The Slow Evolution Of Givemethewillys' Jeep

I definitely will! Thanks Rory!

Yesterday I cleared all the boxes of crap that I had stacked inside for no particular reason. Most of the boxes contain parts that I'm planning on selling here on the forum once I get the motivation to list them.

While I was at it, I fiddled with the seat placement, and then sat in it and made vroom vroom noises. It's always good for a motivation boost! My wife hated that the seats didn't match, but I got them positioned pretty closely. The crossbars match, but the passenger seat front still sits a bit higher.

 

Spacers to lift the seats, you got more boxes of parts?

 

Rather than lift the drivers seat, I need to figure out a way to lower the passengers. Which, for all I can tell, will require building a new seat frame. I have tons of boxes of parts though, almost none of which I need! Can't throw anything away though, because that's when you need it.

 

I had to build a new frame for mine. Wife wasn’t happy with the height or position.

maybe here… http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/121240/page-123#post-1570270

 

Thanks for the link! I actually have a passenger seat frame that looks exactly like yours, but weirdly the hinge point is really close together compared to mine, so it doesn't match my seat mount portion.

 

It's been awhile since I've updated, and I haven't touched the jeep since my last post. We have a screened porch project ongoing that was supposed to be built in November, and so we ordered outdoor furniture that is stacked in huge boxes right next to the Jeep. I need to finish patching the tub before I can finish the drivetrain, but it's impossible to weld 5 feet from paper boxes. I think my wife would be pissed if I set the house on fire hahaha.

Hopefully this project will be completed in the next week or two, and I can start making some real progress again! I'm really looking forward to hearing that dauntless start up for the first time.

 

I guess it's time for an update on my never-ending project. I've been trying to pick at small items every day or two to keep me interested and progress moving forward. Mechanically, the Jeep is pretty close to starting up. I'm at that point where little things like linkages, hoses, fluids and bolts are all that is left before I can turn the key.

The biggest thing getting in the way of that is body work. Last week, I convinced my wife that floor panels would make an excellent Christmas present, and since I have a few friends coming over for a Jeep day in a few weeks (where im hoping to make MAJOR progress!), also convinced her that now is a good time to order them.

Yesterday my panels arrived from Classis Enterprises (a day early!), and I'm impressed with the quality.

What I started with:

After measuring, and measuring, and measuring.... I clamped everything in place where it is supposed to go. First I started with hat channels. These channels were somewhat of a mess, having come from JC Whitney in the 90's. They needed some re-jiggering to make fit.

Next, I clamped the riser piece to the floor panels, and then the floor panels to the hat channels. When everything aligned where I was confident it fit, I used a few self tapping screws, and then #8 bolts to lock everything in place. My plan is to take it apart and use panel glue to lock everything together into one solid structure. I "think" this will be an improvement from the original spot welds, and definitely from my attempt at rosette welding the panels together.

 

Other things I've done recently:
Stainless brake lines throughout, with a stock Crown master cylinder. I have the track kick geo disks up front, and standard 10" drums in the rear. I have the brackets for taurus electric ebrake calipers on my "other axle" (flanged offset dana 44), but for now it was easier/cheaper to spend $20 on wheel cylinders than it was to get all the required parts for the rear disk electric ebrake setup. I'll get to that project when the Jeep is on the road, along with hanging pedals.

Another small project that was a huge step forward for me was to order a VC-220 vacuum advance for my Hei distributor. Without it, my fan was hitting the stock hei advance. I was planning an electric fan, but budget and simplicity won the day, and I'm happy that it now spins freely.

Once I get the body panel repairs completed, progress should start moving really quickly. I've said this for a few years now, but hopefully if everything goes right, I'll be able to drive the Jeep by spring!

Oh, I also bought a battery tray and modified it to work:



Well, that's all for now, I'll hopefully have more updates in the next few weeks.

Looking back at my pictures and this thread, I've actually made quite a bit of progress. I need to update more often!

 

Today I had a buddy over for a Jeep party and we were able to knock a few things off the list.

First up were brakes. As I posted earlier, I recently added Inline Tube stainless brake lines and a Crown replacement master cylinder. I have the front Track Kick disk brakes installed on the front, but kept the stock 10" drums for now so I didn't have to deal with pulling hubs. After dealing with several leaks, we were able to get everything bled, and time will tell if I need to mess with proportioning valves. For now though - it stops!!!


Next up, we tackled my leaking front pinion seal. Amazon showed that Spicer 50660 fits a 1974 dana 30 - it doesn't. Further research shows that it fits an early 2000's dana 30. It will work in a pinch, and I'll probably leave it for now, but it slightly rubs on the yoke. For offroad speeds it would probably last indefinitely as a front axle application.



We ended the day with the grinder and cuttoff wheels. I was able to clean up the hat channels where they were buggered up and re-welded. Then I cut out the passenger side floorboard in preparation for gluing in new floors and riser panel. I also started removing paint on my grill in preparation to put a few coats of paint on it. I'm contemplating rustoleum black with clear coat over it.




Overall, it was a fun day and definitely reinvigorated me towards the project. I feel like with a few more pushes, I'll have this thing started and driving. It'll definitely be nice to have half the garage back!

 

Just a small update: Tonight brown santa brought an early Christmas present - a new fuel tank! One of the emissions control bungs broke off my original tank, and I considered several options, including JB weld, having a radiator repair shop plug the hole, weld it myself, or find a used tank. When JC Whitney had a sale on a 1974 replacement tank going for around $80 shipped, it made my choice clear. My parents graciously bought it for me for a Christmas present.



The quality looks really good, and the fit is exactly as stock. The 1974 tank has the emissions control bungs on the inside, so no worries about knocking another one off. And since this tank is new, I don't have to worry about pinholes or internal rust clogging up fuel filters!


I'm going to need to replace the rubber bushings that support the tank as the originals are really dry and crushed. It should be easy enough to match something on Amazon, or jeepsterman sells themn although they're much more expensive than the ones I'm seeing on Amazon.

 

Continuous progress
Looks good

 

Nice build, I can see you gonna have a nice jeep.
I have a new tank just like yours for my 74 build on the shelf. I think I will get one of those tank liner kits and install it before putting it in use, to prevent any chance of future rusting. Link to a supplier if your interested.
Hirsch Auto
https://www.hirschauto.com › products

 

That might be a really good idea, since there's no fuel or contamination in the tank yet. This Jeep will be garage kept from now on though, so I'm not sure it would be worth it for my use case. I'm definitely going to look into it!

 

Small progress this weekend. As I posted in another thread, my original fuel tank had an emissions bung that broke off. I went back and forth about soldering, brazing, gooping with jb weld, etc. In the end, I decided that it was worth investing in a new tank, and my parents were gracious enough to gift me one for Christmas. Functionally it's an exact match to what was there, and I don't have to worry about pin holes or hidden rust.

So with fresh parts, I installed the tank and soft lines. The new fuel sending unit tested fine on the ohm meter, so hopefully it'll read the proper fuel level when the time comes.



Next I dug into the body work that is holding up my floor replacement plans. I already had the passenger side floorboard off and the replacement panel test fit, but couldn't do anything with the driver side floor still in place. I'll have to be careful about fitup, as cutting out the structure caused the tub to bow slightly downward, but now I can make sure everything fits exactly and get to work replacing sheetmetal. I'm going to use 3m #07333 impact resistant panel glue on the floor joints and hat channels. While it will be a new experience for me, I'm hoping that it will result in a stronger joint with no seams for water to intrude into.



I haven't purchased the glue yet, but I'm hoping to have the tub back in one piece in the next month or two, and then I can place it back on the frame. From there I think progress is really going to start rolling!

 

Small progress over the weekend. After a failed start the other weekend with too much feed and not enough heat, I plug welded the replacement drivers side floor panel to the rocker panel. Looking at the heat pattern on the outer side, and the fact that they all didn't pop when I flipped the tub vertically, I think they're stuck!


As I was welding, I started to get nervous about everything lining up, so I've clamped on and screwed the passenger side panel, and am planning to set the tub on the jeep to confirm fitment. With the tub vertical, I now see that the rear panels definitely aren't straight, so I think this is the right move. I'm planning on gluing on the hat channels once I get the new floors in place.



Additionally, this weekend I borrowed a buddy's plasma cutter again, so I'm hoping to make quick work of the riser panel that's sort of holding everything together, but mostly just giving me a hard time




In other news today, I lost a stick. My transfer case had the rear output only Ramsey PTO, which I hope to someday do something cool with, such as a York onboard air compressor. With the rear tank, however, it's pretty useless for its original purpose, and I'm not planning and more project creep this year. So onto the shelf it goes, and I'll do something cool with it down the road. With the cover plate installed and the dust cover knocked off the standard yoke (thanks @Fireball for the tip!) I was able to get the transfer case all sealed up and ready for oil. Fingers crossed it doesn't leak!

 

No jeep work today, but a small update. I've had my Spen model S trailer for quite a few years now, but it hardly gets any use. My plan has always been to use it for general utility around the property, and also as a camping trailer behind the Jeep.


Today I needed to bring some heavy junk to to the dump so decided to put the trailer to good use. Afterwards, since it was already out, I finally mounted the Jeep tailgate I've been hanging on to for such an occasion.


Now if I can only find the extra tailgate chains that I've been tripping over for years, I'll be able to have a working tailgate on the trailer! I like it much better than the original.



I'm also thinking about mounting thin, long LED taillights above where I mounted the current ones. I think they'll be sleek and unobtrusive. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery on good ones?

 

Nice trailer!

 

Thanks! The leaf springs, tub walls, and fenders are the only thing left that's actual 1940's Spen. I rebuilt the frame with custom bent-to-match 3/16" c-channel, installed a receiver hitch in the rear, and a telescoping tongue. The axle was in pretty bad shape when I got the trailer, so I installed a dexter 3500lb axle underneath. It's pretty bulletproof, and should last the rest of my life.

The only thing I'd like to add is a new steel floor. My old one was very rusty but I sort of wish I had kept it, holes and all. It doesn't look like anyone makes a replacement, so I'll likely make a plywood pattern someday and hammer out the raised portions. That's a project for another day though!

 

Made some progress today! Pulled out the welder and finished stitching in my passenger side floorboard. This was a little tricky, as there was some thin metal at the hump. I also have a bit of rot left under the hat channel location, but I have a solid piece of my original tub to replace it with. That'll be a project for next week.



Another tricky bit that I finally got around to completing was the hat channels. As I mentioned previously, these were 1990's JC Whitney imports, and didn't remotely match the original hole locations. I disassembled them and got them to fit well, but there were a few spots I needed to patch. Also, the center section of the hat channel had a bit of rot I needed to address.



At this point, the floors are 90% complete. There's a few more rust holes in the rear floor that I need to patch up, and the rear support piece under the tailgate, but then it's ready for welding in the hat channels, seam sealer, and paint!

 

Not much progress today, but any forward movement is good movement. In another thread I discussed my difficulty with getting the frame side leaf spring bushings out. Well, a quick trip to the auto parts store for a loaner of a ball joint press, and I was able to get the rear shackles installed with fresh bolts and clincher nuts.



With that out of the way, I was able to install the fuel tank for the [hopefully] last time. I used ATF to soak the rubber bushings and brought them back to life nicely. Next I installed the rubber lines with fuel injection rated hose and clamps, and bedded it in butyl tape. Hopefully that will keep it from rubbing and be good for another 40 years. Before installing the tank, I also sprayed down the inside of the rear crossmember with fluid film, to hopefully keep away rust in that hard to reach spot.



In other news, I'm still plugging away at body work. I'm hoping to have the hat channels welded in place in the next few weeks. After that I'll be replacing the center section of sheetmetal under the tailgate and filling other random small holes. Then I should be able to paint the underside, and reinstall the tub on the Jeep!