Trial and Error...My project 49 3A

Rescued this beauty from a hay field...the years haven't been nice...


Didn't take long to strip it down...but the body was in surprisingly solid shape for sitting outside for the last few decades.


Thus the project began...
It won't be even remotely original.
It won't be even close to stock.
It won't be a moonbuggy rockcrawler xtreme whatcha'ma'callit.

There are many like it, but this one is mine....lol...

 

So what are your plans for it??? Engine/trans????

 

So far it's take quite a few different roads...but settled on a 4.3 TBI mated to the stock T90/D18 combo.

Will try and toss some pics up as soon as the scanner and I reach an agreement.

 

Gave thought to it! Just for spite of course...body work is a bit down the road yet...Luzon <sp> red was the original, but I gotta admit, OD green is just a sexy color!

 

Looks like a nice project. Also looks like you have a lt of work to do. What are your overall plans for it? Mild lift? Bigger tires?

Oh...the TJ in the background isn't bad either.

 

Cool! Why the big gap between the hood and the fenders?

 

Original motor was pulled and scrapped long ago by PO, horrible 350 hack-job followed. You can see the "custom" hood scoop there, old tin household attic vent, and the wild torch work to the cowl, floor, and frame.

The front fenders, grill, and hood where all held in place with a very creative application of wire. Wouldn't have withstood the trailer ride home, so it all was pulled off and set back together for the first pic.

 

Anyone out there have a line on 4.3 headers?

The engine is a early 80's TBI, and it seems the vendors I've talked to don't speak anything but "vortec"... I've given thought to buying flanges and bending up my own, which would probably be the best route anyway.

I've run into the standard problem of stearing shaft clearance, but that isn't as much trouble as finding headers that don't lay against my oil pressure sender/oil filter location.

This picture is of the first mockup from the passenger side, didn't have a drivers side one handy, but it all seems to be riding a little high...which creates more trouble in that pesky exhaust arena.
I've got a blank canvas as far as motor mounting goes...frame is fully boxed front to rear...

Any advice?

 

Overall plan for this is to be my do-all toy. Trying to find a good balance between streetable and fun.
Running Cj5 rear springs all around, yeah I know yj's flex better, but these were handy and cheap. Not to mention that I'm in IA, not alot of rocks jump out infront of ya here. It can be found, but not my forte'. The CJ5 springs have a little more arch for clearance/load, which I'm hoping will pay off in the end.
My biggest goal with this project is for it to be primarily made by yours truely. I don't have a big budget, so I make my own parts, and what I can't make...well that's where the barter system and hording away my pennies starts to pay off...lol

 

man that is one sweet looking frame... bet it was worth whatever you paid just for that

 

Where in Iowa are you WarMachine??

I'm in Ottumwa, Southeastern Iowa.

Looks like a cool project there.

High5

 

Thanks for the comments...I appreciate it. I've done all the work myself I'm glad to say. So far I'd guess I only have about 5-700 bucks in this project thus far. Done alot of barter for this or that to try keep costs down.

I'd really like to find a more current 4 spd tranny for that 4.3, but in keeping the d18, it starts to increase the PITA driveline factor...lol I stuffed d44 front and rear (offest) out of a Wagoneer under. I didn't want to narrow the axles, so I outboarded the CJ5 springs SUA...still a little iffy on if I'll keep it that way. Not so sure I'm happy with my shackle situation. The ones I made may have to go as well.


So far with mocking up, the wb is 82", any more than that an I'll have to start butchering the body. I'd like to keep the "look" as close to original as possible. Just with a better stance and stronger running gear.

As far as location, I'm over in the Le Mars, Ia. Not bad place to live, just not an over abundance of donor vehicles/parts. They are out here somewhere I'm told, so I try and keep a sharp eye when out and about...lol

 

it's looking really nice... keeping an eye on this build... my 80 cj5 has 2" lift rear cj springs all around... works well...

 

Looks like a good start, headers might make more clearance issues than the manifolds.

 

I was hoping to use the manifolds, but with the way I have the engine sitting in there right now, the drivers side stock manifold's flange is sitting right in middle of a frame rail. The passenger side has plenty of room. Tried a set of 4.3 Vortec manifolds on there...and it helped a little, but landed the flange up against my oil filter/sending unit.

I borrowed a buddies 4.3 v6 "block hugger" headers and looked things over, and it gave me the same problem as the Vortec manifold. So it seems that headers atleast give me the option of cutting and splicing as needed to run the exhaust. 3 little tubes per side, as opposed to one bulky mass. Hell, I've even considered running the exhaust out through the fenders and along the frame rails...don't want to, but I guess I'll just have to play it by ear.

 

Welcome aboard! Looks good!

Tell me you did all this work over the past 4 weeks

 

R) definately not over the last 4 weeks...but within the last 4 months, weekends only. Got my grubby hands on the Willys about 4 years ago, disassembled it, and didn't touch it again up until 4 months or so ago.

The man hours thus far are pretty shockingly low thus far to tell the truth.
Things have fallen together pretty quickly as far as parts aquiring went, alot of "right place, right time" deals.

Have lots more pics, but figured I spread them out a little.

 

Just refreshing the image links. The Willys project got put on hold for awhile, and a '77 Cherokee kinda took the spotlight for awhile, it's my daily driver now. http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/WarMachine_1949/1977Cherokee/

This summer the Willys gets taken out of mothballs and work will resume.