Project JPSK8 - my last build??

[surfjeepzx]

It's a beautiful thing!

That V-8 is a work of art. How much does gas cost in the VI's? I drive mine around and it likes the taste of gas. Although I have 4:10 gears which probably accounts for the high fuel surcharges.

The 3:73's are a good choice.

Good luck on the island.

 

[John N]

Moving along nicely on this.

 

[Jeepskate]

Picked up the new tub from Willys-Overland this morning.

 

[Jeepskate]

It's a beautiful thing!

That V-8 is a work of art. How much does gas cost in the VI's? I drive mine around and it likes the taste of gas. Although I have 4:10 gears which probably accounts for the high fuel surcharges.

The 3:73's are a good choice.

Good luck on the island.

Thanks. Gas prices are comparable to the mainland (there's a refinery on the island). I'll probably drive the 7 most of the time. Debated putting in my spare 258, but I've always wanted a V8 powered CJ.

 

[Jeepskate]

Stopped by the upholsterer on the way home from work yesterday. He still has to do the rear seat (we needed to discuss how I wanted it done & I left my Laredo seat with him as a guide), but everything else is done & I think it looks awesome. He duplicated the '80 Renegade pattern (unfortunately my original upholstery had to be sacrificed) but went with a more vibrant blue. I had him do the sun visors too as well as a wrap for the grab bar and the armrest for the Tuffy console.

 

[HighSierra CJ]

Looks amazing!

 

[sdsupilot]

Wow, those seats look awesome!

 

[masscj2a]

Very Nice

 

[Jeepskate]

Dropped everything off at the new powder coater on the last day of school, hopefully will have it all back by the end of this week so that reassembly can begin (they also do ceramic coating, so they have the manifolds too). Have a potential buyer coming for the original tub...noticed a few more things about the repro tub...doesn't have the threaded holes in the firewall for the fuse block to attach, doesn't have any of the weld nuts for attaching the dash or the steering column collar, and there is no seam sealer on anything. Have some seam sealer on order and getting ready to order up some weld nuts, just want to make sure I didn't miss anything else.

 

[Jeepskate]

Picked up the frame & assorted parts from the powder coater this afternoon, so it's just about time to start making this look like a Jeep again (need to hit everything with the tap & die kit to clean up the threads from the galvanizing). Pics after this should be of a rolling chassis

 

[Jeepskate]

Almost rolling...didn't have a 9/16-20 bottoming tap to clean out the threads in the u-bolt skids so I could install the sway bar & shock studs. Getting ready to leave for vacation, so no Jeep work for the next couple of weekends

 

[Jeepskate]

Back from vacation...Bora Bora was absolutely beautiful!!! Add it to your bucket list...took two years of planning, reservations & saving & using a Venture card for travel points, but it was SO worth it...never took so many pictures before in my life. We rented an over the water bungalow that used to be owned by Marlon Brando across from the lagoon from the motu that the airport is on. It has it's own small dock, so we got door to door service for the water-based activities that we did. Heading back out to Japan in a couple of weeks, grandson is due any day now (wow, I feel old!!).

She's a roller again!! Cleaned out the threads on the u-bolt skids, installed the steering box brace & started hooking up the stainless steel brake lines & hoses.

 

[Jeepskate]

Not a lot of time, but lot's happening. Set the body on so that I could start mocking everything up & making any necessary adjustments & drilling holes ahead of painting. Monday was delivery day as my Bulltear order finally arrived as did my grandson!! Malachai clocked in at a touch over 9 pounds and 20 inches (both my son & his wife are ~6' tall, so not surprised). Leaving for Japan on Saturday to visit & help out, so two more weekends of no Jeep progress, but it's worth it

 

[Rosco1974]

Congrats grandpa

 

[bigwalton]

This thread may take the cake for most full of win.

Congrats!

 

[Jeepskate]

Thanks guys!! Got to spend an extra day due to a tropical storm passing through Tokyo causing flight delays & cancellations. Took the opportunity to recreate a photo from when my parents came out after my son was born (my father passed unexpectedly February 2017). Be back at work on the Scrambler this week.

 

[bigwalton]

Awesome.

 

[Jeepskate]

Back at it working on the mock up...I think I would have pulled my hair out if I hadn't gone with the Willys-Overland Repli-Tub option to correct the body mounts...darn near everything else on this tub is off. Triple tap on an extension cord to keep my drill (switching between a step bit & combo drill/tapping bits) & two angle grinders (one with a cut-off wheel, the other with a flap disc) at the ready. The fit & finish is a bit disappointing for the price tag, but I'll make it work.

 

[Jeepskate]

Still mocking up, hoping to finish this weekend and get the body out to paint here shortly while it's still warm. Decided on Ford Nitrous Blue.

 

[Jeepskate]

As she sits right now. Front clip is off (hood is in the house garage for installation of the louvers, grill is in the basement for fitup of the radiator, trans cooler & AC condenser), windshield frame is in the basement for installation of a better cowl seal & the wipers (went with the WipeBoy billet setup), dash is in the garage for sanding & painting (going with Toyota Electric Blue on it for some contrast and also ordered SpeedHut gauges for it...caught the Labor Day sale). I had the machining students at work drill & tap some 1/4 flat stock that I had on hand to make the reinforcement & mounting points for the fenders & battery tray & drill out some bolts so that I can pass wiring through them. My Bulltear order came in a while back (timing cover, etc) and then I ordered the serpentine kit which arrived within a week, so once the body stuff is wrapped up I'll finish assembling the engine (have to check with the coater to see what's going on with the ceramic coating on my manifolds, been a few months now).