I just spotted on Facebook Marketplace a red, white, and blue Jeep Cherokee XJ. It’s absolutely bonkers; the right side of it is red, the center of it — the hood and roof — are white, and the left side of it is blue. As a seasoned Jeep XJ aficionado, I can say with certainty that this is all original paint, leading me to believe that someone swapped the panels from a red and blue XJ onto a white vehicle. But then I looked again, and I found out that I was wrong.
I am so confused by this 1998 Jeep Cherokee for sale in Lynchburg, Virginia. It’s three factory-original colors, leading me to think someone had just swapped some red and blue fenders and doors onto a white XJ. But upon closer inspection, the door jambs on the left side are actually blue and the door jambs on the right side are red.
Have a look at the red side:
Notice how the door jambs are also painted:
Here’s the blue side on the left:
Notice that the door jamb is also painted to match!
So was this a respray? How did this person pull off this build? Here’s part of the $6,900 Facebook Marketplace listing‘s description:
This Jeep started life as a two wheel drive Jeep Cherokee Classic. In the year 2021 it underwent a full transformation. It was completely rebuilt with the use of a 2001 120k mile, four wheel drive, Jeep drivetrain and was transformed into a Jeep tribute concept…
[…]
The original cluster reads 282k. The motor, transmission, transfer case, rear end, differentials, entire drivetrain, etc has 120k miles. We have put 4,700 miles on the build since completed. One of a kind, 1 of 1. In addition it is also a tribute to Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors”. It has been driven to multiple Jeep shows and is an award winning Jeep. Jump in and drive anywhere in the country. This 4.0 Inline six gets 18-20 MPG and has great power.
I had to glance again at the Jeep to see why it won awards at Jeep shows, because surely it’s not just the three-tone paint, right?
Then I saw it, and my god is this thing incredible.
All Images: Facebook Marketplace (Tanner Burks)
I can’t make out the rims on the blue side, I’m blinded by a pound of tire shine.
Notice the rims are different on each side also. Very cool
One word: Doors
I’m still missing what’s amazing about it.
It has 1 door on the driver side and 2 doors on the passenger.
Everyone saying this is a Veloster edition or the like are totally dissing the mighty MINI Clubman. Was making a weird third door cool long before the Veloster came along. Yes, I know it hinged the other way, suicide door style, but still, should count for something.
…and anyone who mentions the Clubman is dissing the not-quite-mighty Mitsubishi Minica Lettuce from 1989. And unlike the skunkworks Volvo 243, the Minica Lettuce was advertised and available to the public.
https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/13/business/japan-land-of-look-alike-cars-goes-offbeat.html?pagewanted=all
…and anyone who mentions the Minica Lettuce is dissing the ’67-’72 Chevy & GMC Suburban
Meh, trucks are different imho. If not, we’d have to start with the 1958 International A-series Travelall, which was itself probably pre-dated by tons of pre-war machines.
Is the XJ not a truck (of sorts)? Quasi body on frame (“uniframe”) construction, old-school longitudinal straight six, solid axles front & rear, and with some modifications it became the MJ Comanche.
ooooh 3rd door….just like those Saturns and mid 00 chevy full size pickups…Saturn even made a commercial where a guy pulls into a gas station and gets props from a group of custom car enthusiasts.
That’s awesome and it’s cheap enough that I want it
OMG. It took me a second to count the doors…
I thought it would be cool to take a 2 door XJ and a 4 door XJ and make a 4 door with long front doors and a SWB 2 door XJ but I have neither the time or the skill. This builder would have the skill.
Not gonna lie, I want it because it’s so ludicrous.
I’d match it all one colour, though. Just to REALLY throw people off.
I thought it was an homage to the Penske AMC Javelin
Did everyone miss the fact that is a 4 door on the red side and a 2 door on the blue?
Holy shit yes! Had to look again haha. This thing is nuts and I love it
Before I even saw the photos, I said to myself – “I bet it has two doors on the right side” .
Not surprised.
Yeah, sure the color is what initially catches you. But i noticed the two door on one side and 4-door on the other before i would have noticed the door jams painted the appropriate colors.
Is the door jamb repsray that big of a deal? My ’98 Chevy truck was painted by god-knows-who from teal to some wacky tan shade for a utility company, but the door jambs were fully painted. The floor pan, undercarriage, and inside of the engine compartment were not.
Okay, I’m not going crazy! Jeep Cherokee Veloster Edition.
Actually this was common, my buddy had a three door Suburban. Obviously a cost cutting measure, but they were on the right side because of the curb side obviously.
Not sure but I think the marketed it as for “safety”.. yeah sure.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1970-chevrolet-suburban-third-door-on-the-right/
XJ was 2 door or 4 door, though. There was never a factory 3 door version.
My point was the Veloster didn’t invent the 3 door.
Reminds me of how my ’53 GMC only has the door key lock on the passenger side. Suppose to always exit and enter from the curb.
Bench seats are vastly underrated
Similar to Widgetsltd’s Neon-oriented reply to Morale Buddy’s buddy’s Shadow anecdote, Volvo legend has it that there were a handful of “243s” produced in the same odd-door body style as this Jeep and for that matter the Veloster. Anecdotes differ (link 1) as to whether it was a factory mishap or whether the cars were intentionally produced by request of some police force – if they were indeed factory jobs – but usually leads with them being exported to Estonia, where the one in the usual photos (link 2) appears to be.
https://www.swedespeed.com/threads/the-rarest-production-volvo-ever-the-1982-243.112879/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/92889011@N02/8578839068/in/photostream/ and the two after it in their stream, conveniently rehosted and still available.
The idea makes sense – better visibility and easier ingress/egress (except in tight spaces) for the driver, with easier access to the rear seat on the curb side. I’ve recently come to appreciate the former, but occasionally miss the latter.
Edit: Another site with a bonus photo with both front doors open, referencing the old German lighting site (which of course no longer has the photos): https://www.caradisiac.com/Insolite-l-hypothetique-Volvo-243-le-mystere-de-la-3eme-porte-29743.htm
I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t see it until I read the sticker.
I mean if they’d done it right it would have a sport seat on the left and a classic seat on the right.
Interesting, but as disturbing as it is – side panel swaps happen. Much like a giga-casting – just because it can be done… doesn’t mean it should.
However, an old Jeep like this is using very low strength steel so it’s probably no less structurally sound than it ever was.
Final option, someone just painted this car right and pulled the seals. Some people do a good job with these things.
I do appreciate the choice to keep the body colored bumper on the classic side.
How do you combine the names Cherokee and Veloster? Cheroster? Velokee?
Maybe Jeep & Veloster? Veleep? Jeepster? (Wait, that’s a real one)
https://bangshift.com/bangshiftapex/the-humbler-five-buddies-built-this-cheap-turbo-jeep-to-go-12s-and-destroy-on-the-autocross/
And here I thought it was owned by some weird Francophile with an extreme fascination with their flag.
I thought it was a 4th of July special edition
Any chance this was a factory build (at least the unibody BIW)? Went down a pilot production line and somehow got finished built with a VIN number and escaped corporate ownership?
I’m into it, some of the 2 door cool factor and some of the 4 door utility… Weren’t some of the old suburbans like that?
All Suburbans were like that up until 1973, as I recall.
Up till ’72 Suburbans were the best. One door on the drivers, two on the passengers. Automotive door mullet.
I enjoy the old two door Wagoneers with the roll down windows in the back still.
Suburbans before ’67 were two-door. Only ’67-’72 were 3-door.