Build Thread The '80 FrankenJeep frame off reassembly

[mtnwhlr]

And I didn’t do it, but this TEALLY tested my restraint!! I mean, c’mon - that makes me hafta take it off.

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It's probably like one of those cans of worms, when you take the top off it all comes shouting out. And will never work right again.

 

[gert]

It's probably like one of those cans of worms, when you take the top off it all comes shouting out. And will never work right again.

Lol like a mattress tag


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[Belizean]

Lol like a mattress tag


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You leave that tag on so that when you put that thing on the curb in 20 years the new owner knows what brand it was new.

 

[shum8]

It's probably like one of those cans of worms, when you take the top off it all comes shouting out. And will never work right again.

That’s exactly why I didn’t open it up. Had it said “under penalty of law” then I would have absolutely opened it up.

You leave that tag on so that when you put that thing on the curb in 20 years the new owner knows what brand it was new.

I have a feeling anyone picking that sucker up off the curb would be the slightest bit curious as to the manufacture HAHAHAHAHA



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[mdeluca]

The "Do Not Open" caps kept me up all night.

Ended up blowing out my OEM's, then shot some spray silicone in any hole I could find. Those monster squeakers became silent.

Went ahead and bought new ones due to fraying...

 

[shum8]

Now that I have the rusty parts cleaned and painted I’m gonna lube these as well.

They still don’t look new, but tons better than before. And the webbing show no fraying at all.

And in my digging for these I found a set of lap belts. They are also in pretty good shape. Took me a second to realize they weren’t the ones I was looking for. I knew I had shoulder belts but didn’t the lap belts were in the box....

I don’t even know if these are Jeep belts or not. Have no idea. Anyone recognize em?


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[shum8]

The "Do Not Open" caps kept me up all night....

I figure that’s where the retraction spring lives. Just the shear curiosity made me wanna open em up - but I know I’d never get it back together......



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[shum8]

Started on the Transmission cover plate today. Mocked it up with poster board, traced,it onto the rolled steel (a couple times LOL)

Started cutting with a grinder

Got the stick locations drawn on, started drilling em out, and got a dinner call.

I didn't send this. You made it up.

 

[shum8]

No, I haven't been abducted. Or kidnapped. Ya can't get rid of me that easy LOL. A friend of my daughter is getting married next month, and my wife and daughter decided to give her a wedding shower yesterday. So, for the last couple weeks, if it needed painting, cleaning, moving, hiding, assembly, mulching, mowing, tying, dragging, seeding, or whatever - that's what I've been doing. At the moment, the garage has been stuffed with the "hiding" stuff...... gotta start digging that out today. Luckily, last week she suggested I take the dogs to the cabin and hang out Fri and Sat so they could clean up dog hair and it stay clean....... So rather than be here and endure a wedding shower, this is what I was doing.......

https://youtu.be/c9JoVY4FLPw

After getting home yesterday, I started on the soft top conversion. The snaps have to be removed and the plastic strips sewn in so it will mount in the channels. I started with the rear window - no corners. Haven't started sewing yet, but I got the snaps and reinforcing strip removed, edge piping trimmed back and the loose ends sewn back in place. Tonight I start sewing. By hand. I just don't wanna pay some dude 100 bucks an hour to do it on a machine. My next life I'm not gonna be a cheap SOB.

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[Belizean]

Some precision work needed there for sure. Needs to be durable.

 

[Belizean]

Now that I have the rusty parts cleaned and painted I’m gonna lube these as well.

They still don’t look new, but tons better than before. And the webbing show no fraying at all.

And in my digging for these I found a set of lap belts. They are also in pretty good shape. Took me a second to realize they weren’t the ones I was looking for. I knew I had shoulder belts but didn’t the lap belts were in the box....

I don’t even know if these are Jeep belts or not. Have no idea. Anyone recognize em?


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They are built a little different than mine, but we probably just have a different manufacturers, and they are probably jeep belts

 

[shum8]

I assumed since they were in the Jeep spares box, they were. But I don’t know why he kept them since they are only belts...... on to Ebay they go I guess


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[shum8]

Well, the hand sewing is slow, but I think it's gonna work. Was gonna big deal it and find some kind of fancy stick, then said screw it and decided to use a running stitch all the way across, then come back the other way with another running stitch, but "in reverse" so that I basically have a full line of stitching. As for the thread - I figure as old as the top is, it will give out before the thread. I'm using a fairly heavy braided fishing line so strength shouldn't be an issue, and it's black so it will blend in nicely. The plastic strips came from an old Wrangler soft top, but it didn't have a strip all the way across the bottom of the rear window. For that I used a strip from an old bikini top. It was too long, so I just trimmed the ends.

Tried to come up with a way to secure the vinyl to the plastic strip prior to sewing..... tried super glue. Complete fail. Stuck to the vinyl great, but not to the plastic at all - as expected. Soooo, I marked the back side of the vinyl where I wanted the bottom edge of the plastic strip to hit, and then had the make sure I was still in alignment for every stitch....... way too tedious for my patience, but I was seeing progress.

Hopefully tonight I'll get the rest of the stitching done on the rear window. The plastic pieces fro the sides are exactly the right length so that will save a couple minutes.

I'm kinda anxious to see if this works or not. In my head it should work great - but that has been known to be misleading at times....




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[gert]

Sweet good work so far, I did the same thing on my shifter boots, hand stitched forward and backwards nothing as big as what you are going after. Keep going


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[shum8]

So far so good - I believe this is gonna work out ok if my patience holds out!!

(And this was the backside of the top - the old stitching holes won’t show on the outside...)

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[shum8]

Back window is done. Now I’m anxious to get the rest of it done so I can test fit it and see how I did.

Here’s one of the outside...

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[gert]

Nice stitch work definitely takes patience


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[shum8]

Nice stitch work definitely takes patience


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I’m done for the night. Hoowee.


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[Belizean]

Nice stitch work definitely takes patience


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Yeah! That's some sewing. Let me know when you start making tops.

 

[shum8]

Yeah! That's some sewing. Let me know when you start making tops. [emoji106]

Ooooh, I wouldn't hold my breath....... I almost thought about making another fastback top, but I have no way to heat fuse the windows in.


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