Gabe's FSJ Diary (formally Grand Wagoneer build thread)

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az chip
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by az chip »

what kind of disaster are those fog lights?
'81 Cherokee Chief 81 WT Chief/MSD 6/Holley Sniper/ Rusty 4" Spring lift/ Bulltear oil adapter/K&P Engineering Oil Filter/ NP 208/ Serehill Light Harness/KC LED Headlights/ Evil Twin Fab Roof Rack and sliders/ Ross mirror mounts.

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Nikkormat
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by Nikkormat »

az chip wrote:what kind of disaster are those fog lights?
They're something from the late 60's. Take a 3 inch sealed beam. They're not even wired in. I think they'll make cool reverse lights though. Guy drilled holes in the grill to fit the stupid long studs... He was pretty proud of them.
Gabe, "reformed" Jeep hoarder.

candymancan
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by candymancan »

Speaking of fog lights, i just got some new c hrome lights from a dude on ebay.. and guess how he packaged em... In a bubble envalope with no box.. on top of that the chrome was dented in the back of back of one.. was missing one of the bolts to mount it.. and the glass on one on the side is slightly cracked..

Seriously.. the guy has 24,000 reviews and 98% seller rating.. And he wont respond to my messages either.. been 2 days.. Seriously, hate people like this grrr !! The chrome dent and missing bolt i can live with because you dont see the back of the fog light because the grill is there and the bolt i got at the store but my gas money driving 20 miles back and forth $5 in gas and the bolt $1 already costed me money, and the cracked glass.. I could swap the light out for a identical fog light i have and just put it in the chrome housing. But seriously.. who ships glass and thin metal in a envalope.

Sorry for being off-topic but im frustrated paid $42 for these too. Seriously considering a charge back on my card and keeping the lights if he doesnt respond back and give me replacements and pay for the return shipping.
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

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Nikkormat
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by Nikkormat »

Just found some bad rust on my passenger rear floor. What looked tiny from below turned out to be wide spread cancer, from the front seat to the back corner. It all needs to be cut out and replaced.

I can't do that right now. I don't have equipment to fab the panel. And either getting tooled up to do it or paying to have it done will set me back $1000. If I get away cheap.

Then I've also got the body to worry about. Lower quarters left and right and a passenger side dogleg.

Plus it needs an engine. And I now have to spend what little I had saved for that on new tires for the BEEPING family truck. Because somehow a sidewall of the three year old tires split. Also worth mentioning they lost 4/16ths of tread on my 2k mile Montana trip. As soon as the tires hit three years old they just started falling apart. I am NOT happy about that. :banghead:

But I've got the 89. Which I know has solid floors and frame. The most questionable part of that whole Jeep is the transmission. And it just so happens I have a spare. I could build one solid complete Jeep from the two. But it has an absolutely rotten rocker panel. I did have it sold to Wyatt. But I need it worse than I thought. Sorry man, I'll find you another one.

How long would you drive a Jeep with the rocker rotted clean off? I hate to do that sort of thing. But there's no guarantee I can get it fixed before I leave.

I've got a rocker for it. But I don't think I have the patience to attach it. Depending on what I find when I get it scrubbed down and trimmed up I think I might do the Tad style rock sliders. Hack the rockers off entirely and replace with 2x6 square tube. That's within the capabilities of my flux core with some nicer wire and some patience.

So this build thread becomes focused on Jeep number three!
Gabe, "reformed" Jeep hoarder.

Charles Kline
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by Charles Kline »

I got you covered with the floor. ;-) Too bad we didn't cut the rocker back to the trans hump but welding that seam back sure beats having to cobble something together.

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Nikkormat
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by Nikkormat »

Charles Kline wrote:I got you covered with the floor. ;-) Too bad we didn't cut the rocker back to the trans hump but welding that seam back sure beats having to cobble something together.
I think I'll be in over my head trying to weld that floor in. I'm going to have the welder out tomorrow for the GD garage door opener so I'm going to pull the passenger seat out, cut out some rust, and see how much panel needs to be replaced. If I can find a clean edge I'll try and stick some scrap to it.

I'm really down about the whole thing. I've spent so much time on this GD Jeep. Now it's coming down to the eleventh hour and I find this.

I forgot you've got that floor earlier. I've been wracking my brain figuring out what to do for hours. I've had an emotional few days and this was just the icing on the cake. But that floor may just be the solution to a lot of my problems. If I can get the floor to take a bead nicely I might be saved.

And thinking about it. I could always hack floor out of the 89 I have no attachment to instead of the 90. Which I've become more emotionally attached to than I realized.

Thanks Charles, you've given me hope for this thing again.
Gabe, "reformed" Jeep hoarder.
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tedlovesjeeps71
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by tedlovesjeeps71 »

Image


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Nikkormat
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by Nikkormat »

The garage door was a bust. So while I waited to get called on the tires I took out my frustrations on the floor. After an hour this was the result: Image
The floor is wafer thin back here. I did all that can opening and a whole lot of deforming you can't see with the ball peen hammer.

After I got the truck I went and bought a cold chisel and did some more hammering. All those single jack drilling demonstrations I did for the tourists sure paid off. I had the spot welds that were accessible split and the rotted floor that they used to hold on stripped off in a little under two hours. If there is one thing I can do, it's swing a hammer at my hand. Only one welt today!

Anyway, the support structure under the floor is untouched by the rust above. I think I can fix this!
Image
Image
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tedlovesjeeps71
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by tedlovesjeeps71 »

Wouldn't a sharp air chisel make that a little easier brotha??


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Nikkormat
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by Nikkormat »

tedlovesjeeps71 wrote:Wouldn't a sharp air chisel make that a little easier brotha??


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I have no clue. Body work is not my forte. I started a new thread in general looking for suggestions.
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tedlovesjeeps71
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by tedlovesjeeps71 »

Nikkormat wrote:
tedlovesjeeps71 wrote:Wouldn't a sharp air chisel make that a little easier brotha??


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I have no clue. Body work is not my forte. I started a new thread in general looking for suggestions.
I'm no body man either but I have messed with some. Spot welds are kinda a pita to deal with but you can do it a few ways. When you identify them you can use a sharp center punch and hammer to divot the center. Then use a spot weld cutter to cut around the weld. After you get them all cut you can come back with a grinding wheel or sanding disc to remove the remnants. An air chisel with a flat, sharp blade can also help separate the metal but its brutal. Sometimes it doesn't care what metal it goes through and it tears into the "good" metal too.
Most these things can be bought cheaply at Harbor freight. I buy a few to keep on hand for my metal work.
ImageImage
Image


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Nikkormat
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by Nikkormat »

Baby steps. But it has a complete grill for the first time in ten years.
Image
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shimniok
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by shimniok »

Cool!

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360, TBI, 4" Skyjacker, 33" BFG MTs, WT D44+ARB, WT AMC20 + LockRight, CB 2m 6m 70cm, K0FSJ
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Nikkormat
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by Nikkormat »

Floor is on hold again. Another big unexpected expense. Luckily a welcome one this time. A new 401 and spare crank and rods come home Saturday. :mrgreen:
Gabe, "reformed" Jeep hoarder.

Charles Kline
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by Charles Kline »

Why was that guy including a spare crank? did he suspect something wrong with the one in the block?

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Nikkormat
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by Nikkormat »

Charles Kline wrote:Why was that guy including a spare crank? did he suspect something wrong with the one in the block?
No, he had it for a 360 stroker project. And I've got another 401 that needs a crank.
Gabe, "reformed" Jeep hoarder.
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tedlovesjeeps71
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by tedlovesjeeps71 »

Nikkormat wrote:
Charles Kline wrote:Why was that guy including a spare crank? did he suspect something wrong with the one in the block?
No, he had it for a 360 stroker project. And I've got another 401 that needs a crank.
Hoarder!!! Lol


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Nikkormat
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by Nikkormat »

tedlovesjeeps71 wrote:
Nikkormat wrote:
Charles Kline wrote:Why was that guy including a spare crank? did he suspect something wrong with the one in the block?
No, he had it for a 360 stroker project. And I've got another 401 that needs a crank.
Hoarder!!! Lol


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I guess you could call it my... 401K
Gabe, "reformed" Jeep hoarder.
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tedlovesjeeps71
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Re: Increasingly simple, do almost anything Grand Wagoneer build.

Post by tedlovesjeeps71 »

Image boooooooo!!!!!


Hahahaha! Well played sir!

Fwiw, there is a rebuilt 401 on CL for like $2400.00?

https://denver.craigslist.org/pts/6037900095.html


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