From the start, i want to introduce myself as a Jeep Comanche Owner, mud off-roader, and non-mecanicman but got some skills to forward, even FINISHED what i'm startin and what i (probably unconciously) aspire to. First, notice that i am Canadian from MTL city and usually speak french but tryin to communicate with you guys and girls around here with a common passion/hobby to 4wheelin and/or running the street into THE JEEP THING. So... verry sorry for the bad english.
I'm Stef, 39 yo, working as a pick-up truck driver for a world renown automotive parts brand since 2 year, that before was a full time musician/lead singer in an original studio recording and live perfoming hard rock band that was some kind of '' non-hard-handy-work'' environment due to do not broke my bone and f..+*d up the band's gig etc... But even since le last 3 years of the band, i have unfortunately meet THAT JEEP THING. I never broken my bones, even if on my first YJ have done several mecanic change, because i bought it for 300$, with a 2.5L busted.
The 3 years before that time, i was driven a BMW 325is 1987 that i had 4 copies at the same time. 1 was set as a top shape no.1 beauty 135,000Km, 2 set as a no.1 top shape 325,000Km winter beater, both identical '87 325is w same drive train except the 1rst have recarro interior, and had a 84 and 91 that donate to have the 2 plated for street no.1 top shape and clean cars.
So... My first '90 YJ without a running motor came in my life, and is like that ALL THE STORY OF MY LIFE BEGAN TO CHANGE.
I first Sent the carcass of 91 and 84 BMV's to recycling metal for 400$ and bought that 2.5L to run a Jeep for my first ride, without a top, and it was on march :doh: in the snow...
Absolutely funny, that i found, and begun to look at other's jeep, like the first time that a saw them of my entire life . 2 weeks later i had no more power steering and find that the steering box leak, then go to garage to fix it, and found a crack on the frame that already dangerous, so weld a plate the same time. A few more time later a look at my JEEP and see that the leef spring are turnd over by the end of their life..., there is my first long run (MTL-Alma, Alma-Mtl(( 1,000Km))) for lift kit at 300$ + 120 gas. Go to garage again... Nice to meet you, dear Jeep :waving: Loll. another 100Km to picking up my new rubber, dunlop radial 31" mid-life... Paint black and red, i kept it winter drive daily and giving him 3 winter to beat across and giving several mileage. That way, sell my 325is winter beater and bought a 1994 YJ that planned to be My hot summer Jeep thing!! 4.0L 4'' lifted, So hot that the BMV summer been sold, and meet my 1st off road alone in the wood with my wife by a way when i just bought a 2,500lbs winch and is in the back seat of the truck, packaged in its box... Wow...
Since this time, most of the week-end i'm going to trail... But, after my first season of offroading in the mud, i bought a tempo, and plan to do THE BIG JOB to my 94 YJ during the winter. 1rst, looking at the frame, find 1-2-3-4 MAJOR cracks , f..kin sh...t !
I sell that for 500$, and go to buy ONLY A FRAME, double plated from the front to the end, but... ONLY a frame. It has dana 30-35 4,10 ratio that i sell to buy a J20 in a scrap yard for 500$, 360amc T-18 and Dana300. It taken all my time, 8 months last, travel across quebec with my 2.5L for the top shape used part to built MY machine. It has 3 years now, that is my summer rider/trailer tow truck with no putty( or little few to glue that chekker plate) built up by only me and my wife, starting from nothing, named ... MY ANIMAL...
Jeep YJ 1989
AMC401ci (now)
Borg warner T-18 low gear
Dana300
Dana44 X 2, 4.09 ratio (scout 69)
4' susp+SOA+1''body= 10''lift
Swamper 36 on 15x10 offset, bushwaker 6''
Headman headers outside frame
But... that's not all... Last Year, i decided to trade my YJ 2.5 to a Comanche. Experienced 3 years of full offroad in a YJ, and last year, all summer long trailing with my MJ, that was lifted 6'', and i'd cut the body to fit MIL 11R16, and what A BIG F..KN BANG OF KIND OF LOVE FOR MY MJ, military mate black, 36'' military rubber on Patriot 99 16'' rims that i've cut the center hole to fit. Short box, and don't forget, when once a ruff trail that i had smashe the fuel tank, i'd strap it on the the bed.
Last winter, i had built a kinda monster jeep mud truck Buggy, Named... MONSTER BEE...
I bought a CJ-5 1969 Kaiser Jeep with short frame willy's time, a tub from a 71 and custom flat fenders by giving a GM 1977 K25 mecanic. Running at this time, only few small things left to do to make my show at some 4x4 events and having fun offroanding in the mud...
MONSTER BEE
CJ-5 1969
GM350 4 bolts main
Muncie SM465
NP205 divorced
GM14 bolts Dana60 ratio 4,10
4'' susp-SOA+3.5 body+39'' Mil= +/- 15'' lift
Hooker headers outside frame
Lot of fun...
Sorry if i take the long run to talk about what i'm doing right now...
At the end of last winter, i bought 2 others of tha MJ's, because mine had too much ''trail mark'' to run the streets and going off road, that's why i decide to make this one '' off road towing in the mud '', buy buying a modified CJ with amc360, to take all the drivetrain and putting it into my 1st MJ 6'' short arm lifted mate black with body full of hole, on 36 Mickey Thompson...
2nd is a MJ Long box, 6'' home made lift, with 4.0L HO taken from 99 Cherokee, AUTOMATIC, that i have to swap manual. Clean truck, new paint, ready for next winter.
3rd is a MJ 2x4, manual short box, that i've just finished to swap 4x4, with parts of an XJ manual that donate a-kit tranny manual for MJ 2nd and b-kit 4x4 for MJ 3rd. Are you always following me :hmm:
Sometimes i believe that it's me giving souls to my machines, when i ride or offroad in the mud with them, my wife holding the chics bar, i'm riding MY machines, but first, i didn't do that to be bigger than one, or hotter than other ones, but maybe, i think, to satisfy my creativity otherway than music to show off, intensive feels,expressing and having fun. Don't ask me if it's fun removing a coil springs front axl fixed since 25 years in the rust without broken anything, except my hand and my patience, but driving them... IT'S MY JEEP THING...
Thank you verry much, nice to meet you,
Stef.
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YJ 1989 AMC401-Summer ride/trailer tow
CJ-5 1969 GM350-Extreme mud trip/4x4 events/Mud drag
MJ 1988 4.0L-Mud offroading/Street legal
MJ 1989 4.0L HO-Winter daily
MJ 1987 AMC360-Offroad towing/Street legal
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