1963 Cj5

Looking good. I'm using a grill like that CJ7 one you've got there. I think I'm still going to have to trim the backside in order to fit a radiator. I've got the motor all the way back to the firewall and the water pump hub is still where the radiator needs to be. I'm also using those bolt-in factory mounts although mine came from the 72 Jeepster that donated the motor and trans. Thanks for posting photos!

 

Fenderwell headers.
This is what they are designed for

 

I’ve opted to hang the exhaust manifold upside down on the driver’s side… time to mock up the grill, and fenders to see what pile of mods I have to do next.

I sliced off the radiator support as close to the grill as possible while still protecting the headlight buckets ( I mocked the buckets up to get the best fit).


While I was researching header options and different exhaust manifold configurations, I played chemist with a custom mix of paint… seems pretty close to the color it is now. If the body were in better condition, I’d take it back to Amber Poly in a heartbeat.

 

I like that color a lot! What's your vision for the exhaust? Monster truck style out the hood?? I ordered a set of fenderwell headers for mine and I'm going to have to modify them. The pipes are too long so they interfere with the fenders and makes the collector hang weirdly low. I'm hoping i can just cut a few inches out of the long tubes and weld them back together. With the nice weather moving in for the foreseeable future I'm hoping to get my engine set permanently in the frame soon.

 

I thought I posted the above info last night, but I am back at it today.

I removed the winch, trimmed the lower d side of the grill to accommodate the PS box, and cut up my spare CJ hood. I had originally thought the spare hood was the longer version, but it was actually about an inch or so shorter (if that’s even possible).

At any rate, I’m stretching the hood and fenders to allow radiator clearance.



There’s roughly a 5/8” rake in the grill from the top to the bottom.

I can slice and dice the inner brackets on the patina’d metal hood I am grafting onto the cj5 to take the rake/lean out of the grill, but part of me likes the mild forward slant.

The slight lean also means additional mods to the front fenders (which will have to be modded anyway).

Sounds like I need to subscribe to your build thread! And I definitely need to browse the forum more, too!
I couldn’t fork over the cash for fender dump headers to just modify them. It would hurt the checkbook if I somehow messed that up!

Well, right now the plan is to get one of two things planned. Either a U style bend, or do the unthinkable:

But only because I’ve had it sitting on the shelf leftover from a now defunct long gone J10 Sportside build.

I cut up some 1970 DJ5a fenders that were bound for the scrap heap to see what the best slices would be:


The gap isn’t too bad. So this is like the front clip off an 80’s era Jeep, but cheaper, and way more work. Now comes unlimited mock ups, measurements and put that on repeat until I’m satisfied, or exhausted.

 

I can't believe you're stretching the sheetmetal! This is awesome and I can't wait to see the progress, but makes me nervous for mine...

 

I would be stretching the the front sheetmetal at the firewall end like was done by AMC for the intermediates, only by an inch or two at a maximum. Then you have to look at extending the front axle forward!
-Donny