (Also the fully loaded U-Haul is somehow doing 11 MPG @ 65mph!) pic.twitter.com/PFVl6GRuPl
— David Tracy (@davidntracy) February 13, 2023
To build the Ultimate Jeep Grand Cherokee basically requires starting with the best variant — the base-model manual ZJ — and then adding all the best Jeep Grand Cherokee parts that Jeep ever offered either from the factory or from the dealership through its parts company MOPAR.
One obvious improvement my ZJ could use is better seats, as the base vinyl ones (examples shown above) are really not comfortable or durable. As such, I yanked the rusty Wisconsin Laredo trim’s incredibly comfortable, durable cloth seats:
In addition, the spare tire takes up far too much room in the ZJ’s cargo area — a gripe darn-near every reviewer in the 1990s mentioned during evaluation – so I’m currently in the process of picking up a hyper-rare, dealer-installed, MOPAR spare tire carrier. Check this thing out:
`
By “currently in the process” I mean I already bought half of the thing a few days ago I somehow convinced an Autopian reader named Jack to drive with me 90 minutes from LA to an impound lot in Fontana so we could wrench on this spare tire carrier in the dark. Here are two photos I took of the sketchy impound lot:
Sadly, I didn’t have the right tools or the energy to get the main swinging tire carrier, but I did get the hatch-mounted latch. In fact, I got the whole hatch!:
I also managed to snag a set of factory mud flaps from a Michigan junkyard prior to my departure. Plus, I found a gray grille, which is what should be on all base ZJs (someone painted mine black). The grille is in excellent shape, and the mud flaps aren’t bad, either:
Update: Also snagged a mint grille! pic.twitter.com/3bMp4pgvsE
— David Tracy (@davidntracy) December 18, 2022
(Small aside: That gray grille is super rare. You can either get it on a base/SE trim Grand Cherokee (those are super rare) or you can find a gray high-trim ZJ whose grille is body-colored — also rare. So I got lucky finding the latter).
Then there are these amber turn signals, which I bought from eBay Kleinanzeigen while visiting my parents in Germany:
Here’s what a typical Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ looks like with U.S.-spec turn signal lenses (this is my old base trim, which you’ll notice has the gray factory-color grille):
And here’s the Euro-spec look with those amazing amber turn signals:
Plus, I’m throwing on the factory fuel tank skid plate to protect the undercarriage:
And I have a factory transfer case skid plate that I snagged from a junkyard near Ann Arbor:
If you’re looking at those pictures wondering where the transfer case skid plate is in all that mess, then that makes you and me both. But I can tell you there’s a nice set of slotted rotors that I found at a junkyard; they were basically brand new when I removed them (these aren’t original rotors, of course):
Plus, during my junkyard visits, I have been hoarding a bunch of center caps for my steel wheels:
And I found a spare steel wheel (those were painted black) on Facebook Marketplace about a year back. These are rather rare:
And of course I plan to bolt up a later-model-year hatch, because it features a pop-out rear window. I’m going to want that fresh air when I’m camping:
So there you have it: I’ve bought the best Jeep Grand Cherokee ever — a rare base-model, stickshift ZJ — and now I’m adding a super-rare rear spare tire carrier, amber turn signal lenses offered in foreign markets, excellent Laredo seats, mud flaps, a glass-poppingly-good rear hatch, and skid plates. Plus I’m replacing all the broken interior trim, the grille (with the nice gray junkyard one), the faded bumper covers, and more. I’ll repaint my wheels silver, install the center caps I found in the junkyard, and in the end I will truly have the greatest, OEM-parts-only Jeep Grand Cherokee of all time.
I plan to then increase its off-road capability a bit by installing a small lift kit and some larger tires, and possibly a different set of axles (a stronger Dana 44 rear with a limited slip diff (maybe a locker at some point) and shorter gearing to accommodate those bigger tires; and a standard Dana 30 front with the same gearing). I also have a snorkel and a winch, though I need to decide if I want to install those. If I do, it will be before a major off-road expedition, and not just for the heck of it.
I have a lot of work ahead, as should be obvious looking at that parts-shed-disguised-as-a-Jeep, which is currently occupied by a cute cat. But I have all the parts I need and some. It’s time to get working on the Ultimate Grand Cherokee.
Add that winch. It’s more weight where it’s needed for climbing. You can also get stuck in some seemingly innocuous spots. With a (working) winch there’s a chance of self-recovery.
Winch, shackles both hard and soft, snatch block, tree kit for said block, kinetic energy rope and a charged cell phone should be a good basic recovery kit. Maybe a sand/ground anchor if it can be used in the frequented areas.
Bravo, David! I will enjoy reading how the story unfolds. I chuckled at the mention of snagging factory original mud flaps- when I got my first ZJ (a ‘96 Laredo)in 2005 I had a hard time finding factory grey originals to match the gray body cladding- they were rare then. I jumped on NOS ones on eBay.
I’m also laughing because while you sourced amber lenses from Germany, I managed to source “Amber-delete” front cornering lamps and “Amber-delete” rear taillights from Germany- only eBay item I’ve ever ordered from overseas! But they make my ‘93 Limited really stand out but still appear “factory”
Best of luck David!
Limited; so 5.2? How’s the transmission holding up?
The ‘93 Limited actually has the 4.0 six- with the automatic and selec-trac 2wd/4wd transfer case. My dad bought it new and it pretty much has every option except the V8. The transmission had one rebuild in 2016 when I took her over with 120,000 miles- doing well since then.
Can’t wait to read your future Jeep adventures 🙂
What’s that? David’s most desirable jeep is the one that the car-buying public found least desirable? Yep, sounds about right.
Never change, David. We love the oddball builds. Can’t wait to see how this one turns out. 😀
I need more
cowbellcat overdubs.Well, on the bright side… it’s better to have a feline imposter than a rodent infestation, as I’m sure you’re aware lol. Best of luck, I’m excited to see how this project comes through! Really cool how you’re planning on keeping it as stock as possible. Is Beau kind enough to offer you access to a garage/lift, or is this gonna be some good ‘ol fashioned parking lot wrenching in the Southern California sun?
Parking lot wrenching most likely. It’s gonna be rough!
Eh… still probably a step up from outdoor Michigan winter wrenching lol. Best of luck!
Get a party tent above it for shade, you can get cheap ones for 30 bucks. Just secure it down so it doesn’t fly around the lot making dents.
You know what? Fuck the car, let’s keep talking about that cat. 😀
I love this idea! Are you going to put in an NP242? What about some other parts from a Wagoneer/Orvis/TSi edition?
Looking forward to the progress on this one, I always think its fun to mix/match parts from other years/models/makrets/subbrands of vehicles from the same OEM.
I’m keeping the NP231. It’s stout.
Makes sense, they are pretty durable.
This will be glorious. I’m reminded of all the good aspects of my now-sold 1993 ZJ Limited (with the AW4 and Quadra-Trac!). Dang, wish I kept it and rebuilt the rear D35 axle.
AW4! Amazing! What failed in the rear end? Carrier bearings?
It had a pretty decent whine on hard acceleration, which I believe is ring and pinion wear? It also did this odd thing under load, uphill where it kind of dieseled or made a rattling noise. I checked the flexplate bolts, but they were fine. Still never found out what that was…and I’ve had my fair share of AW4/4.0 vehicles.
Cool plan, always loved ZJs, and if you FOCUS should be done in a month or two, right? 😀
So if you’re dipping into the Euro parts bing, AND you’re no stranger to obscure Mopar Diesels….any thoughts on a motor swap to the VM Motori diesel that came on export ZJs? I know, I know, 4.0 is awesome, I get it… but like …. ultimate, wouldn’t low end torque from a diesel be even better? Is that the same engine you had in the van, or at least similar?
I know if I saw a ZJ at a car show and I heard it start up with a diesel I’d be crazy interested in coming to check it out.
It’s the exact same engine as the VM425 in my van!
But compared to the 4.0, it’s really no better. It’s not even as torquey!
Does Beau shudder every time he walks by that pile?
Beau knew what he was signing up for.
Inside Llewyn David Tracy
Are you aware of anyone who has done a similar build?
It’s really cool to see someone turn a vehicle into what it should have been from the start.
I don’t think this has ever been done to this extent.
About the only way you could further improve upon it would be to install any of the Dodge or Chrysler turbodiesel engines. A tuned mechanical-injection Cummins 4BT in this would be marvelous. Stock, they make 105 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque, but double those figures would be a reasonable goal with some injector pump tweaks and the engine would handle it very reliably. It would have the torque down very low where you want it, and you would be able to climb any gradient up until the vehicle’s center of gravity caused it to fall over.
Not sure California would allow this mod though.
I knew I’d be a big fan of you 🙂
I see you already did the cat delete
made my day!
COTD 🙂
This is going to be a really cool rig!
Thank you Shop-Teacher! You still got that rust-repaired Silverado?
Uncertain about the advisability of using cross-drilled and slotted rotors for this. Seems like it’s just extra wear on the brake pads and an increased risk of cracked rotors on a vehicle that doesn’t exactly need track-ready brakes.
A More Power Pull’r is way more agile than a winch and can pull in any direction. Mine will drag a FJ60, all 4 wheels locked, uphill. Just get the original, American-made one, not the Chinesium knockoff.
So, not just a comealong, more of a COME ALONG IF YOU WANT TO LIVE.
I’d be happy to find that it was a cat living in my car! A cat means there are no rats, and they would do far more damage.
I’m of two minds on this point. I have “barn cats” that live around my collection and keep the mice out of it, which is awesome as you stated. However, any large openings are covered so the cats can’t get in because if they pee, you are throwing out that piece of interior. It will bake in the sun and no matter how hard you try, its never really gone. Next time the sun comes out, so does the stench
But stinking cat piss makes a great theft deterrent. Even better than a manual transmission.
This. Cat piss is just as effective at destroying an interior as rodents.
But how smooth does your driver’s side manual window roll down, and when is it coming to Washington?
David, Do note that cats usually don’t shit where they sleep. Cat’s are clean freaks.
True. Though I did see a cat in a nearby car with a bit of excrement on the rear parcel shelf. I think it was a different cat, though.
This calico, though, has taste, as I established in that video.
Indeed! I hope you do adopt it. However if it’s gone feral, that may not be possible. I will say the body language of it slinking away seemed very gentle and fairly relaxed by your presence.
I sit writing this post with two cats on my desk. One actively blocking the front of the keyboard and the other behind. If you ever have any feline questions, please feel free to ask. Excuse me while I clean up another pile of puke…
There’s a joke somewhere here comparing a cat’s cleanliness to David’s but I’m not witty enough to make it.
Does it include spaghetti or showers? Hahaha
Trench foot:
Cat 0, David 1
Cat wins
There it is.
Woohoo! Looking forward to reading about the project. It’s great to be able to use the parts that one has accumulated, especially if they are very rare items.
You might be able to entice the cat with food, but if it’s not used to being around people you might not be able to get near it. If you really want to adopt it, patience will be key.
On the positive side, cats are not likely to befoul their living spaces so there probably isn’t any poop in your car. Intact/unneutered males will mark their territory, but if that had happened you would definitely be able to smell it.
Some females will also urine-mark if they perceive competition for their territory. And I don’t know if David has actually been inside the Jeep since the cat got in there … he could be in for a nasty surprise.
Not to be all feline pedantic, but that is a calico cat. Almost certainly a female as male calicos are exceptionally rare. The Holy Grail of cats, if you will.
I mean, nobody has nominated a cat for Holy Grails, but I’ll allow it.
https://cdn3.emoji.gg/emojis/thonk.png
Dammit, we need image uploads. lol
Yes we sure do. Can you imagine all the crappy photos of camping shit and wiring I could post? Just think of the opportunities!
I had a calico cat which was polydactyl (6 toes) on both front paws. she also lived 22 years. rip.
Wow! So like 5 claw marks?
“excellent ride quality” for a solid rear axle under an SUV . . . ftfy
A fair point.
You better let the cat join you on your trip now.
That’s many nice Jeep parts you have gathered. Even an extra cat!
YES. Finally.