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My old 1981 SCRAMBLER returns 25 years later

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
I've been working an making some space in the shop for body work and painting. The frame went in the barn (minus the trans so it can be sent out for rebuild)

The roll bar, kid cage, and all the small brackets and parts that I've cleaning and painting. Went to the garage.

Now I started working on the steel parts to get ready for painting.

The grill was new so it didn't need much. I welded in so tabs for a trans cooler. (no pics of that)

The bulkhead is a different story. As some of you may know, The steel bulkhead doesn't fit a fiberglass body. It is too tall, the top is too wide for the lip on the body, and the bottom is too narrow because the original body has a stampede piece in it that the panel screws to.

For the top issue I notched the bulkhead and put a "filler/Gusset" in the cutout.


For the height I cut off the bottom, lapped the pieces 3/8", and tigged the pieces inside and out. And yes there is still lots of grinding and cleanup.


And for the narrow, tapered side problem. I machined a tapered, wedge shaped chunk of aluminum for each. Them glued and riveted them to the body.



Them it was on to the tailgate.
Since the factory cable brackets don't fit the glass body I ordered a Kentrol #30666 cable and latch kit. The web site said it fit a cj5,7,8.

I couldn't figure out how the brackets fit, so back to the web. After searching and finding pics of cj5's and cj7's. I soon figured out the problem. the 5's and 7's wheel well go's all the way to the rear bulkhead. Which gives the bracket a shelf to sit on. After talking to Kentrol on the phone, and relizing no one makes the bracket I needed. I decided to modify the brackets they sent. It took a little cutting, drilling, bending and polishing, but they are going to work good. ( I was not impressed with quality and detail of the Kentrol kit.)


 

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
Oh ya, by the way, I sick of welding holes shut. :crazy:

26 holes 1/8" to 3/8" in the roll bar :eek:

23 holes 1/8" to 3/8" in the bulkhead :eek:

16 more to do in the tailgate :banghead:
 

Jeepin

Legacy Registered User
City
Dexter
State
MI
Glad to see your post about the bulkhead, I have a glass tub and bulk head, and it has the same issues. I cant do any welding on it, but I sure plan on doing some cutting. Same with the tailgate, I am going to go through that as well. Keep up the progress, and figure everything out for me lol
 

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
Been scuffing more paint :fitz:

turned the tub over and sprayed bedliner on the bottom side off everything. Hopefully it helps with stone spiders in the paint on the outside, and noise on the inside :shrug:



 

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
Since the roads are drifted shut, and it's snowing sideways :eek:

I snuck out to the shop while the kids were sleeping and the wife working

Nothing too exciting going on :wave:

turned the body right side up and put it back on saw horses :eek:






Then I sprayed a gallon of 2K high build on all of the parts I had scuffed
http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu271/jbeemer_photo/TRUCKS/SCRAMBLER/20140125_093835_zpsc4ucqvpt.jpg[/img][/url]


 

DiveSherpa

Legacy Registered User
City
Fort Worth
State
TX
Nice work! My first Jeep was a '77 CJ-7 that I sold in '97 and I have always wondered if I might cross paths with it again....
Great build, it's going to look fantastic.

Subscribed!
 

jims chop shop

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
stafford
State
va
Way cool man. !!
Your shop is insane. !!
Love the trolley system


Sent from my iPhone
 

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
The shop is a whole story in itself. It was built out of used steel, used lumber, drywall second's, and the slab was already there. The siding and shingles were new. It took me 3 years to put together.
 

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
Been a while since I did a update

Most of it hasn't been to exciting, blocking and wet sanding...................over................and over...................and over

But everything is flat and wet sanded with 500 grit, ready for sealer, basecoat, and clear :thumbsup:

got the dash panels cnc'd this week and did some trial fitting before polishing



 

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
Now that it is ready for paint I started putting a paint booth together in my shop

Boy does it get small in there when you add a 15' X 20" paint booth





The space above this beam is open to the other side and is where my intake filters will be.


This is my 480v 2HP exhaust fan that is in one of the door openings. It will be ducted with plastic tube duct to the outside of the building, and I can still close the door when not in use.
 

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
A/C showed up today. Looks like a nice kit, even has a compressor and fittings to match my engine and pulley setup
 

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
Did some test painting today, had to see if my welder brain could spray

Sorry for the crappy tablet pics







 

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
Getting some more painting done today

Here is after the bascoat




And after 3 coats of clear







Hopefully today I can get the rest sprayed

4 doors
2 fenders
1 tailgate
 
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