Evolution '88

[Jeep Driver]

LED taillights and frenching buckets came today.

 

[Jeep Driver]

They actually look better in person. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kansashogan]

Did you decide to do it yourself? 

[Jeep Driver]

On 10/28/2017 at 11:32 PM, kansashogan said:

Did you decide to do it yourself? 

The plan was for me to do all the bodywork and priming, and to paint the door jambs, body shop to spray the entire truck. 

 

That plan has changed, yeah, I want to paint it myself here at home. 

 

I'll just have to get some 6mil plastic and build a tent under my deck. 

[Jeep Driver]

Going keyless for sure, ordered-

 

http://www.digitalguarddawg.com/automobiles-trucks/push-button-start-automotive/pbs-ii

[kansashogan]

I believe you once told me "and so it begins", did you ever think you would have so much time and money invested in your pickup? I already have a few rock chips in my paint and I have decided to not worry about it. I live six miles out in the country so I drive gravel roads daily.  It gets driven more than my new Colorado. I have had a lot of compliments about the paint job simply because it turned out decent and I did it myself. It's a good feeling. It looks like you are doing a great job, can't wait to see the final product. 

[Jeep Driver]

Keylessness has arrived. 

 

[Jeep Driver]

Did some sandblasting today, all the little bits that I've been putting off. 

Got the seat brackets blasted and painted, the one below was so bad you could actually see light through the rust holes. 

 

It may not be pretty but it should hold up fine now, it'll be buried in the carpet anyway. 

 

No pic but I got the tailgate handle done too. I also got the cab, front fenders,  and header panel sanded and reprimed, now it's ready to be wet sanded.

[Jeep Driver]

Haven't done much this month, too cold and nasty or I've been exhausted from work. 

 

In the FWIW dept.-

 

I mounted the seats just to get them off the garage floor. For those of us who have taken  the seats out too many times, we know what a PITA it is with the nuts and studs. Can't fit a deep socket over the stud because it hits the bottom of the seat (bench seat), wrench falls of nut every turn........

 

My solution is coupler nuts or deep nuts, covers the entire stud so that stud will not rust ahead of the nut making it a b*@$£ to get the nut off and end up turning the stud out. 

Wrench or ratchet..........no problem now. 

 

 

[Jeep Driver]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jeep Driver]

 

 

 

 

 

I love the smell of real leather. 

[87Chief]

Your attention to detail is amazing. Great build.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Jeep Driver]

On 2/13/2018 at 10:51 PM, 87Chief said:

Your attention to detail is amazing. Great build.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 

Thank you.

 

 

 

[Jeep Driver]

There was one column at the PnP, from a really nice '90XJ, tilt. Can't say I really wanted tilt but I could be waiting for months for a good column. 

 

Dove in tonight, got it stripped down, all ignition and related parts gutted, steering lock too. Now I need to paint and reassemble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[A-man930]

Interested to see how that plastic ball joint thingey goes back together.  I was in mine a few years back to replace one of the bearings and it didn't go well  

Keep the pics coming!

[Jeep Driver]

Companies like idit and Flaming River use a bezel that is crowned and makes up the difference where the switched replaces the key cylinder. Whatever they do, they ain't telling me, so I had to come up with my own way of mounting it. The hole is just slightly larger than the switch itself. 

 

I ground off the points of the nut enough to press it in the hole. I used JB Weld to epoxy it in. 

 

Use a syringe to apply a bead around the top.

 

I used heat to melt down the JB Weld. 

 

 

Tomorrow I'll sand the epoxy down smooth and begin sanding out the 'lock' and the arrow off the housing. 

[Jeep Driver]

Lock and arrow are gone. 

 

[kansashogan]

wow, looks good. cool idea

[DirtyComanche]

I like that steering wheel, too bad it doesn't have a Jeep emblem in the center though.

 

Are you using a specific paint for the plastic pieces of the column?

[HOrnbrod]

21 minutes ago, DirtyComanche said:

I like that steering wheel, too bad it doesn't have a Jeep emblem in the center though.

 

Pretty sure Grant sells Jeep logo horn buttons for their wheels.  What's the wheel diameter?

[Jeep Driver]

5 hours ago, DirtyComanche said:

I like that steering wheel, too bad it doesn't have a Jeep emblem in the center though.

 

Are you using a specific paint for the plastic pieces of the column?

It's a GT Performance wheel, not a Grant. https://gtperformance.net/

 

No, I'm using the same primer and base/clear as I'm using for the rest of the truck. 

 

Plastic sands out smooth, I'm not worried about leaching oils or expansion/contraction, I don't think the factory worried about it either. 

 

 

[Jeep Driver]

5 hours ago, HOrnbrod said:

 

Pretty sure Grant sells Jeep logo horn buttons for their wheels.  What's the wheel diameter?

15"

 

When held up to the factory 3 spoke, spokes and diameter are a pretty good match. 

 

 

GT does not have a Jeep logo button, they do have plain buttons that I could add a logo to but I chose theirs. 

[Jeep Driver]

 

 

 

[Minuit]

Damn, that looks good.

[Jeep Driver]

One thing always leads to another. 

I need to rewire the ignition circuit, the stock ignition switch will be gone, I need to make certain everything works before I eliminate the switch. That leads me to the fuse block, I picked up a good one today. I also ordered all new connectors from Del City that should be here on Monday. 

I've got a new Ford brake light switch and new door switches. I've already spent some time eliminating some of the unwanted cluster-F from under the dash. 

 

 

I'm currently looking for a set of 97+ clutch/brake pedals, I want to swap those out before the column goes in. 

I don't have a set yet but below is a 97 set. 

 

 

Eye Candy-

 

I stopped off at Performance Products, found a little something to keep me motivated.