neohic

Few more pictures form last weekend. People love pictures...

A month?! EEK! I start getting itchy after a couple days of not being around here! :nuts:

What ever happened to ol' Russel, BJ? :dunno:

Still watching this and still very interested. :thumbsup:

Yup... it's still around but probably not for long. We've been planning on moving out west and it'd be one less hassle to move out there. I'll strip all the good stuff off of it before it goes though. I'm not giving up on the project... just this chassis.

5.9 MJ SWAP :redX:

Glad to see you've fallen off the wagon, sir! Welcome back. :cheers:

Yet another struggle of a wheelin' weekend! The Ape? Well, the Ape did just fine... stuck a few times that ended up needing some help to get out, but nothing to fix afterwards anyhow. The issues came from a few unfortunate events of others on the trail, and a bunch from a member of our group. Everything started off great though! I've never been to Dresser, WI before and I'm very happy that we did. It's so different from the park up at Gilbert that I'm used to! Up there it's rocks and individual trails bound together by a series of core trails. In Dresser, you've got the options of four trails that three of which start and finish in the exact same spot. There are tons of obstacles along the way, but there's a bypass for each one. If you wanted to make it really easy on yourself, you could consider it a nice drive through the woods. It's very interesting to see the variety of vehicles too. Anything from stock (albeit beat to hell) XJs and ZJs all the way up to rock bouncers and other such tube creations. Didn't seem to matter the size though. There was plenty of calamity to be found and some of it came full circle in return. Giveth to the trail, and the trail giveth back. The trip started with the typical loading up gear and getting things together. I spent the morning doing some grocery shopping and running around town. For whatever reason, I looked down at the gauges and saw this... ... no real significance, just found it interesting. The Jeep was all set and I waited for the wifey to get home. Friday was pretty much an hour and a half drive followed up with a campfire and libations. Scheduling didn't work out to get in any wheeling as we didn't leave home until later in the afternoon, but all was not lost. We made the drive to our halfway point to a cabin belonging to a member in the group. Super nice place! We had some dinner, sat around the fire, and a mild amount of liquid enjoyment was had. In the morning, the air had this beautiful freshness to it... sure felt like the start of a great day! We had another hour and a half drive to Dresser from the cabin. Just one long road in front of us and the drive was perfect. Not much for wind and the trees were changing colors for fall. Our destination was found and what was waiting for us was very intimidating... people! So many people!!! Didn't matter what direction you looked, there were little clumps of campers and trailers everywhere! See, we showed up for an annual event held by a local club. The thing of it is though is that for how many people were there, there's very little information to be found on the simple things like camping or registration. We show up, start asking questions, and there really isn't any kind of structure. They pretty much just want people to show up and have a good time. Camp was pitched, tires were aired down, doors were removed, and away we went. Not even five minutes into the first trail and there was this huge quad cab Dakota on the side and the driver asking everyone who passed by if they had any air. And it starts! We pull over and I unload my CO2 tank. His tire is filled and everyone is on their way again. Couple hill climbs later, and it was my turn to get in a bind. I loved it though! I FINALLY got to use my winch!!! I've had it for eight years or so, it's been hung on the front of three Jeeps now, and this was the first time I got to use it for extraction! So? Start pulling cable! That was fun, but there's more to it. Last weekend, I took the time to make up what over landers call a "sand ladder". There's been a season long running joke in our wheeling group about ramps and when it's proper to use them. I took it upon myself to make up a really nice modular setup, but then I took it a step further by painting them bright yellow just in case someone were to be caught using them in a picture they would just scream, "LOOK AT ME!!! I'M YELLOW!!!" Well... I was sadly the first to use them. Yup... pulling cable AND using a trail aid. It was from that point on that I decided that I'd own up to it. After all, it was all gear contained in my rig that got me through! We continued on and saw some more rigs that made the three of our Jeeps just look small. Then came the first of our problems. Wait for it... ... wait for it!... Now! There was some mild binding in the wheel, but everything seemed to be solid enough to keep going with it as-is. So we did! ... and... here comes chaos! $#!&! Time for fixing again... At this point a fellow trail rider was passing by to be yet another person standing around to watch. But he had a rag to double as an impromptu axle seal! See? The trail giveth back! The Jurassic Jeep was back up and running with three wheel drive. A quick half hour later and we were back in action! ... until?... a dead battery holding up the line. And then we were back in action!... again! That was Saturday on the trail. Back to camp... ... for some more creative ingenuity this time in the form of a bench... ... and then a found rack for cooking dinner... We sat around the fire and watched the night wheelers come and go from the trails. Seemed to be plenty of activity even after dark! This morning was spent swapping the rag stuffed axle tube with a spare shaft and bending around the drag link... even if it ended up getting bent back somewhat after a short while. ... he actually got a little ambitious there and ended up backing down to try a different line. I've said it a bunch of times in the past, but this little Jeep flies so far under the radar when it comes to the ability to get it done. Just like a little, red billy goat! The guy in the Jurassic Jeep and I were admittedly waiting all weekend to see him get stuck and it just wouldn't happen. Very capable. I haven't mentioned anymore trail issues for a bit, so I'm sure that I'm due. We had one trail that we planned on doing today and it was cut a bit short in the form of a dead alternator. We didn't have much time left for being inventive, so we had to make every situation count! Why keep a foot on the gas to charge a battery when there's all these perfectly shaped rocks around?! He was running again and then just cannonballed it back to camp. We hit a few more obstacles on our way out of the trail, but the drive home was making me a little gun shy. Still found a few rocks to sit on though. On our way back to camp I passed what was left of a Comanche, so this post is now relevant. Same as most wheeling trips, there weren't a while lot of pictures taken of actual wheeling, but we all had a great time and there's always a good story. We helped out a few people, we had some trail fixes, and everybody made their way home safely. Dirty... but safely. The Ape made the three hour drive back home and it got a much deserved hose down. I can't imagine Dresser after a bunch of rain! There was definitely more mud and sloppy stuff than I usually like, but it all comes down to the whole "when in Rome" thing. As for the interior... well... let's just say that the tube doors might not have been a wise choice for soft sand and flying clumps of mud. I must've brought half the freakin' park back with me! At the very least, it should be easier to get around next then, right? Hopefully more pictures to come.

:ack: Pictures like that sure get me thinking. I'd love the opportunity to take one of these rusty beauties, cut away all the ugly, and build a full frame for it. Kind of a bucket list project though... you know, just to give me something to do.

Count it up, gang! It's October again and that means that 2015 is 3/4 over. The leaves are changing in my area already. Hell... give it a few weeks and there'll probably be snow on the ground. You know what's awesome though? Year... round... awesome... MJs. We're chock full of them around here, have you noticed?! Sometimes they're right up front and center. Other times you need to dig around a little bit. Here's one! Time to temporarily stop digging and just sit back and enjoy... YEAR/MODEL ● 91 pioneer 4x4 conversion ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ● 4.0/4hole Bosch injectors K&N CAI FM 50 muffler DRIVETRAIN ● (96xj) AW4.231 (99xj) HP.D30 4.10s TrueTrac (89mj) D35 4.10s Front xj driveshaft Tom Woods rear driveshaft (Have MJ D44, saving $ for regear and TrueTrac) COOLING ● CSF 3row Rad HB's 97+ duel Efan upgrade Heater control valve delete with 97+ heater hoses Full -6AN plumbed trans cooler. ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ● Optima blue top 136a alternator Complete 2 gauge connection upgrade SUSPENSION/STEERING ● Front- RE 3.5" springs, RE Adj. Trac bar, sway bar disconnects, Bilstein 5100s Rear-HC 3" springs, Bilstein 5125s Steering- Stock INTERIOR ● Rhino lined floorboards Dynamat whole cab Mass backing carpet 97+ weatherstripping Had buckets from 88 Laredo reupholstered and installed looked very sexy very comfy! Well wife hated them she couldn't ride with me and my son. So got the bench reupholstered and back in it went. Erumatec Bpillar LEDs Sony BT head unit New kicker speakers front and rear 15% window tint BRAKES ● 95-96 Dual Booster upgrade Bypassed height load valve in rear LIGHTING ● Headlight harness upgrade EXTERIOR ● Stock WHEELS/TIRES ● 2014 Rubicon wheels and tires 255/75/17's Spidertrax 1.25" 5x5 adapters MISCELLANEOUS ● Boostwerks 231 shift linkage (great product) HB's semi-permanent fuel pressure gauge (one of my favorites) Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ● Honestly way too many too list where do I start, my dad has owned an 88 since I was a kid. Just a few milestones in an MJ, driving test, first truck, first date, and many more, but memory's riding around with my dad would probably stand out the most. CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ● Very knowledgeable core group of guys that insists on this being the best forum on the web! I would also like to add that I appreciate you guys for all the help and inspiration that you have given me to get out and work on the manche! ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● I am admittedly a sucker for a clean, white Comanche. This is pretty much the definition of clean! Very nice truck, sir, and thanks for building it the way it is. Congratulations and enjoy your month! -Ben This post has been promoted to an article

We picked up a 2007 Ford Focus in February of last year. When looking for one of these, always be looking for the dual cam engines. Ours is a four door hatch back, four cylinder, automatic, and gray. Zippy little car and does great for mileage. Otherwise, it might as well have a big bar code on the side and a label that just says "car". Nothing really fancy about. Perfect car for my wife and I though! It gives me no reason to do anything with it but maintain it and drive it.

Not sure. My neighbor gave it to me...... Stock TJ bumper.

Here we go again, folks! The season is winding down but I've got at least one more trip planned for the year. October 2-4th we're bound for Dresser, WI. After the first trip, there was a laundry list of things to fix. The second was slightly less. Last trip needed nothing. What to do now?... maintenance that's been pushed aside in favor of trail upgrades. The headlights on this thing are just about on par with a couple of birthday candles. The wiring to them looks okay, but a Putco harness is on the to-do list. While looking into that, the battery cables and grounds were freshened up significantly. New headlights also made the list this time... more so because I dropped one and I couldn't stand to just replace one. The results were great! Before... After... Then I got thinking about backing up in the dark and how great it was having the additional light on the roll bar of my Eliminator. That found a new home since it got the boot from the truck, and the remaining four lights also found a new home... since I was there, anyhow. Not a huge fan of them but we'll see how long it takes to knock one of them off. Until then, I'll enjoy the added light for the next time I roll into camp way late after a catastrophic failure. :D

:dunno: 3.5"-4"? I don't think I've ever really measured it. I think the springs in the front of mine are old Skyjacker coils, but I got them used so who knows. I also have two spring insulators in there too because of when I had a heavy park bench of a front bumper hanging off of it. Now that it's gone, I'd really like to take one of them so it'll bring it down a half inch or so. The rears are aftermarket Metric Ton leafs along with a taller shackle.

Mmm... I think red looks great, but I'm a little bias.

There's just something special about a red and black MJ. :thumbsup:

Nothing really to report. I took the truck for a couple hundred mile drive today. Haven't done that in a while... it was due.

Not much to see, really. Fiberglass leaf springs, XJ shackles, obsolete aftermarket sway bar, and a lowering block in the rear. Custom spun coils and another obsolete aftermarket sway bar in the front. Since we're here, Mark German is still the owner of this truck as far as I know. Restorations are still underway.

^ I've got the privilege of seeing a prime example of both of these cars in my area. :drool: Looked over both of them at the local car show this year and found that the Grand National is a one owner car with under 50k miles. :eek: The DMC 12 isn't really anything all that special other than the fact that it is what it is... and the license plate is "DOCBRWN". :laughin:

It's amazing how fast one of these little plastic cars can go from a pile of steel and fiberglass to a car-looking thing. This afternoon I got back to tapping those holes. Lots of oil... brand new and sharp tap... no problems today. That allowed me to completely fasten down the body. First time I've even been able to do that! Must of the fiberglass still needs to relax to the point of being completely tight to the chassis, but it's a start. It's been outside for a few sunny days, but it's really due now. The lights went on along with the windshield. Funny thing about that... I always knew that I had the windshield installed backwards looking back at old pictures, so I tried to put it on the correct way with the channel around the glass facing forward. Wouldn't you know it... it wouldn't go on. The seal at the bottom of the windshield was also backwards and the mounting holes didn't line up. Whoever put together the windshield in the first place put it together all wrong. Granted, I like how it looks with the windshield installed backwards, but it'll sure make it difficult when it comes time to figure out a top. The tape is still there waiting for me to figure out what I want to do with the rear body lines. Of the few pictures I've found of other bodies like mine, they just don't look right. I'm not a fan of cutting up a buggy body, but this one has really been around the block a few times already. The suspension kind of bugs me too. Not sure if I should raise the rear or to lower the front. Once the metal work is done I should have a better idea of where the weight will be sitting in the car. I had the wife come out and take a few angles with me in the car too. This let me play around with lines and different angles for the future cage. Kind of difficult though... I'm tall and I don't want the car to look too cartoonish. Here's what I'm thinking on that... Yup... not a whole lot one can do to jazz up the lines of a cage in a buggy when wanting to keep things somewhat simple. She snapped one last picture that I couldn't help but compare to 2004.

I'm a sucker for the '68-'72 GM pickups. You have very good taste in trucks, sir. :rock on:

Snow blowers are easy to work with. I just sold my walk behind in favor of a blower on my Craftsman LTX1000. Needed to cut off and make a few brackets, but it all works great. Main thing is to find out what the attachment was originally designed to work with, horsepower of the unit, and RPM of the output pulley. It really comes down to cost though. Sure I could've picked up a brand new one for $1400 and then get the adapter brackets to put it on my tractor, but for the $60 I have invested, I've got no problem doing some research.

That's a handsome machine. :thumbsup: I remember my grandpa had one just like that years ago. He was always that guy in the neighborhood with the perfect yard and he always used JD tractors. Me?... I'd pave my entire yard and paint it green if I could. Still, a reliable mower is a must and it might as well have everything work properly. Did you get any other attachments with it?

Cheap fun: I really want to break the rules and say a Caddy, but I think I'd enjoy an original MK1 Rabbit just the same. Prettiest: I give you the Frankfurt Flyer. This is actually a very cool story... there's this guy (who's actually local to me) that has a an obsession with classic Porsches and Volkswagens to the point that he creates these self propelled art masterpieces. Hand shaped to a wooden buck, formed over a tree stump, and assembled with utmost care. The details are amazing and this guy will actually build you one... for a price. Money no object DD: KDF type 87 Kommandeurwagen. Super rare... four wheel drive... yet another VW.

Yeah... we're going to need a build thread on this one. :thumbsup: