Howdy From East Texas!

Hey fellas, I'm Aaron.

I'll soon be picking up (towing home) my brand new, "pre-owned", lightly used '70 Commando.

I'm a pretty capable guy when it comes to engines (rebuilt an sbc or two, any MANY motorcycle engines), as well as body work. I would've been a 3rd generation body man, had I not joined the Navy.

Anyways, har she blows!

The top is trash, which is fine, and they can't find the keys... also fine. I've heard it run before, but regardless, the motor will be freshened up. (225 cid)

It's 4wd, but I don't see any hubs...?

 

Looks pretty good, 70 and 71 are the best years for the Jeepster since they have the Saginaw steering, 44 rear and wider front springs. Probably one of the few that didn't get locking hubs. It was an option but most people went for them or added them after.

 

welcome from Tennessee!

 

Welcome from the west coast of BC, Canada
That's just cool!

 

Welcome from Va.

 

Welcome from Oklahoma!

 

welcome from va

 

A little back story-
About a year ago I see this odd looking vehicle at the local tire shop in my town. I had no idea what it was, but I knew I liked it. I stopped in to see what they wanted for it.... $3000.... FIRM. The top was completely rusted out, but it ran. No telling how much other rust. NAH.

Fast forward to now. The guy had given up on selling it and parked it back by the fence.

I stopped by to "ask" if it was for sale. I was told $1800. He said it ran, but the battery was dead, and it was out of gas. I gave him my number, and told him when he got it running, to call me, and I'd buy it. Few days go by.... nothing. I go by and ask the guy if it's worth $400 NOT to have to jack with it. He agrees, and I tell him I'll be by Monday to pay him and get it.

Monday rolls up, and he can't find the key. He was helpful enough to inform me I could just go to the jeep dealership and give them the VIN number, and they'd be able to make the key.

I was helpful enough to inform him that "JEEP" now is about three companies away from what it was when this thing was made.

Kaiser Jeep > Mopar jeep

Anyways, he knocks another $200 off the price, and we shake hands.

Now, getting this home without a trailer was almost a challenge. Or could've been. We towed it the mile-or-so to my house with zero issues. The brakes work well enough to stop both vehicles. Good deal, right?

Anyways, here she is. I'm in tear down mode right now. The plan is to get the tub done. Gloss white exterior. Rhino-lined interior.

After this, the engine gets an extensive tune up. I MAY go as far as to pull the heads, and replace valve seals, and inspect the bores.

At this point, I'll check the clutch, and replace if necessary. Change fluid.

Transfer case will get a new twin-stick shifter, and fluid.

The frame comes from the factory, fully boxed. Except for the front end, forward of the front axles. That will get boxed, and cross-membered for a winch. I probably won't ever have one, but it'll be an option.

New leaf packs in all four corners, and spring-over conversion. (Not to be confused with coil-over)

The spring over conversion adds 5.5" of lift. 33" all terrains of black steel wheels.

At this point I'll make a front bumper for it, and a 6pt roll cage.

Future stuff- audio system, marine speakers. Head unit inside a locked console.

Gauges for all the stuff the stock unit leaves you in the dark about.

So anyways, I'm addressing the minimal rust spots. I say minimal because these are notorious for rust in certain areas.

My rockers are good. The back step up panel us good. Rear wheel wells are good. Windshield frame is good. Cowl is good.

The passenger side door is ****

The hood is ****






I stay ahead of the karma curve. I try to do good things for people. Every now and then it comes back around....

I posted pics of the jeepster on Facebook

A guy I fixed a bike for, for basically free saw them, and showed his boss..... his boss has FOUR donor parts jeepsters in his barn, as well as one he restored. As well as enough spare parts to build three from scratch

I was given the guys number, and today I drove 30 minutes to his house and got $200 worth of parts that i need. Ithe was more like $1000+, but he was happy with $200.

I got a perfect hood

I got a perfect passenger door

I got a brand new set of side lights

I got emblems

I got tail light bezels





















I'm just gonna osphor treat the rust, fiberglass this, and rhino line it. First one to say "do it right" gets to wear my boot... in their rectum


Common rust area. We good





More pics later

 

Hood before/after

 

Also....

I need info on SOA conversion. I'll probably keep the front leaf packs, but the rear is a single leaf.

They look to all be 2" wide. I didn't measure them, but does that sound correct? I read somewhere that the fronts were 1 3/4" inch.

Anyways, I guess I'll need to weld the new leaf perches onto the new axles.

 

Hello from France, good job. Do not look for perfection, because you'll never drive it
It will be very nice to use this Jeep with no roof, in nice weather.

 

Great start, can't wait to see it running

Jay

 

Yes, perfection will NOT happen on this ol gal. I've done projects before that I'd feel confident putting in a museum somewhere. Mainly my dad's old '76 Yamaha Yz125 dirtbike he raced as a young lad.

I know that if I got for perfection, I WILL get burnt out halfway through.I'll then see the project to completion, but will have nothing but pure disdain for it at that point. It's happened before, every single time.

So I'm probably going to replace leaf springs, mainly the rear single leaf.

I also want to do a spring over conversion.

Couple of questions.... is there a trick to getting the new spring mounts straight??? I mean, there's gotta be, right? Aside from measuring it 50,000 times? Also, should I keep the pinion angle what it is now? I know I definitely should on the front.

What about a drop Pitman arm? What works? Do I just love with the bump-steer?

 

Okay, I've got my shopping list together. Wheels, tires, springs, raptor liner, and paint.

This is exciting!

(I'm gonna need more participation from you guys though) ;-)

 

If you were to go over to the www.jeepstercommandoclub.com all your dreams will come true .

 

Done

 

Hi Aaron,

Great project! Any progress since your last post?

 

Lots.


I decided to go with 4" lift YJ springs. The front/front hangers were getting replaced, not that they need to be moved for this application anyhow. The rear/rear hanger typically gets moved forward 9" but since I have a mono rear leaf, the lift springs got mated with the mono leaf for a direct bolt in 4" lift springs, in the rear.

The front yj springs are 23/23, where the commando springs are 26/20

Both 46" springs, but if you bolt the yj springs in, the axle centering pin is 3" back from where it needs to be.

My solution will be a relocation plate, made from a piece of an old leaf. It'll get heated before to anneal it, that way I can drill it a bit easier.

The springs are at the spring shop getting bushings installed.

Here is the axle at full sag height with the old spring, vs the location of the new spring at full sag, with a simulated bailing wire shackle. ;-)



Also fixed the floor pans, and bedliner finished the tub. I used upol raptor liner. It's a catalyst product that requires a special application gun



Rebuilt the ends of the frame rails. Without getting too in depth of the repair, just understand it is now the strongest part of the frame.


This is the ride height/fender clearance I'm going for.


I'll get the springs back tomorrow, and hopefully have them mounted by Saturday. My dad is coming to see the project Sunday. I wanna have it sitting on its own suspension.

Today, in addition to some body work, I removed, rebuilt, and reinstalled the transfer case shifter. It was frozen SOLID. Smooth like butter now. That's nice because i,was planning on having to buy that twin stick shifter.

Also rebuilt the carb. Unless I completely missed something, this (Roch 2gc) has gotta be the simplest carb ever.... keep in mind, I'm comparing it to a Keihin FCR dirtbike carb. Gotta love having a heated ultrasonice cleaner.

Ohh yeah, this too. The piece between the bed, and rear valence was rusted out. It got removed, treaded, and this...

 

Wow, you managed to get a lot done!
I'm also thinking of putting liner in. Currently there is some sort of vinyl liner in with, what look like horse hair or hemp underneath. In our climate that is a great recipe for rust. Haven't made up my mind what to use and also have to look into what's available overhere... You guys in the US have much more of a car culture going on with plenty of parts and material available. On this side of the pond you have to look hard and are paying way to much...

Keep up the good work, I'll follow your progress!

 

Aaron,

Do you have some pics of your Rochester 2GC? I rebuilt my Rochester 2G ?? and there seems to be missing a hose from the choke to the vacuum (pics are before I cleaned the parts):