Project Comoche (Ca-moe-chee)

[BryGuy]

Empty Post

[Blue88Comanche]

i think the time stamp on the are wrong? sept. 31st? :???:

 

good luck on your build! :thumbsup:

[BryGuy]

i think the time stamp on the are wrong? sept. 31st? :???:

:peek: Fixed....thx

[Blue88Comanche]

:thumbsup:

[BryGuy]

Day 4

 

Today was pretty productive. I visited the "Heep" and pulled a few goodies from it's rust riddled bones:

• - Headlights and Side lamps
  - Alternator
  - Distributor
  - Coolant Over-Flow Jug, Windshield Washer Jug,
  - Windshield Trim, Badging,
  - Misc Stuff: Relays, Hose Clamps, Hood Striker Latches, Oil Dip Stick, 2 Jeep Centre Wheel Caps, Horn

 

Later on the Donor Vehicle arrived (Pic & slideshow in above post) via tow truck and I didn't waste any time getting to work. I removed the centre console, 3/4's of the front dash, the inside panel of the drivers side door and most of inside panel of the passenger side door. I would've finished the passenger side door, but some fool used some kind of glue to seal the door control connector together. I'm probably gonna have to carefully Exacto knife it to get it apart.

 

As many of you know Haynes manuals are great to a point.... but leave out little important tid bits. I found an amazing write-up by a member of Cherokeeforum.com which is located HERE. Tons of useful pics and info.

 

Unfortunately I wasn't able to take any pics since it was dark when I started the tear down. I'll snap some pics tomorrow.

 

Post Purchases

 

Misc.

- $50.00 For Towing

- +$.63 Found Under Centre Console :banana:

 

Build Total

Parts = $1050.00

Tools = $27.29

Misc. = $49.37

[BryGuy]

Day 5

 

Not a whole lot to update. I didn't have the patience to carefully remove the glue off the door control connector, so I figured I'd leave it for another day. I finished removing the dash and piled up the parts.... and then I started researching the engine/tranny/xfercase swap....... soooo much to learn.

 

Here's a few pics:

 

Surgery tomorrow and one handed updates to follow :waving:

[BryGuy]

Day 9

 

Not a whole lot to report. Surgery went well. I'll have a cast on for awhile. I was browsing the local classifieds yesterday and I scored a 2 Ton Engine Hoist with quick remove legs for $100.00 and it's brand new.

 

I'm hoping to start the engine removal process tomorrow..... we'll see how things go.

 

Post Purchases

 

Tools

- $100.00 Engine Hoist

 

Build Total

Parts = $1050.00

Tools = $127.29

Misc. = $49.37

[BryGuy]

Day 10-13

 

Look what arrived in the mail today:

 

I bought these decals off ebay the day I purchased the Comanche. The raised lettering on the tailgate is one on my favourite features of the MJ, and I love the look of the black decals.

 

I purchased these from prop_kulture for $19.95 + 4.95 Shipping, for a total of $26.32 Canadian (after conversion). I'm sure most of you out there made excited Jeep item purchases.... well this was one of them. I should've asked for cheaper shipping since the seller was also in Canada (which is almost never the case). I also won't even need these for a long time since decals are typically the very last detail in a build. On top of that, if I had been a little more patient I could've purchased them from www.jeepsticker.com and saved myself $2.95 or $1.95 for the reflective ones...... not really a big deal, but saving is saving. His prices also include shipping for those of you south of the border.

 

On a good note, it could've been a $1000.00 bumper :brows:

 

Over the last 3 days I've been making extremely slow, but steady progress with engine teardown. It's not easy doing it one handed, especially when it's your wrong hand. The weather hasn't exactly co-operated either.

 

Here's what I've accomplished:

• - removed front bumper (took forever with one hand and no power tools)
  - drained and removed rad, auto trans cooler & overflow container
  - removed battery
  - removed washer fluid bottle
  - disconnected most of the hoses, lines and electrical

 

Teardown in Progress

 

Looks Like I Need Another Compressor

 

Post Purchases

 

Parts

- $26.32 Tailgate "Jeep" Decals

 

Build Total

Parts = $1076.32

Tools = $127.29

Misc. = $49.37

[Blue88Comanche]

i have the reflective ones :yes:

 

 

[BryGuy]

i have the reflective ones :yes:

 

I have to admit..... I love the reflective aspect. I might just sell mine off and order the reflective ones when the time comes :brows:

[BryGuy]

Day 14

 

Today started off all wrong. I was getting into my work clothes (stored in the garage) and I felt a metal sliver jabbing me on my good arm near my elbow. As it turns out, the metal sliver was actually a pissed off Wasp.

Note to self: Shake out work clothes before putting them on :doh:

 

I made good progress on the engine bay. I finally removed the wiring harness and pulled out the heater core. I removed the wipers, wiper motor, overhead console, rear tail lights, rear speaker panel and some other odds and ends.

 

Pics will be posted here tomorrow.

 

Last night I posted a 4sale thread on http://www.nova4x4.com (Newfoundland Offroad Vehicle Association) and my inbox has since flooded with parts requests. It looks like the donor vehicle is going to pay for itself, with a bit leftover...... and a ton of parts for the Comanche.

 

In other news, our storage shed (8'x8'x10') will be going up starting on the 4th of November. This will allow me to move a lot of stuff out of my small garage to make room for my Comanche. If all goes well, the Donor should be done with & hauled away for scrap by the 28th. That will give me a few days to clear/clean up, and tear a few more odds and ends off the Heep, before I have it towed for scrap as well. After the Heep is gone the Comanche will finally be towed here.

 

That's when the fun finally begins, and I find out what my $700 really bought me.

[s10eater]

**not trying to take over this thread** bryguy contacted me on jeepforum and asked me for some pics of my MJ so here you go.

 

some kinda hood pics like you wanted.

 

 

and some pics of the truck.

and check out the street sign on this last one!

 

i hope these are what you are looking for bry.

i don't really have any super recent ones. she has been parked for a little while because the insurance out here wants to put an immobilizer in her (apparently shes a most at risk vehicle for theft) and I'm just not really keep on the idea.

 

if you have any other questions just find me on JF again.

[ejndssn]

:hmm: quick question did you check for clutch fluid level there could be a few other reasons why it won't got into gear, like master cylinder is gone, another would be a rupture line. you may have done the priliminary look see and rule these things out :dunno: just an :idea:

[BryGuy]

:hmm: quick question did you check for clutch fluid level there could be a few other reasons why it won't got into gear, like master cylinder is gone, another would be a rupture line. you may have done the priliminary look see and rule these things out :dunno: just an :idea:

 

Actually I wasn't too concerned about what was causing the problem as I'm swapping out the whole drivetrain anyways, but I appreciate the suggestions.

[Naterenfo1]

Great build so far! really clean and easy to read!

 

I also really really like the camouflage, Keep it!!! I saw you wanted to switch it over to JD green, but I think it looks great the way it is!

 

Good luck on the build!

[BryGuy]

Day 34

 

Well it's been awhile since I last reported in, but not a whole lot has happened:

• - I finished stripping the parts vehicle and had what's left of it towed away for scrap.... which I was paid a measly $25.00 for.
  - I sold a few parts of the Donor for $40.00 and found another .38 cents under the seats.
  - I also found a $5 off coupon for my previously purchased Haynes manual which the store was cool enough to refund me for (if they didn't I was just going to buy another one with the coupon and return it with the old receipt..... score another $5 deduction.

That's -$65.00 from the parts total, -$5.00 from the tools total, and -$0.38 from the Misc Total... not bad. My windfall didn't last too long....

 

Paint & Cleaning Stuff 4 Interior

 

Pitman Arm Puller, Silicone Spray, Thread Lock & Retractable Magnet w Light (.99 cents)

 

Twist Socket Nut Extractors

 

I picked up the Nut Extractors from Princess Auto (Canada's answer to Harbor Freight), which came in handy removing some REALLY stubborn bolts on the Donor. Other purchases not pictured are 2 20 pack's of cutting discs (really good sale), a 4' blow gun extension (will use in a later post), 20' of Chain for engine hoist,

 

All told I blew $217.96 ......YIKES :ack:

 

I also received something the other day in the mail:

 

Tailgate Handle

 

To Replace This

 

I ordered this from Tennessee Auto Sales on Ebay. It's a Tailgate Handle for a 82-93 Chevy S-10 S10 Pickup Truck; cost $31.74 shipped to my door..... hoping it's the right one.

 

Build Changes

 

After much research, I've ruled out doing a 4.7L Stroker and have now decided to go with a 96+ 350 , 5.7 Vortec engine with a 4L80 Auto transmission. In the end the 350 swap should cost less, and from the various V8 MJ's I've seen have been very impressive.

 

I emailed Novak Adapters and asked them a few questions and a very helpful guy named Ryan emailed me back less than 24hrs later. He asked me a few additional questions and after sending him the answers I received another message about 15mins later. You've gotta love a business that takes email seriously. Their site is really helpful and chalked full of information. I still have some additional research to do on this swap, but I'm definitely not doing the stroker.

 

Another aspect I plan to change is the paint colour (I know.... I'm sooooo far from that stage). I was going with John Deere Green, but after about 10+ emails to various John Deere dealers and their main website, I only have 1 response (from the main website) which basically referred me to their FAQ page..... which didn't even answer the question I asked. There's 2 reasons I chose John Deere Green: 1. Love the colour. 2. I wanted to use implement paint which is know for it's durability. Since John Deere didn't seem to want the business I contacted Kabota to inquire about their Kabota Orange paint...... I heard from them the next day. Score 1 for Kabota.

 

I've also decided not to shorten the wheelbase (at least for now) and I'm not sure about bobbing the tail..... we'll see.

 

Yesterday I took a trip back to the Heep and pulled a few more interior parts out before I had it towed away for scrap. This time I made $50.00 since it was far more complete than the Donor.

 

Today I woke up early, put together my new 5.5' x 8' Shed, loaded it up with stuff from my garage, and cleaned up the remainder of the garage in preparation for the long anticipated arrival of my Comoche.

 

They were supposed to show up tonight with my Comanche ($50.00 for Tow), but they failed to show. Odds are it'll arrive in the morning. After it arrives the real fun begins..... stay tuned.

 

Post Purchases

 

Parts

- $31.76 Tailgate Handle

- +$115.00 for Parts Sold, and Scrap Metal

 

Tools

- $217.96 Pile of tools & Supplies

- +$5.00 for Haynes Coupon

 

Misc.

- $50.00 for Towing

- +$.38 Found Under Centre Console :banana:

 

Build Total

Parts = $966.76

Tools = $340.25

Misc. = $98.99

[BryGuy]

Great build so far! really clean and easy to read!

 

I also really really like the camouflage, Keep it!!! I saw you wanted to switch it over to JD green, but I think it looks great the way it is!

 

Good luck on the build!

 

First off, thanks for the compliment. As for the camouflage paint the PO did a great job, it's just not my style.... at all :ack:

[BryGuy]

Day 36-40

 

She's finally home & in my tiny garage

 

The tow truck was supposed to arrive in the morning, and was delayed until the afternoon, which was delayed until after super, and they never showed. I woke up in the morning and was about to get their number when my misses said "your Jeep's sitting out on the road". I'm not sure if they showed up really late the night before, or really early that morning..... at least it arrived. I wouldn't use these guys if I was stuck somewhere and needed a tow, but for a $50 beater tow I don't care if they're late by a day or two..... as long as it makes it in one piece.

 

SURPRISE

 

So I pop the hood for the first time and I was surprised to find a 4.0L instead of the 2.5L the previous owner said it had. Really the only difference it makes to me is that I might actually be able to sell it, where as the 2.5L would make a better boat anchor. I'm sure some of you are saying "You didn't pop the hood before you bought it?"..... I know it sounds crazy, but there's only 2 other MJ's in Newfoundland that I'm aware of and this was the only one 4sale.

 

Here's what I've accomplished since the last post:

• 
  - removed the hood, doors, front grille, radiator, engine wiring harness, brake booster & cylinder, cowl, wipers & motor, and whatever that grille is called on the pillar
  - removed the seats, center console, dash, heater assembly & blower, pedals & brackets, sun visors, and some of the interior trim
  - removed the front & rear bumper, and that fugly light bar off the bed
  - unbolted the bed and emergency brake bracket
  - removed 1/2 bolts from the front quarter panels

 

Removing the doors was a PITA to say the least. I had problems removing the doors off the donor only a few weeks ago, and I posted HERE looking for help. In the end, I took a sawzall to the door hinges since I the donor vehicle was going to the dump anyways..... which sped up the process considerably. Unfortunately I didn't have that luxury this time since I need to reuse these hinges.

 

My tiny garage wouldn't allow for the doors to open fully so I had to move the vehicles off the driveway and roll it out of the garage. It wasn't very warm at all, but at least it wasn't snowing.

 

I ended up using a torx socket with a 10mm wrench over the bit.... along with a pretty big cheater bar. The bolts were coated by the past paint job, so I had to cut around each bolt with a exacto knife. In the end it took about 90mins and a ton of cursing to get the doors off, but the good news is that I managed to do it without stripping any of the bolts.

 

While I had it outside I decided to tackle the bed removal.

 

Finding the bed bolts was easy thanks to the following diagram that a fellow CC member posted (can't remember who):

 

Look what I found at the first bed bracket:

 

Believe it or not that was all that was left of the bracket. Fortunately only the one bed bracket looked like this, although I won't know the extent of the rust to the frame and other brackets until the bed is off. It wasn't until I removed the bed bolts that I realized that both the e-brake bracket and gas tank needed to be removed before the bed could come off. It was starting to get dark, and it was pretty cold and windy, so I decided to call it quits and push her back into the garage.

 

When it came time to unbolt the seats, here's what I found:

 

One bolt was missing, and out of the other 3 bolts only 1 of them came out. The other 2 just turned without coming out. I used a pry-bar to pull the other 2 bolts out of the floor. I thought the seats were in great shape, but now that I've unbolted them.... not so much. The drivers side bracket is toast, they don't tilt forward and the drivers side seat has a huge rip in the back. I guess this gives me a reason to buy some fancy aftermarket seats.... I just have to figure out how to mount them.

 

With this much rust damage on the seat sliders I can only imagine the decay I'm going to find under the vinyl :ack:

 

I also had 2 more deliveries arrive in the mail:

 

Book - "Rebuilding The Small Block Chevy"

 

I purchased this through Chapters for $27.62 shipped to my door. ISBN - 10 Digit: 1932494219, ISBN - 13 Digit: 9781932494211. I haven't read much yet, but after a quick flip through it's very detailed and well layed out. It's 159 pages, has over 650 photos and It also comes with a 2hr DVD.

 

Battery Terminals

 

I bought these off ebay. I've been searching for this type of battery terminal locally and could locate any. Most vendors on ebay charged $10 for a pair plus shipping and I managed to get 2 pair, with shipping for $20.65 which isn't bad at all. I might even sell the second set to recoup some of the cost.

 

Build Changes

 

Last week I said I was thinking of not bobbing the bed.... well after I found out just how limited space is in the garage, it's back on the table. My primary reason for wanting to bob the bed is for a better departure angle when offroading..... extra garage space is just a bonus. I've also added the 4L80 transmission to build, as that's what's typically behind the Chevy 350 in the vehicles that I'm searching for. Sometimes the trans is actually a 4L60, which doesn't have overdrive, but in the end it just depends on the deal I get on the vehicle. As for the engine, I'm considering broadening the year range to include the TBI versions of the 350 from 1992 to 1995. Finding a 350 here isn't as easy as elsewhere in the Country due to the provinces low population, so expanding my options will help.

 

Here's some additional pictures of the tear down from this week:

 

 

Oh yeah.... I almost forgot; I hauled in $6.54 in change from behind the dash, and under the seats/centre console :banana:

 

Post Purchases

 

Parts

- $20.65 Battery Terminals

 

Tools

- $27.62 Chevy 350 Book

 

Misc.

- +$6.54 Found behind the dash & under the center console/seats

 

Build Total

Parts = $987.41

Tools = $367.87

Misc. = $92.45

[BryGuy]

Day 42

 

Well I managed to remove everything from the interior and finally pulled up the vinyl floor and padding. The passengers side padding was soaked due to the fact that the small triangle window was missing and the vehicle was sitting outside for god knows how long before I bought it. It was also really rank.... not a nice task at all. Due to the missing window, and the seat bracket on the drivers side, I was expecting the worst. Here's what it looked like after a 10min shop-vac session:

 

Drivers Side

 

Passengers Side - Notice it's still wet even after sitting for a night

 

Centre & Drivers Side

 

After I took the above photo's, I donned a dust mask, armed myself with nylon cup brush attached to a drill in my good hand and the shop vac to suck up the rust dust in my bad hand. I also used a wire brush for some of the hard to get to places. I'm not sure how long I spent on the drivers side, but I worked up a good sweat.... I hate using dust masks, but I guess it's better to sweat from them than kill myself from the dust. Here's what it looks like before I packed it in for the night:

 

Drivers Side - After Sanding

 

Before & After Picture of Drivers Side

 

The after is only meant to show the progress thus far.... it's still nowhere near being finished. I'm not sure how apparent it is in the above photo's, but this vehicle has had some pan repairs done in the past. The PO welded in a few big pieces. Overall, even though the rust is all over the place the metal itself is still pretty solid. There's a couple tiny holes towards the rear and the spot near the drainage hole is probably the worst. I haven't decided yet about how I'm going to proceed. For now I think I'm going to sand it down a bit more before I make any decisions. Any/all feedback on this is welcome.

 

In preparation for restoring the interior of the truck (and the frame, engine bay & bed); I placed an order with POR-15 Canada for the following:

 

• -

Marine Clean:cleans and decreases in one application without leaving residues, noxious fumes or flammable solvents
- Metal Ready: provides the best adhesion for POR-15® on any surface, including aluminum and shiny polished metal surfaces.
- POR-15: paint-like substance which acts as a total rust inhibitor and is also very effective as a metal filler.
- Chassis Coat: Topcoats with attributes similar to POR-15® Rust Preventive Coating, but with no sensitivity to UV light.

 

I also placed an order on ebay through tcpglobal for a "Raptor Liner" Bed liner coating kit by a company called U-POL.

 

 

I've read a lot of good reviews about their product and how easy it is to apply, and how uniform the texture is. Here's a quick video I found on YouTube:

 

pKDpYIT6VkA

 

It seems like I've been hemorrhaging money lately (and I have), but I'm about to head out and blow some more on a few much needed items....... more to come. Purchases prices will be added when the invoices/product arrives.

 

Post Purchases

 

NOTE - Since the paint is being used on the MJ (and consumed in the process) I'm including it in the parts total.

 

Parts

- $256.23 POR-15 Paint, Marine Clean, Metal Ready and Chassis Coat

- $152.29 Raptor Bed Liner (Might have to pay duties when it arrives)

 

Build Total

Parts = $1395.93

Tools = $367.87

Misc. = $92.45

[knever3]

Very nice. I like how you organize your build with pics and prices. We should all do that and if we did it would probably end up in a will at some point! I like the Raptor stuff too, let us know how it is to work with and how it turns out.

[BryGuy]

Very nice. I like how you organize your build with pics and prices. We should all do that and if we did it would probably end up in a will at some point! I like the Raptor stuff too, let us know how it is to work with and how it turns out.

 

Thanks for the compliment. I'll be sure to post lots of details/pics/feedback when it comes time to use the Raptor Bedliner. :thumbsup:

[BryGuy]

Day 44-47

 

Well after unveiling the cancer in the floor pans I started doing some research on rust removal, floor pan replacement, MIG welding and anything else that I figured would help. Just a reminder.... I've never done anything like this before so there's a very steep learning curve. I found a lot of great write-ups and Youtube video's. Here's a few worth sharing:

 

Write-ups

 

- "Putting Floors In That Rusty MJ" by CC Member Pollockzrodz

- "How To Butt Weld With Clecos" by Sevt_Chevelle on the Chevelles.com forum. (I found this while looking for an alternative to using butt weld clamps.

 

YouTube

-

is a link to my collection of useful videos on Youtube. I'll be adding more to this as I go along.

 

Here's what I've accomplished:

• - removed the front quarter panels
  - removed the gas tank (see below quote)
  - removed truck bed
  - re-examined/accessed the extent of rust damage on the drivers side floor pan

 

Finally the quarter panels are removed

 

Using my Haynes manual I started to remove the gas tank, but like a lot of things in the Haynes manual there was a lack of details to help me accomplish the task. I poked around on our forum and found the following:

 

Here is the run down for tank removal:

 

1) Mark and loosen clamps on fuel and return line. (They are different sizes, but easily mistaken.)

2) Unplug fuel pump.

3) Unplug the main breather hose at the tee.

4) Remove gas cap and remove 4 nut-screws form filler neck.

5) Block up tank and loosen three "J" Bolts in the center of the body holding the tank in place. You shouldn't need to completely remove these. As it gets loose, push up on the tank and they will lift out of there holes. Make a note of which strap goes where, they are all different.

6) Unscrew the hose clamps on the filler hose and breather hose from behind the fender.

7) Lower the tank out feeding the filler hoses off the top side of the frame.

 

YOUR DONE!!! Have a beer!!! :yes: :brows:

 

Before I read the above I could see the bolts that held on the support straps, but I had no idea how it was hooked up. After I saw step 5 mention "J Bolts" I went back under to have another look and finally understood how they were held up there. This truck was sitting for a long time and the tank sounded empty when I tapped on it. I knew there was probably some fuel left in the lines, so I grabbed a small bucket to catch whatever spilled out when I disconnected the lines. Safety glasses on and bucket ready and positioned at an arms length I disconnected the line...... which slipped out of my hand, and managed to shoot gas all over my face. The safety glasses kept it out of my eyes, but I gargled a bit. Just goes to show you that no matter how prepared you think you are things can always go awry.

 

Next I tackled removing the bed. With only myself available (and only 1 good arm) I still managed to get it removed. I used a long 3" wide tow strap wrapped around the middle of the bed at the wheel wells. I hooked the strap up to the engine hoist and jacked it up into the air. I then backed it out of the garage, rotated it 180 degree's and set it on top of my 4x6' trailer. If you plan on keeping the fenders I'd recommend trying something different because it dented them in a bit, but since I'm removing mine and cutting the opening out larger I wasn't concerned.

 

After Bed Removal

 

Notice the Missing Bed Bracket

 

After the fun I had with the gas tank and bed, I decided to return to the drivers side floor pan. Following Pollockzrodz's advice I began to tap around with a hammer to see how thin the metal was. I could hear rust falling off from below the panel into the unibody frame rail. I took a flashlight and peered down into one of the holes and saw a lot of metal rust chunks piled up, so I decided to cut a hole above the rail for a closer look.

 

Big Hole Cut Above the Unibody Frame Rail

 

The above picture was taken after I shopvac'd all the rust bits out. I even stuck the hose down the frame and sucked up a pile more. Once everything was a bit cleaner I stuck my camera down inside the Unibody Frame Rail facing towards the back to see how bad the rust was.

 

Picture of Inside the Rail Towards the Rear

 

The picture is a bit blurry, but you can see that the rust isn't nearly as bad the further you get away from the hole I made. Based on what I found, I plan on removing the floor reinforcements that are above the rails and remove all rust, either by grinding it off or replacing the sheet metal. I want to do this right the first time.

 

I also made some more purchases:

 

Some 16 & 22 Gauge Sheet Metal, Plus a 11lb Spool of 024 MIG Wire

 

Argoshield 25C Tank

 

Welding Magnets, Soap Stone, Quick Coupler Set and Mini Razor Scraper w Replacement Blades

 

Missing from the above picture is a Magnetic Parts Tray, 24oz Rubber Mallet, 6pc Socket Set Holder & 50pk of Dust Masks

 

Post Purchases

 

Parts

- $93.23 18 Gauge & 22 Gauge Sheet Metal (Includes a $10 cutting charge)

 

Tools

- $144.22 Argoshield & 11lb. Spool of MIG Wire

- $80.12 Welding Magnets, Soap Stone, Quick Coupler Set, Magnetic Parts Tray, 24oz Rubber Mallet, 6pc Socket Set Holder, 50pk Dust Masks & Mini Razor Scraper w Replacement Blades

 

Misc.

- $66.00 Yearly Gas Cylinder Contract (includes a $6.00 Environmental surcharge)

 

Build Total

Parts = $1489.63

Tools = $592.21

Misc. = $158.45

[BryGuy]

Day 45 & 53

 

Well the day after my last post I managed to get a few things done, but in the process of using a cheater bar to get a bolt off I managed to strain my good hands wrist, and I was sidelined until today.

 

Here's what I've accomplished:

• - removed the gas lines
  - removed the brake lines
  - removed transmission cross member
  - removed the exhaust
  - removed the engine
  - examined the rest of the vehicle for rust

 

I'll start with the last thing on the list first. While I was grabbing a tool, I noticed some rust on the rear of the cab where 2 panels meet (one overlaps the other). After a quick examination, I took a small screwdriver and was able to scrape a bit of the rust off and found that it penetrated underneath the top sheet. With a tiny bit of pressure I was easily able to pry the 2 panels apart to reveal more rust underneath. It looks like this is another spot that some metal will need to be removed/repaired.

 

Rust found on the rear of the cab

 

A closer look at the rust

 

After I found this rust, I searched a little harder for other areas that might of gone undetected. I found a tiny bit of rust on the rocker, so I picked up a hammer and gave it a light tap. That light tap almost went right through. It seems that the PO simply body filled and painted over the rust instead of addressing it. After tapping all down the drivers side rocker & pillar it was obvious that the whole rocker and a good chunk of the bottom of the pillar need to be removed/repaired.

 

Rust found on rocker and pillar

 

Fearing the worst I checked the passenger side and expected to find the same. There seems to be a bit of rust, but the metal is still thick and probably needs some sanding to get down to good metal. Beyond the 2 other places discovered, I didn't find anything else (I sure more will reveal itself) worth mentioning. I've seen a couple write-up's/pics of people who have just cut out the rocker and welded 2"x6" tube sliders in instead..... I might consider this as an option, but I have to research the idea more.

 

The removal of the break lines, gas lines, exhaust, transmission cross member and engine all went well without incident. When it came to removing the engine, the only thing I forgot to do ahead of time was to remove the sheet metal covers that are screwed into the floor around the shifter. This was obvious when I started to hoist the engine up and out and it seemed to be hung up on something. After a quick inspection I saw that the shifter handle wasn't able to go through the small hole around it. Once the previous mentioned covers were removed the engine came out nice and easy. After pushing the MJ out of the garage, moving the engine out, cleaning the rust chunks and oil off the floor, pushing the MJ back into the garage, it was time for a few photo's.

 

Getting the engine hoist ready

 

Somethings missing here

 

Temporary resting place

 

Rear of the MJ minus the exhaust, driveshaft, brake & gas lines..... and of course the bed

 

I apologize for not taking more pictures of the removal. I was so focused on the task at hand that I completely forgot to snap some pictures. If your wondering what all the excess oil is on the engine (outside pic), that's what spilled out of the engine hoists bottle jack. Once the front wheels went over the edge of the driveway the only way for me to get the engine to move more forward was to purposely tip the hoist forward/over. The tipping part worked and went as planned..... the oil pouring out of the bottle jack didn't.

 

Look what arrived in the mail:

 

Euramtec Lights to replace the missing interior pillar lights

 

I found out about these lights on our forum. The company is called Euramtec and the light is part #A-7180 "Interior Light". I purchased them on ebay from Euramtec I called and asked for a discount (as the CC post mentioned) and they cut $2 off each light. With shipping I paid $43.00 for the pair. They're currently 25% off (2 weeks after I purchased them) at $12 each which pisses me off since I could've saved another $4/light. The lights are really good quality and should work awesome.

 

My order of POR-15 products also arrived safe and sound as well. I updated the previous post to include the price of the order which was $256.23 (includes shipping)........ I didn't snap a pic..... just see previous post.

 

Well that about sums it up for this post. Once a few more things arrive, I'll be ready to start tackling the rust. I'm planning on rolling the MJ back out of the garage for a good hose down, but that will have to wait for a flukey warm day..... after all it is the middle of November.

 

Post Purchases

 

Parts

- $43.00 Euramtec Interior Lights

 

Build Total

Parts = $1532.63

Tools = $592.21

Misc. = $158.45

[BryGuy]

Day 46 & 47

 

Not a whole lot to report..... but something is better than nothing.

 

Here's what I've accomplished:

• - rolled her out of the garage again, power washed her and pushed her back into the garage.
  - removed the steering column and box
  - removed the engine mounts
  - started the front axle removal

 

Yesterday was far from being an ideal day to be power washing a vehicle, but it was above freezing and that's about the best I can hope for towards the end of November. Power washing really got rid of a lot of the gunk off the frame and engine bay. By the end of the 1hr hose down I was soaked to the bone and freezing, but it was worth it. I can only imagine what my neighbors thought since I haven't washed a vehicle on my driveway in the 4yrs I've lived here and there I was washing a 24yr old vehicle with no interior, no doors, no bed, no engine, in the end of November, during which small snow flakes were fluttering down.

 

Build Idea's:

 

I've been sizing up the interior and considering trying something different than all the stock plastic molding. I'm considering leaving the metal bare for the entire interior, with the exception of the door panels & center console. The plan would be to weld in patch panels to close up any holes in the panels that aren't being used anymore. Part of the reason I'm leaning this way is because I'm missing the header panel and the front and back trim pieces. Also, a lot of the trim pieces I have are pretty beat up as well. From the top of the dash down (just below the rear window) will be covered with POR-15 and Raptor Bedliner (sprayed on thick). Above that point will be painted in whatever colour I finally decide on to match the exterior. I'm even leaning towards making my own dash and using after market gauges, which should make wiring to the V8 a bit easier. The hardest part (other than the dash) will be making a piece of sheet metal to fit the ceiling since it wouldn't look right the way it is (I'll have to grab a picture).

 

Anyways..... this is all just up in the air stuff at this point, as it's going to be awhile before I'll have to worry about that. I'm more or less just sharing what's floating around in my head while I'm working away.

 

Coming up:

• - remove front axle
  - remove rear axle
  - prep & POR-15 Engine bay

 

Sorry for the lack of pics :shake:

[knever3]

Nice update keep up the work!