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!

Wiring in the Plug - I got a female plug from Radio Shack to match the male that I put on the end of the power cable. I then connected the red wire to the center post on the female connector. The ground wire from the drill got connected to the outer shell of the connector. The third connector is a normally-closed switch connected to the outer shell. I connected it to the connector that connected to the battery. This way, when the cable is plugged in, it disconnects the ground lead of the battery.

I drilled a hole big enough for the connector in the plastic plate that covered the wires in the drill. I figured that mounting the connector there would a) protect it and b) make it so I would have to remove the battery to hook up the wire. You could just as easily put the connector any where you could find space in the drill.

And that's it! I now have a 12v drill that I can use on the trail all day if I need to. And it only cost me bout $20. Gotta love it.
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The Plug and Cord - First step was to make the cord. I used the 12v cigarette lighter plug and wire from an old auto vacuum dust-buster like thing. You could find the same on one of those cheep little air compressors or just about anything that runs off the cigarette lighter.

I attached a power plug from another device that I happen to have lying around. You can just as easily get one from Radio Shack for a few bucks. Be sure to connect the center connector of the cigarette lighter plug to the center post of the female power connector.
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12v Jeep Powered Drill - A little side project. I picked up this 12v drill at Harbor Freight a few months ago for something like $15 during a sale. I thought, it's inexpensive. If I drop it in the mud and kill it I'm not out much. But for $15 you don't get that great of a battery. It lasts about 10 minutes if I'm lucky. And only holds a charge for a day or two.

But I bought it with a plan in mind. I could have gotten one with a higher voltage battery but I wanted the 12v for a reason. I figured I could just attach a wire to the battery clips and then to the Jeep battery and I've got a drill that will last all day! Read on.
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Sunday, March 21, 2004

Drying - All done! Now to let it dry for a day or two. Then everything gets bolted back in. Including the newly painted roll bar. I also stopped by a local tire store and got an old truck tire inner tube. I'll cut pieces out of it and put it in between the roll bar and the tub. This will keep the metal from rubbing the paint off. More soon!
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All Covered - Here it is painted all over. The tape is still on. According to the directions, I left it dry for about an hour or so and then put a second coat on the edges. This softens up the paint around the tape so it will peal off easily. After the second coat on the edges, I pealed off the tape. Then it got to sit for 3 or 4 hours till it was dry to the touch. Then a second coat all over and we are done!
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Finally! The goop goes on! - The day of painting has finally arrived! I was ready to paint it two weeks ago but a family member ended up in the hospital and I had to put it off for another day. Then a typical Ohio early spring snow storm kept me from doing it till today. 50 deg. and rain. That's ok, though because it is Herculiner actually uses the moisture in the air to start the curing process. So, rain on!

First off, tape around all the edges. 2" up from the floor all the way around. Then after donning a pair of rubber gloves, I start glopping this stuff on. It feels like putting roof tar on it. Thick black tar like stuff with ground up rubber granules in it.

First job is to paint around the edges with the brush.
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Correcting Past Sins - Two years ago when I put the Jeep back together I got a little impatient and put the roll bar (correction, sport bar) back on without painting the new metal plates I had welded on the bottom to replace the old rusted out ones.

You would think that after grinding off the old ones, having new ones made fabricated and then welded on that I would paint the damn things so they wouldn't suffer the same fate. No.

So, here I am two years later with a wire-wheel on my trusty 4" grinder cleaning off the rust in preparation for a coat of POR-15. Then a couple of coats of rattle-can black and the bar is ready to go back on.
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Saturday, March 20, 2004

Herculiner -After 2 years of wheeling, despite the rubber floor maps we have in the Jeep, the paint is getting all scratched an worn out under the mats. So, I decided to put truck bed liner on the floor to protect it and got a gallon of Herculiner.

The first step of painting anything (as we all well know) is to clean it. Emptying out the Jeep took half the afternoon. The other half was spent sweeping and wiping out the tub. Next I did something you would never have dreamed I would do. Cleaned out the edges with a tooth brush and a water spray bottle. It was the only way I could get the dirt out of the seams and crevices. It was a surreal experience considering all the dirt and mud I've taken her through.

Next I had to scuff up the paint with a paint scuff pad (I dont' know ecactly what to call it, one comes with the Herculiner and I got a couple of more from a local automotive paint store.) And then finally I wiped her all down with Xylene (paint thinner like stuff that works wtih the Herculiner.)
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Custom Throttle Linkage - The new carb. wanted to have the throttle cable pulling directly back towards the firewall and the old one pulled straight down. So a couple of pieces of metal (left over 1/8" plate from some former project and an electric box cover) and some creative fabrication and we have the stuff you see in these pictures.
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Motorcraft 2100 2-barrel Carburetor - She has a new set of lungs! After extensive on-line research (Thank you Pirate4x4.com) I decided to put a Motorcraft 2100 carb in my Jeep. According to most every post on the subject this is a great carb. It is inexpensive ($50 at the junk yard, $12 rebuild kit), easy to rebuild, and forgiving to the novice carb. adjuster/rebuilder.

I got a two barrel intake manifold from an old donor CJ at a local junk yard. I blew out the inside of the manifold with a sand blaster to get the rust and cob-webs out. After drilling and tapping out one of the bolt holes I got it all assembled and bolted on.

Next was the carb. Thanks to my best friend's father, Rich, I rebuilt the carb. And with a $12 adapter from Summit Racing I had it bolted on. Next, on to the custom throttle linkage.
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Yes, I'm alive -- Contrary to popular belief, I am not dead. Just busy with life. Over the winter I decided to do two upgrades to the Jeep. New two barrel carburetor. Paint the inside floor with Herculiner. Both are now completed and I'm finally posting the details of both.
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