CJ5 en el Caribe Mexicano!
MexCJ5
Jeeper
Well I bought my jeep a couple of months ago, and I'm finally getting around to doing some refurb work. I put my thread here in general discussion, 'cause I am not planning to make a monster hill climbing, swamp crossing, rock crawler. Way beyond my skill level. Plus there aren't a whole lot of hills or rocks around and the swamps here are protected mangroves.
So the jeep is a somewhat beat to hell CJ from '79. No one has ever taken care of it from what I can see.
Oh well.
So I bought used seats from a Toyota of some type. $85 for the pair. I find a local amigo to make new brackets. I leave the jeep with him and return today. The seats wont fit. Someone has previously replaced the metal behind the seats - the box section - and it is too far forward to allow the seats.
Everyone of the bodywork/ welder team is puzzled. After some discussion the guys agree that there is nothing to be done but put up with the seats being too far forward. Or I can have a large box section inside the wheel arch. LOL.
It takes two hours or wriggling the metal around, beating, bending, snipping, cutting and welding. At last the new wheel arch is installed.
I have left it with them to do the other side to match. Lets see how it turns out.
We are using some sheet metal called "lamina" its about 3mm thick. The metal is welded into place with home grade equipment. The metal surrounding the hot areas are keep cool by water poured onto rags. Its not a NASA production, but it does work.
Whilst all this was taking place the electrician came and sorted out the lights. The headlamps are from a VW Beetle apparently, and are foggy on the inside. I am going to check into taking them apart. But not today.
The electrician tells me that the lights are now fixed. I say OK show me. The lights come on at the switch. I ask about high beams.
"No they dont work because the switch on the floor is broken/ missing".
I ask him to get a switch and install it. Check.
I ask why the orange running (on the grill) light isn't on.
"I need a bulb"
I smile. A bulb is put in. Check.
I look at the rear. One light. One more smile. One more bulb. Check.
Indicators (turn signals?)? "Theres no..." I sigh. He smiles and comes back with something made of black plastic (flasher unit?). Check.
The brake lights dont work because of some missing metal on the top of the pedal. I don't really understand this but I will work it out when there are less things going on. Remember there are three welding guys plus the electrician, plus me all crowded in and around the jeep.
The lights get rewired to the ignition key.
I didn't have a camera with me so there are no pics... But I will remedy this in future.
I will let you know how the seat instal turns out!
So the jeep is a somewhat beat to hell CJ from '79. No one has ever taken care of it from what I can see.
- It had collapsed seats, totally rusted out which had been welded into place without any possible adjustment.
- The brakes worked just enough to get it home.
- Smoke was pouring out of the bonnet (hood) by the time I reached my door, due to the cascading oil flooding out from the valve cover. Probably some of the smoke was from oil which burning off the engine from the past years...
- No lights.
- No wipers or motor.
- The Gearbox - 3 speed- needs attention. First gear pops out, its hard to find second but third seems OK!
- No parking brake
- No gauges.
- Badly/ partly installed lift kit. The front is higher than the back!
- Did I mention it runs like a pig?
- Missing most fluids
Oh well.
So I bought used seats from a Toyota of some type. $85 for the pair. I find a local amigo to make new brackets. I leave the jeep with him and return today. The seats wont fit. Someone has previously replaced the metal behind the seats - the box section - and it is too far forward to allow the seats.
Everyone of the bodywork/ welder team is puzzled. After some discussion the guys agree that there is nothing to be done but put up with the seats being too far forward. Or I can have a large box section inside the wheel arch. LOL.
It takes two hours or wriggling the metal around, beating, bending, snipping, cutting and welding. At last the new wheel arch is installed.
I have left it with them to do the other side to match. Lets see how it turns out.
We are using some sheet metal called "lamina" its about 3mm thick. The metal is welded into place with home grade equipment. The metal surrounding the hot areas are keep cool by water poured onto rags. Its not a NASA production, but it does work.
Whilst all this was taking place the electrician came and sorted out the lights. The headlamps are from a VW Beetle apparently, and are foggy on the inside. I am going to check into taking them apart. But not today.
The electrician tells me that the lights are now fixed. I say OK show me. The lights come on at the switch. I ask about high beams.
"No they dont work because the switch on the floor is broken/ missing".
I ask him to get a switch and install it. Check.
I ask why the orange running (on the grill) light isn't on.
"I need a bulb"
I smile. A bulb is put in. Check.
I look at the rear. One light. One more smile. One more bulb. Check.
Indicators (turn signals?)? "Theres no..." I sigh. He smiles and comes back with something made of black plastic (flasher unit?). Check.
The brake lights dont work because of some missing metal on the top of the pedal. I don't really understand this but I will work it out when there are less things going on. Remember there are three welding guys plus the electrician, plus me all crowded in and around the jeep.
The lights get rewired to the ignition key.
I didn't have a camera with me so there are no pics... But I will remedy this in future.
I will let you know how the seat instal turns out!
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when did that become a upgrade in a Jeep? Your Jeep must be bigger than mine.
