New to forum and Jeeps!

Hmm Gloucester. I go down there usually 3-4 times a summer. My buddies parents have a place on Mobjack bay. Was this the Black Jeep on dangit I can't remember the name of the road? I saw it last summer and almost stopped to get it.

 

Welcome from Golden, CO. Jeep = Just Empty Every Pocket. R) Seriously, though, my 56 had a 265 Chevy V8 when I bought it, 5.38 gears, and the engine wound up tight at 45 mph. I bought the Warn OD, which got it up to about 55 mph, then changed the gears to 4.88, using the same housings, to get to 60 mph.
With the short (81") wheelbase, I don't want to go much over 60, anyway. I have done a few pirouettes on slick highways (in my younger days. Now,I'm getting too old for that stuff.)
Like has been said, you have to decide what you want to do with it and adapt it accordingly.

tommy b

 

Hi Chilli - welcome from Boston!

You covered a lot of topics in your post, and have gotten some good replies. Maybe I can make a few additional comments that will help.

If you buy an overdrive, you can get most or all of your money back if you decide to sell. They are in demand, and easy to install and remove.

The only other cheaper way to get more highway speed is to change out your axles. The F134 Jeeps came with either 4.27:1 (some) or 5.38:1 (most) final drive ratio which makes them scoot along at lower speeds but doesn't provide a lot of top end. The low gearing also helps a lot on the trail. Maybe you can look around and find a couple of axles with 4.27:1 or 3.73:1 ratio on the used market. The best places to find this stuff is from other owners and collectors, or maybe from backwoods wrecking yards. Besides the time and work required to find and change the axles, you'd also lose some on-trail capability. Another plus for the overdrive - you can shift it in and out in all gears, in both 2WD and 4WD.

You might be able to do an engine swap for cheap... the T-90 to GM adapter comes up pretty often on the used market, and you can scrounge, say, an Iron Duke or a 231 and that can be adapted with the GM adapter. There are plenty of pitfalls though; for example, the gears in your transmission may not be compatible with the long input gear needed for the adapter, depending on the year of your Jeep. These pitfalls can be avoided with research and experience, but that will take more time.

The most popular upgrades are probably overdrive, brakes, steering, and engine, in that order.

hth!

 

Agian I would like to thank everyone for the responses, I had hoped to get some pics up today but it was such a nice day that I took my new bike out instead of tinkiring with the jeep, I will try to get them up tommorow.
Mb I think you might be talking about the one on rt17, I think its got a 3 inch body lift and some 33's, anyway no that is not the one that I got, as I said before mine is all stock as far as I can tell.
It definatly seems that first and foremost I need to look into the o/d unit as far as a mod/upgrade and I will have to start looking to find one just not sure what the wife is gonna say about it, but trust me this thing has plenty of other stuff to keep me busy I think I will look into a solex carb do the point to electronic conversion I have to either find a new or re build the existing master cylinder cause its leaking all of the fluid after a couple days i really beleive that the entire brake system is shot which is no big deal but im curious about disc brake conversions now too at least in the front, I also came across a deal today that seems to good to be true but I am seriously considering I found a guy that lifted his 04 and is willing to all but give me his entire suspension down to the shocks and u bolts, now I know that the newer jeeps have the coil spring front end and I am curious how hard of a swap that would be??? any ideas?

anyway agian I would like to say thanks for the warm welcome and all of the advice I am going to take a lot of this to heart and try to do this build up the right way, I am also going to leave the 134 in the jeep I found a master re build kit for it which includes everything pistons rings gaskets... the works for 425, does that sound about right seems like a descent deal to me but maybe someone out here might know were I can get it cheaper.

Chilli

 

Welcome from middle TN.
The TJ (coils) springs can be made to fit, but not real easy.
I'd just drive it as is till you get a better feel for what it is and it works.
Old Jeeps are an odd beast.
A mild lift (2.5" or so) and some good tires will take you along way.
WE have an outing in east TN in June.
If you can swing you should come.
You will see different mods done to these Jeeps and may find one that fits what you want to do.

 

I don't think this one was lifted. But then again I was driving trying to pay attention to the road and not run into anything.

 

My general recommendation would be to keep it as it is for now, and concentrate on getting it running and stopping good. Get it all reliable as far as fuel system, electrical, brakes, motor, steering, etc., and then just drive it for a year or so. Do your upgrades later. It's not meant to go fast, I wouldn't worry about that. It's built for off-road use, not highways. If you wanna go fast, get a later model one.

I tore my '56 apart within weeks of getting it, and now I'm stalled for lack of funds. I really wish I'd have just got it on the road first as it was. If I'd known about this site then, that's what I would have done. I'd be driving it now and stashing funds and parts for a later rebuild.

 

You know what Ron you must have read my mind, I think im going to do the brakes first obviously I need to be able to stop then im going to take a good look under the hood I drove the jeep in the woods agian today and had no problems as far as how it runs, I think I would still like to get a solex for it and maybe convert it from the points, then I tihnk I will work on cosmetics make it look a little nicer because as far as I can tell it was painted by the po and it really looks like it was a brush paint job, yes I said brush not rush, I will throw a set of 31 inch bfg mud terrains on it( only because I already have 2 of them in my shop) and make it drivable for around town and in the woods, I also need to show the interior some love it has all the seats but they dont look to be original and me being a fairly large guy it makes it quite tight behind the wheel so i will be searching for some original seats as well. So that is my master plan nothing crazy right away just need to get it road worthy first and I think ill wait till next winter for the real serious work as summer is coming and I think we will have a lot of fun with the jeep this summer.

thanks a bunch for all of the replies on this it has definatly givin me some good ideas and a good idea on were to start.

Chilli

 

By the way I think this might have at one time had an overdrive because there is a hole in the floorboard which looks like a perfectly cut square and it is say in between the seats im guessing there was a shifter in there at one time, the jeep also had a spare transfer case in the back of it I looked at it today and it has an id plate on it that says saginaw and thats about it anyway I think i need to get a good look under it would be nice if there was an od and its just missing the shifter.

Thanks agian
Chilli

 

I'm even tossing around the idea of just putting mine back together as it is, and only fixing what it needs, just so I can drive it. And you think YOU'RE a large guy, I might have to fab a seat out of plywood to drive it! I need to look up the details of Boyink's rear fender notch modification. I have two driver seat frames, if I notch the fenderwell maybe I can modify one seat frame to move it back a little.

 

Welcome from Norwalk!

 

Hey Dennis, I noticed on a photo of Speedy that the drivers seat looks a little farther back than the passenger seat. Did you do some modification to move it back farther? I'm a portly feller and I'm anticipating (ahem) "clearance issues".

 

Hey chilli,

I started my 63 CJ with my son, who was 12 at the time. The time spent teaching my son about the use of all of the tools involved in a restoration was worth more money than I will ever spend on the jeeps. We decided to go all the way and rebuild it from the ground up. Th funniest thing about young boys and ahem, young men (lol), is they tend to want to make things bigger, faster, and louder. We ended up with 4:27 gears, SM465 4 speed tranny, kept the T18 transfer case (bullet proof), and a 350 chevy crate motor with all of the goodies, 4 inch suspension lit, 2" body lift and every bearing and seal changed. We went crazy at that point and went to checker plate dash, dual batteries, custom seats, moved the gas tank to the rear, electric fans, electric fuel pump, 600 carberator, winch (recently) and a fiberglass body.
Original cost for jeep, $1250.
Money spent so far. $8k maybe (blushing, wife around corner)
Time spent with son - Priceless.
Here is some motivational picures for ya. You couldn't peel the smile of his face the first time we fired that motor up. He can completely rebuild a T90 and transfer case down from scratch.

Dana

 

Hi chilli, I'm new to this board too, so maybe I shouldn't be giving any advice. but I have been trying to get my jeep going for 2 years now, and it's because I thought I needed to lift it right away and do all kinds of unnecessary modifications to it. and RONDOG is right on, make the jeep run and drive good, stop, and shift good make sure all the electrical works and then drive it. After that you will know what, if anything you want to do to it. You could (like I did) dump a ton of money and still not be able to drive it. Just have fun owning a Jeep, they are awesome rigs and will perform very well on the trail even stock.

 

Welcome from Ohio

 

Welcome from Indiana. would fix enough to enjoy it, then upgrade as needed (time and $$$ allow).

 

Well I had my mind made up till luk4mud posted pics lol thats the type of thing I would do, and I like how the 12 year old gets thrown in front of the bus with the BIGGER IS BETTER theory Im sure it was his idea for the crate 350 hahahah, truck looks great and I am with you on the priceless parts, my son and I did a complete re build of a 83 cr250 last winter and he loved every minute of it, he like your son was so excited the first time I fired it off and took off haulin a** down the road on it, he was gigglin and wide smile all afternoon!

I am however going to make this a functioning driver before I get started with all the liftin overpowerin stuff im guessing that this will probly turn into his first ride as long as he puts the time and sweat into building it.

Chilli

 

Feel lucky you got one that ran first, mine didn't. But when I did get the engine fixed, I realized that I am more timid to do something that might put it into down time for long periods of time. It seems every time I take it apart, it gets warm outside, and when I get it back together, It gets real cold again...

 

welcome from So Calif
14" rims ?? really ????
seems unusual, but I'm sure they are out there
the hole in the floorboard you describe is most likely for a PTO lever
the OD lever would sit next to the trans lever; kinda/sorta in line with it.