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Builds: Rebuilding the front of a CJ-2A

January 8, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Builds, How To This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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One item I often see on older jeeps are cracks, patches and general ugliness along the front 2 feet of the frame rails.  Sometimes, patching simply isn’t enough and an amputation/replacement is in order.

Over at Pirate 4×4, there’s some great pics of a rebuild that were posted during 2009.  Below are just a few of the many pics posted regarding this surgery.  If you want/need to do this to your build, I suggest you visit the site and check it out.

View all the pics and information here.  Here are some excerpts:

The Surgeon reports, “The front frame section was kinked I think from an incident with the tow bar hitting the ground at speed. It was like that when John bought it. The frame pointed at the ground and the front shackle lay flat against the front bumper meaning no suspension. I cut the fubared frame off and built a new section and front bumper out of 2×3 box tubing.”

The patient prior to Surgery, a 1947 CJ-2A:

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Here’s a closer look at the problem.  Note how the frame still trends downward rather than traveling horizontal.

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And, a closer look:

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The front of the frame has been removed:

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In this photo, you can see the new sections, build out of 2″ x 3″ square tubing that I would guess is 1/4″ thick.

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And here’s another view:

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You can view all the pics here

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Builds: Dan’s CJ-5 Down to the Frame

January 7, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Builds This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Dan continues to make steady progress on restoring his grandfather’s CJ-5.  You can see previous reports here.

He reports, “The Jeep is down to the frame and axles. I have a new rear cross member on order. The old one was all bent and rusted. The rear hitch was all bent as well. I found a vintage hitch that is actually straight that I will be using. Once the new rear cross member is on I’ll get all the frame welding completed and then coat it with some Interstate One Step Rust Killer. It is less expensive than POR15 and easier to use but still has impressive results. My goal was to get all the frame work done this winter and I just might get there.”

Here’s a couple pics:

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Here’s the front of the jeep:

Frame-On-Wheels

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Builds: 1947 CJ-2A with Detailed L-Head Rebuild

January 5, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Builds, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Any of you Pirate 4×4 readers might have seen this thread about a 1947 CJ-2A rebuild (and I should probably spend more time on Pirate as I really haven’t spent any time at all on the site), but this is a nice detailed review of an L-head rebuild, frame restoration, disk brake installation on the original running gear, and  more.  Lots of pics and thoughtful, intelligent discussions.

Click here to see the entire build process

Here’s a few pics:  The beginning, a $2800 jeep from Port Angeles, Wa.  It’s in good condition, but will benefit from a rebuild.

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Here it is partially dissassembled:

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Here the engine is going back together.  BTW, did you know you can ‘borrow’ those pistron compressors through Schucks/Autozone as part of their lend a tool program:

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The engine is more put together:

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Here’s an updated master cylinder:

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This is part of the brake discussion:

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And here the jeep is back together:

pirate_build_1947_cj2a_7

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1991 YJ + 1954 Wagon Fenders =?

January 5, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Builds, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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The Israeli bureau (Or  Shahar) found this interesting project.  I think this build works better than I might have expected. The builder blended the truck fenders with the front clip of the YJ rather nicely.  There’s still plenty left to be done;  I look forward to seeing the final product.

“Ed started with a 1991 YJ with 4” lift, 15×10 alloys and 31×11.50 Thornbirds. While using the YJ’s hood, grill, tub and inner fenders he gained access to a 1954 Willys pickup and was able to blend the old Willys front and rear fenders to the YJ body giving the Jeep that retro “flattie” look. He said “you won’t believe how well the 2 meld together. I was going to build flat fenders (myself), but after a friend of mine who has a Willys Pickup, Wagon, and a Jeepster said he had some extra fenders (that cinched it).”

See the rest of the pics at http://www.4-the-love-of-jeeps.com/jeep-project.html

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1991YJWillysProjectEdward5fender

1991YJWillysProjectEdward6frt

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Builds: Jim’s brother’s Weekend Build

January 4, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Builds, Reader Stories, Website This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Sometimes you have the luxury of 25 years to work on your M-38.  Other times, you only have the weekend.  Jim and his brothers show how much work can be done in only a weekend — and what a difference another body can make.

You can read all about this weekend adventure on Jim’s brother’s blog: By the Numbers.  It’s a funny bit of writing, including the addition of aliases to protect the innocent from thesungoddess perhaps? :-).  You can also catch Jim on his blog, Bus-Plunge (he’s got a cool bus & hat).  Finally, you can see all three brothers at the bottom of this list of Jeeps, courtesy of the jeepjunkie himself.

Here’s the before — a very cheaply purchased, rolling pile of rust:

brother_cj5_before

And an after shot — all the body parts changed in another low budget purchase of parts … all except for the driver’s side fender.  I’d say that’s a 1000 percent improvement. Not bad for a weekend.

brother_cj5_after

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Builds: Mike’s 3B build

January 1, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Builds, Features • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Mike emailed me pics of his beautiful custom build this morning.  He’s taken his time over the past few decades to build something nice.  I especially like the heated seats :-).  But, this build isn’t just pretty; Mike takes it out on some ‘severe’ trails in the Northwest with his friend Phil, whose CJ-3A you can see here.

“Here are some photos of a CJ3B that I have worked on over the years.  I have had this jeep for over 20 years.  The frame started life as a 1950 CJ3A but the body was shot and I really like the 3B style.  I purchased a new steel body kit from 4 wheel parts wholesalers and at the time it was on sale and cost $900 complete.

The way it is now is the final version.  The color is Impact orange, The motor is an all aluminum  5.3 L33 engine that only had 6 miles on it.  The transmission is a turbo 350 mated to a Dana 300.  The rear end is a 1975 CJ5 Dana 44 with full floating axles and disc brakes with 4:56 gears.  The front end is a dana 30 with the same gears and disc brakes.   It has power steering and an aluminum radiator .

The interior is 2008 Corvette buckets with power and they are heated (great in colder weather) Lokar shifter, autometer gauges, Flaming river column plus a lot of other things.”

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Remember to Play with your Willys …

January 1, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Builds, Features, News • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Paul wanted to wish everyone a happy ‘stainless’ new year and to tell you to remember to play with your Willys!

Paul writes, “By 7:30 this morning (Jan 1st) I was back in the garage working on the Willys (fitting the door seal upper attach flanges) and starting my twentyfifth year on this rebuild.  I hope to have the stainless Willys fully finished and on the road within the next two years where folks seeing it for the first time and unaware of the time I spent on this project will deem it an overnight success!  We do have long winter nights and the winter’s are kind of long but not THAT long.  Anyway, after the Jeep is done I have a 1951 military 1/4 ton trailer I plan on rebuilding out of stainless steel to match the Jeep.  This will be an easy job and shouldn’t take all that much time.

After all I’ve learned while fabricating the various stainless parts over the years I figure I could crank out another stainless Willys in fifteen years or so but I have other projects waiting for attention so I believe I’ll stop after completing this one.”

If you haven’t seen Paul’s project, click here.

And a pic of the Alaskan Wilderness:

Alaska_image_paul

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Builds – Gerald’s Brother’s 1 Year Build

December 31, 2009 • CATEGORIES: Builds, CJ-3A, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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On New Year’s weekend last year, Gerald and his brother towed home a Craigslist find.  One year later, they are almost done with a great looking budget build.  Gerald tooks some pics and tells the story.  Thanks guys — and I agree with you on those tires.  They look great!

Gerald writes, This started as a Craigslist ad for a 1948 Willys CJ-2A basket case.   He wanted alot more, but after a month of trades and low balls he took the 1000 dollars offer for the lot. Much of the dirty work was done and lots of parts were included.  The jeep finally arrived home over new years weekend, January 2009.

Gerald_Brother1jpg

Gerald_Brother2

Because we didn’t trust any of the work done thus far, our first task was to take it apart the rest of the way.  Once apart, we first focused on fitting the body correctly, which was a 10 + year old MD Juan generic (m-38 / mb) body, along with the stock hood and grill.   We also fabbed up a rear crossmember and hitch.

As we examined some of the running gear parts, we discovered the rear axle was shot (which we replaced from a spare beater jeep out back) and decided to add new 11 inch brakes for the front (from craigslist). The springs were new, so that saved time and money. We tore down the motor, transmission and transfer case to make sure they were in good shape, and then refit them properly to the frame, including fabbing up some motor mounts.

Then, we went to work on the roll cage, which was partially built out of some bar from our old family jeep along with some new tube. After we got everything mocked up, we tore it back apart to get ready for painting.

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There was stripping and sanding, more stripping and sanding, and then, finally, we sprayed it a deep blue.  We took the time to paint the underside of the body first, along with many of the parts. Then, we assembles the body to the frame and gave it a final coat.

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Next came the small stuff such as gauges, wiring, linkages, fuel system, windshield and exhaust.  BTW, I have never seen a head with a fixed rear outlet.  Does anyone know if this could be from a truck?

Gerald_Brother8

One of the most critical steps occurred this week, almost one year from the start date of the project:  The Jeep gets the right set of wheels and tires.  As you could see in the earlier pics, the jeep came with some new tires, but we felt they weren’t right (700 15), so my brother sold them on Craigslist.

Instead, he went with these Interco Super Swamper Radials 265 80 16.  They are mounted on 8 inch wide alum wheels, which was another Craigslist find.  I think these are perfect tires for a Willys in my estimate.  He picked them up today in Wheeling, West Virginia, at National tire.

Gerald_Brother9

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Builds: Chad’s Ford Model A Roadster PU Willys

December 30, 2009 • CATEGORIES: Builds, CJ-2A, CJ-3A, Features, Unusual, Willys Wagons • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Here’s a wonderful build, an experiment by a reader named Chad.  He wanted to know what a Ford Model A Roadster would look like if Willys built it. So, naturally, he built one himself!

He writes, “Did all of it myself except the upholstery, in my home garage. It’s got a flathead V8 for power and took between 6 and 8 years start to finish. The dDrivetrain is flathead V8 adapted to a C-4 automatic adapted to Dana 18. Front axle is Dana 27 w/Corvette discs….rear is Dana 44 with one piece axles and Lock-rite geared 4.27.  I thought maybe it would be a four year job, but stuff happens  and there was a whole lot of headscratching to make things look ‘somewhat factory’. I used as many factory parts as I could but not necessarily the way they were used ‘by the factory’…..(those are Jeepster tailights, but they aren’t mounted that way on a Jeepster, just as an example).”

Great work and thanks for sharing!

frankie

frankierear

interior

engine

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Reader Builds: Phil shares some pics of his CJ-3A

December 27, 2009 • CATEGORIES: Builds This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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I received an email from Phil last night with pics of this beautiful flattie attached.  The jeep is a 1952 CJ-3A with a 4.3l Chevy Vortex with a C4 Auto and Dana 20 with a Terra Low gear set.

It also has a 44 frt and a 9″ Rear with ARB’s.  I’m sure with that drive train he has all that he needs to explore the areas near his northwest home.

In the last two pics you’ll note the custom tranny/tc cross member.  Phil built this and has added a skid plate that extends from the engine back past the transfer case.  Thanks for sharing Phil!

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