First jeep, opinions welcome

[motorhead]

Love this thread lots of conversation, twists and turns. Cool project, cool hot rod, lucky husband.

I am an extremely lucky husband. My wife always knew I was a car guy but I had nothing when we got married. I've let my gasoline addiction take over and although she thinks I'm crazy, she has embraced me.

Anyway probably not many updates gonna happen I'm off to visit my parents then to Hawaii. I'll get started on suspension when I get home.

 

[diddy2003]

Here's a few more. Its a 55 Chevy big window with a Chevy 302 from a 69 Z28. It has a tilt bed with Silverado fenders and a Jaguar xj6 rear end.

That is pretty cool!

 

[HackFabrication]

... I'm not sure what happened but I think my wife has been kidnapped and replaced with a robot.

Stepford Wives....?

Or something really big and bad is about to happen.

I'm thinking this.^^^^

 

[motorhead]

Well its been a while, I've been super busy this summer, fall and winter like everyone else but I'm not very good at social media. Anyway here's an update for those who still care. I left the boat in place and went to visit my parents before our Hawaii trip. The best part about it was my dad was able to get his 32 Ford pickup to a point where it could be licensed and my girls got to go for the first ride. Its has a 302 Ford with only about 300hp but it weighs nothing so it is decently quick. With the roof chopped about 4 inches and the large original steering wheel it was quite uncomfortable to drive but you look pretty bad behind doing it so who cares.

When we got back I got the boat running and tuned up so we took it down to the river. It ran great up until it started loosing power, fast and then the whole motor started shaking so bad I though it was going to tear right out. I limped it back to the dock knowing a bearing had gone and put it up on Craigslist that night. I had 14 people show up the next day and a guy took it home for twice what I had into it. I even told him how jacked the motor was but he didn't care. I figured we would haggle a bit, but he just handed me some cash and took it away.

I then started my new rifle build its a 6.5 Grendel frankenrifle with a 24inch barrel. I bought each part separately and slammed it together. I had just enough time to get some load development and sighted in before hunting season. My best 3 round group was .224 inches at 100 yds, so I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[motorhead]

After I got rid of the boat I decided a boat wasn't for me. They take up too much space and just cost you money but I decided I was going to finally get a care hauler for the constant large projects, parts cars, gather wood and I found a cheap trailer but the catch was I had to take the boat with it. It was so big I had to park it sideways in the driveway for it too fit. It was a 1972 Cabin Cutty. It had a bed and toilet and everything. The reason I decided to get it was the trailer was heavy duty with a rectangular frame instead of triangle shaped and had heavy duty axles. The trailer will take some work to get a deck on but not too bad. The boat also had a very rare Mopar 340 from a Super Bee. I pulled the motor and sold it to a freind who needed it for super cheap then pulled another 1000 pounds of metal off the boat to sell for scrap. I took the hull to the dump and with all that weight removed the fiberglass still weighted 4500lbs. It was a beast. In the end with purchase price, gas to haul it back from Cheyenne, and dump fees. I broke even selling parts so now I have a free trailer.

I immediately put it to work before the snow started falling. I had to remove part of my fence but got the tub on it and moved to the garage.

 

[motorhead]

My super buff behind wife helped me lift the tub off the trailer and got it set on the frame in the garage before the snow fell. I haven't shortened the axles yet or got any suspension, so its sitting on the frame which is on jack stands and the axles are sitting underneath it. Makes it look like a super awesome hot rod which I like but not the direction I'm going. The inlaws bought me a small bead roller for Christmas which I then beefed it up, built a stand for and attached the steering wheel from boat number 2. I also found a super deal on a tig welder which I have wanted for a while so the wife hooked me up. I love her. Been practicing on it a bit and hoping to use it replacing the floors in the jeep as well and building new gas tanks for a couple of my project motorcycles I've got sitting around.

 

[motorhead]

This month I decided to brave the cold and enter the garage. I realized I needed to finally get the Transmission back together which has been sitting on the engine stand for about 6 months. I rebuilt it then bolted it back to the Transfer Case and started tearing into the 350. I just cleaned it up a bit then bolted to the Transmission temporarily and started sliding it into the frame. I cut a little space into the floor and got it sitting where I want it. I started the motor mounts but had to stop and order some poly bushings to make some proper mounts. Still waiting for those to arrive, maybe next week. Anyway that's how it sits for now.

In the mean time my buddy has decided he was willing to sell me his jeep. It's an 03 TJ in really good shape with lots of aftermarket parts. Its worth probably close to $8k. I wont say how much I'm going to pay for it but lets just say I would be absolutely insane not to buy it. I'll just need to find some overtime shifts to pay for it. The plan, even though some would think it a crime to tear a nice vehicle apart, is to do just that. Drive trail will be for sale and I'll use the suspension for the CJ. That means coils and a 4 link. I either use or re-purpose about 75% of the TJ and the rest will get sold. I know most people would say why don't you just swap the CJ tub onto the TJ. Because that just wouldn't be fun. Anyway that's the plan for now. Hopefully I can get some this summer and keep this thread updated a little more.

 

[Torxhead]

I like that dipstick handle!

 

[motorhead]

I like that dipstick handle!

Standard chevy. Do a sbc swap and you can have one of your own. Seems worth it to me.

 

[Posi]

Sweet 32

 

[duffer]

Standard chevy. Do a sbc swap and you can have one of your own. Seems worth it to me.

Someone who thinks the same as me!

That said, I believe that right side dipstick is 80 or newer-unless you have something like a raised deck GM Rocket/Dart block where you can put it on either side.

 

[motorhead]

Someone who thinks the same as me!

That said, I believe that right side dipstick is 80 or newer-unless you have something like a raised deck GM Rocket/Dart block where you can put it on either side.

Good eye, it's a 99.

 

[HackFabrication]

Really like your dad's 32! Especially with the SBF. Too many SBC in the old Fords for my liking...

The 6.5 Grendel is a tack driver. Scary accurate with the proper hand loads.

And the boat... That was someone's dream years ago. And probably turned into their recurrent nightmare after that. (I own two boats...)

 

[motorhead]

Well I've been thinking again which isn't always a good idea. I love the look of those Brute conversions for the wrangler, and since I'm going to be chopping up the TJ i will be getting, why not try a "CJ5 truck"? My other issue is I love my Meyer hard top and would hate to hack it up to make it a half cab top. I also like the idea of having a back seat but unfortunately wouldn't have 4 doors. I'm thinking about creating an extended cab short bed Ive created a very crude photoshop of what it could look like. Mine will be a different color but red was convenient from the donor pictures. What do you guys think?

 

[motorhead]

I can shorten the bed or move the rear wheels foward and have more rear overhang. Goal would be about the size of a Tacoma or Colorado.

 

[motorhead]

moved the wheels forwards and it looks way better. other than my photoshop skills still suck.

 

[motorhead]

This week I got the motor mounts built and the motor sitting under its own weight. I also cut out a piece of wood to to test the look of the bed side. I might trim a few inches off the length and it should be a few inches taller. The whole bed will be easier to build from scratch rather than cutting up the TJ.

 

[motorhead]

Here's the inspiration by the way.

 

[Posi]

I agree with moving the front axle forward.
What is your planned WB?
What tire size?
Thinking break over angle off road.

 

[motorhead]

I agree with moving the front axle forward.
What is your planned WB?
What tire size?
Thinking break over angle off road.

Wb is 127 in, total length is the same as my 2011 4 runner. Probably going to mount the spare tire up against the cab in the bed.

Currently have 30 in tires for rollers. Goal is min 33s max 35s. Probably make the bed a few inches shorter and that will be the max distance for the rear bumper. With tail gate I'd like to be able to fit a dirt bike. Not sure it'll be long enough though.