FINALLY!!! A Build Thread of My '82 Scrambler!

[Polarfire]

Done by Christmas...what year? Just kidding, I made and missed so many deadlines on mine that I have to give you a hard time...

That will be a great Christmas present to yourself!

I was wondering if anyone would catch that. I didn't put a year just in case it isn't done by this Christmas I could always say I ment next Christmas!

In other news; my father-in-law's gullwing '36 Ford pick up is gaining a lot of momentum. He has a full rolling chassis and the body is almost ready for some color!

 

[W.R.Buchanan]

+1 on the other Randy.

I've missed the SEMA show for the last 4 years! I hope they remember me when I do get done.

Randy

 

[Polarfire]

So, once again this is delayed. I've been focusing my attention on my J10 lately. It has been a matter of necessity more than anything else. The J10 is my daily driver and I've limped it by for almost 2 years now without doing much to it. Lately I've lost reverse in the 727 trans and it has been blowing oil everywhere. I've got a spare engine and trans and I dropped the engine off at the machine shop today to get bored .30 over and will be rebuilding it and the spare trans I have. Once those are done I can pull the old motor and trans and drop in the new stuff. In the meantime, my father-in-law has been working hard on his personal project and has it painted and will soon be in the process of putting it back together. The Scrambler is on hold but I have a timeline to be done by May for other reasons I will explain later (the Christmas timeline is already blown!). I will update my Jeep J10 thread with info on the engine and trans rebuild soon.

 

[jims chop shop]

May?
Boy or girl ?

 

[Polarfire]

May?
Boy or girl ?

Good guess...YES, we are pregnant! May 18th is the official due date, we won't find out until the end of January if it is a boy or a girl but either way we are excited! However, this puts some serious strain on the Jeep budget/time line! Current things that are "in progress": Scrambler build is still in primer and awaiting the body to be lifted off the frame. This should happen very soon now as the father-in-law is finished painting his truck and the dolly is free to put my tub on, I just need to get up there with some help to do it. Once the tub and body parts are painted I expect this project to ramp up quickly to get it back together and running before "baby time". Second project is the J10. I currently have a spare AMC 360 at the machine shop being rebuilt and a spare TF727 that I'm ordering parts for so it can be rebuilt as well. I need this rebuilt drive train done and swapped in the truck also before "baby time"! I'm trying to get all the remainder of my large/expensive parts ordered for these two projects because I know if they don't get finished before "baby time" I won't have the cash flow to get the parts to finish them. This way if I don't get them done I will at least have most of the parts already here to finish them when I can. Obviously my time is going to be limited after May but I at least hope to be driving my new baby around in a classic Jeep at some point!

 

[bobbysjeep]

CONGRATULATIONS! Happy for you.

 

[jims chop shop]

Sweet !!!

 

[Polarfire]

Today the body was separated from the frame finally! It only took 4 of us to move it to the dolly. Once the tub was off I was able to inspect the frame really well. It is super clean with zero signs of rust. I did have to clean off about a 1/2 inch of Arkansas mud that was caked on between the tub and frame rails but other then that it is pretty clean. I will of course be power washing it all and getting it prepped for paint/rust inhibitor. I wasn't planning on taking the engine/tranny out of the frame but at this point I think I will go ahead and take it out just so I can clean/paint everything well. I also noticed that I will have to replace several of the soft fuel and brake lines that are looking a little dry rotted. The rear brake line from the frame to the axle is also too short and is currently streched pretty tight and with any axle flex would probably snap so that will have to be changed out as well. Anyway, I'm excited to see progress on this and I will be going up again this week to work on it!

 

[Polarfire]

Just an update on the Father-in-laws project '36 Ford Gullwing (It is what I have been waiting on the be finished so I can get mine in the paint booth). He is done painting with the exception of any small touch-up stuff that might be needed and is in the finial assembly phase. He is working on finishing up the wiring and installing the steering column. Once that is done he will buy/install the carb, finish up plumbing the fuel tank and get it fired up! He hopes to have it running and driving under it's own power by Christmas. The interior, glass and pinstriping will be the final step then he will have several months to work out any bugs before show season starts in the spring. I don't think I've ever seen him so excited.

 

[53D Scrambler]

Good guess...YES, we are pregnant! May 18th is the official due date, we won't find out until the end of January if it is a boy or a girl but either way we are excited! However, this puts some serious strain on the Jeep budget/time line! Current things that are "in progress": Scrambler build is still in primer and awaiting the body to be lifted off the frame. This should happen very soon now as the father-in-law is finished painting his truck and the dolly is free to put my tub on, I just need to get up there with some help to do it. Once the tub and body parts are painted I expect this project to ramp up quickly to get it back together and running before "baby time". Second project is the J10. I currently have a spare AMC 360 at the machine shop being rebuilt and a spare TF727 that I'm ordering parts for so it can be rebuilt as well. I need this rebuilt drive train done and swapped in the truck also before "baby time"! I'm trying to get all the remainder of my large/expensive parts ordered for these two projects because I know if they don't get finished before "baby time" I won't have the cash flow to get the parts to finish them. This way if I don't get them done I will at least have most of the parts already here to finish them when I can. Obviously my time is going to be limited after May but I at least hope to be driving my new baby around in a classic Jeep at some point!

Congrats!!! I know the feeling, I am up against a Feb 23rd due date! Got to have the Jeeps at least driveable before the babies arive.

 

[Major Jack]

Did he say "Babies"?????????????? Oh My..................

 

[53D Scrambler]

Did he say "Babies"?????????????? Oh My..................

Woops. Babies in the plural referring to yours and mine. Not in the sense that I am going to be an Octo-Dad.

 

[John N]

So you think you're really going to get things done while you're expecting? That's the begining of the end of garage time. I started my CJ-7 project before my oldest was born....he's 27 now and graduated from law school last year, the younger son has his masters degree, too....and we just got the engine fired up 2 weeks ago for the first time. I still have to finish assembly.

I wouldn't trade them for anything!! But, the projects took a back seat for a long time. Congrats and good luck! Enjoy them.

 

[53D Scrambler]

So you think you're really going to get things done while you're expecting? That's the begining of the end of garage time. I started my CJ-7 project before my oldest was born....he's 27 now and graduated from law school last year, the younger son has his masters degree, too....and we just got the engine fired up 2 weeks ago for the first time. I still have to finish assembly.

I wouldn't trade them for anything!! But, the projects took a back seat for a long time. Congrats and good luck! Enjoy them.

I have been making some good progress on mine. Started in Jan, found out we were pregnant in May .... and I have everything re-assembled up to the wiring, starting that this weekend. My wife has been really helpful with the build. Even working the jack on the engine hoist while she was 4 months along!

 

[jims chop shop]

I have met his wife and she is extremely supportive of the project !!
( at least for now. )

 

[Polarfire]

Congrats!!! I know the feeling, I am up against a Feb 23rd due date! Got to have the Jeeps at least driveable before the babies arive.

Congrats as well! You are much closer to your goal then I am!

Today I power washed the frame after soaking all the greasy areas with 2 cans of engine de-greaser. Once I did that I noticed that there was still a lot of really caked on clay. It almost look like the frame rail because it was so packed on and was black do to the grease, road grime, and oil it was covered in. I literally had to use a scraper to get it off, the power washer just wasn't strong enough! Once I got as much scraped off as I could I used a can and a half of oven cleaner and power washed it again! By the way, the over cleaner works MUCH better then the engine degreaser and was cheaper! I also stuck the power washer down each of the frame rails as best I could through the holes in the rails. I discovered that there was a lot of mud in there as well and I sprayed until the water ran clear. I think this Jeep must have been stored in a barn or shed at some point as I also discovered that mice had packed the passenger side frame rail with some kind of nest and a ton of acorns that were mostly rotten now. Also, mud dobbers had a ton of old nests stuck around the tranmission and transfercase areas. The frame is now 80% clean. I will still need to hit several areas with a wire wheel to get them clean and ready for paint.

 

[53D Scrambler]

Looks good! I had mice in my stock frame as well!?

 

[Polarfire]

Got more work done yesterday. I removed the rear wiring harness, brake lines, e-brake cables, drive shaft, exhaust including the headers, and power steering lines. Now the only thing left is to disconnect the fuel lines, drop the tank, and lift the engine/tranny/t-case out and the frame will be stripped! Then a little more cleaning and it will be ready for paint! I took some pics but some how I deleted them when trying to update my phone so I will take more when I go back up there.

You wouldn't think it would be hard to make it to the shop only being about an hour away but some times it might as well be on the other side of the earth! No matter how hard I try I just can't make it up there sometimes. I can't wait to have a shop area of my own!!

 

[Polarfire]

Got a lot done today. Removed the engine, trans, transfer case, fuel lines, brake lines, and motor mounts.
(CHIEFWAHO rear crossmember waiting to replace my old, thin, crappy one!)


I had to cut the brake lines to get them off so it looks like I will have to get new ones and I might as well get new fuel lines to go with them! Now I just need to remove the fuel tank and the steering box and the frame will be stripped. Then a final cleaning and paint! Hopefully I can start putting it back together by the end of the month!

This is what it looked like at the end of the day. (Sorry for the bad pic, the sunlight was very bright)


BTW, anyone ever see motor mounts like these or are they homemade?

 

[jeepdreamer]

Could be early Novak or AA but could also just as easily be homemade?