Build Thread 82 CJ7 frame swap & lift build

[PaRenegade]

I think I agree with your cousin about the seats, they do look like they will have you leaning back. But like you said, until the steering wheel is in place you really can't tell.
Not sure where your referring to on the column but if you mean the rod from the firewall to the gearbox, then yes I agree with Jag. It's a plastic molded connection designed to shear and allow the rods to collapse instead of driving the column back against the driver.

As for the master cyl. and boot. I used Eastwood's Brake Grey paint. It's made to resist brake fluid, according to their claim. My dust boot was also shot and no I couldn't find one anywhere to buy either, so I made one from a bicycle innertube since it's not retaining any vacuum and it's only for dust and dirt.

Eastwood Brake Gray - Brake Fluid Resistant Paint

 

[rbagley]

The steering tubes are designed to collapse in an accident. That's why they're pressed together like that.

Oh, that makes sense. I appreciate you mentioning that JAG811. I noticed that the shaft and tubes both collapsed, the shaft more easily than the tubes- glad to know they were meant to do that.

My new steering wheel isn't anything fancy, but one of the reasons I got it (besides the fact that the old leather grip was half rotten) was because I wanted something smaller. It seemed to take too much spinning when I needed to quickly steer around obstacles.

 

[rbagley]

As for the master cyl. and boot. I used Eastwood's Brake Grey paint. It's made to resist brake fluid, according to their claim. My dust boot was also shot and no I couldn't find one anywhere to buy either, so I made one from a bicycle innertube since it's not retaining any vacuum and it's only for dust and dirt.
Eastwood Brake Gray - Brake Fluid Resistant Paint

Thanks PaRenegade for the tips and pictures! Your booster/master cylinder looks great! To get brake fluid resistant paint in a spray can sounds pretty amazing to me. I clicked the link (thanks for including that) $19.99 + shipping- the most expensive can of paint I hope to ever purchase, but it is only another drop in the bucket, I suppose.

 

[rbagley]

I can't believe how similar it is to how I'm going to do mine. Picked up a nice rust free frame for AMC 150 last month, and ive started ordering small parts here and there so i can space out the expense over time. Gonna make my wife read through your build so she can get an appreciation for exactly what I have in mind, because this is it.

In reading through your posts I noticed the spring perches before you mentioned them. I had to do mine not long ago, they had collapsed so badly that the axle was rotating about 30-40 degrees every time i let off the clutch. it had a ridiculous clunk, and i didn't figure out what it was until my wife was driving the jeep one day and i was following her and i saw the axle trying to twist out from under the jeep lol

WOW! A nice frame for $AMC 150 - I am jealous...and to hear that the perches really do get so bad that the axle tubes would twist. I am still not sure at this point if the perches that I bought were for the right size diameter tube (It seemed like I had to fill a bit of space with the weld) but I am glad that I did them when I did.
I wish I would have thought ahead to weld them where the pumpkin would be better aligned with the Transfer Case . I was concentrating too much on getting them exactly back where the stock ones were.
Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Rippin]

Those are the same perches that I got. After I got them and realized they were too big, I did some researching and the AMC20 is a 2 1/2 inch diameter tube. There are a few companies that make 2 1/2 inch perches, but I went ahead and used them and just filled them in too.

 

[Niedhogg]

Those are the same perches that I got. After I got them and realized they were too big, I did some researching and the AMC20 is a 2 1/2 inch diameter tube. There are a few companies that make 2 1/2 inch perches, but I went ahead and used them and just filled them in too.

You would also be surprised to know that most tractor supply type stores carry a large assortment of spring perches for all types of trailers.. worth checking into.

 

[Rippin]

Oh really? Wish I would have known that before. Good to know. If they do have the right ones I may redo them when I rebuilds the keep to fix the pinion angle

 

[JAG811]

WOW! A nice frame for $AMC 150 - I am jealous...and to hear that the perches really do get so bad that the axle tubes would twist. I am still not sure at this point if the perches that I bought were for the right size diameter tube (It seemed like I had to fill a bit of space with the weld) but I am glad that I did them when I did.
I wish I would have thought ahead to weld them where the pumpkin would be better aligned with the Transfer Case . I was concentrating too much on getting them exactly back where the stock ones were.
Thanks for your feedback.

Nice job !!
Wouldn't stress about improving the angle - You can get Axle Shims (Steel Wedge) later down the track if you want to change the pinion angle.

 

[rbagley]

After bolting in the seat brackets and setting the tub on the frame, it was evident that there were a number of holes in the floor of the tub that I would not be using. There weren't any for a roll bar mount, but there were at least 6 oddball ones and another 5 for the back seat. I figured that since I will probably not have the same exact rear seat as the PO, I would fill them in as well.

I purchased a gallon of Herculiner when I picked up the paint. There was a $25 rebate online through the NAPA store so it ended up being quite a bit cheaper than the store brand. I helped a buddy use a Bondo bed-liner a couple of months back. What I liked about Herculiner was that you didn't have to mix a hardener into it, so if there was any left when you were done, you could save it for later. It also provided a bit of a rougher finish.

You have to plan on 2 coats because the first coat doesn't go on thick enough to completely cover. After the 2nd coat, I had about 2 cups left over for touch-up later on if needed.

I masked off and put paper over the sides and sanded the entire inside and top rails with 100 grit sand paper to put a good scuff in the gelcoat. The kit has a Scotchbright pad included, but that didn't see like enough to me. I blew it out with compressed air and then wiped it down with a rag damp with paint thinner.

Overall, I was pretty satisfied with how it turned out, just hoping that I can mask it off well enough (when it comes time to paint the exterior) that the lines match up on the side edges were I Herculined the top rails.

I decided to paint the top rails because I figured that is where a lot of the wear will happen. I was at the beach the other day and saw someone else do the same and I thought it turned out alright.

 

[rbagley]

Two very exciting things have happened since I last posted...

1. I finally OFFICIALLY own my Jeep. I met the original owner at the Secretary of State in his home town (2hrs from where I live) and got the title transferred . Two years ago he signed a bill of sale (which was all the SOS said I needed if it was worth less than $2500) but the law had changed in the time that I waited to put my name on the title.

2. I finally finished the body work and took it to a local shop to get it painted. It took me probably about 4x longer to do the body work than they would have taken, but it was a good experience for me- I just need better tools if I am going to tackle a whole vehicle again. I have been laying down the Bondo then using a wooden paint stick covered in various grits of sand paper to sand it down. I've been using spray can primer that takes forever to dry.

back to #1... after the title transfer I showed proof of insurance and was able to register & get a license plate. I had been online looking at the custom lettering and came up with a couple that I liked. I ended up going with CJEEP7. I liked how JEEP was centered and if you look at it the way I do, it says CJ7 and Jeep. My other option was 82CJEEP, but just liked the look of the other one more. I got the title in the mail today but am still waiting on the plate.

 

[rbagley]

The shop up the road from where I go to church quoted me $300 to paint all my parts if they were ready to spray. I had already bought the paint and materials so he was quoting me based on 6-7 hours of labor.

I did my best to get rid of all the imperfections but asked them to touch up anything that would show. They said that I did a great job on the tub but had a few spots on the fenders to fix.

I masked everything off prior to bringing it in and bought two quarts of color (and all the other necessary stuff) to cover the following- outside of grille, outside of tub, outside of both fenders, both sides of the hood, dash and windshield frame. He told me that rather than using the sealer I bought, he would use a couple coats of silver (left over from previous jobs) as the base coat BEFORE the actual silver effect base coat. I am not a painter so I just trusted that he knew what he was doing.

I was able to hang out at the shop while everything was sprayed and the painter was kind enough to walk me through the process every step of the way. I was very grateful to be able to be there since I have been doing nearly all the work on this build. I was also glad to be able to take pictures of the process (to share with y'all of course )

more pictures to come...

 

[rbagley]

Base coat #1 was a darker/more metallic silver mixed up from previous jobs. It showed a lot of the scratches and minor dings and a lot of pits in the fiberglass tub. Chris (the painter) rubbed the tub down after the first coat and mixed up a thicker white base coat to spray everything with (base coat #2). He then put another coat of the silver (base coat #3), which is when it started to look good. He mixed up the brilliant silver effect that I brought and put on 2 more coats (base coat 4 & 5).

I started out watching (and taking pictures) from behind the door, but decided to step in between breaks and stood on the opposite side to take some pictures. The fan kept the fumes blowing out of the room well enough that I wasn't too worried about my camera or my lungs for that matter.

In the last picture you may be able to tell see that one of the coats was more of a white. He put it on thicker to take care of the trouble he was seeing after the 1st coat.

 

[rbagley]

From what I could tell, after putting on the last 2 base coats, he mixed up and put on 4 coats of clear. He said that the last coat of clear would be more of a dust coat.

It seemed that the more base coats he put on, the better all the imperfections were hidden. I could see in the sides of the fenders where I didn't do a great job on some of the spots, but as it got nearer to the end, they couldn't be seen as well unless you really looked for them in the light at the right angle. The more clear that went on, the more it shined.

He didn't hang the dash, windshield frame or hood, so the plan was to spray the backsides the next day when he was able to flip them.

The paint booth was not top notch but it seemed that Chris was making the best of it. He sprayed at night (we were there from 5 ish till 9pm) because the driveway is gravel and people coming during the day kicks up too much dust. There wasn't a heater either so when I came back later the next day he said that it would still take some time for the paint to completely dry.

 

[rbagley]

Yesterday (Wed) I stopped in and took some of the tape off of everything that was finished and took a few more pictures. I will not be able to pick up the windshield frame, dash or hood till today (TR 8-23) but took home the grille and both fenders so that I could start bolting stuff on.

When I masked off the tub, it was clear that the tape was not going to stick well to the Herculiner. Chris re-taped the corners, but we both knew some of the spray was going to get under. Some of it came off with paint thinner the next day, but I think I will end up coating over it to get a crisp line back.

I was happy with the color and the job that Chris did. If I wanted it to be show quality, a good wet sand would get it closer to perfection, but I may wait till there are some legitimate scratches before I start sanding it. We will see. Chris is going to wet sand the hood to get a couple of the dust spots that he mentioned when laying down clear.

They actually just called to tell me that everything is ready and that based on the hours if $500 works for me, that works for them. Sounds good to me. There was a lot more involved than I realized (sure glad I didn't try to paint it myself) and when I decided to have someone do it for me, I was shooting for the $500 mark. I had about $600 in paint supplies, tape and Herculiner.

That gets me under the $1250 minimum that Mayco was going to charge me for a base coat / clear coat and they would not have touched up any of the imperfections at that price. They are also located about an hour away so I would say that I am happy with how it all worked out in the end.

 

[rbagley]

fender before

after sandblasting

after powdercoat

after paint

the finished product

 

[rbagley]

before
sandblasted
backside powdercoat'd
body work
done!

 

[rbagley]

the tub...

original steel tub- rotten & rusty
fiberglass tub purchased used
disassembled & began filling holes
primed and Herculined
after paint- ready to come home again for re-assembly

 

[PaRenegade]

Lookin' good. Can't wait till I'm to that point in time.

 

[rbagley]

dash progression...

I had the glove box lid and grab bar powdercoated. It didn't seem like the thin dash was the best spot for a grab bar... but I put it back on, using some very large fender washers on the back side to hopefully help keep the handle from being pulled off.


I bought the black plastic piece without the radio hole, but a barely used pair of Kenwood speakers may end up talking me into cutting a spot back out for a radio at some point. The wires are all plugged in the back side thanks to the extra time I took to tape the ends and label them when I took it out of the other tub months ago.

 

[rbagley]

I filled a number of holes in the windshield frame (I think drilled for the sun visor mounts) but did not take the time to do the finish work well. The windshield frame probably turned out with the most noticeable blemishes, but they are not that bad...just enough that you can tell I didn't take the time to smooth a few spots. One of the guys at the shop said that if someone is looking that close I should ask them if they are buying it.

I borrowed a rivet gun from my neighbor and riveted the windshield VIN number on a new piece that came with the black wiper motor cover. I transfered the other VIN plate to the fiberglass tub and then riveted the new windshield seal on the bottom of the windshield frame.

The previous owner of the fiberglass tub riveted the seal to the top of the tub, which I didn't realize was the wrong location for it until after the tub was painted...so I have some holes to fill.

After taking a few parts off of my old windshield frame, I am glad that I bought the fiberglass frame when I picked up the tub. The steel frame was getting a little rotten in some spots.