The commando.

[t_long927]

Dude I envy you... That looks awesome.. BTW I still have your shovel riding in the back of my ZJ... Let me know where to drop it off... Or if you are going to HV this weekend I can just bring it to you...

[REDxj5150]

Been working on the jeepster a little here and there. Today me and my dad got the seats mounted in, and before he got home I Managed to tear up the original doors getting the hinges off. Then I went and bought some flat head allen hex bolts since i chopped through all of the bolts. I only put the driver side door on today cause of how hard it is to get to the passenger side. Here's some pictures. The jeepster is a mess lately because when I go and get parts I just throw them in.

[img]http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/578696_10150741503674617_505084616_146108744_1380913572_n.jpg[/img]
Here's a bit of the handy work that we've had to do to get the doors to fit.

[img]http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/530319_10150741503919617_505084616_146108746_304824291_n.jpg[/img]
An action shot for once. Mainly cause I have a smart phone now with a nice camera.

[img]http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/389209_10150741503749617_505084616_146108745_422415521_n.jpg[/img]
Here's what the rails looked like before we welded them to the cage.



[img]http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/522180_10150741503999617_505084616_146108747_1045545901_n.jpg[/img]
And the practically mandatory after shot.

Progress is continuing slowly. I'm going to look for a small block to drop in it instead of fighting the injection right away. It's always an option in the future. plus I think the added power will be nice. This alleviates many of the problems i was going to have running the steering.

[REDxj5150]

I've been making a lot of hidden progress on the commando recently. The steering linkage is all hooked up. I need to snatch up the hydroboost and MC off of one of my partsters to get started on the brake lines. I raped a DJ5 mail jeep in the junkyard for anything i could. I pulled most of the wiring out of it, the cool emergency brake handle, and the front turn indicators. The coolest snag had to be the speedometer, classic jeep. lately the concentration has been getting the doors to fit properly. As of today it was finally a success. If I have time tomorrow I'll put the striker plates on the body and the door handles on it and see if they actually work. After that I can wire it up as much as possible. The list is getting shorter, slowly but surely.

Major things left.

Find and install SBC
Brake system
Fuel system
wiring
make some drivelines
transmission/TC skid plate.

That's just about it...

[img]http://a1.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/117/10b3767100fd4986ad9f680d026f3e64/l.jpg[/img]

[img]http://a1.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/149/7029ffb9911c4807b277587253cd6267/l.jpg[/img]

[REDxj5150]

Hi everyone,

So I've managed to get both doors mounted and all the latches work perfect. The passenger door lined up way better than the driver door which required some major tweaking of the body to get it to fit correctly. It's just about as good as it's going to get now though. Today I primered the doors and mounted the body on the frame. Everything is going surprisingly easy. My dad found a 20 gallon gas tank from a boat that appears as though it will work, even if it should be temporary to some extent.

[img]http://a1.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/149/c522aa1bf3d34a629bf054c31d53220c/l.jpg[/img]
Driver side didn't take very much bondo.

[img]http://a4.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/132/3400f5fe9d904e10ba79a680da306db9/l.jpg[/img]


[img]http://a4.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/115/d879de091efc44be9f73051a34da689a/l.jpg[/img]
Passenger side.

[img]http://a2.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/126/3b01b46ea8514eaea4c5c1240d7b8659/l.jpg[/img]
Clean lookin now.

Looking for a small block chevy. Carbureted not TBI. Simplicity before complexity. I just want it to run.

[REDxj5150]

Teaser shot...

[img]https://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pCRZBaVzpy4BLEnVRl79xrmk-DHRdYe4dKG-jsMFA5NWmDQRyO3reatRA0sMGpbrFQvXUphY1h5LzDOgIf8Pxeg/4b.jpg?psid=1[/img]

[REDxj5150]

damnit. really?

[AJ99]

lookin good man. it has come a long ways

[REDxj5150]

So I have been weeding through the wiring over the past couple of weeks. I've got all the major constituents labelled and lined out. I have the rear loom loosely in the jeep already. The front is just about ready to go in. I've just been trying to figure out how the heater motor was wired in on the doner jeep, but wednesday I'm just gonna put all wiring that I don't know aside and put it in the whole loom in the jeep. I have a small simple fuse box with about 8 fuse slots, and all of my off road lights will be ran off of inline fuses. I have a lot of room and am very excited to make this wiring look pretty. Break out the zip ties!

[img]https://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1p9gw02c2s5l3w-g_YHz2GzfiaBlu6YWFDD4VR-_lckUp3x7rcjhnMpQ3V6zWMOR8ghqZNqx9CKGA/6b.jpg?psid=1[/img]

[img]https://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pvVv_zY6Fh-Q9b64FwG7vw338xq2ibSHmSUV4qlE92s9VpEwGaLInl9K9QTYC-ff9GM5fXBpICP0/6e.jpg?psid=1[/img]

[Zak.Taylor]

Thats really cool man. Its nice to see something unique on the trail. I can turn a wrench, and even dream up some cool stuff, but I don't have the patience for a full, frame-off resto. For your patience and efforts, I commend you. Keep up the good work.

[REDxj5150]

The last couple of days have been very productive on the jeepster. Yesterday I removed the np203 and adapted my cross member to mount the np205. Late in the evening I got the 205 in and checked the driveline lengths. I'm very fortunate that the front worked out just fine, and the rear needs to be extended a bit and the 1350 slip yoke installed for the 14 bolt.

Today I fixed the front driveline clearance issue with the cross member, installed the gas tank, and ran both the feed and return fuel lines to the engine. It definitely served as a nice break from wiring, which all I pretty much have done is the column lighting circuits, and the ECM. Next will be to wire it all to an ignition switch. I also need to go get a pair of bolts for my starter, we've got some that are too long, and plenty that are too short, but none are right.

Here is my proof i've actually been working on it.

[img]http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/545734_10150746163084617_505084616_146126767_837051831_n.jpg[/img]

[img]http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/575278_10150746163414617_505084616_146126773_1401709218_n.jpg[/img]

[img]http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/582146_10150746163449617_505084616_146126774_1957288713_n.jpg[/img]

[Uncle Cracker]

i've always loved the"comando/jeepster". there is one sitting in
a yard near my work, for years now. wish i had cash to offer.
i've seen a few awesome built ones. can't wait to see yours out on the trail
keep up the good work

[REDxj5150]

[quote="rgacord"]i've always loved the"comando/jeepster". there is one sitting in
a yard near my work, for years now. wish i had cash to offer.
i've seen a few awesome built ones. can't wait to see yours out on the trail
keep up the good work [/quote]

It doesn't take a lot of cash to offer for one of these things. They may be a bit on the rare side, but they are still a really cheap jeep. There's one visible off of the 58 when you're heading through tehachapi. That crummy looking neighborhood that is north of the freeway. The closest house to the freeway farthest east in the neighborhood there's a brown portable building out back, behind the building is an orange jeepster with a white wagon hardtop. It may have a roof rack. It has been there a very long time. If you do ever get one make sure it has the steering box out front. That'll be one less thing you have to mess with.

[SyKoPaThIc K]

DOnt see pics.. jus outlines of a persons body?

[REDxj5150]

I'll fix that eventually...maybe tomorrow when I wake up. I had a lot of complaints in the jeepster forum about my broken pictures. I finally fixed them a few weeks ago. I pulled my pictures off of my MySpace account, but I deleted it and didn't think of the pictures.

[munepit]

Looking good!

[REDxj5150]

I believe I fixed all of the broken pictures...

Thanks Jeff. I hate working away from home. If I were on a rig nearby it would be nice to go home to sleep, and then I could wake up in the afternoon and work on the commando. Hopefully only 3 or so more days of this.

Oh I see that I didn't share my OBA compressor install...

York compressor...

[img]http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/578008_10150741508019617_505084616_146108822_49011510_a.jpg[/img]


[img]http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/579209_10150741508139617_505084616_146108824_1966529794_n.jpg[/img]

This is a high output. From what I've read it appears as though It will be putting out 13.89 CFM @2000 RPM Compared to the XJ's compressor of 2.4 CFM, this thing is in a league all on its own.

Here's some good info for those interested in the idea. http://coloradok5.com/york.shtml

[Uncle Cracker]

i really dig this build thread: love the commando, but the fact that
you've taken several piles of parts and created a bitchen rig is dedication.
by the way: my recentered H1 rims and tires are from "trailworthy"
great guys over there. about $1500.oo , you paint.
one of the best things about those 37 inch militarily tires, there available
everywhere for about $80.oo each>>>gut a side wall, throw it away and put another
one on>>>> no more crying because you cut a $400.oo tire.


keep up the great work,,, can't wait to see this complete

[REDxj5150]

[quote="rgacord"]i really dig this build thread: love the commando, but the fact that
you've taken several piles of parts and created a bitchen rig is dedication.
by the way: my recentered H1 rims and tires are from "trailworthy"
great guys over there. about $1500.oo , you paint.
one of the best things about those 37 inch militarily tires, there available
everywhere for about $80.oo each>>>gut a side wall, throw it away and put another
one on>>>> no more crying because you cut a $400.oo tire.


keep up the great work,,, can't wait to see this complete [/quote]

I am probably gonna go with the recentered H1's from trailworthy after I get it further on down the road. There's a place up in tulare or visalia who have the 37' military tires for 80 or so. So I wouldn't even bother buying the tires from TWF. Did you get those PVC inserts that they make?


Anyway, recently on the commando i've been trying to figure out how to fit a radiator in it. I've got a plan, but I'm curious as to figure out of a radiator shop will actually do it. I meant to go to the junkyards while I was off, but time ran short as I'm shipping out for the next rig tomorrow night. I don't know what depth we're going to on this one, but it'll be a long one. I might as well make a wanted ad of everything that I need and see what comes up on here.

[Uncle Cracker]

yea, i got the pvc inserts,,,easy to put in the tire, but havent figured out
how to get them out of the tire without sawing through the side wall.
if anyone has the hot tip for removing the pvc insert, i'd love to hear it.
please don't guess. if you've done,,,cool,,, let me know

[Zak.Taylor]

Travis, just pull on the insert...the bead will oval shape and let it slip out. My 44" deuce tires had them. Use soapy water on the bead, stand on the tire and pull (read: pull HARD)

[Zak.Taylor]

Sorry....Roger, not travis

[Uncle Cracker]

i'll try it next swap,,,,, i see me flying across the shop backwards
if it comes loose

[REDxj5150]

I have no motivation for this thing right now. I wish I did, but wiring is such a downer.

[chuckanut105]

[quote="rgacord"]yea, i got the pvc inserts,,,easy to put in the tire, but havent figured out
how to get them out of the tire without sawing through the side wall.
if anyone has the hot tip for removing the pvc insert, i'd love to hear it.
please don't guess. if you've done,,,cool,,, let me know[/quote]


Turn the PVC ring so it is sticking out of the tire long ways soapy water and it sould come out pretty easy. The stock ones do anyways. It also helps if you put your purse down and really pull.