After getting the engine mounts sorted..again. We got the engine in and started hooking everything up
Which then let us get the transmission in place so we could modify/make the mounts to get that bolted up. After that was finished, and everything bolted down, it was time to install the shiny new driveshafts (Adams Driveshaft BTW, GREAT guys to work with, got me sorted with my needs and it didn't cost my kidney)
With the engine, transmission, and driveshafts in I was able to start fabricating the exhaust (2.5" stainless from the manifolds - back)
If you look close in that last picture you can see the original tank likes to seep gasoline out of its bottom.. not bueno.. so a new one got ordered, and a mount was needed since I didn't have a bed floor in.. and I don't want the tank mounted to the bed anyways so more fabricating and modifying was done. It's a little on the crude side, but it protects the poly tank pretty nicely, and it's moves the mounting from the bed to the frame
At this point the Gladiator had been drive-able once more (in God knows how many years)
I noticed early on (many-many moons and paychecks ago) that the tail lights illumination were sub-par and could be out-shined by a birthday candle, I wanted the original look of the factory lenses, but didn't want to just use those LED replacement bulbs (they never seemed to shine that great either)
So....more modifications...
I took the original tail light housings and drilled a nice little hole dead center in the housing from the back
Then I grabbed a small hole saw...
Made a nice small cut out
(always be sure to secure your target, so that the spiny tool doesn't become a spiny hand-slicing machine)
Next step was to take a pair of 4" round LED Tail-lights
Remove their Red cover lens
With the help of some epoxy and some RTV to make sure the moisture stays sealed out, you've now got some tail-light housings that look like this..
With the housing mounted to the truck, and then with the cover lens on it
Lit up, I like the pattern and it still has that classic look to it (in my opinion at least) much brighter than what was in there and I was very happy with the results
1968 J2000 Gladiator {The Poached Rhino} : AMC 360, Holley Sniper Injection w/ Hyperspark Ign, AX15 Terminator, Dana 300, D44/D60 Truetrac 4.11 Gears, 33's (W.I.P.)
1969 Triumph GT6+
1JZGTE, CD009 6 speed, R200 LSD rear, 300ZX running gear, shooting for 600hp @ 1800lbs GVW restomodds in order, (on the back burner)
2015 Ram 2500 Cummins {Big Hoss}, Laramie, CCLB, Deleted, MM3 tuner Tuned by Ray @DoubleRDiesel