Build Thread Project JPSK8

[Jeepskate]

Stopped by the upholsterer on the way home from work yesterday. He still has to do the rear seat (we needed to discuss how I wanted it done & I left my Laredo seat with him as a guide), but everything else is done & I think it looks awesome. He duplicated the '80 Renegade pattern (unfortunately my original upholstery had to be sacrificed) but went with a more vibrant blue. I had him do the sun visors too as well as a wrap for the grab bar and the armrest for the Tuffy console.

 

[gert]

WOW them seats look awesome did you hide LEDs in them they look like they are glowing

 

[Jeepskate]

WOW them seats look awesome did you hide LEDs in them they look like they are glowing

I'm gonna need shades It took about an hour for the smile to fade from my face a little bit...super happy with how they turned out. Even my wife smiled and said "wow" when she saw them. He set the bar high for the rear seat...

 

[Jeepskate]

Dropped everything off at the new powder coater on the last day of school, hopefully will have it all back by the end of this week so that reassembly can begin (they also do ceramic coating, so they have the manifolds too). Have a potential buyer coming for the original tub...noticed a few more things about the repro tub...doesn't have the threaded holes in the firewall for the fuse block to attach, doesn't have any of the weld nuts for attaching the dash or the steering column collar, and there is no seam sealer on anything. Have some seam sealer on order and getting ready to order up some weld nuts, just want to make sure I didn't miss anything else.

 

[gert]

I think if I ever get a replacement steel tub it will come from Willy’s they take the tubs and put jigs on them for all the holes and I believe the weld the nuts on them as well


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[Jeepskate]

I think if I ever get a replacement steel tub it will come from Willy’s they take the tubs and put jigs on them for all the holes and I believe the weld the nuts on them as well


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This IS the Willys tub...the mounts are all fixed and most of the firewall is corrected, but it's not 100% "correct". Found a few more items once I put the tubs side by side this evening: doesn't have the pass through for the ECM harness, doesn't have reinforcements for the battery tray mounting areas (nor does it have the weld nuts), no plates & weld nuts for the fenders, missing 3 or 4 firewall studs, doesn't have the threaded mounting holes for the tail-lights, doesn't have the hole in the step brace for the wiring harness to pass through (Scrambler only item). Headed back out to the shop to make a couple of templates & see if I missed anything else. FYI: it comes with a repro dash mounted in it (also missing studs for the speedo & speakers, but does have a nice steel glovebox).

 

[gert]

This IS the Willys tub...the mounts are all fixed and most of the firewall is corrected, but it's not 100% "correct". Found a few more items once I put the tubs side by side this evening: doesn't have the pass through for the ECM harness, doesn't have reinforcements for the battery tray mounting areas (nor does it have the weld nuts), no plates & weld nuts for the fenders, missing 3 or 4 firewall studs, doesn't have the threaded mounting holes for the tail-lights, doesn't have the hole in the step brace for the wiring harness to pass through (Scrambler only item). Headed back out to the shop to make a couple of templates & see if I missed anything else. FYI: it comes with a repro dash mounted in it (also missing studs for the speedo & speakers, but does have a nice steel glovebox).

Oh you gotta be kidding me... on their videos they tote them selves so highly for fixing all that


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[Jeepskate]

It's basically just one guy at this point and he has a guy who comes in to do the tubs as he gets orders for them...I think I figured based on his estimated sales that he does about two per month...not exactly a real money maker. The main thing they tout is the correction of the body mounts & supports so that the tub can be bolted on within an hour...the rest is really just cutting/modifying firewall holes...doesn't say anything about welding in studs & tab nuts. You could probably request that they do it for a few bucks more. The quality control from the place in the Phillipines that makes them is pretty much non-existant...no two tubs are alike in how out of place the mounts & holes are. What's left to do is a cakewalk compared to getting the mounting correct.

 

[Jeepskate]

Picked up the frame & assorted parts from the powder coater this afternoon, so it's just about time to start making this look like a Jeep again (need to hit everything with the tap & die kit to clean up the threads from the galvanizing). Pics after this should be of a rolling chassis

 

[gert]

sweeeettt

 

[Jeepskate]

Almost rolling...didn't have a 9/16-20 bottoming tap to clean out the threads in the u-bolt skids so I could install the sway bar & shock studs. Getting ready to leave for vacation, so no Jeep work for the next couple of weekends

 

[Jeepskate]

Back from vacation...Bora Bora was absolutely beautiful!!! Add it to your bucket list...took two years of planning, reservations & saving & using a Venture card for travel points, but it was SO worth it...never took so many pictures before in my life. We rented an over the water bungalow that used to be owned by Marlon Brando across from the lagoon from the motu that the airport is on. It has it's own small dock, so we got door to door service for the water-based activities that we did. Heading back out to Japan in a couple of weeks, grandson is due any day now (wow, I feel old!!).

She's a roller again!! Cleaned out the threads on the u-bolt skids, installed the steering box brace & started hooking up the stainless steel brake lines & hoses.

 

[Jeepskate]

Not a lot of time, but lot's happening. Set the body on so that I could start mocking everything up & making any necessary adjustments & drilling holes ahead of painting. Monday was delivery day as my Bulltear order finally arrived as did my grandson!! Malachai clocked in at a touch over 9 pounds and 20 inches (both my son & his wife are ~6' tall, so not surprised). Leaving for Japan on Saturday to visit & help out, so two more weekends of no Jeep progress, but it's worth it

 

[Jeepskate]

Back at it working on the mock up...I think I would have pulled my hair out if I hadn't gone with the Willys-Overland Repli-Tub option to correct the body mounts...darn near everything else on this tub is off. Triple tap on an extension cord to keep my drill (switching between a step bit & combo drill/tapping bits) & two angle grinders (one with a cut-off wheel, the other with a flap disc) at the ready. The fit & finish is a bit disappointing for the price tag, but I'll make it work.

 

[Peanut Butter]

The Willys-Overland tub is suppose to be a perfect fit after they modify it. What areas did you have problems with?

 

[Jeepskate]

The Willys-Overland tub is suppose to be a perfect fit after they modify it. What areas did you have problems with?

They advertise it as ready to bolt-on within an hour, which it is after they lay their frame jig on it and correct the body mounts. They make a few adjustments to the firewall as well, but that's about it. No reinforcements or weld nuts on the firewall, seams aren't sealed, no bolt holes for the tail-lights, tire carrier, tire stop, door strikers, or windshield washer, some of the other holes are anywhere from a little bit off to way off, no hole in the step brace for the rear wiring harness to pass through, tunnel cover area is wrong (cut & flanged square). Nothing that can't be tweaked, but you have to mock everything up before paint if you don't want to be cutting, drilling & grinding on a fresh paint job. A bit disappointing for the price, but that's MD Juan's fault.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Thanks for the info. Looking really good so far!

 

[Jeepskate]

Still mocking up, hoping to finish this weekend and get the body out to paint here shortly while it's still warm. Decided on Ford Nitrous Blue.

 

[Jeepskate]

Pictures continued...

 

[Jeepskate]

As she sits right now. Front clip is off (hood is in the house garage for installation of the louvers, grill is in the basement for fitup of the radiator, Transmission cooler & AC condenser), windshield frame is in the basement for installation of a better cowl seal & the wipers (went with the WipeBoy billet setup), dash is in the garage for sanding & painting (going with Toyota Electric Blue on it for some contrast and also ordered SpeedHut gauges for it...caught the Labor Day sale). I had the machining students at work drill & tap some 1/4 flat stock that I had on hand to make the reinforcement & mounting points for the fenders & battery tray & drill out some bolts so that I can pass wiring through them. My Bullear order came in a while back (timing cover, etc) and then I ordered the serpentine kit which arrived within a week, so once the body stuff is wrapped up I'll finish assembling the engine (have to check with the coater to see what's going on with the ceramic coating on my manifolds, been a few months now).