Build Thread Project JPSK8

[Jeepskate]

And thanks for the recommendation on the Painless, I'll probably go that route. The guys at the trans shop asked me if I was ever going to drive the thing because I'm making it so nice (t-case was in awesome shape, but I want everything to be as close to new/like new as reasonably possible).

 

[Jeepskate]

I dropped the frame and a few other items off at the dip-stripper out in Toledo on Saturday, so I should have that back within a couple of weeks. Found a small 'decoating' place right by my job, so I'm taking some of the smaller stuff that I want to have galvanized there tomorrow for stripping. New AFW body mount brackets, AutoFab AMC V8 mounts & Four x Doctor gas tank skid plate arrived last week. The engine shop is working up the estimate for the rebuild (engine sat outside somewhere along the line before I got it, so they have to go 30 over to clean it up)...keeping close to stock, just using a Lunati Voodoo cam & lifters and will probably go EFI. Have to plan a day to run up to Medina to the plating & coating shop to get the thinner items done. Looks like I'm on track to start putting it back together around mid-March, should be closing on the STX house at the end of March.

 

[Jeepskate]

New valve covers arrived Friday along with several other odds and ends during the week (tube doors, hardware for the factory rocker trim, billet w/s brackets & dash overlay, etc). Ran out to John Hollibaugh's place for an impromptu shopping trip on Saturday and picked up a pair of '80 Laredo blue front seats (someone else beat me to the rear seat), a Laredo grill overlay, an NOS pair of parking light lenses and for the CJ7, a NOS set of Laredo decals. Got up a little extra early this morning & drove out to Toledo to drop off the front clip & bulkhead at the stripper & pickup the frame and also swung by Bullet Liner to discuss lining the new tub & the front clip. They did an excellent job on the frame and I was surprised to find that the front shock mounts had rotted through and the frame was partially rotted behind them and in a couple of other spots. I went straight to work with it (was able to still put in a half day) and unloaded it in the welding shop for the top couple of students to work on. They'll patch it, replace both rear crossmembers, and replace the body mount brackets (a couple were completely shot, most of the rest won't survive the heat from the galvanizing process). Should be done this week, have to check in with the blaster up the street for an ETA on the parts that he has, then it's off to the galvanizer.

 

[Jeepskate]

Slow going on the frame due to students wrapping up their certifications, but it's coming along. Engine shop is almost done with the 360, probably have it back next week I think (I had to get a new oil pan & flexplate which held them up). Decided to crack open the wallet and get a Flex-a-Lite aluminum rad w/fan and their trans cooler and also picked up a dual diaphragm power 4 wheel disc brake setup and some misc items like poly trans mount & torque stud, bump stops, sway bar bushings, etc. First batch is back from the blaster and I dropped off another smaller batch that should be ready next week and the dip-stripper said that they're done with the front clip & bulkhead, so I'll probably head out to Toledo early Monday morning for pickup and order the new tub while I'm out there. Got word today that we scheduled to close on the new house in a couple of weeks, so we booked our travel arrangements and will have a few days in the tropics at the end of the month.

 

[Jeepskate]

Picked up the front clip & bulkhead and have to say that I would never do another build on a rust belt Jeep without having this done. The rust can not hide. There were areas that I thought were solid that under normal conditions I would have just had scuff sanded and shot and they likely would have bubbled within a year because of what was lurking underneath. Took a quick pick after I unloaded, will take detailed pics once the repair work starts to show what was hidden. Second batch of parts at the local blaster is done, so I'm picking those up at lunch time today. Started the next wave of Jeep Tetris over the weekend to get the big Scrambler up front and ready for Anders to pick it up and the CJ7 up front for him to work on the new cage and a few other items while he's here. He's finishing up the axles and will be bringing them out with him.

 

[gert]

Man that front clip looks nice

 

[Jeepskate]

Busy couple of weeks: ordered the new tub from Willys-Overland, then jumped on a plane to STX to close on the house. Machine shop called that Friday (Good Friday) to tell me the 360 was done, then as we were returning home on Monday, got a message from the powder coater when we waiting for our connecting flight in Miami that my parts were done and they were going out of business, so I needed to pick up that week. It was pouring rain on Tuesday, so I picked up the engine on Wednesday after work, then ran up to the powder coater after work Friday and picked up my parts. Anders is coming out this weekend to pick up the 'old' Scrambler and bring my axles & wheels & some other goodies, so I've been buttoning it up to go and gathering the parts together for it.

 

[Jeepskate]

Had a good, productive weekend while the weather was cooperating (70's then, 30's & snowing now). Got the axle housings painted up, just a little bit of assembly to finish, and said good-bye to Jeepskate II/XL.

 

[Jeepskate]

Played another round of Jeep Tetris, the frame repairs are done (just have to wait for it to stop raining so I can bring it home, then to the galvanizer), unloaded the 360, had D-ring mounts added to the front bumper, and our new house was on TV (latest episode of Caribbean Life 'Bee's Knees', last house at the end 'Buck Vista').

 

[gert]

Man that’s pretty cool I love the rear diff cover

 

[Belizean]

I usually watch that show Sunday evenings

 

[Jeepskate]

Dropped off the frame & several other goodies at the galvanizer this morning. I walked back out to my trailer after checking in at receiving to find the owner checking out the frame :drool: Turns out he's a Jeep Junkie too and is excited to be working on it...I think he may have bumped me up in the queue since he wants me to bring it to the Chillicothe Jeep Fest in July...

 

[gert]

Sweet


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[Jeepskate]

Thinking about pulling the trigger on some Bulltear goodies...

 

[gert]

Thinking about pulling the trigger on some Bulltear goodies...

I have their oil pump and remediate filter plate, waiting for the rebuild to install but it sure looks beautiful

 

[Jeepskate]

Ordered up their full timing cover upgrade with all of the goodies including nickel plating. Heat/AC arrived from JeepAir yesterday and the galvanizer emailed me to let me know the frame & misc parts are ready, so heading down to Columbus Friday morning to pick up. TBI kit from Performance Fuel Injection arrived today and the new tub arrived at Willys-Overland as well, so heading out to Toledo Saturday morning to pick it up. Picked up an unmolested engine bay wiring harness off eBay and I'm going to have the print shop at work print off some enlarged wiring diagrams for me so I can work my way through trimming & modifying it for my needs.

 

[Jeepskate]

Back from the galvanizer

 

[Alec79CJ]

I saw your pictures on the Survivor Jeep Facebook page.

I like the idea of galvanizing parts. Looking forward to following your build.

 

[Belizean]

Yeah looks really nice! That ought to help with the salty air

 

[Jeepskate]

Picked up the new tub from Willys-Overland this morning.