67 Jeepster Project

[Frylock]

Well finally got the photos up of my 67 Jeepster I purchased like a month ago. It has a 305 firebird engine, year unknown...a th350 transmission, 205 transfer case, dana 60 front(disk brakes), full float 14 bolt rear(drum).
The guy gave me 2 steering boxes + 1 pump, a radiator, a Tcase with a few of the adapters needed to convert to a tcase doubler. Also gave me the original jeepster front fenders, hood and grill.
After getting done with gutting the insides Ive started from the back and working my way up redoing just about everything. The rear springs suspension setup I am leaving, looks like he did a good job with it and there are just a few spots that he never welded up fully I will have to run a bead on.
Im still trying to decide on what size of shocks to get. The rear fender needs to be moved back close to 8 inches, looks like he had to move the axle back for the long chevy leaf springs...
Im new to leaf springs, a friend big into prerunners tells me to run the shocks on the outside of the frame and leaf springs with a 1:1 ratio( 1 inch axle travel = 1 inch shock travel)...Is that the same for rock crawling???
In the process of reflooring the back end, there is a huge dent and just want to redo it completely instead of trying to fix. already bought some 14 guage for the floor and some 3"X3/4" channel for bracing for the body mounts.
Been debating about just cutting the whole back of the body off and working on it in the garage, Would make painting and plumbing the frame easier too with it off, Im just afraid I will never get it welded up right when I need to put it back together.
Dont feel like copy/pasting 24 times so here is the album link, will update with pics when I get more done
http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa11 ... /Jeepster/

If anyone knows of some good resources for reading about the 305-350 engines or just project trucks in general Im interested in learning of them. The whole project is new to me, just learning as I go atm, no clue how to wire or route anything really.

[chrisrigby]

i dont think you would save any headache by cutting it off. once you weld it back on that thin sheet metal is going to pull and warp like a mofo so your back to step 1 with body work just in a different spot.


thats what your calling a huge dent? my rig has scratches bigger than that. oh well to each his own i suppose. i just dont understand people trying to make and keep a rig straight and pretty. i prefur the bent up sctratched used look lol

[TheBigDogg]

Seen this yesterday at Home Depot[attachment=0]uploadfromtaptalk1336930525747.jpg[/attachment]
Had a split windsheild

TheBigDogg

[REDxj5150]

FINALLY!!! Awesome...

Did you get the paperwork with this? cause that's not a 67 body. Most of the wiring is not stock, so a fresh start is probably needed there. Is it tbi or tpi? I know quite a bit about tbi, and could probably wing it on a tpi setup. Did you get a spare radiator? or just one. I'd like to buy if you got a spare.

[Frylock]

As far as I know its a 67, atleast all the pictures Ive seen of them look just like mine. Paper work is all there, I have pink slip with matching serial numbers and already have it tagged. I dont know what tbi or tpi is......havent really looked much into the engine. He gave me the computer (I think) for the fuel injection....He said it had a 350 in it before, with a carb but it ran hot and started burning oil so he put this 305 with FI in for more of a rock crawler. Sorry I dont have an extra radiator, he just gave me one of those.

[REDxj5150]

From what I have learned about them while owning mine yours is definitely a newer body. The changes are so subtle though it doesn't matter. Someone just switched the vin plates. The frame has the last 5 or so stamped somewhere by the center of the passenger fender. It's a nice jeep. I wish mine was that far along. unfortunately it's not.

[Frylock]

Been making a little progress every weekend. Heres a few pics Ive added.

Cut out fenders making sure to have enough room for 40"+ tires.
[img]http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/Warlord69/Jeepster/IMG_1161.jpg[/img]

Ive been sanding a little at a time. I cut out the old side tail lights and am going to replace them with "Truck Light" 2" LED lights, you see them on
service truck beds a lot. They will actually flex inside the body when hit, so I thought they might be good to have on the trail. Back tail lights will have two 4" diameter LED lights per side (seen on tractor trailers).

So got to plug up a few more holes and try to make the bed look half way decent.
[img]http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/Warlord69/Jeepster/IMG_1169.jpg[/img]
One hole I plugged already, warped bad but that will be fixed with some angle iron for the fender wells.

Once I get the body welded up some more I may take it off the frame to get it sand blasted somewhere.
[img]http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/Warlord69/Jeepster/IMG_1170.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/Warlord69/Jeepster/IMG_1163.jpg[/img]

More pictures
http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa11 ... /Jeepster/

[chrisrigby]

Lots of small welds. Also when making your beads push the puddle back to a weld. Start in nomans land 3/4 inch or so away from a weld and weld back to it if that makes any sense. It will greatly reduce warpage and pulling. Also allow plenty of cooling between welds. I typically put a tack on both ends then the center, then put one between each of those and so on untill I have a tack roughly every inch. Then run a little bit about every 4 th tack starting in between tacks and pushing back to it. Then skip around untill you're welded up.

[Uncle Cracker]

i love the jeepsters and comando's

[Lake_v2]

Is it on jackstands right now? If not the shackle angle on rear leafs ppears quite a bit off should be at around 45-60* angle like /

Looks like a fun project, how is the front axle setup? On leafs as well or linked?

On the engine its fairly simple gm fuel injection is nearly plug and play from factory.

For the shocks with leafs yes around a 1:1 ratio and outside thesprings works well.

If there isnt one yet make sure to put a traction bar in the rear, it will save your springs and control axle wrap.

[Frylock]

Well I got a little work done on the jeepsters over the past couple of months. All the powertrain has been gutted and sitting in my garage. The body has been pulled and laying on a frame I made from 4x4s and 2x4s with some HF wheels. Did this to prevent bending the sides up and so I can set it on some saw horses for fabricating and painting later.

[url=http://s198.photobucket.com/user/Warlord69/media/IMG_1219.jpg.html][img]http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/Warlord69/IMG_1219.jpg[/img][/url]

Pictures of the frame, trying to leave the axles and tires on as long as possible to keep the frame a little higher then my jack stands would raise to.

[url=http://s198.photobucket.com/user/Warlord69/media/IMG_1250.jpg.html][img]http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/Warlord69/IMG_1250.jpg[/img][/url]

Next up on the frame is just cutting off all the old shock mounts and any other crap that the past owner left on. The frame has been boxed already but still needs to be cleaned up and reinforced in a few places that look weak, particularly up at the front where the engine mounts are.

[url=http://s198.photobucket.com/user/Warlord69/media/IMG_1243.jpg.html][img]http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/Warlord69/IMG_1243.jpg[/img][/url]

Looking for a chevy small block to replace this crap 305, that way I can mount the engine and start getting measurements and parts for the 4 link.

[url=http://s198.photobucket.com/user/Warlord69/media/IMG_1248.jpg.html][img]http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/Warlord69/IMG_1248.jpg[/img][/url]

If anyone knows someone with a "working" 350 engine with accessories, Im interested.....also if anyone wants a 305 for the price of a core charge I got one. The last owner says it works but I have never even bumped it. If I take it to the scrap yard the accessories easy to get to will be pulled off for spares.

[url=http://s198.photobucket.com/user/Warlord69/media/IMG_1245.jpg.html][img]http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa110/Warlord69/IMG_1245.jpg[/img][/url]

If anyone knows a good machine shop in town that will set me up with a ready to go rebuilt engine for a decent price, I might go that route. Few 350's on craigslist I still need to look at, just dont want to end up rebuilding one anyways....

Lots more pictures can be found here

http://s198.photobucket.com/user/Warlord69/slideshow/

[Desert Dog]

Damn Fryloco, your getting serious now! that is going to be badass 4-linked. Are you going with coilovers?

[Beck*A*Poo]

Cant wait to see the finished build

[Frylock]

I was going to shoot for some 20" travel ORI's on all 4 corners, but I from what I have read the wait time to receive is months.....

Anyone have a good resource I can read on the differences between the DP3 and STX??

May have to find some used coilovers and just deal with whatever size I can find.

Im making this into more of a "go fast" rig but still have good crawling features. Longer CA then a real crawler and the t-case will be a little lower then it should be. Found a SM 465 tranny Im thinking about getting, would give me a very low granny gear for crawling.....but I really want an automatic.

The rig came with a 2nd T-case for the NP208 but was never modified or installed, for a doubler. Im thinking about waiting on that tell its driveable.

Becka, I would not hold your breath

[Desert Dog]

[quote="Frylock"]I was going to shoot for some 20" travel ORI's on all 4 corners, but I from what I have read the wait time to receive is months.....

Anyone have a good resource I can read on the differences between the DP3 and STX??[/quote]

The STX is what you want. Also, 20" sounds WAYYYYYY too big man. Most people run 16" max, and that is on a really flexy buggy! Mot Jeeps/trucks run 12s or 14s.

The wait time is 6-9 weeks right now, so order them now and you will have them by the time you start mocking up the axles.

Nice project fryloco!

[Dirty LJ]

Thats awesome!

Do you still have your JK?

[REDxj5150]

A 350 and a 305 are identical except for the bore size. Since the rotating weight is reduced its a good candidate for a high reving motor. With the right cam and valve springs you could turn pretty close 8500 rpm, but damn jeeps have to be all duel purpose... The intake which would make that system work won't idle worth a crap or work worth a crap under 3000rpm. You're making me want a v8...

[Frylock]

Ive read nothing but horrible things about the 305, horrible torque no matter what you do with it and just a engine that nobody wants to fool with.

Looking at getting a short block 383 from cnc-motorsports. Reading up and trying to decide what specs I want on it, rod lenght, piston style (flat, curved, etc) what crankshaft dimension, and what compression I want it to have. Im looking for low end torque still so Im thinking of going with a smaller crankshaft, also hear they get great mpg but they got no power over 4500rpm.


DD
I got plenty of room in the back for 20" struts in the back. This rig is a hybrid between a prerunner and a jeep. Prerunners run 20" minimum for woopties and anything over 20" with ORI's get seriously expensive, so I would really like to make 20" ORI's work in the back. Front will be closer to 16" travel....prolly not even that.

And yup I still got my JK, rear locker is still broken and it needs a lot of work done with the suspension. Looking to sell it after the jeepster is built and running to help with a down payment on a house in about a year.

For anyone who wants to buy a house, make sure you have 3 branches of credit!! 3 credit cards, 2 credit cards and a car loan, 1 credit card a car loan and house loan, etc. Im screwed for atleast 6 month because I was always tought to not have more credit cards then I can handle so Ive always had 1. Now I cant get a home loan for minimum of 6 months even with near perfect credit and a 20% downpayment. Rediculouse imo.