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My Little "Barn" Find... '55 CJ5

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by durangotang, May 12, 2015.

  1. Sep 21, 2015
    durangotang

    durangotang Member 2022 Sponsor

    Not Western CO
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    501
  2. Sep 21, 2015
    Focker

    Focker That's a terrible idea...What time? Staff Member

    WA
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    Looks fantastic. Beautiful scenery!
     
  3. Sep 22, 2015
    IRQVET

    IRQVET Bubbaification Exorcist

    Tallahassee, FL.
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    Driving through I-80 does not do Colorado any justice. The only thing I remember making that drive was how flat and ugly Colorado was. Then I see some folks pictures here on the forum, and it blows my mind every time.
     
  4. Sep 22, 2015
    uncamonkey

    uncamonkey Member

    Greeley CO
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    (Pssst), I 80 doesnt go through CO. I 70 can be fairly boreing too until you get west of Denver.
     
  5. Sep 22, 2015
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

    At the foot of...
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    Great pictures! I used to take the CJ to the San Juans every year, but I haven't for awhile.
    Gonna have to get back there next summer.
     
  6. Sep 22, 2015
    IRQVET

    IRQVET Bubbaification Exorcist

    Tallahassee, FL.
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    Haha, opps my bad. I was only 15 in the back of my father truck during that trip. I thought it was I-80 but it was I-70. Obviously I haven't been out there since.
     
  7. Sep 22, 2015
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

    At the foot of...
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    A lot of folks don't realize that fully 1/2 of Colorado (basically everything east of I-25 ) is the great plains...not mountains.
     
  8. Sep 22, 2015
    uncamonkey

    uncamonkey Member

    Greeley CO
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    I've lived here all of my life and while I first got into the mountains, I have found many wonderful places out on the plains. I still try to drive across Kansas and Nebraska at night. Oh look, corn, or wheat! I know some people that grew up out there and there is some nice scenery there but it's not right next to the highway. My brother drove to Omaha to pick up his daughter, He drove all of the back roads to get there. Lots of interesting towns along the way.
     
  9. Sep 22, 2015
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

    At the foot of...
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    There are some interesting places in eastern Colorado....this is a good one.
    http://www.exploresoutheastcolorado.com/picketwire.htm

    But now we're getting way off topic.
     
  10. Nov 14, 2015
    durangotang

    durangotang Member 2022 Sponsor

    Not Western CO
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    It's been a while, but here are the updates thus far on the Jeep. Work is still being done.

    The biggest project was retrofittting some hardtop doors to fit with a soft top. I like the idea of being able to store a nice light soft top, but real doors and glass are definitely a plus. Here are the pics of the finished product after the bodywork and paint were completed.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    You can also see the black ammo can center console that was installed.

    New VDO gauges installed.
    [​IMG]

    Lastly, I got tired of the Omix Ada crap shift boot that always tears. I bought a black leather jacket from a local thrift store, did some cutting, some stiching, and wound up with a shift boot that should last the life of the Jeep. Still need to make one for the other 3 levers.
    [​IMG]
     
  11. Nov 14, 2015
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    USA
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    I don't think I have ever seen hard steel doors like that and a soft top on an early jeep. Looks awesome.
     
    Cowboyjeeper likes this.
  12. Nov 14, 2015
    uncamonkey

    uncamonkey Member

    Greeley CO
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    Intersting way to do a shifter boot. Several years ago I got some deerhide gloves from a friend that works in a aluminum recycle shop. after they get dirty, they need to get new ones so there is always some used ones around. I had a leather shop sew things to fit the transmission and transfer case shifters. Cut off and sew some of the extra fingers closed. I dont need anymore of them pointind at me. They started out being white but for sone reason, they seem to be getting darker with the tranny fluids going about. If I had known that you needed leather I could have sent you deer or elk hides from back when I used to do leather work. Some people have said that all the MBs and GPWs had leather shifter boots but by the time I got the MB, it was a civvy rubber unit.
    Great fun, four leather coats, two pairs of chaps and I don't even own a bike anymore.
     
  13. Dec 6, 2015
    durangotang

    durangotang Member 2022 Sponsor

    Not Western CO
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    More work being done on the Jeep... added a washer fluid setup. This is a universal setup from ACI that runs about $40 and comes with everything. Looks like it should do great. Found a nice little spot to tuck the reservoir next to the master cylinder reservoirs.

    [​IMG]

    Also had to rebuild the steering box again as the Omix-Ada parts I used before completely failed. I'll post up another thread about that so people can see.
     
  14. Dec 6, 2015
    durangotang

    durangotang Member 2022 Sponsor

    Not Western CO
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  15. Jan 3, 2016
    durangotang

    durangotang Member 2022 Sponsor

    Not Western CO
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    New parts that I'm pretty excited about. I am now the owner of 3 military gasoline personnel heaters. They are 6V and 12V and one will soon find a home under the hood of my CJ. Two are identical and the third is the same, but built into a sealed box with a fuel pump and everything. The one in the box is for a military CCKW and hopefully I can trade it off for some other stuff.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Here's a reference pic of one that's mounted in a M38A1...
    [​IMG]
     
  16. Jan 4, 2016
    Focker

    Focker That's a terrible idea...What time? Staff Member

    WA
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    I had a SW gasoline heater in the cab of my '67 VW bus. It was an aftermarket setup usually installed by the dealership. It worked great but scared the crap out of me. Had its own exhaust pipe vented through the floorboard.
     
  17. Jan 4, 2016
    chris423

    chris423 Sponsor

    greeneville tn
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    Dec 30, 2014
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    I have used wabasto heaters when i was driving a truck . Same priciple . I will say this they can make it feel like a desert in the cab of a truck real quick! Can not imagine what it would do in a jeep , but make you sweat.!!!
     
  18. Jan 11, 2016
    durangotang

    durangotang Member 2022 Sponsor

    Not Western CO
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    Spent the weekend trying to figure these heaters out... talk about some engineering, these things are cool.

    I put together a setup to bench test them all and started troubleshooting. Ended everything with one that works beautifully. Next time I'll be building a mount for it and installing it in the jeep.

    [​IMG]

    These things put out an insane amount of heat...
    [​IMG]
     
  19. Jan 17, 2016
    SKT

    SKT I Like CJ's...

    Location
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    .
    .

    Updates are looking great!

    Gonna have to let us know how everything went w/ the 400 miles drive to Patrick's place to get the hardtop. Any issues at all w/ the CJ?

    .
    .
     
  20. Jan 18, 2016
    durangotang

    durangotang Member 2022 Sponsor

    Not Western CO
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    The drive was uneventful, 400 miles of relatively uncomfortable travel. After some custom metalwork by Patrick, I now have an aluminum hardtop. This week I'll be taking the time to fit it right and get everything sorted.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    melvinm and 1957Willys like this.
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