AND SO IT BEGINS: 1956 CJ5 total basketcase rebuild...

sierracat said:
Nice job once again Rodney Great compromise. I think they should maybe be removeable incase you get into some heavy rock sliding (Just something to mull over when you can't sleep) ;) I'm still trying to decide what to do about steps. your approach gives me something to think about and keep me awake. Thanks:rolleyes:
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Three bolts per side and they come off. If I wasn't getting so old and decrepit,;) I wouldn't worry about a step. Plus my wife is only 5'1" and it was a big step for her. :confused:
 
Another small accomplishment today. Since I used Flush mount LED Tail lights, the wires and terminal block are inside the rear fender well.
20211123_121344.jpg I can just imagine rocks and dirt, mud all thrown up against the lights and wires. Not a good thing. So I looked under the Land Rover Donor car, and yep it had metal guards with a support strut behind the rear tires, with a bottom flange for mounting mud flaps. I cleaned them up and added a short piece of angle to the top of the fender well and drilled a couple holes. Bolted it all together.
20211123_134727.jpg Then back to the bone yard for a semi mud flap I've been hanging onto for years. Another freeway roadkill I picked up. I cut it in half and notched it to fit and bolted it to the Rover splash pans.
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It went quicker and easier on the other side.
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Even left the chrome panel on the bottom.
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The poor old skill saw sure needs a new blade. The thin chrome is backed up by another heavier galvanized piece.
 
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I got to looking at the Hurst Mr. Gasket shift boot and retainer plate. I didn't like the looks of the retainer plate. Maybe 16 Gauge steel with 4 screws. I'm still amazed how flimsy some of the parts we get now a days are.
So I laid out the pattern on some more of the 1/4" aluminum scraps and started to whittle one out with 8 retaining bolts instead of four.
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I drilled 5/8" holes for the corners and used the 4 1/2" cut off wheels to open the center and cut the piece out of the scrap.
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A little sanding and cleaning up and it looks pretty solid compared to what came with the boot. The chrome plate could not be tightened with out distorting and mashing the boot. And it only had four mounting screws.
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Then I transferred the holes in the new plate to the tunnel cover and drilled and taped the tunnel cover. I then drilled the tunnel cover mounting holes and transferred that pattern to the center tunnel. I then drilled those holes and installed the 1/4" 20 U-Nuts in the tunnel. And bolted the entire mess together.
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When the dana 300 twin stick boot shows up, I'll do the same with it and make a 1/4" aluminum hold down plate for it. "I bought the little Dana 18 boot. It's up for grabs if anyone wants to pay shipping only." Then I'll pull the floor plate back off and add weatherstrip to it, to keep the engine bay fumes out of the cab.

Grateful and Thankful, and you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
"Keep Moving Forward"!
 
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Christmas Tree adventures in the High Sierras. Sorry, I left the Willys at home.
We went up through Foresthill today to Robinson Flat at about 6,000 ft elevation, then across Grouse Ridge to Mosquito Ridge and back. We had been up a couple weeks ago scouting out Trees and marking the good stands on GPS. We took the Dodge 3500 and my son's Suburban
Today we had three Christmas Tree permits for the Tahoe National Forest and knew just where we wanted to go.
It was a great family outing with my son and his family.
Our Tree.
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One for Great Grandma that Makayla helped pick out.
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Jonathan's tree.
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Picknick on a stump.

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Found a nice spot to camp and do a little gold panning lower down the mountain. Next Summer.
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My Bride and I had a good day out with family..

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Maybe by Monday I might be able to get back after the CJ5 project.
 
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rocket said:
Christmas Tree adventures in the High Sierras.
We went up through Foresthill today to Robinson Flat at about 6,000ft then across Grouse Ridge to Mosquito Ridge and back. We had been up a couple weeks ago scouting out Trees and marking the good stands on GPS.
Today we had three Christmas Tree permits for the Tahoe National Forest and knew just where we wanted to go.
It was a great family outing with my son and his family.
Our Tree.
View attachment 111528
One for Great Grandma that Makayla helped pick out.
View attachment 111529
Jonathan's tree.
View attachment 111530
Picknick on a stump.

View attachment 111531

Found a nice spot to camp and do a little gold panning lower down the mountain. Next Summer.
View attachment 111533
My Bride and I had a good day out with family..

View attachment 111532
Maybe by Monday I might be able to get back after the CJ5 project.
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Pretty country. When I was at Mather tried to spend as much time up your way as we could squeeze in. But had a 1 year old and one on the way so it wasn’t easy. Our son was born at Mather in 79.
Bitz
 
Bitzf4 said:
Pretty country. When I was at Mather tried to spend as much time up your way as we could squeeze in. But had a 1 year old and one on the way so it wasn’t easy. Our son was born at Mather in 79.
Bitz
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Jonathan in the pictures just turned 40 last month. Born in Auburn, Ca. My daughter will be 38 next spring.
 
Ha ! nice score on the silvertips Rodney. :)
My wife received her tree permit for the Lassen National Forest on Thursday, so we'll be headed to the hills Sunday.
You have a Makayla, and we have a Layla. both keepers !! (she looks like you, and probably knows how to drive a fastener with your makita). Layla turned 4yo on the 23rd. "rightie-tightie and leftie-loosie" is what my wife drilled into her brain.
I wonder what influence we have on them while they observe our mechanical puzzles.

Hey, you are moving forward and still adding weight to your dirt-scrambler for grip. :)
 
Greaser007 said:
Ha ! nice score on the silvertips Rodney. :)
My wife received her tree permit for the Lassen National Forest on Thursday, so we'll be headed to the hills Sunday.
You have a Makayla, and we have a Layla. both keepers !! (she looks like you, and probably knows how to drive a fastener with your makita). Layla turned 4yo on the 23rd. "rightie-tightie and leftie-loosie" is what my wife drilled into her brain.
I wonder what influence we have on them while they observe our mechanical puzzles.

Hey, you are moving forward and still adding weight to your dirt-scrambler for grip. :)
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Makayla just turned 6 last week. My other Grand Daugther is a teenager, and my Grandson is close.

My Daughter Myriah was supposed to be named Lyla Myriah. But She was born on my Grand Mother Lizzy's 88th birthday. So she became Elizabeth Myriah. She came into the world backwards (breech) and has been a Contrary ever since. This is my oldest GD. Samatha.
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Hopefully I'll be Moving Forward Monday.
 
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And So It Begins. Santa's Elves have vomited forth tons of Christmas Decorations from the Basement, along with new stuff just delivered. I think I'll be busy on other things than Willys project for a few days.

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Back after the CJ5 project. I got a few things done today. I started by pulling the floor board cover back off and adding black foam weather strip to the bottom side and bolted it back down with new Stainless Phillips machine screws. I also replaced the shift boot screws with stainless. TheDana 300 twin stick T-Case boot is lost somewhere in the mail.
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Next I removed the steering column and floor u-joint plate. Then the steering shaft to the steering box. All to move the wheel 2 splines to the right to center it.
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With the shaft rotated in the u-joint, I added the same weather strip and bolted the floor u-joint plate back down.
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The steering column then went back in place and everything tightened up. Steering work nice and smooth with the wheels off the ground. We'll see later how well it works with the engine running and the P/S working.
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A couple weeks back I was complaining about the Dark Charcoal dye I used on the back seats. I thought it was light grey at best. The front seats were all wrapped up and protected so I never bothered to look.
Now I am glad I didn't just go ahead and get the Satin Black dye and do them again.
I spent some time this afternoon bolting the seats in and finishing up the seat belts.
I'm, still not sure I like the seat belt latch mounted on the seat. I think I'll make a couple angle brackets and bolt them to the floor.
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Now that the seats are in, I think it's an amazingly close match for the dyed back seats and the leather front VW Pissant seats.
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All in all I'm getting close. I'm waiting on a box of hose clamps for the heater and by-pass hoses, and the twin stick Dana 300 Boot.
The wire hanging down with the label on it, is for the Mode Button to reset the GPS Speedo odometer/overspeed indicator. I lost the Micro Switch in the mess and haven't gotten another yet.
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Keep Moving Forward,
Rodney out.
 
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