Hazel's New (again) CJ-6: Hey Trombetta - Thanks!

Public shout out to Steve Trombetta (aka - CJ5/442) for the lead on my new CJ-6. Steve had it on the hook and emailed to ask me a few questions about what it was like to own/wheel one. I gave him my honest opinion and said if he didn't grab it, then I'd be interested.

Well, here I am airing up the tire. I went and bought it last night. It's been sitting for 6 years. Steve, thanks buddy. I owe ya one.




Like my "Project Hatari!", this one is also a former Border Patrol '71 CJ-6. It's uncanny looking at the dash and over the hood. It's got the same original unpainted patina Hatari! had...and is in almost as poor condition! Time warp. This one seems to need pretty much everything. I won't be completely replicating Hatari! with this one, but I won't be chopping it up for a gonzo build either.

Couple highlights:

Original 225/T14/Spicer 18, flanged rear D44, D27 front with 4.88s (same as Hatari!)
Factory exhaust manifolds are still there!
Factory radiator is there, but will probably need a recore at minimum.
Seats were recovered with lots of padding and cloth fabric. I may keep 'em they're that good, although vinyl would be more appropriate.
Old-school Belleview winch that needs a total rebuild and is missing the clutch. Probably need all new bearings, wiring, motor, cable...and a new mount. The current mount is kinda scary.
Warn (or Saturn) Overdrive
Neat old Sears hubs on the Dana 27 (although on this one I'm probably going to use my disc-brake Dana 30 I have for sale that came off my '63 CJ-6)
Old-school rollcage built inside (I'll check the tube thickness to see if it's decent. Doesn't look like pipe, so as long as it's 0.120-wall I may keep it and build off of it)
Meyers hard top (doors kinda wasted - driver's needs some work)
Body is pretty solid despite the look. He carried 55-gallon drums of diesel in the back, so the cargo floor is all hammered and somebody cut out the floor to get to the fuel tank lines rather than dropping the tank.

I'll have to go through the engine to get it fired again, probably rebuild the carb (at minimum), rebuild the distributor, cooling system, all new brakes and master cylinder (the rears are kinda seized), flush the fuel system, clean the fuel tank, replace all the fuel lines, reseal and check the tranny and T-case, new tires and wheels, new suspension (or at the very least new bushings since these are wasted)....oh man and that's just the start.

 

Yo Christian Hazel . your welcome !!!!
I wouldn't have fixed anything , just throw all my stuff on it.
I just like the short wb for the Dusy and playing where I shouldn't in Truckhaven.
..my rig now works really well but that long a breakover angle would just suck for where I like to go.
and yeh you owe me.......a lead on some NOS 35" OLD style MTRs would be a nice trade for giving you back Hatari II

enjoy buddy

 

That's the Valley Center Jeep I passed on a couple of years ago. I think he just recently brought his price down to something more realistic. Glad you were able to get it. I love that hard top.

 

x2. I saw Steve's thread the other day an started crunching tow rig fuel numbers.

 

Sweet find. Look forward to this build! I missed out on a nice 6 with hard top a little over a month ago. I would love to own a 6.

 

OH YEAH, I would so love a 6! Good on you for saving another one.
Recently a guy in Auburn had a CJ6 body and frame only on Craigs list that he wanted $2500 for. No running gear, no axles, and I'm not sure about a title. I actually thought about it for a few minutes.

Don

 

That thing is awesome.

 

Glad somebody here was able to pick it up, couldn't beat the price.

I was watching that one too, but couldn't justify it for a body and frame.

Sent from my LS670

 

Well, not exactly the adjective I'd use to describe it. R) Maybe "requires an awesome amount of work"!

I'm not sure if it's in better or worse shape than Hatari! was when I bought it. Unfortunately I won't have time to dig into it for another week or so, but I hope to at least bring it down to AAA and try to get the paperwork straightened out. It has an out-of-state title/plates so it requires a VIN verification and some hoop jumping. Hopefully they'll verify the VIN even though it isn't running.

I'll clean it up and remove the blue paint with a green scrubby. It has a nice, smelly, probably-occupied rats nest in the tool box. And the wiring is partially pulled apart. Oil changes, engine prelube, new plugs, new coolant, etc, new tires, new brake system and then hopefully it'll at least be mobile. I'd like to build this one as I drive it if possible.


The Warn 6000 doesn't work. The previous owner fried the motor trying to spool the cable back in after the clutch fell off.


The 225 is complete but looks like it'll need everything gone through. There's a timing chain and rocker arm/shaft assembly inside the Jeep that has me a little worried.


Tons of detritus and a pair of factory seats that've been recovered and stuffed with new padding. They'll probably stay.


You can't imagine how badly this smells of rat urine. I'll hazmat-up and clean it out later after it airs for a week or so.


I don't even want to know.

 

eww, yeah. That reminds me of the same mess I had in my newly acquired jeep. I can still smell that funk. I had a glorious piece of carpet in there that absorbed a lot of the rat urine, etc. I'm glad I got that over with! I guess the saying is true, "Great rats think alike". I mean what a perfect place to build a nest. Mine came with carpet for the interior. It doesn't look like your rats had the same luxury that mine did.

 

Great project! looking forward to seeing this build.

 

Any idea what that bracket where coil is mounted is/was used for? Looks like it might work good for onboard air.

 

cool, i like cj6!

gerald

 

Great Jeep welcome back to the CJ6 owners club.

Andrew Hurt

 

Thanks - but actually I have two CJ-6s now. The red '63 and this '71.

Looks like the bracket held a York compressor.

 

that V6 does not look like a freshly rebuilt and then parked motor like they told me .............

 

Not at all. Looks more like a "I goobered it together myself and did it poorly and now I have no other option but to park it forever" type of rebuild.

Good news is I just got back from the guy's house for a second time. He found the title, so at least come Monday I can get it in my name. I never really like starting in on a vehicle 'till the paperwork is clear.

 

blown 502, t400, 205/203 doubler, pair of steering rockwells and some 44's?????

 

gunna work on it today?