I was living in a small Az. town and the trip for supplies would take me through another little community. About a 1/4 mile off the Hi way I could see this in a back yard. I would rubber neck every time I went by it. Over the course of about 4 years, I kept stopping in to talk to the guy and he kept putting me off. It disappeared for about 6 months and I got VERY sad, then it showed back up. I immediately went over and hounded him again. This time he agreed he had other projects and was ready to let it go. He had put a Chevy engine into it, and blew it up, and pulled it back out. It was just a shell of a truck and thieves were trying to rob parts off it. We struck a deal and I trailered it home for $200.
The back story is that this Jeep was Special ordered from the Peoria Jeep dealer here in Az. and lived its service life for Rays towing and recovery in the Phoenix area. When Ray passed, his niece got this and I got it from her and her husband.
I did a lot of research and found out what it had so I could start hunting for parts. I moved 4 times and to 2 different cities hauling this empty carcass around with me. About 3 years ago, I found an ad on CL for a '75 J-20 with a 4 speed. Just what I was holding out for. I made a deal with the guy to trade enough Chevy parts to build a truck minus an engine and took it the 60 miles to trade. When I got home, just for grins, I put a battery and 5 gal of gas into this 20 and it started and drove off the trailer. Those that have followed will recognize this one...
Being the first T-18A I'd found in 8 years, I pulled the entire drive train out of the pickup and put it into the wrecker. Driving it for the first time was priceless.
About a month after that, I met a guy in the next town over with a CJ5 and we are BSing in front of the McParts store, when he tells me he has a T-18/ D-20 sitting on his garage floor. Further discussion reveals that it has the PTO on the tranny and that it came out of the same place my wrecker did. What are the odds of finding the original parts? I traded a $400 generator for the whole set up, still on the original x-member.
I have to completely go through them as the tranny dont turn.
It is extremely handy having a boom truck around.
I picked up a Ramsey 8K PTO winch with bumper from a '71 and mounted it to the front. The winch for the bed runs off the tranny, the bumper winch off the t-case. They wont work together, so I gave up on that idea, until a customer gave me a Ramsey 8K electric winch off a '77 CJ7. It was huge on the nose of that CJ. It wont fit into the winch bumper, but think I can duplicate one so it will look right.
Lately I have been rebuilding the parts to the bed that are missing, or broken. I dont have the funds to rush this, so I do what I can, as I can. One day I hope to find a 401 to replace this little 'ole 304 in 'er now, but Flint wont let go of one...
More pics for your pleasure...
