neohic Posted March 16 Author Share Posted March 16 2 hours ago, 89 MJ said: I really like this Jeep and the way you're building it. Everything is purely functional and nothing is fancier than it needs to be. Exactly! There’s no blueprint or much prior planning for most projects outside of taking a look at the materials I’ve got on hand followed by being finished in a way that can easily be touched up in the future. The Jeep as a whole is a little scrappy but I think that’s where so much of the charm comes in as a nearly maintenance free interior/exterior model. It’s utilitarian and not very comfortable yet makes me smile. It’s a fun experience that makes you mindful of all of its imperfections when driving or riding in it. Those imperfections translate well into projects that would look out of place if they were anywhere near fancy. This is very relaxing for me! Things like this center console have so few hard measurements that I can shut my brain off and just create a thing based on filling a need with the precision of a dull Sharpie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted March 24 Author Share Posted March 24 Center console is in. I rushed to get everything back together after the transmission swap, so I took the time to at least take the shop vac to the floor. Then I drilled some fresh holes in the floor, cut some things, and did a little welding. I need to rework the top half of the cup holder, but everything else fell right into place. The height of the arm rest feels nice but I might wrap the cow mat in vinyl both for a nicer feel but also to match the seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89 MJ Posted March 24 Share Posted March 24 Are those Procar seats? If not, what are they? Do you like them? I’m thinking about seats for my 40 and want something new that looks older. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted March 24 Author Share Posted March 24 10 hours ago, 89 MJ said: Are those Procar seats? If not, what are they? Do you like them? I’m thinking about seats for my 40 and want something new that looks older. I’ve got no clue what they are. Way back when I worked at the 4x4 shop, a customer had these in his Scout but wanted a more modern seat. These are some kind of aftermarket Mustang/Bronco something-or-other. There is evidence of a tag, but it’s long gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 Center console is done. I ended up not having enough vinyl scraps so I used some leftovers from the winch cover. It’ll probably be a better fit as it might not retain heat as much as black vinyl while sitting in the sun. I also tuned up the under seat storage with the addition on a couple new canvas bags. The black one has always been my recovery bag, but now the yank strap lives in the console, one brown bag is just ratchet straps, and the other is kind of a catch-all. The driver’s seat is completely empty underneath now. Time to start thinking about auxiliary fuel storage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted April 14 Author Share Posted April 14 Getting things a little more dialed. I threw a rebuild kit at my old jack and got that remounted. Then I got looking into trying to get rid of some rattles by adding a couple of bump stops between the tailgate and the spare tire. The spacers I’m using are a little janky, and I put it together thinking “I’ll totally make something nicer eventually,” but in reality they work and aren’t really visible. Bonus that the holes were already there. I also found a nice fire extinguisher mount online. Not sure if it’ll stay where it is but I currently like it. A little windy today, but the temperature was perfect to pull the doors and just go toodling around town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watchamakalit Posted April 15 Share Posted April 15 I stored my tow strap in the center console on my CJ one time. Had to use it in the mud and decided right then it wasn't going back in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 Might need to think about filling two dozen or so holes in the tops of the fender wells and floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 xmas tree plugs from underneath? or were you thinking of welding them up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 7 hours ago, Pete M said: xmas tree plugs from underneath? or were you thinking of welding them up? It’ll be a pain, but I’m leaning towards welding everything up. Especially on the floor, things get slid in and out that think a plug or cap could be an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiatslug87 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 Wait, you know how to weld? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted May 16 Author Share Posted May 16 4 hours ago, fiatslug87 said: Wait, you know how to weld? I might’ve laid a bead or two. Been known to rock a hot glue gun also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coheed Posted May 16 Share Posted May 16 https://stronghandtools.com/products/hole-plug A magnetic copper spoon will make the job a hell of a lot easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted May 16 Author Share Posted May 16 5 hours ago, coheed said: https://stronghandtools.com/products/hole-plug A magnetic copper spoon will make the job a hell of a lot easier. Absolutely. My go to is a flattened piece of copper tube for a backer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted May 19 Author Share Posted May 19 Ever worry that your summer wear won’t fit after the winter months? Found some coolant where it shouldn’t be too. I’ll need to keep an eye on that. Not sure if it’s from the overflow bottle or the radiator. Had a nice day with it then put it away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted May 26 Author Share Posted May 26 Met up with a member of another forum this morning. Book ends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 love those hubcaps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted May 27 Author Share Posted May 27 1 hour ago, Pete M said: love those hubcaps Agreed. A few years ago I was REAL close to buying a set of those wheels. Didn’t seem right putting new parts on it though. Every once in a while I toy with the thought of painting my wagon wheels an almond color… maybe a bronze?… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted June 22 Author Share Posted June 22 Had a great day on the trail!… in someone else’s Jeep. The plan was to have three red CJs out today but a keen eye will spot that mine isn’t in any of the pictures. My day started with trying to track down a vibration in the rear, but was quickly turning into talking myself out of making fast and bad delicious on how to fix it… more on that later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted June 23 Author Share Posted June 23 So… as for my absent CJ on the trail yesterday. Things started fairly early knowing that I was on the clock before the other guys showed up at my place. Since finishing the transmission swap I’ve had a slight vibration at speed and I think it had to do with the pinion angle. Originally, I tried to keep the transmission up high and not fiddle with the rear axle. Things were… close… but I had a difference of about 4°. I started with a set of 4° shims but they were for 2” springs. Keep in mind that I was watching the clock, so I’m not super proud of how I just cut out enough clearance for the u-bolts, but there it is. These were used to bring the pinion angle down as a proof of concept before any cutting and welding. I ripped the Jeep around the block once and instantly noticed a rotational clunk going over bumps as the u-joints were getting bound in the yokes. That’s where I got sidelined. As for today, I made my way down to the shop to undo the shims. Maybe the rattle was coming from the transmission? I dropped the crossmember so I could lower the transmission enough to pull the top cover and everything looked good. For good measure, I added the last half a quart of fluid I had that didn’t go in through the fill hole. Everything got buttoned back up and the decision was made to lower the transmission mount to closer match the pinion angle. Cutting ensued. There’s not much to see, but the mount got cut off, lowered a half inch, and the crossmember got notched to make room the the relocated mount. As for the angles… … they’re still steep, but better. The pinion and transfer case output are dead on to each other. Is the vibration gone? Well… mostly?… maybe? Perhaps there’s something going on in the transfer case? The vibration is only there at speed when I let off the throttle. Maybe I need a thicker oil in the transmission and transfer case? The t-case got plain ol’ 80/90 and the transmission got some fancy Royal Purple 75/90 due to the GL-4 or GL-5 compatibility. Anyhow… I guess I’m not any worse than I was before the weekend. Suppose I can add the shims into the front leaf packs to get a little more caster until I get around to doing a cut/turn on the inner C’s… after a YJ spring swap… and three point seat belts… and adding another fuel tank… and a front locker… and maybe a fan shroud… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 it never ends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted Sunday at 07:52 PM Author Share Posted Sunday at 07:52 PM That time of year again to put on the winter coat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted Tuesday at 04:09 AM Share Posted Tuesday at 04:09 AM well, I guess it's official then. winter is here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now