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I've got a running thread on the IFSJA and figured I would start an abbreviated log of my progress over here and hopefully keep it goin. I bought my 1968 J2000 in November 2009. It was going to be a running/driving (I thought) project. The AMC 327 started and ran decent, the T18 shifted like it should, and the Dana 20 TC worked fine as well. The manual brakes were spongy and the manual steering couldn't handle the 38"swampers.

In the driveway just after I got it.


Cleaned it up a bit and put new 15x10 steel wheels on it.


The only real rust was on the driver side under the gas pedal. So I stripped the interior. I found some pitting on the driver side so I cut it out, welded in 16ga sheet that I formed by hand, and Herculined the floor.






It wasn't long before the old Vigilante needed some love. I started with a plan to replace a bunch of gaskets and a new timing set. This was my first experience with any real engine work. I forgot to torque the cam sprocket bolt to spec, which allowed it to back out upon first restart, bound up and chipped the camshaft (I think). Still haven't torn that motor apart yet. But I found a running 327 in a 66 Wagoneer that I pulled for cheap, got it freshened up and swapped in. I also picked up a Rambler 4bbl intake.



Also added a Rambler driver side exhaust manifold.


Cleaned and painted the T18


D20 got new seals/gaskets and painted


Added a JBFab twin stick



Slapped a Holley TA470 on top and got it running. I also rebuilt the distributor with a Pertronix Ignitor and MSD cap and rotor, along with Pertronix plug wires.
http://s894.photobucket.com/user/44BZ/m ... 2.mp4.html

I had put in a new clutch before everything went back together, but it wasn't working right. I figured out that the clutch rod from pedal to bellcrank was the problem. JBFab built me a new clutch rod, which solved the problem immediately. The new rod came with heavy duty rod ends and is adjustable.


I needed new exhaust so I ordered up a DIY 2.25" exhaust kit from Summit with a Thrush welded muffler.


One of the first purchases after getting the Jeep was a disc brake conversion for the front D44.


I got the steering knuckles machined so I could run studs for the spindles



Found a rebuild kit for the Lock-o-Matic hubs



More pics to come, Photobucket took a dump on me just now...

Back to it...

Got the discs installed. The axles also got new wheel bearings.


Put on new knuckle seals and filled the knuckles with John Deere Cornhead grease, which is NGLI grade 0. It's interesting stuff, semi-liquid.


Power steering was one of the very first upgrades. I got an Eaton pump and Saginaw box out of a 60s Wagoneer. I had the pump rebuilt and it turns the 38s with no effort. With the disc conversion I replaced all four tie rod ends, installed a new steering stabilizer, and got new Skyjacker Hydro series shocks at all four corners. Here's how it sits today


All that's left to get it street worthy is to finish the brake system. I've hand bent and installed half the new brake lines. Just need to finished the rest of the lines and get the new master cylinder installed. I'll be adding a 7" dual diaphragm booster with Corvette style disc/drum MC and proportioning valve. A 7" single diaphragm booster was optional and after some checking I don't think anything larger will clear the valve covers. More to come...

That's looking great- keep it up!

I haven't really felt like posting progress lately. I still don't have a driver, which is a shame because the 327 is running AWESOME. The brakes are all finished, just need to be bled and adjusted. This weekend I installed a Flaming River tilt column, which actually went in pretty easy. I reused the original floor mount, just cut it off and welded it to the new column. I had to use an adaptor for the column harness. Most of my time was spent tracing wires, and my only setback was accidentally mixing up the hazard wire and the power for signals. Not too shabby



Here's the aftermarket booster and corvette style MC I used. The booster is a 7' dual diaphragm.






The PV is mounted below the MC on the inner fender well.





The original column next to the FR tilt column.





Old harness plug





New harness plug.




Floor mount welded to new column.





And the new column. It sure is sweet!!





I also have a Borgeson telescoping shaft and ujoints to install.

Very nice progress...glad you posted. I had followed your IFSJA thread for a while but didn't know the truck was actually not on the road. When you selected the proportioning valve, how did you know which one to get. Was it sold as a kit with the 7" booster and new MC?

twisted frame wrote:Very nice progress...glad you posted. I had followed your IFSJA thread for a while but didn't know the truck was actually not on the road. When you selected the proportioning valve, how did you know which one to get. Was it sold as a kit with the 7" booster and new MC?

Ya, the PV came with the booster and MC. I keep reading Dr Marn's brake issues and it's stressing me out. My truck has been down so long it isn't funny. I wasn't really planning a steering upgrade, but I started replacing the stock ragjoint and bell coupling, and decided it was just to weak for my taste...

Thanks again for posting those bumper pics, I plan to get my winch bumper just as soon as I can drive this thing out of the driveway. I also got some really detailed pics from John Cappa of the Warn winch bumper mounted to his J2000. I should be able to fabricate some frame mounts pretty easily

44bz wrote:Thanks again for posting those bumper pics, I plan to get my winch bumper just as soon as I can drive this thing out of the driveway. I also got some really detailed pics from John Cappa of the Warn winch bumper mounted to his J2000. I should be able to fabricate some frame mounts pretty easily

No problem! Looking forward to seeing a bumper on this truck. I haven't seen pics of Cappa's J truck in a while but that's cool you were able to get some details on it. Someday I plan on upgrading my brakes but it'll be a while.

Starting to look like a Warn retailer around here


Pictured:
-Classic winch bumper
-VR10000 winch
-cover
-winching kit
-pair o' spots



The bumper came off a K5 Blazer and the plan is to build some brackets, which should be fairly simple just need to pick up some steel. I'll be a rolling billboard for Warn products...

Found an nos wiper switch on eBay to replace my broken one.


Replaced my white dash knobs with chrome



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Looks great.

Pulled this out of a 72 j4000 tonite!



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Got it in this afternoon. It's a non folding which is the only downside but it's in great shape, I really like the black and I think I got a great deal on it )


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Seat looks great in there.

Now that looks well

The new seat is super comfortable. It's like sitting on a couch! I wired in a CJ brake light switch that's pedal operated to replace the MC mounted switch. I upgraded to a Corvette style MC so the switch modification was necessary. And lucky me, the brake lights worked first try All that's left now is to get the brakes bled and purchase new tags and I'll finally be driving it

Hello, When you used the Rambler driver side exhaust did you have any issues with fitment of it against the motor mount? I am doing same things on my J200. I am getting ready to pull the bed and cab off the truck. Then pull the motor trans/transfercase. the steering was shot as previous owner had put in a chevy sterring column which is no longer any good, I am replacing the whole wiring harness. Then disc brakes in the front but still undecided about putting power brakes/steering onto the truck. Your Truck is looking good though...

I don't have any good pictures to show how the Rambler exhaust fits, but I didn't have any clearance issues. It even clears the clutch rod and bell crank without any modification. I'm not using the driver side exhaust that's pictured above though. I couldn't get that one to seal so I ended up finding another manifold that fit perfectly. The one that's pictured above in this thread is also shaped oddly. I know it came from a 327 though so maybe AMC used different manifold designs over there years.

Do you have any pics of the brakelight switch install? How did you mount it. i have the same issue with my 72 J4000. Thanks. BTW, I'm just down I-5 from you in Salem.

72 J4500 wrote:Do you have any pics of the brakelight switch install? How did you mount it. i have the same issue with my 72 J4000. Thanks. BTW, I'm just down I-5 from you in Salem.

Cool, nice to hear from a local I don't have any pics, but I can get one later this evening probably. The switch I got is just for late model CJs, like 76-85 or something. It's tube shaped with a button on one end and two connectors on the other. I simply cut the old connector off, added 18" of new wire and ran it thru the firewall. Plugged the two wires into the CJ switch and voila! I set the switch against the pedal where I wanted it and secured it to the steering column with a hose clamp.