Project Woodsmen

[Waytec]

So I have never done a intro. Been asking lots of questions but never said hello formally.

I My name is Aaron and go by Waytec all websites and I have a Jeep problem . My wife and I are in Red Deer, Alberta via Calgary for 2 years and originally from small farming town just outside of Kingston, Ontario. I am a heavy Equipment Mechanic working for the Caterpillar Dealer in Alberta at the Major Overhaul facility, we basically rebuild the big mining equipment from all over Alberta.

I still remember seeing my first Mj in high school, It was many, many years until I had my own. now I have two.

So I got my First Comanche a year and a half ago from a friend. a 1990 Eliminator, that he bought and then changed him mind. I right away became my DD because my XJ was heading for not a good DD anymore.

The original plane was that it was going to swap engines to a much lower KM one and restore it. well out of the blue I picked up a 88 2x4 Mj with a blown 2.5L but a mint body so I picked it up for the coast of the tow bill and brought it to storage, I then picked up a 89 XJ for harnesses, interior parts, and 4wd parts. so once my very broken Xj is out of the garage I will be moving the Mj in and starting a long (2 years ) build into a Overlanding truck. Code named Woodsmen.

 

So here she be in all her diamond in the rough glory. I picked this up from a friend that I am thinking is kicking himself for selling it to me, but it is in good hands.

It is my dally driver and parts getter.

Her earning her keep. 33x12.5.15s for the XJ

I moved the topper from the 88 to my 90 DD

 

I pick up from Ron a MJ front bush guard. I did some research and found that they were only available for the MJs and not to many where sold due to they where twice the cost of a XJ one, therefore most ordered the XJ one.

When I pulled the bumper off to put the tow hook/bush guard brackets on I found that the bumper brackets and supports where all bent so straitening was required.

 

I have always had a radial from the front end and found that the vacuum canister has broken free of the mount on the bumper. I zip-tied it up in place. the splash guard was always falling down and I put it back up at least a dozen times so off it came.

I also trimmed the flares to match the body lines sine the plastic that goes along the bottom of the bumper is now gone as well.

 

all mounted with front hooks and guard

 

Back to the problem thing you have to love these thing in order to do the work. I bought the 90 for $300 and have now put 5 times that into parts and some outside labour fixing and up keep. It has also been decided that I am going to rebuild this one completely for our 8 year old god son for his 17th birthday. I should have enough time

[btm24]

Cool ttuck man :cheers: i love Them mj brush gaurds to I can't beleve you found one! I will be waiting for this build to take off :popcorn:

 

Brandon

[89eliminator]

i like eliminator's

[neohic]

^Agreed.

[Waytec]

I'm back.

Long story short, sold all my MJs and stuff to build one. My buddy bout the actual MJ and once he got it home his misses changed her mind and it came back to me after 2 months. I did miss her.

So today I started the project for a second time. :wrench: I removed the bumper and everything underneath to change the box with the parts truck I picked up. Excepted for the four front bolts and the fuel tank straps. I need to pick up some penetrating fluid tomorrow and soak them down a couple times first.

 

I still need to drag the parts donor back from where I got it. One it is in the yard I will be posting pics of it. the box is good only two rust spots about the size of a toonie. the cab corners are 90% and the hood and front quarters are in perfict

shape.

I changed up the radio from a vintage 1990 aftermarket tape deck.

The bumper and most everything ells off.

 

Now I need to do build a bumper and am thinking of starting with a piece of 2x6 and shape it the way I like. To mount it I am thinking of reusing the old bumper mounts but just reinforcing them and shortening them. has anyone done this? If not what are the cool kids doing to mount the bumpers.

[Waytec]

Some slow but steady progress. Summer has been just so busy.

I removed the box and traded the frame to POR 15.

 

I got my parts truck home and dismantled. the new front panels are on this truck.

 

I had an issue with the inner fenders pulled off the week @$$ nuts that are all rusted up. after some thinking the light build went off and this is what I came up with.

 

They are just push on with some teeth that hold them in place I can cut them off needed later.

 

well I have been having trouble with my hood release. The cable is seizing up. I have lubed and freed it up a couple times so instead of changing or fighting with it agene I went with a $10 option.

[Waytec]

I got the new box off the parts truck and on this one. I treated the underside to POR 15 and the top of the fuel tank because it was covered in surface rust and allot of road dirt sits up there.

 

 

next order of business was a new rear bumper and it is hit proof, bomb proof, and zombie proof.

 

I don't have a plasma cuter and nor the greatest at welding I called up a buddy Dana that has mad skills. Dana working on it.

 

 

To make it zombie proof we put lots of support.

 

To get around the shape of the frame, we cut up the old stock mounts and used them as spacers to get the right spacing. the mounts started as 6" 3/16 flat bar and it then was cut into shape buy keep cutting until it fit. I used a piece of 5x2 3/16wall

More POR 15. this stuff lays down so nice it look like the bumper was powder coated.

 

 

the only issue is my dumb @$$ didn't measure right and took some numbers from the sites saying the bumper is to be 60 inches long. outside edge to outside edge of the MJ is about 64 to 66 inches. so it is a little on the inside of the sheet medal but I am ok with this because I can do some pipe bending later make something if I want to.

 

All mounted up.

 

Next Rack on Toper for Canoe.