grandpabear

I paid my dues working in the cold and slop over the years. as you age, you build it to last so you don't have to lay in the cold and fix it. I'm redoing Smokey with some upgrades this year, Now that I have the parts gathered up I can get started. I got into writing by combining two hobbies, being a wheeler for over 30 years, I wrote about what I liked. I started out writing for on-line magazines, 4x44u.com and 4x4tv.com, first print article was in Xtreme magazine, then I was contacted by Low-Range and wrote for them for a couple years, my last magazine article was last yr in JRations, I also do a couple columns here in my area for newspapers. I'm working on a article I am going to submit to Offroad Adventures. Bear

just started taking the flares off,I have the template made up for the new rear flares,got my 97' swap over parts together, now that nice weather is starting I can really get cracking on this. I have to work outside, and I don't do rain,lol, and it has been raining alot lately. I should be sending you a pm in the next week or 2 when I get all the flares off. Bear

Hi Guys, I'm am going to do the 97' front end conversion to my 87' MJ. I read on her that someone found fenders for 82.50 each. where can I find the vendor that sells them for that price and is there anywhere else I can look for the other parts at a good price? Also, do I really need the header panel to make the upgrade? hasn't someone on here done the conversion and didn't use the panel? I'll be ready to start gathering up the parts needed in about 2 weeks. does the headlights from the MJ work with this swap or do I have to buy separate ones? thanks in advance for your help. Bear

sorry Pete, will do, and thank you. this is a great site and I am happy to be associated with it. Bear

where can I find cheap fenders and things for the 97' front end conversion? I seen somewhere on here someone found them for 87. 50 for the fenders. thanks in advance. Bear

it's an 87' and I had checked the speedo cable and both ends are indeed secured. thats what threw me a curve. a week later the gauges went. Bear

I'm having problems with my elec . I lost all my gauges, including my speedo, which I thought was only hooked up with a cable. I think maybe the fuse box took a dump, but haven't done anything yet. Anybody have any experience with this problem and if you could pass it along to me, it would save me many headaches trying to figure it out ,but, could it give me more knowing it may be a nasty repair? lol, thanks to everyone in advance and this is really a great site, you guys have reinvigorated me to re-do mine, which it really needs, thanks again to everyone. Bear

nice Rig, I'm having problems with my elec as well. I lost all my gauges, including my speedo, which I thought was only hooked up with a cable. I think maybe the fuse box took a dump, but haven't done anything yet. Anybody have any experience with this problem and if you could pass it along to me, it would save me many headaches. thanks to everyone in advance and this is really a great site, you guys have reinvigorated me to re-do mine, which it really needs, thanks again to everyone. Bear

thanks Scott, it started out as my 500 dollar project. and I worked it into this stage. it still has all the stock drivetrain, except for the axle, new 4:56 cogs in them with a lockrite in the rear. it's a good little truck, and has been very reliable. Jeff: I did miss those and I don't care for haluski. lol. the others I do like. Bear

comanche addict. I like the look of the street locks, but the rings came that color, just happens that my XJ, the one that was totaled by a drunk, happened to be the color of the rings. MT has 4 colors that are anodized paint. so when I first done Smokey I used the XJ color on the bottom and the trucks original color up top. thanks for the props too. Bear

Wahoo, you mean to tell me that you don't like perogies? what about pa guch? or halupkis? they're all great stuff. they are old polish and slovak dishes. definition of each, perogies: see Mrs. T,lol, pa guch: sort of a enclosed pizza with mashed potatoes and 2 cheeses inside, and once baked and cut like pizza, it get covered in melted butter and onions, halupkis: also know around this area as " pigs in a blanket" hamburger,cooked rice,( and spices), wrapped in steamed cabbage leaves and then baked in a tomato sauce. all good stuff. yea, I know we are getting off topic, sorry. Bear

Hi Wahoo, thanks for the props. I like the look of the bushwackers too, but, for on the trail and in tight places where they get " tagged" they can't take the beating and break or crack. that's why I am going with some homemade steel flares that will also incorporate an area around each wheel well to strengthen those spots. as far as being a Steeler fan, my first season as a fan was in 1969 and I watched Chuck Knoll go 2 and 12 the first year, he was the coach. as far as my collection, as Sam,(big rubbers) put it, it's big and most is still in boxes until I get my addition completed. just a family room to house my hot tub, pool table, poker table, and all my Steeler stuff. take a moment and check out my 4x4 club www.bigrubbers4x4.org Bear

" Can we see a photo of where the snorkel and fender flare meet? " I had made a small mistake when I did the cutting. I made a straight cut on the flare and should have contoured it better, so I have a small gap that is not attractive. I had kept the section I cut out and was going to " plastic weld" it back, but now I am making steel fender flares that resemble a flat fender look and put them up for sale, and someone from the club here has already put in dibs on them. I could have done a better job of the cutting and am embarrassed to show a pic of it. Bear

nice project, I live near Johnstown, went to college at Indiana. Bear

a little background on "Smokey", I was buyinh a 94' WJ w/318 for a friend, and I got it for 2600.00 it was a good deal. while I was there this truck was sitting beside it and I asked the guy and he said he was sure about selling it, I offered him 500 for it and he said ok, so I did a package deal for 3100 for both. it ran, rough, but ti ran. I drove it home. it was an 87' silver, short bed. a friend had a body shop right across the st. from where I was living. my 93' xj, was already there, it was totaled by a drunk, from the rear. then we got started. I also had them put the initial lift on it while it was there. we swapped out the front end and doors of my xj to it, and then I found a set of freshly built axles 30/35 with 4:56 cogs and a lockrite in the 35, the 30 had a posi lok, I paid 200 for the pair. the lift was a rough country 4", one of my truck sponsors, I swapped over my RE, adj. trac bar and the 33" baja claws and MT street locks, another sponsor, called my friends at bushwacker, yes, another sponsor, and asked for a set of rear flares for a 2 door xj, they sent me a whole new set of 4. some minor body work was needed and done. then it was primered. before having it aligned, I didn't like the rake, so I added 2" pucks up front to level it out. the front had a new Warn winch bumper, sent to me from KnowWhereToJeep in Md. another sponsor. I then called an old friend Lisa Aho of Milemarker and she sent me out a mm8000 winch with a remote control, and yes, another sponsor. I paid my friend 1700 for the body work, paint work, lift install, and new axles installed. the end result was the first photo in this thread. since that build I added a Safari snorkel from my friends at Outten Co. Jeep and I worked a deal with a local tire co. yo put their logo on my windsheild for a year in exchange for a set of 35" BFG muds. those are the mods this truck has had to this point. now it 4 yrs later and I'm doing a freshen up re-build on it this year. which include- new metal fender flares, my design, new rear bumper, roll cage set up to carry the spare, both the hi-lifts I have, and the CO2 power tank, bucket seats and dash from my 95' xj along with the brake booster swap. those fuel injectors I read about here, along with the zj swaybar upgrade. I am also toying with the Idea of a 4 link for the rear and a long arm for up front. I have attended many 4x4 events over the years and with me being a writer, I have made many contacts, so some of the perks are I can pick up companies to sponsor me with their products, writing doesn't pay much so the items I get make up for it. other sponsors for my truck are KC Hi-Lites, Hi-Lift, both the 60" and xtreme jacks, CO2 power tanks, skid row skidplates, and Davy Jeeps. Davey. I was on my way to the 4x4 SEMA show in Indy in 06' and was stopping off at Salem Ohio, to do a story on the shop class there that built a rock crawler Jeep and competed in UROC, on the way there, my radiator went. the shop teacher was friends with Davey and arranged for them to hook me up with a new rad. and the kids done a "pit stop" on my truck. that was cool beans. ok, enough rambling, thanks for reading folks. Bear

Jeff, looking forward to meeting up with you, and Comanchee Kid, you are about 2 hours or so from where I live Bear

Jeff, I live in 42, just outside of Windber, the first pic was in my yard when I lived in Sinking Spring, the next 2 were taken at Rausch Creek offroad park, and the last one was out behind 42. lol, what's the LHHT? have u been to the top of the world? I grew up outside of Portage, Benscreek, and I have run those trails ever since I had a bike and then my yamaha 175. I'm sure you heard of our club Big Rubbers custom 4x4, do you know Sam Buchkovich III? I do a column for the Tribune Democrat, and recently done one on the club becoming a Boy Scout Charter and sponsoring a BSA Venture Crew. we recently secured some land out by Fluders to set up a trail network and then eventually a 4x4 park, we then went to Berwind Coal Co. and got the use of a few hundred more acres for our Venture Crew and the other Scout troops in our region to set up for rough camping, orienteering, and hiking trails. they won't allow us to use our rigs on their land, but it's perfect for the BSA and it adjoins our trail land. so that was sweet. yes, we def. need to hook up when you are in town, maybe join us on one of our monthly trail rides. Bear

the original color of the truck is the Silver, the blue came in from my XJ, as I used the front clip and doors off of it. yes, I'm a huge Steeler fan and have been getting ribbed the past few years for using these colors,lol, so I said when it came time to re-paint it will be the Steeler colors. as far as the bushwackers go, there is some trail rash on the driver set, a notch taken out for the snorkel, I still have the piece and it can be "plastic welded" back onto it, the rear on the drivers side has a crack in it, but not that bad, the passenger sides are ok. I'll be doing this in the next couple of months, so if you want them you have first dibs, and it looks like your are not too far away. I'll take 150 for the set. Bear

this was on the trails behind my house: Bear

yep, the bushwackers are gone once I get the new ones made up. I'm gonna use the same scheme for paint, just STEELER Gold over Black. and I'm going to paint the street locks black and add new trim rings with the Gold. Bear

Thanx guys, as it goes with everyone, it's never done. JustEmptyEveryPocket during the next paint job, I am not popping out the dents, they are all story tellers, lol, as I call it my Custom Body work courtesy of the Paragon,Rausch Creek, and Bad Lands Offroad parks. plus a few of the trails we have here in my backyard, just outside of Johnstown,Pa. Bear

I was there in 06' doing an article for Low Range, about the "Badlands Bash". So you have had the chance to meet Kyle and Stephanie? I have a photo somewhere, where this truck went up the steps backwards because I didn't have enough weight n the back to help the locker, I'd get so far and then just start smokin the tires. Bear

Yes, as you can see , I wheel it,lol Bear

this shot made it into the Low Range Magazine Bear