Before

After

Current

• Remove old body
• Remove old fuel system
  • Tank
  • Lines
• Remove brake lines
• Remove engine
• Clean frame
• Wash frame
• Replace front U joints
• Repair frame
  • Body Mounts
  • Left & Right Rear Frame Members
  • Gas Tank Cross Member
  • Secondary Cross Member
  • Driver Side frame by transmission
  • Rider Side front by front end
• Sandblast frame
• Rustproof frame
• Reinstall front end axel and hardware
• Reinstall rear axel
• Reinstall front and rear bumpers
• New brake lines
• New gas tank
• New fuel lines
• Reinstall engine
• Body
  • Fix body dents
  • Paint body
  • Install body
  • Install Fenders
  • Install Grill
  • Install Windshield
  • Install Tailgate
• Interior
  • Break/clutch pedals
  • Dashboard
  • Steering wheel
  • Seats
  • Center console
  • Rollbar
  • Canvas Top
• Electrical system
• Repair Wreck Damage
  • Straighten Frame
  • Replace Leaf Springs
  • Replace front shocks
  • Straighten tie rod
  • Straighten & Paint Front Fender
  • Replace side marker light
  • Get Comprehensive Insurance Coverage
• Winter 2004 Upgrade
  • Two Barrel Carb
  • Herculiner on floor
  • Paint Roll Bar
  • Replace starter
  • Replace front u-joints
  • Reorient air compressor
• Winter 2005 Upgrade
  • Two new axels w/ 3.4 gears
• Spring 2006 Upgrade
  • New (old) engine!
• Spring 2008 Upgrade
  • Roll Cage!

Well, she is almost ready for the road. I have the leaf springs replaced, new front shocks installed, an almost straight tie-rod, and welded anti-sway bar connector. Just need to get the body aligned so everything fits together again. Then finally replace thr motor mounts (one got torn in the collision).

But here's the one problem. The frame shop didn't quite get the frame completely back in line. The front grill and hood still don't line up and it's due to the frame being out of shape still. It needs to come over almost an inch and a half. This is what I thought they were fixing but aparently they didn't. I'll be taking her back to the frame shop on Tuesday so we get to look at her stuck in the garage all weekend. Sniff...
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Friday, August 24, 2001

Ok, here's the complete list of the repairs I have to make.

• Straighten frame (done)
  
• Replace front and rear leaf springs (working on it now)
  
• Replace front shocks
  
• Straighten Pittman-arm tie rod
  
• Repair (or replace) broken anti-sway bar connector
  
• Align body, hood, fenders and grill
  
• Body work on front fender and driver side door opening
  
• Straighten front bumper

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I also got my center console installed. It's lockable and has two cup holders! (Gotta have cup holders.) But I installed the CB inside of it so, wired the speaker in the dash (that wasn't being used any more) to it and I have a secure and coinvent place for it.

Oh and notice the seat covers. $20 at AutoZone. Not too bad and they match much better than the old brown ones did.
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I found a truck bed mat at a local discount store for $20. (Blemished I think.) Anyway, I cut it up into pieces and viola! Custom floor mats!
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Just before all this crap happened, I had the rollbar welded to new base plates. It's bolted down but not painted yet. That's the next thing on the list after I get her back into good mechanical order.

Oh and one other thing. I found a great set of (cheap, $14) speakers over at (of all places) Radio Shack. I attached them with two strips of velcro and I have tunes! (And cheap ones that I won't cry over if they get yanked.)
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Here's the last little body problem. This wrinkle is on the driver's side at the back of the door opening. This is the opposite side of the car from the impact. This shows the whole body has been twisted and this bubble popped up showing the body stress. Also, every spot weld on the outside of the body has dented in slightly making the once smooth body sides now dimpled everywhere. Oh well, she's not perfect any more. By a long shot...
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If you look closely, you can see the gap between the hood and the body widen as it goes toward the passenger side. But compared to the grill I need to move it the wrong way and make the gap bigger. Mumble...
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The whole front is shifted over. This picture shows both sides of the hood and how it matches up with the grill now. But here's the problem, the hood seems to want the grill moved to the left, but the grill is misaligned where it meets the frame and seems to want it to be moved to the right. So, I'm trying to shift the whole body over. Well see. It will have to wait till after I get the new springs on.
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Pictures. Yes, I finally have pictures of the damage. It's actually quite minimal looking. A beng shock, a dent in the fender, a bent bumper and a broken marker light. But that's the obvious stuff. Read on...
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Tuesday, August 21, 2001

Finally. I'll be bringing the Jeep home tomorrow. She was finally put on the rack yesterday and according to one of the guys at the frame shop, she taught some of the people there how to curse. Apparently she was a bit harder to straighten than they thought. But the assured me that she is right as rain and I'm planning on picking her up sometime tomorrow afternoon. It will be good to have her home again. (Now I guess I'll have to clean out the garage for real. Stuff has accumulated in her space in the last few days.)
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Wednesday, August 08, 2001

#@!%*#!

Yes, you guessed right. I crunched it.

I was taking my brother, my two nieces (April 9 and Michelle 7) and Jen for a quick ride around town Wednesday night. I was approaching an intersection to make a left turn. The light was green. Facing me in the turning lane was a truck or van or something large, in the other nothing. I looked, it seemed clear and I started to make the turn. Got into the center of the other lane and out from beside this truck came a Toyota Tercel going straight through the intersection. No time to stop, they skidded into my front passenger side corner. Bang! Swung the Jeep around 180 deg. It raised up on two wheels for a moment and I was scared it was going to flip over but it didn't and came to rest with a thump.

No one was hurt. Scott and Jen are a little stiff the next day but otherwise everyone was wearing seat belts and are fine. The Toyota is pretty well crunched in the front end. Kind of like if they drove into the corner of a building. Creased the front of the car right in the middle. (She's a college student living in Florida and was up here visiting her father and leaving for FL next week.) The Jeep suffered a bent front bumper and a slightly bent front fender. Oh, and bent the frame and various steering parts.

I've called around and it looks like I can get the frame straightened out for about $500. Yum. The other damage is pretty easily fixed and I can do that myself. Apart from thanking God that everyone walked away unharmed, I was so disappointed that I couldn't take it to the 4WD club meeting the next night (24 hours later) to show it off. I've been telling them about it for the last 4 months and was so hyped to do that.

So, I get to go to court next week and find out what the fine is. I've been told that if I go and plead no-contest instead of just paying the fine it will help shield me legally if any weirdness crops up. Also, I may get the fine reduced since my view was blocked and it wasn't just complete stupidity on my part. I'll keep everyone posted as to how that goes.

I'll get some pictures of the damage too when I get the heart. For now, I'm just ignoring it for the next few days. And believe me, I'll get some form of comprehensive insurance on it before I take it out again.

Live and learn. (Thank God I get to do both.)
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Saturday, August 04, 2001

The roll bar is firmly attached. All it needs is a coat of paint and it'll be beautiful as well as functional. Also have a coat of paint on the center console and should have that installed tomorrow. Picked up a Firestik CB antenna yesterday and installed it on the tire rack. Looks quite spiffy if you ask me. I'll have pictures of it as soon as Jen gets back from Toronto with my digital camera.
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Friday, August 03, 2001

I also spend the other night putting a kill switch in her. I found a great (simple and cheap) system to kill the ignition system on the net here. Now I have a spiffy little yellow flashing LED to let me know I need to wave the magic wand over my dashboard to get her to run.
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Just one last major thing to have done. Weld the roll bar to the new plates I had made. I drilled holes in them and bolted the plates to the body and then sat the roll bar down on them and bolted the back part onto the body. Then it was off to my welding friend to get them attached. True to form, 3/4 of the way there, I blew the rear universal joint. One of the bolts on the u-joint saddle worked loose and the joint snapped free. 10 minutes under the Jeep and I had the drive shaft off and we were driving down the road with it in 4WD and using the front wheels to drive her. Got it welded and limped home. I put a new u-joint in her and were back to functional.
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So with a functioning brake system, it was time for a test ride with my two favorite sentient beings. My wife (Jen, behind the camera.) and Zeus.
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After a couple of hours struggling with the brake system and a couple of sage comments from some helpful people on the Usenet rec.autos.makers.jeep+willys board I was off to get a new master cylinder. (Surprisingly cheep, $20!) With it installed and the system properly bleed I had brakes! Woo hoo!
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With the front seats on it was time for a test run. Once around the block and I was certain I hadn't bleed the brakes correctly. Mumble...

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With the dashboard attached and functioning the seats came next. But there was a little cleaning up to do first. Thanks to a little help from Jen (my wife) we had her all spiffy and clean in no time.
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During this all, my pooch Zeus watched with mild interest. But the first time I fired up the engine, he was so excited!
"The Jeep was back! Let's go for a ride!!!! NOW! NOW! NOW!"

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Installed the radiator and filled it up and guess what? It leaked! I must have kicked it or something and damaged two of the tubes. Drat! A trip to the radiaor repair place and $25 later it's all fixed. Onward!

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Fenders and front grill went on quickly enough.

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The dashboard went in pretty easily. Hung it form the rafters with a couple of bungie cords and connected everything. Then just bolted it on. Hen got the steering wheel connected and viola, a dashboard!
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I decided to put the old tail lights back on. After cleaning them up with alittle steel wool. they look pretty good. Replacements would have cost nearly $40 for the pair.

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Contrary to popular belief the Jeep Chronicles aren't over. I jumped the gun just a little bit showing the picture with her all together. Here's a bunch of shots that came before that. Some of the assembly steps.
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