I guess I had FORGOTTEN what it's like...

...to work on something as OLD as my '66 CJ-5.

So, I got home from work today and found a box sitting in front of the door to the house. It was the small parts I had ordered from the nice folks at Vintage Jeep Parts in Texas. Left and right mirror assemblies (black) a turn signal lens and a boot for the transfer case.

Seems like an easy enough job to hang a couple mirrors, right?

Well, two hours and one 1/4-20 tap later, one mirror is hanging on three bolts (one hole was hogged out too large and will need a bigger bolt) and the other one is not hanging at all. It seems that this particular Jeep didn't originally have a mirror on the passenger side, so I drilled and started to tap the windshield hinge, when I went a bit too deep with the tap and snapped it off in the hole. Now I need to grind off and drill out the tap piece, and buy a replacement tap at Sears tomorrow, then tap the other three holes and install the mirror. I guess I'll buy two taps, as I tend to use the 1/4-20's a LOT.

So, every hole is either hogged out too large, or filled with rust, or doesn't exhist at all. I wonder what it'll be like getting at the clutch tomorrow??? My son the mechanic is coming over after work to help me sort out the issue with the clutch...

Just a progress report to you all, and a learning experience to this 50 year old Jeep owner....

Tom in Frankenmuth

 

Remember Tom when you finally get the pass side mirror installed that you'll have to look through the windshield at this mirror. Make Sense?

It didn't to me for a while but there is just about no configuration you can set this mirror (where you can actually use it) except to set it so you look through the corner of the windshield at the mirror. That's how the directions say to install it.

 

Instructions???? You got Instructions??? I got a box with the mirrors broken down and in plastic bags. That's all.

If I can't rig the mirror so I can see it from the drivers seat, it'll at least be there to add a little balance to the Jeep.

 

Lynn,

Thanks, my 50th is the end of September, the same weekend that we'll be harvesting pumpkins here on the farm. Yeah, this is the right time in my life to own an old Jeep. I'm looking to keep things in my life simple.

Tom

 

So sad! 50 year-olds trying to regain youth through the Jeeps they used to dream about. This is very pathetic. I fell in love with a red '67 w/V6 dauntless in the fall of 1969 on a deer hunt with my uncle. I got my dream come true when I bought my current '67 last September! That deer hunt was one of the highlights of my highschool senior year. Anybody know what's next?

John

 

Ah, the rule of pi strikes again: everything will take 3.14 times more time, more money, and more parts than planned. The .14 is for the parts you have to bring back.

Good luck with the busted tap.

Karl

 

Passenger side mirrors have one good use.. taking out tree limbs and boulders... oops being taken out by boulders and tree limbs!