The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: Project CJ6

I picked up this CJ6 on June 11th and got it back to the house the following Tuesday.

I am currently working to get the body and frame separated from one another so that I can get the body down to the media blaster and then see what I am really looking at as far as body repairs.

The title on the Jeep says that it is a 1957 Willys CJ6, but the serial number indicates that it is a 1956, so I am not sure which to believe. It has a Chevy 265 small block mated to the factory transmission and transfer case. There is a Studebaker overdrive (that I need to figure out how it works) installed.

Here are a bunch of pictures as would be expected...seriously, a bunch

Here is the ye olde 265 chevy engine

Passenger side rusty spot

Top notch interior! At least it has the 60/40 seat

Passenger side of the dash

Passenger rear corner chaos

Butt shot

One of the doors for the koenig hardtop

The other side of the door

Driver rear rusty spot

Passenger rear fenderwell rusty spot (driver side is about the same)

Three sticks on the floor, cuz why not

Most of an underseat toolbox compartment

Rusty spot on driver side

Steering wheel with custom cracks and a plaque that tells how to use 4x4

More windshield

Rust hole in top of driver fender

Top of the koenig hardtop...started stripping and getting in a protective primer coat

Lots of stuff that I do not know what it did or is supposed to still do

A light that is in the top of the grille behind the bars...do not know what it was for...
guessing this was a forest service jeep or something and this was the party light

 

Looks like you have a fair amount of rust re-construction work to do, but for that era it's just about what anyone would expect ...........best to take the body off the frame and put it on a rotisserie.
Looks like someone changed the brake system over to a later master and swing pedal...........have fun!

 

As said. You have some repairs needed for sure. Members here have brought much much worse back from the dead. Think you will have a fun project there. Yes factory build in 56 but sold in 57 is what would make it a titled 57.

 

That tee-handle on the left side of the dash is likely for the overdrive. The overdrive is probably a Borg Warner R10 unit marketed by Rancho back in the day. They hang off the back of the D18 where the parking brake assy would be originally, but don't just unbolt like a Warn O/D does.
-Donny

 

Yep, it says overdrive on it, and the parking brake was removed, so that sounds about right. Do you know if it is supposed to move freely or can it only be operated while the vehicle is moving? I ask because the t-handle does not move freely, and I cannot start the Jeep at present to test it, but if it is faulty or stuck I probably need to take a look at that...also, how do you park on hills with no parking brake...hmmmm

Anyway, I got started on taking the dash apart. There are some pics below of the heater, which has one wire only and no ducts even though there is a defroster for the windshield...


The back of the dash where the speedo and ignition switch are located. Wiring doesnt look too bad, but it does look really really old, so probably will get replaced so I do not catch on fire. I have to look into the two pull handles that are above the speedo in the pic. I think one is a choke cable, and the other is a...something cable, but I do not know what they are doing at this point in time so I will have to do some detective work.

This is just further down the back of the dash and more looking at those 2 cables.

Here is a shot from the front of these 2 cables...I am really hoping that I do not need them so that I can just fill in the holes.

Here is a picture of the aforementioned overdrive t-handle that will not move...I have to detach it from the overdrive and feed it back through the dash in order to remove it apparently...that should be a good time.

Anyway, I keep chipping away at it a little at a time, and eventually I will have a Jeep that is not made mostly of rust and switches that dont connect to anything. I did notice as well that it appears someone changed out the master cylinder and the brake pedal. I am hoping that it is a good change, the brakes do not work at the moment and the brake pedal goes straight to the floor, so it is a little scary to think of where all the fluid might have run off to. I will have to tackle that soon. Lots of fun little projects to look forward to. I am really liking this old rusty Jeep.

 

The two cables you mention are for the choke and throttle. Not sure with the engine swap they were used. I have a small block Chevy in mine with an electric choke but left the cables in the dash for nostalgia purpose only. You have your work cut out for you but as stated before " others have started with much worse". Good luck and great pictures of your project.

 

Hey, look on the bright side, the dash looks solid. I have three early cj5's that are the same exact way. Its OK, if you get overwhelmed, I will be more then happy to bring it to the farm and refresh it. But you aint getting her back.

 

How kind of you. I think I will just put in the work, but I will keep that in mind if I get overwhelmed

 

That's a project for sure! Good luck & have fun!
What's your plan for it? Are you keeping the 265 & overdrive?

 

OK, just remember, its a labor or love, mixed with choice words and some flying tools. They always look to be too far gone in the beginning, then a few years later, you start to see the form through the clouds. By year 3, you start to think maybe this is going to happen and your getting close. Then by year four, your thinking about firing the motor and throwing in a seat to spin it around the yard and maybe, just maybe, you will go to the registry a get a plate. Then by year 6, you are finally following up on all the things you said you were going to finish, prior to putting the plate on it. Anyways, that's the way it goes around here someday. It should be a fun project, keep us updated.

 

I'd love to see some pictures of that overdrive sometime. Interested in how that one is, never seen one before.

 

I would comment ... the media blaster is a good plan - I'd have the entire body and steel cab media blasted, that will save you weeks of boring labor. You have enough rust and bondo that you kinda have to use an abrasive method, and in my experience, trying to remove the rust with sanders or grinders will either remove too much steel or be ineffective.

The 265 is cool - and may be worth something ... maybe enough to justify selling it on its own and replacing with a Chevy crate engine or whatever.

 

I will get some pics of the overdrive setup for sure. I found out that the cable doesn't move because it is broken and crimped, but the overdrive engages and disengages easily by hand, so that is good. I was planning to keep the 265 and the overdrive, but if I can get a crate motor for 265 money or thereabouts I may swap it for a 350.
Also, I am fully aware that this has to be a labor of love, and that it will take me years to finish it, but that is kind of the point too, right? I am really excited to someday have a Jeep that I built myself the way I wanted it to be!

 

I'd keep the 265, or swap it for a 283. In my opinion, these provide more than enough power/torque, but don't break things as quickly as a 350.
As far as the funtion of the overdrive, I have an old one from a wagon, but have never driven a vehicle equipped with one. I know they also have both a governor and a solenoid that each mount on the sides of the case, and can be a bit fiddly to get the relay setup to operate correctly. I believe they will disengage themselves at slower speeds, and can only operate in 2 wheel drive. These were used on a lot of vehicles in the 1950's up to about 1970.
-Donny

 

I know its not the same, but I have a new Saturn behind my new 4.3 Vortec in a 47 cj2a, and its the first overdrive I have ever owned,. I got to tell you, its a blast to have a splitter in all gears. I also know it was designed for the lower horse power motors, but its the balls behind a 230 HP V-6. Its just nice to not have to drop a full gear or a need to hit the throttle when coming to a slight incline, where a full down shift would bring rpm's up a bit too much. Even going down hill, its nice to just split 1/2 instead of a full gear. Well, that's my 2 cents anyways. If I had a choice, I would opt for a 327. I built a ton of them and have one in my Scrambler, in front of 700R4 manual valve body. the bore and stroke just lead to a lot of bottom end TQ. That 265 is getting hard to find around anymore and someone building a tri-5 would love to get that. Just a thought and I'm full of them.

 

The mount points on the 265 compared to the 350 are in different spots on the block. Depending on how the mounts were configured when the swap was done, it may be easier to stay with the 265.

 

Calvin, just to let you know, it took 4 years for my 47 2a to get finished. I would have had it done around year 2, but then I decided to go vortec, instead of Dauntless, then I changed the axles from 44 tapered to 44 flanged, then 27 went out the window for a 30 with disc's. Anyways, like you, I wanted it just the way I wanted it and I did the changes along the way. I am glad I built it the way I wanted it, NOW. But at the time, I kept kicking myself in the butt for changing everything when it was almost done. Its done now (about 2 weeks ago) and I absolutely love the way it came out. So will you. Now get to it.

 

Mass, I am pretty sure I will be in the same boat...I already have things that I want to change even though my priority right now is getting the body off the frame and down to the media blaster so I can see what she looks like in bare steel...Once I get that back then I will know what I am looking at for sheet metal repairs and can get started on that. Then it is on to all of the tinkering because, believe it or not, it runs and drives like a champ currently. I am with you though that I want my Jeep to be my Jeep and I am going to build it the way I want it to be regardless of how much time and money that takes.

Oldriginal, I am certainly considering keeping the 265, the motor mounts are a consideration, but not a huge one as a little welding and I can get any small block in there, and since it is already set up to mount the transmission to the SBC I should be good with any chevy motor, but I really think that the 265 is a good motor as far as power for the Jeep. I do also realize that there are people out there who are looking for running 265 motors to finish classic restorations so that makes it tough. Fortunately I have a lot of rust repair between now and when I have to concern myself with whether or not I keep this engine...I suppose I could just take the complete drivetrain from a Toyota 4 runner and make that fit...

 

The 265 motor is front mounted with 2 vertical bolts on either side of the vibration damper.........in an early chevy these stock mounts went down to the front cross member on rubber pucks............a normal 265 Bell housing of that era would have side angled mounts that support the rear of the motor and attached to the frame.........also the transmission would have a 3rd mount on or near the tail-shaft...........as noted plenty of ways to get there , but no side mounts until about 1962 I believe.

And On the 265.............I would be hard pressed to spend much on a rebuild for that early motor unless it was going in a period correct vehicle..........Being chevy's first swing on the legendary small block the later motors are much better overall.........

 

Yep, that is exactly what the motor mounts look like, except that the transmission is the original Jeep 3 speed unit I am told though I did not check the tail shaft for a mount. The thing with this 265 is that it does not appear to need a rebuild. It runs smooth as butter, it is just ugly and needs to be cleaned up, repainted to be pretty again, and put back into service. That being said, I have been looking and found that parts for 265 motors cost more than double the price of parts for the other SBC motors. I do not know how I would even go about selling this motor, I have video of it running in the last 3 weeks, and as it sits I could fire it up for someone if they wanted to see it run...I have been tossing around the idea of finding a vortec V6 and replacing the 265 with that as it appears that it should mate up to the other driveline components and would allow me to move the engine forward (off the firewall) a few inches and may help out with potential cooling and weight issues...
I keep hearing both sides, and I am not scared of a motor swap, but I have never gone from carb to fi on a vehicle before. I will have to do some looking into how others have done this and see if it is something that I want to tackle.

Also, I said I would post some pics of the overdrive setup...well I am about to, but be warned filthy overdrive alert!!! Oh, and the broken cable is from the t-handle to the overdrive and is the reason that the t-handle want doing anything. That is an easy $10 fix. And here is the world's greasiest overdrive: