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OT: Retro Wrangler/Willys Pickup (long)

Both fenders are done (for now). After I've assembled the pickup I'll do some final bodywork on them and then I'll let the paint shop do the final paint prep. I guess I don't really like body work :-)

Also included a few photos during the fabrication process; a "before and after" showing the trailer fenders I started with, and a couple of shots of some of the detail fab work.

I'm glad this part of the project is over!

Jeff

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Great, but when are you gonna post some pictures man????






This thread rocks. :smokin:
 
Jeff,
I have to say this is great. You are doing awesome work.

Truck
 
To put it bluntly: this is already a candidate for the best build thread ever and all we have so far is a model and two fenders!!! :D :rotfl:

Great stuff... I love when I see an email saying that there's a new post in here from you. It makes my day, seriously! :cheers:
 
bigwalton said:
To put it bluntly: this is already a candidate for the best build thread ever and all we have so far is a model and two fenders!!! :D :rotfl:

Great stuff... I love when I see an email saying that there's a new post in here from you. It makes my day, seriously! :cheers:
Click to expand...

All I can think of to say is "I'M NOT WORTHY!" :-)

Wow that's quite a standard for me to uphold... I'll try not to disappoint. Thanks everyone for the nice compliments.

But please keep the criticisms and questions coming too, that helps me stay on track with the design and construction. If all I do is post pictures for you guys to say "nice job", it doesn't help me refine what I'm doing with all of your experience and input so please don't be shy. If you've got ideas or suggestions I'd love to hear them.

The new house is already late, which will push out the date when I have a garage to do the work in by a month or two so I'm going to keep working on components. Actually, I already have the garage, for a couple of reasons we won't be selling the old house right away, so I'll build it here, but until we move to the new house a few miles away this garage isn't empty enough. I'm sure I'll need to spread this project out across all three bays when I really get into it.

What's up next:

- In a few days will start the tailgate with the Jeep logo, the new tailgate sheet metal arrives Tuesday.

- After thinking a lot about the placement of the rear license plate (see drawing earlier in this thread), I've decided it needs to be centered above the trailer hitch like most other pickups. I also want to use a stock TJ bumper to keep the factory look going, so something's got to give. I'm working on a way to turn the factory bumper into a step bumper with a recess for the license plate, I'll post drawings when the design is done. That will be the next project up after the tailgate, and I'll put it into use on my LJ when it is done.

- There are a bunch of frame and bracket components to fab - fish plates, taillight brackets, stuff like that. Not too exciting, but I'll do those after the bumper. Getting this stuff done now speeds the main build.

Between that and the new house projects (and a few old house projects) I've got to get done, that'll keep me busy for a while.

I'll keep posting pics and progress.
Thanks again,
Jeff
 
jscherb said:
I also want to use a stock TJ bumper to keep the factory look going, so something's got to give. I'm working on a way to turn the factory bumper into a step bumper with a recess for the license plate, I'll post drawings when the design is done. That will be the next project up after the tailgate, and I'll put it into use on my LJ when it is done.
Click to expand...

FWIW... how about using a CJ-8 step bumper instead of the TJ bumper? (Kind of like how a bride dress for her wedding day... something old, something new, etc.).

Regardless, this "dog from every town" will be the best looking truck around. :D
 
CJ-8_Jim said:
FWIW... how about using a CJ-8 step bumper instead of the TJ bumper?
Click to expand...

I thought a lot about that idea, there was even one for sale on eBay about a week ago I was watching. Came pretty close to bidding.

But I decided I really want to stick with as many TJ parts as possible to keep the "factory" look. I really want people to see the truck and say "wow, I didn't know Jeep made Wrangler pickups!" and I figure the more I stray from factory parts the more it will look like a custom truck. Maybe that sounds silly, but I really want a factory look. I know a Scrambler step bumper is factory, but it wouldn't match the front TJ bumper.

And Jim this also goes back to our conversation we had in PM's the other day about bumper width - you got me started thinking about the bumper. (Thanks for the input!) My idea is to build a new step center section for the bumper, and cut the stock bumper in the middle. Each side of the stock bumper will bolt to the new center section. Initially I'll build it to be the stock width, but if the law says I need a wider bumper, I can just pick up another stock TJ bumper and cut it to be longer.

I'm starting to work on the drawings of the bumper step now, will post a drawing as soon as they're done and you guys can tell me what you think.

Thanks,
Jeff
 
Another thought on the bumpers is to look at the MOPAR optional bumpers. This opens up a lot of other things. Technically you can get one of those on a Jeep from the factory and they're not so outlandish that you'd think "that's not factory".

I was actually looking hard at the MOPAR winch bumper for my LJ when I was mounting the winch. I really like it and think it looks very "Jeep" rather than aftermarket (although it's actually built by AEV, it still goes through MOPAR as an accessory).

Just another way to look at it that might open some options.

Honestly, I'd love to see what you do along the lines you're talking about, but bumpers seem like something you should just buy and put on given how much other work you're getting into. Of course, if you're needing things to do before you can move to the new place, have at it.

Just occurred to me that you want to put the plate in the middle and of course there won't be any bumpers for TJs that do that with the factory mount... but rather than delete the whole post, I'll leave my foot in my mouth :banghead: and maybe it will spur some other interesting thought :eek:
 
Here's an idea for a step bumper using stock TJ bumper components. In addition to the two detailed drawings below, I updated the tailgate view drawing in post #140 above.

The step is a fairly straightforward box-type affair made of 1/4" steel plate. The step section would bolt directly to the rear frame crossmember. The stock bumper would have a piece removed in the center, and each outer section would bolt to the center step section, and use the stock mounting bracket on the outboard end. The step section would be painted matte black to match the stock bumper finish as closely as possible (I've used different shades of gray in the drawings to make the drawing easier to understand)

Comments invited please.

Jeff

Tailgate1_Page_2.jpg


Tailgate1_Page_3.jpg
 
Wow...just Wow. This is going to be one of the best looking Jeeps yet...:bow:
 
Yeah, but what threads are you going to tap out on those cleats?

What's the radius on the fillet welds?


Man, you really aren't one for details are you? :eek: :rotfl:


I can't decide if I think that the most "factory" look would be to just weld the stock bumper pieces to the step or to use bolts to match what they did at the bumper caps like you have there. I like that they'll match, but the caps look like they should be bolted on where the step, if it were factory, would be integrated with the rest of the bumper.

Also, do you have any use for another front bumper for this? I have the one I took off of my LJ sitting in the garage doing nothing and I'd be MORE than happy to donate it to the cause if you had any use for it. Thought it might give you an excuse to try something cool on the front end like this rear bumper idea (do I hear hidden winch??? :evil:)

One other bumper comment, I always thought these were a neat idea because I hate the stock bumper endcaps with their big curves. I'd have bought these for our LJ except that I always planned to put other bumpers on it:

53467-lg.jpg


http://www.quadratec.com/products/12106_00.htm
http://www.quadratec.com/products/12106_01.htm

Gives it a slightly meaner look and I think that the angles on these would fit with the overall harder angular look of your bed and fenders while still being very close to stock.
 
Hey he's making fun of my anal attention to detail :eek: Want to know why I do it? Well I'm gonna tell you anyway :rotfl:

- Drawing things at this level of detail is like a "dry run" on the fabrication. I catch a lot of problems now and refine the design so I know it works before I start cutting metal.

- The overall build becomes more like a kit assembly than a fab project, reducing the uncertainty of the outcome.

- I like to draw. BTW, have you seen my drawings in the latest issue of jRations?

- I can better share the ideas with you guys in drawing form and that way get great input to make the design better.

- It is fun to look at the finished products and say "yup, looks just like the drawing" :o

- And... I'm planning on writing a book on the whole project. Book will cover designing, project planning, fabrication techniques, etc., and hopefully will end up being a good reference book for fab project work and not just a "how I built my pickup" book so maybe will have wider appeal. I'll use the drawings in the book. Heck I can begin writing a chapter on the fenders now...

Now to your points about the bumper...

- I decided to bolt the bumper sections to the step section because that way I can probably get away without disturbing the powder coat on the bumper. Welding would require the bumper to be refinished, but with bolts I think I can get away with only sealing the cut end. That way the bumper retains the factory powder coat look.

- I likey those bumper ends you linked to. You're right, the angular look might be just right. Will add these to my list of ideas.

- An extra front bumper eh? Hmmmmm... Will have to think about that one. I've got a factory bumper bar on the LJ that will become this project, I like the look of it. Haven't given any thought to the front bumper, I've been focused on the back half of the project. Hmmmmmmmm...

Thanks as always for the input!
Jeff

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I knew exactly why you'd do drawings like that and it and I'd do the same for everything I do if I had time. That's why I'm so impressed with this project as much as I think it's just plain cool and that you've got great ideas--you're doing it the way I'd do it if I was really going to do it right. :thumbsup: I do still have all the drawings/dimensions I used for building my outboarding setup and the cardboard mockups.

This is what I've said to myself many times from seeing people's work here on the forums:

If I always had the time to do it "right":
-I'd plan/draw it like you.
-I'd wire/plumb/weld it like Crash.
-I'd build it beefy like JC.
-I'd do body work like kohldad.
-I'd make things clean and pretty like Craig.

:D I could probably add more to that list if I thought about it for more than two seconds...


Back to this sweet pickup truck:

That makes sense about the bumper bolting together.

I don't think that my bumper is going anywhere if you come up with an idea for it, of course with your drawings, you probably wouldn't need the spare ;).

I'll happily contribute another part to this project if you do though.
 
Tailgate parts

The smooth tailgate cover arrived today. Really nice quality, 16 gauge galvanized steel. Also got the paint blasted off my old Scrambler tailgate yesterday. What you see in the photo below is the Scrambler tailgate sitting on top of the tailgate cover for the new bed.

I'll be cutting the embossed rectangle out of the Scrambler tailgate, and cutting a hole in the new tailgate cover to accept the embossed panel. The cutout from the Scrambler tailgate will go in the hole from behind and will be larger than the hole by maybe 1/2" all around to provide a nice flange for welding.

Also in the photo below is a set of Mazda B2200 pickup tailgate latch and support link hardware I picked up at the u-pull for $10 today. The repro bed I'll be using used chains to secure the tailgate (as do all of this vintage), but I got to thinking maybe I should update this to more modern latches and links instead of chains, so I went browsing in the u-pull. I'm thinking maybe using this hardware and adapting it to work with a Jeep paddle door handle (also in the photo), which I would recess into the tailgate. Not sure if I'd use one paddle handle to operate the latches on both sides or use two paddle handles; also not sure if I'd use the narrower half-door paddles or the full door paddle as in the photo. This latch stuff is at the "playing around to see what might work" stage, so not sure what I'll end up doing yet.

Probably start cutting the sheet metal tomorrow; photos of progress to follow.

Jeff

TailgateParts.jpg
 
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One handle, but mount it on the inside! :thumbsup:

For all the trouble that the rear power window caused in the FSJ Grand Wagoneers, I thought it was cool that the outside of the tailgate was smooth and the handle was on the inside.

That tailgate is just going to be too cool looking to stick a handle in... can't wait for you to get to work on it! :smokin:
 
On the spare tire issue, I'm not sure if this has been brought up or not, but a skinny wheel will make the tire skinnier. Tread width's the same but the sidewall bulge is less.
 
Tailgate work in progress

Here's a couple of photos of today's work on the tailgate. These photos were taken early in the day - since then the insert is now fully welded in place and I'm starting on smoothing the seam with aluminum-filled All-Metal body filler. Should have it in primer tomorrow, will post more pics then.

Eric, I've been thinking about the handle on the inside... trying to figure how to provide access to the mechanism for repair - if the handle is on the outside it's pretty simple to provide access hatches on the inside of the tailgate. Haven't got a great solution for that yet. Also, wouldn't a handle on the inside be inconvenient with a tonneau cover in place? Not sure I'll have a tonneau but just thinking of the possibilities... but I do agree that the clean look of not having the handle on the outside would be cool.

Ryan, thanks for the input - I'll be using the spare pictured in post #116 in this thread. It is a 4.5 wide rim with a T155D90/16 tire. If I have extra room on the side of the bed maybe I'll go up to a 6.50 or 7.00-16 but I'll have to wait and see how much room I have. Any wider than those and it will stick out past the fender, which is something I want to avoid. BTW, the T155D90/16 spare is the standard size used on the Chevy S-10 pickup, so it should be fine for the Retro Wrangler, which will be roughly the same size vehicle.

That's all for today, should have more pics tomorrow.
Jeff

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