Anthony Grosser's 1989 Cherokee
If Anthony Grosser, a call center coach at Stylin’ Trucks, could be doing anything, off-roading would be the first thing on his list. In his mind, the only vehicle for this rugged sport is a Jeep, particularly his pride and joy, an ’89 Jeep XJ Cherokee.
When he wanted to demonstrate just how serious he was about his true love, he did like many of the celebrities and showed it with ink. Okay, so unlike the stars, his love is made of steel and weighs 4000 pounds! On his arm, he modified the traditional “Religious Fish” tattoo to say “JEEP.” Oh and that’s not all! He also has a license plate on his back, spark plugs, a GM seat belt and a real looking heart with headers and an air cleaner.
His passion is also evident in the number of modifications he made to his bad-ass truck, making it well-equipped to handle the rocky terrain of the great outdoors.
Exterior Mods
This intimidating looking war-machine is being painted Army green in the next few weeks, reflecting its personality. He is also upgrading to a ’97 XJ front end at the same time. “My Jeep certainly has a presence,” Anthony said with pride. “And these modifications will only add to that.”
Currently, he’s trimmed the fender flares, added Pro Comp tow hooks and put monster 33x12.50 BFG all terrain tires on black Craiger 15x8 soft 8s.
“I’m most proud of my custom dented rear bumper and a sweet crease in the front fender from my drive-side tire being pushed into it while wheelin’,” Anthony chuckled.
To ensure he can see while engaging in wilderness sports, he added Pro Comp 130 watt 6” driving lights on the front.
Interior Mods
To make the interior just as hardcore as its exterior, he is ripping out the carpet and Herculining the floor.
He also has four 5 ¼ speakers, with Rockfordfosgate in the front and Blapunkt in the rear, providing excellent sound quality.
In addition, all of his experience at Stylin’ and working on his Jeep has given him the skill to develop his own custom accessories. “I am working on a sub enclosure that will be hidden on the inside of my cubby and won’t take up room when I’m wheelin’ or camping,” Anthony added.
Performance Mods
A superior off-road vehicle, this formidable truck has approximately 260 horsepower and 320 ft./lbs. of torque. He has a 4.6 stroker inline six that he put together himself using a Jeep 258 crank, rods, and .030 pistons. He also upgraded to a more aggressive Crane cam. But this is just the tip of the iceberg on his performance enhancements.
On the cooling side, he’s added a 160 degree thermostat a new radiator, water pump and heater core. For exhaust, he has installed a Pace Setter header, Magnaflow cat-back exhaust system, and a Magnaflow stainless 2.5” muffler. “These products have given new life to my 18-year old Jeep. And unlike most cars half its age, it won’t run over 160 degrees, even on an 85 degree day!”
Suspension Mods
Anthony also gives props to his old man who helped make this Jeep all it could be! “He built a custom steering box brake and custom sway bar disconnects for when I have the sway bar on. I think we’ve bonded over this truck!”
In addition, Anthony has Rubicon Express upper and lower control arms, with 4 ½” springs, a 2” DayStar coil spring spacer, as well as Rubicon Express leaf packs with an added leaf and 2” shackles.
His Skyjacker steering stabilizer also gives him superior control.
Customizations to Come
What else does Anthony have in store? “I plan on putting a Ford 8.8 rear axle with a locker and gearing down to 4:56 all the way around. Then, if I get super motivated this summer, I may fab up some bumpers.”
And when he becomes filthy rich and successful, Anthony wants to purchase a Jeep Wrangler with a brute conversion to turn it into a truck. (Retail price for this project: $15K) “It would have a monster lift, huge axles, lockers in the front and rear, a 4.6 stroker and a 4:1 Atlas T-case,” Anthony said with gleam in his eyes.
Hey, a man can dream, right?
Nice view of Anthony's Pro Comp tow hooks & DayStar coil spring spacer. |
Anthony climbing the rock with his monster 33x12.50 BFG all terrain tires. |
Check out his Skyjacker steering stabilizer & Pro Comp 130 watt 6” driving lights. |
Great wheel articulation! This bad- ass Jeep truly has no fear! Don't try this at home kids! |
Another view of the DayStar coil spring spacer. |
Anthony getting ready to navigate the rock. |
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