Operation: Make Make My CJ5 Into A CJ6

May use this twin snorkel air cleaner I made years ago for my 401 gremlin.
Haven't decided yet. Looks neat on there.

 

Had time to get my seat mounts reworked. I cut these apart years ago for some junkyard seats.

They were cut up pretty bad. I have redone them to accommodate the late model lowback style seats that are out there now. I will be using a set of smittybuilt low backs for now. They came out ok.

Took drivers seat flat bars off to rework them as well since they are bent up a tad. Should have those done this evening. Good times.

 

Back at it. Things kicking my arse. Definitely not 20 yrs old any more. Along with this swap the suspension was changed out years ago when it was a cj5. I grafted on a cj7 set of front and rear leafs using a superlift soft ride 4" kit.
I ended up welding side plate's to the previously boxed frame to brace the inside of the frame rail side of the mounts front and rear. Did it all on the ground... Just about made be bed ridden and I anit jokin.... FYI I had already boxed the frame from front to rear on it and also added strap steel to the bottom of the frame from front to back as well. Had to work around all that to mount the cj7 spring hangers. I had no 72-75 suspension or hangers left but the jeep had later model hangers on it when I used cj7 brackets to do a SOA using cj7 springs. I just wanted to shore it up so to speak.

Got that done for the most partand then finished up all the frame brackets for body mounts and got the body finally mounted onto the frame. The finished up the exhaust using a pre bent tube kit from ebay and used flow fx flowmasters with a hpipe set up after the tcase. Ran the exhaust out the back Used 2.5" all throughout. Have a set of hedmann inside the frame rail headers on the engine side. Still debating cutting out the rear of the tub and installing the Jeep script tail gate... I don't really wanna.... But the wife seems insistent..... Got the seat mounts all welded up correctly and got the seats mounted. Used a aftermarket steel pass side underseat tool box insert and used a uber expensive $100 evercoat panel adhesive to attach/adhere it to the fiberglass cj6 tub. Used bolts as well along the flanged area to help affix it to the tub.. It aint comin off.....ever... Ended up using Hockey pucks for the body mounts. Canadian made of course... That worked out real well.. Also used a old arse jpeg file I found on the web to fabricate some out rigger mounts for the front tub mounts under the fire wall area that some defunct tub manufacture had on their site. Worked great..

Lots of work the last few months. Ran into some issues with the engine I am not sure I posted about..

Went to change the rear main seal and repaint the oil pan of the 304 for the hell of it.. Found all the bearings had worn to copper. Engine has 40k some odd miles on it from new.. Local shop just recommended I replace the crank bearings and connecting rod bearings after checking the crank journals . I checked everyone with some high dollar mics loaned from said shop. I decided to replace every bearing ...............Underneath the jeep and through the oil pan area. Went easier than I expected. Utilized some DEBBOSS garage video'son youtube showing how to do it. Probably would have been better to pull the engine and do it but what the hell.. If it doesn't work out.. I'll put in a rebuilt 360 or slap in the 383 I have and mate it to my t18 with a chevy bell housing.



Hopefully I can put the final welds on the suspension brackets tomorrow if my knee and foot let me.. Tough being old. I'll try and get some pics... I am pusing for spring for this thing.. My 8 year old is big time on my Arse about it.

 

I want Pictures!

Would you still use 2x4x.25 tube if your frame were bone stock and the stretch were say 36" instead of 20" or would you use 2x5x.188 for the entire belly from hanger to hanger and just box the horns?

 

I had another intermediate cj5 frame that had bad cracks in the fromt from a snow plow I guess. The straight sections of the frame were perfect. If I had a stock frame I would have done the traditional z cut on my frame and cut the spare frame to match and just welded it in and fish plated it. I'd probably have boxed it in no matter what.



The box tubing just worked out better for me with how my frame was boxed. I would have loved to have found a stock intermediate cj6 frame when i started but I never could find one. Even one that needed work. If I had found one i would have boxed it before starting the swap.

If I was stretching a intermediate stock c channel that long I probably would still use the box tubing for the entirety of the middle of the frame and box the horn's. I'll have to clean up some of the work and get some pics. I have a neuroma in my foot that flared up and really messed up my whole week. Might as well be walking around with a knife in my foot. ..

 

Well I'm getting there. Working on new wiring harness and other bits here and there. Redid a set of these Western wheels and put them on with a set of 33 12.50 15s. Trying to get it running to get the raptor liner sprayed before it gets hot here in the midwest. Will be spraying it orange crush and tan for the interior and engine bay.

 

Again life got in the way of everything... But I managed to get the Cj5 to cj6 project up and running and driving. Harness got in, Contour fan setup and controller got put in and I decided to Raptor line the body before its gets too cold. This things been in my family since new and My wife and I have had this thing since the same month we started dating in 1994 so My wife got to pick the color and the texture. So what she wants....she get's She wanted a fairly large texture so that is what got thrown at it. I used Mopar paint code for their Orange crush and raptor elcheapo gun the slog it on last week. Used 8 liters of raptor and used a tcp global tan roll on kit for the interior of the tub and under the hood. Glad to get it drive able and coated before winter. Made the ugly fiberglass tub look a lot better. Probably do a white roll on kit for the top.

Good times.

 

Loving that orange!

 

Lookin good