The first time I every saw this Jeep, it was spectacular like it came off the showroom floor. It was gleaming in the sunlight and the forest green paint was untouched, fresh and didn't have one scratch on it. It was a frame up restoration Jesse and his father had completed. Through the years, it has provided Jesse with a lot of four wheeling. Jesse purchased it at the young age of 13. From then on became an addiction that could never go away. This was his first vehicle. It has been modified to better performance for four wheeling but this time around the rebuild is to make it better but also to get motivation for the "Knight Crawler" project. Jesse is hoping to have something to offroad with his friends for next season. What is great about this build, it will be constructed out of trusted and tried parts. Let's see what this snow camo rig will turn into over the next couple of modifications. Frankenstein or a Rockhopper?
This is what it started out when restored>>>>>
-Inline six 4.2 liter 258 c.i. fuel injected
-5 speed T-5
-Dana 300 twin sticked
-Stock Axles running 31 inch swampers
-2 inch skyjacker lift
Through the years it has been upgrade with some of these mods
-full width axles
rear 14 bolt with detroit locker 4:88 gears with disk brakes
front Dana 44 arb locker with 4:88 gears with ram assist
- the front fenders where chopped for more tire room to help with suspension flex
- The suspension is a shackle reversal in the front with spring over front and rear
- tricky bicycle gear shifter converter to hand throttle mounted on tranny shifter
- Miles on odometer is reading over 210,000
- Tires have ranged from 31 inch to now 38.5 mounted on H1 beadlocks
- It has been converted from a standard body to a dove tailed rearend with a half cab shell from a scrambler
Here some pictures from the past few years>>>>>>>
First with full width axles
Working on the Dovetail>>>>>
After Dovetail transformation with spare tire and new paint!!!>>>>>
Wishful Thinking Cover Shoot, someday?>>>>>>
The newest changes for the CJ >>>>>
-Motor to a Chevy 350 c.i. V-8 from a suburban with only 35,000 miles
-Tranny to a 4L60e with new output housing and output shaft to fit t-case
-T-case will be the Dana 300 twin stick
-Motor mounts and tranny mount will be by Advance Adaptors
-Front axle to a Dana 60
-Front and rear suspension to four link with nitrogen shocks
-New dash to hold all new gauges
The start of the motor swap>>>>>
dounts on and ready to go under the knife
Tired and ready for a new heart
Fenders, grill, stinger, winch and some wiring off
New Motor>>>>>>
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August 24th
Phase Two of Teardown Complete>>>>>
When I walked up, I was in shock seeing a rig that was driven in on it's own power, but now is helpless and in limbo of possibly going to the scrapper. The scarpper for such a great platform of a wheelin rig is wrong. I gave encouragement to Jesse to keep going forward and finish the build. We discussed the options for about a half an hour and then moved on to the birds nest of what is called a wiring harness. A headache for most but for Jesse this is a simple "can do". His toughest choice that he is struggling with, is deciding to have a top or not. Every other feature of this rig is a simple choice and is ready to go from Jeese's mind to the rig.
Taken apart and waiting for new motor mounts.
Firewall cleaned and undercoated.
Cage torched out.
The old heart out.
Dash out along with wiring.
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