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When's the last time you drove your project?

craveman85

craveman85

CJ-8 Member
City
Dolgeville
State
ny
Kinda curious how long it's been since some of you have driven your project 8's. I drove home my 8 in October of 2011 and then decided there was just too many layers of paint. And also that I didn't think I liked the iron duke very much. Then life happened and it's been in various states of disassembly since December of that year. I've decided it finally needs the attention it deserves so I've sworn off the 2 biggest things that have held me back. Moving and women lol. Hoping to get it together and on the road at least once by the end of next year.
 
Since my engine lost oil pressure in February. But I just heard from Phoenix Engine that they are finally assembling my new engine and it should be here within a month....... so fingers crossed. Hopfuly she'll have been down less than a year by the time I get her back on the road.

Wish I'd just rebuilt my old one.
 
Drove mine to Subway for lunch today. Met a guy in an early Rally Scout at the gas station then drove my Early Bronco home.........Life is good!
 
October 6, 2022. My original goal was to be done in 3 months, but that has spiraled..... Will be happy if it is on the road by October 6 of this year.
 
About 10 years now. Had it shipped it shipped in from the west coast. Drove it around the block a few times. Had a major issue with something in the front end that scared the hell out of me when braking. Wife had health issues arise and lost half our income. Haven't done much since then. Start it every now and then, changed the leaking power steering pump(reservoir leaked empty overnight), moved it a few times, air up 2 tires every now and then. If I had a garage to work on it it would be done. I have to be careful with my township as it considered abandoned (not registered(means having insurance)/inspected). Have tons of parts(dynatrac 60 front/rock jock 60 rear), NOS off your rocker corner and rocker guards, rockhard cage, aluminum 4bbl intake for the 401, 4:1 kit(might not do this), and a bunch of other stuff. It truly sucks.
 
barrys said:
About 10 years now. Had it shipped it shipped in from the west coast. Drove it around the block a few times. Had a major issue with something in the front end that scared the hell out of me when braking. Wife had health issues arise and lost half our income. Haven't done much since then. Start it every now and then, changed the leaking power steering pump(reservoir leaked empty overnight), moved it a few times, air up 2 tires every now and then. If I had a garage to work on it it would be done. I have to be careful with my township as it considered abandoned (not registered(means having insurance)/inspected). Have tons of parts(dynatrac 60 front/rock jock 60 rear), NOS off your rocker corner and rocker guards, rockhard cage, aluminum 4bbl intake for the 401, 4:1 kit(might not do this), and a bunch of other stuff. It truly sucks.
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I've kept mine registered the past 2 years and insured. Local place cut me a good deal on some no name liability insurance so I'm technically legal lol. Just not inspected and they can't do anything about that unless they catch me on the road with it.
 
Mine has been needing to have the body off the frame and gone completely through... it's needed that for about 5 years, really.

Threads like this and what the list looks like that I'll end up trying to do "while I'm in there" scares me silly. Doesn't help that the kid heads off to college next week :eek: (well, in available time it helps, but not available money).

A huge part of why we got our JKU was to have a solid wheeling rig while the postal is down... I really do need to get off my ass and just pull it apart.

I'm guessing at least three years at the rate I'll manage to work and all the money I'll need to spend. So likely 6+ :banghead:
 
I was bit by the "while you're there" bug on a frame off resto with my 53 CJ3A. It was stripped to nothing and put back together until it got expensive. Then it patiently waited for time and money. Which is where it still is 13 years later. It didn't help that I found the 8 running and driving right when the 3 needed funds.

After learning that lesson I've done my best to keep the 8 on the road. I love driving the thing and get anxious when it isn't running. The longest it has been down in 12 years was 1 month for the engine, transmission and transfer case swap. The swap wasn't complete at that point, but it was drivable. I swapped the axles one at a time over 2 weekends. I certainly don't have a pretty jeep like many in this group, but it is a very functional driver/wheeler.
 
sdsupilot said:
I was bit by the "while you're there" bug on a frame off resto with my 53 CJ3A. It was stripped to nothing and put back together until it got expensive. Then it patiently waited for time and money. Which is where it still is 13 years later. It didn't help that I found the 8 running and driving right when the 3 needed funds.

After learning that lesson I've done my best to keep the 8 on the road. I love driving the thing and get anxious when it isn't running. The longest it has been down in 12 years was 1 month for the engine, transmission and transfer case swap. The swap wasn't complete at that point, but it was drivable. I swapped the axles one at a time over 2 weekends. I certainly don't have a pretty jeep like many in this group, but it is a very functional driver/wheeler.
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I always say that very thing about long-term projects, it gets SO easy to get disgusted and lose interest and I ALWAYS advise new owners not to immediately tear into them because they NEED the experience of just having a great time driving it to pull them through the rough times when it's down for longer stretches.

After the thankfully minor accident that I had in 2003 (lady pulled out in front of me), the plans with the "rebuild/upgrade" got slightly out of control when I decided to swap the axles without any welding ability at home. I became dependent on a friend and it slowed everything down by months. I think it was really close to two full years that it was down and I hated that. I liked the results of the effort and it's served me well, but that down time is what's driving me NOT to tear into it again :eek:
 
This was November 17, 2019 - the day I started tearing it down:

1692106691736.png

And this was September 25, 2022 - the first day I drove it around the block. What a glorious day!
That's 1043 days. Or 2 years, 10 months. Or 34 months.

1692106844789.png

And this is from a nice Sunday drive last weekend. I have about 700 miles on it now. Still doing things to it. Right now I'm working out my storage system for longer off-road trips and getting the splash guards back underneath to keep mud out of the cavities. Still need fab and weld on the spare tire hold open pieces and paint the rear bumper. Still procrastinating on the hard doors. That will happen closer to winter I guess.

1692107170129.png
 
Never.

I bought my project in 2008, moved it into the shop to start work on it in 2013, and have been (very slowly) working on it off and on since.

I'm a lower heater box and a clutch bleed away from being able to get it in and out of the shop on it's own power... 8-)
 
RockTractor said:
Never.

I bought my project in 2008, moved it into the shop to start work on it in 2013, and have been (very slowly) working on it off and on since.

I'm a lower heater box and a clutch bleed away from being able to get it in and out of the shop on it's own power... 8-)
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The heater box can be bypassed. Bleed that clutch and fire it up!
 
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