Build Thread Project JPSK8

[Jeepskate]

I'm back from life-induced exile with a new project. Those who know me from back in the day (late 90's - early 2000's) may remember that I have an '86 CJ7 Laredo and an '83 CJ8 Scrambler. I recently made the decision to abandon the Scrambler project. I was about 35 or so when I bought it (it was a $400 basket-case) and started a fairly hardcore build-up of it which stalled out at various times due to adult life interventions. At 50 with an impending relocation to the US Virgin Islands in a couple of years, I came to the conclusion that it was no longer a fit for where I am and where I'm headed and decided to abandon it. In it's stead, I found another '83 near Pittsburgh and drove out & bought it about a month ago. This will be a much milder resto-mod type build. This Scrambler is a base model GM 151/T176 in really good shape (last two owners were mechanics) that runs & drives. Current plan is to swap in a 360/999 combo that I have out in the shop, Old Man Emu lift that I just purchased, old-school OEM aluminum slots (taking them on partial trade for the big Scrambler) with 33" A BAD WORD Cepek Fun Country's that I just ordered, pre-runner bumpers (Olympic rear, Fly-N-Hi front off of the CJ7), power brakes (currently has manual), steering upgrades, repro decals, and a few other goodies. My intention is to move fairly quickly with this one and have it back on the road by Summer. Right now I'm ordering parts & finishing up jockeying Jeeps around in the shop to make room for everything (big Scrambler is sold, but won't be picked up until Spring).

 

[Alec79CJ]

I'm back from life-induced exile with a new project. Those who know me from back in the day (late 90's - early 2000's) may remember that I have an '86 CJ7 Laredo and an '83 CJ8 Scrambler. I recently made the decision to abandon the Scrambler project. I was about 35 or so when I bought it (it was a $400 basket-case) and started a fairly hardcore build-up of it which stalled out at various times due to adult life interventions. At 50 with an impending relocation to the US Virgin Islands in a couple of years, I came to the conclusion that it was no longer a fit for where I am and where I'm headed and decided to abandon it. In it's stead, I found another '83 near Pittsburgh and drove out & bought it about a month ago. This will be a much milder resto-mod type build. This Scrambler is a base model GM 151/T176 in really good shape (last two owners were mechanics) that runs & drives. Current plan is to swap in a 360/999 combo that I have out in the shop, Old Man Emu lift that I just purchased, old-school OEM aluminum slots (taking them on partial trade for the big Scrambler) with 33" pinkie Cepek Fun Country's that I just ordered, pre-runner bumpers (Olympic rear, Fly-N-Hi front off of the CJ7), power brakes (currently has manual), steering upgrades, repro decals, and a few other goodies. My intention is to move fairly quickly with this one and have it back on the road by Summer. Right now I'm ordering parts & finishing up jockeying Jeeps around in the shop to make room for everything (big Scrambler is sold, but won't be picked up until Spring).

Wow! I can remember you from several other forums, mainly one of the off-road.com forums. It’s funny to see the same folks still building Jeeps no matter their ages!

I was just a young 20 year old kid in the late 90’s and I know I learned a lot from guys like Parts Mike, CJDave, Teamrush, etc.

Welcome back!

 

[Jeepskate]

Finished up moving vehicles around and started the teardown and last bit of test fitting. Also went to St. Croix over Thanksgiving and ended up finding our house...it's under contract now...this just became extra real:

 

[Belizean]

Nice jeeps. A Caribbean island isn't a bad place to end up at. Probably not for a jeep though. Bad rust.

 

[Jeepskate]

Planning to galvanize and/or zinc coat everything possible. There's actually several CJ's on the island (there's even a Jeep shop...owner has a Scrambler). That was part of the idea of buying something that was back away from the water (rough on the houses too).

 

[Belizean]

Yeah I noticed you were not on the beach. Pretty pricey there though. We were right on the beach and the boat trailer non-galvanized, disappeared except for the axel in about 4 years. Even SS would start rusting in no time. We were in an extremely salty environment also. Keep your jeep out of the weather and it will last

 

[Jeepskate]

Yeah I noticed you were not on the beach. Pretty pricey there though. We were right on the beach and the boat trailer non-galvanized, disappeared except for the axel in about 4 years. Even SS would start rusting in no time. We were in an extremely salty environment also. Keep your jeep out of the weather and it will last

That's the plan. This house was originally built & owned by a contractor and the whole bottom level except for the cistern area is a garage/shop...very rare find...it's almost as big as my outbuilding here and since he lived in the bottom while he built the top, it is fully plumbed. Right now it's a shoddy 2 bed/2 bath apartment conversion, but I'll be ripping most of that out. I'll just leave enough for overflow guest space with access via the back door. Pricier than OH, but not too bad for what we're getting...ocean/Buck Island view, fairly flat 3/4 acre lot, garage/shop, 2 master suites, chef's kitchen, built like a bunker.

 

[Belizean]

Nice! Good size roof for the cistern. Kitchen wood looks like mahogany. Where I was there was plenty so most things nice were made of that. Skiffs, kitchen table, and furniture

 

[WillyM]

built like a bunker

That's always good when living in a hurricane prone area. Which was one reason, when I retired I moved inland. I had enough of those things.

Now, I'm in Tornado Alley and my split level house has a half basement that doubles as a storm shelter. And a garage door at the end of it as it was originally built to be a wood working shop, before the shop behind the house was built.

 

[Jeepskate]

Moving along. Everything is off of the rear of the Jeep, front clip is almost off, dropping the trans off at the rebuilder tomorrow, may drop the engine off on Friday. Should have the tub off by Christmas, going to try to have it broken all the way down by then with New Years' weekend as my drop dead. Found a hot dip galvanizer who will also powder coat afterwards and a media blaster that's also a body & paint shop. Guess I'm going to have to settle on my color scheme real soon here. Found some heavy duty u-bolt skids in my parts stash, had the kids in the machine shop at work clean up the shock stud threads on the rear pair, drill and tap new ones on the front pair (they're YJ skids, so I have to swap them left-to-right), and remove a broken stud from the other plate.

 

[Jeepskate]

Split the baby today, shooting for completing the teardown tomorrow:

 

[Peanut Butter]

Been awhile since I've been on, so I just started reading your thread.
Tropical Island + CJ8 = Heaven

 

[Jeepskate]

It's been brutally cold the past couple of weeks, so there's been little progress. I brought the dash, fenders & half doors up to the house and stripped them down in the basement. The rebuilder should be done with the trans today or tomorrow (had to crawl under the other Scrambler on Sunday in the freezing cold to pull the t-cases and get the tailhousing off of the trans where we were using it for mock up so that they can set the endplay & finish up). Ordered up the u-bolt yokes, Novak master rebuild kit & aluminum pan for the Dana 300 and will be dropping the 360 off at the rebuilder soon (due for a snowstorm this weekend along with another temperature drop). Found a shop that can dip the frame to clean it, so I'll haul it out there after I get the drivetrain out & repair the body mounts.

 

[gert]

Wow your build is going to be an awesome one. Im so jealous of the shop space you have. I am looking forward to the progress.

 

[Jeepskate]

Pulled the t-case Thursday night and got the engine/trans ready to pull. Snow day Friday due to a storm that was rolling in, so I high-tailed it down to the shop, loaded up the 360 and dropped it off at the builder's shop and picked up my 999 from the trans shop. Decided to sell the original tub and buy a Willy Overland Repli-Tub...between the cost of the dip, repair panels to fix it the way that I want it & body shop labor, I'll come out money ahead. Supposed to warm up next weekend, so I should be able to pull the engine & trans and drop the gas tank, then I can deal with the handful of damaged body mounts on the frame and get it out for stripping & dipping which will take about 3-4 weeks all told. Engine & t-case should be done during that time and I'll finalize my decisions on wiring harness, color, etc and buy a few more parts so that I can keep cruising along.

 

[gert]

I have the painless wire harness and love it, I will be interested to see if the Willy’s tub lives up to their claims


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[Jeepskate]

Got another break in the weather, so I finished the teardown over the weekend. Picked up my t-case today...full rebuild with Novak master kit & aluminum pan. Could have done it myself, but figured my time could be better spent elsewhere and the trans shop could get it done during the week while I'm at work. Sold the 30/20 combo, the T-176 w/GM bellhousing and the tub are up for sale.

 

[gert]

That will be a nice combo, beware if you don’t already know that the Chrysler 904/999 and 727 work off throttle pressure. They come with a kick down lever attached to the carb the more you open the throttle the more hydraulic pressure the transmission produces to hold the clutch packs and bands and the harder it will shift, if it’s not hooked up the trans will burn out in about 250 Miles.

 

[Jeepskate]

Thanks. Yup, I knew...I've somehow managed to always buy my running CJ's with the 999 up until this one. Dealt with it when I re-did my '86 after I drove it to work for the first time and quickly figured out that something wasn't quite right. Had a convo w/the owner of the shop this afternoon and he said to have my wife floor it (engine off, of course) then push the lever all the way back at the trans and adjust the linkage to keep it there. It'll usually be close and will make it safe to test drive it until I bring it back to him for proper adjustment, at which point the warranty kicks in. He said if you're doing a build and need to drive it without the linkage hooked up, just wire tie the lever maxed out. It might shift late and/or hard, but it won't burn it up.

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[gert]

Yep that sounds about right


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