1960willys350
Sharpest Tool
So last summer I bought a really nice 71 tub that came with a frame, 2wd front axle, and a 4.56 centered Dana 44 rear. The tub is meant for my 71 CJ5 Renegade I build, which left me a frame and axles that were taking up space and I had no real use for. I listed it on Craigslist for a couple months with no interest. Then a buddy offered me another tub that he had been sitting on for his own project, but found another one he liked better. For $100 I couldn't say no. Now with a frame that was too nice to cut up and a nearly pristine 69 tub, I figured I might as well put together another Jeep. The idea behind this build is to use the leftover and extra parts from my Ren1 project and source everything else as cheaply as possible.
The frame sat for awhile on its original axles, 16' wagon wheels, and flat retread tires. Then I found a set of 33x14.50 boggers with wheels for $150 so on they went.
Another buddy brought home a pair of 72 Jeepsters that were good for parts only. One of them had a Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear with 3.73 gears. This solved my 2wd problem so we made a deal and I brought them home for $300 I think. The front had Lock o Matic hubs on it and the rear happened to have a track lock.
The donor
It sat like this for a few months. Quadratec had a sale on lift springs so I scored 4" springs for about $100 apiece. The second Jeepster my buddy brought home had a 304/T15/D20 in it. I installed a new clutch fork in his Dauntless CJ5 in exchange for the Jeepster drivetrain, since I didn't have one for this project.
Next I needed to source some front sheet metal and found a screaming deal on fenders, hood, and intermediate grill at the Puyallup swap meet.
The tub came home just a couple weekends ago. It has awesome patina and almost no rust. The floors are straight and solid. Even the hat channels are still solid except for the end of one on the passenger side.
I think the original color was avocado mist maybe?
Looks like a Jeep now!
The frame sat for awhile on its original axles, 16' wagon wheels, and flat retread tires. Then I found a set of 33x14.50 boggers with wheels for $150 so on they went.
Another buddy brought home a pair of 72 Jeepsters that were good for parts only. One of them had a Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear with 3.73 gears. This solved my 2wd problem so we made a deal and I brought them home for $300 I think. The front had Lock o Matic hubs on it and the rear happened to have a track lock.
The donor
It sat like this for a few months. Quadratec had a sale on lift springs so I scored 4" springs for about $100 apiece. The second Jeepster my buddy brought home had a 304/T15/D20 in it. I installed a new clutch fork in his Dauntless CJ5 in exchange for the Jeepster drivetrain, since I didn't have one for this project.
Next I needed to source some front sheet metal and found a screaming deal on fenders, hood, and intermediate grill at the Puyallup swap meet.
The tub came home just a couple weekends ago. It has awesome patina and almost no rust. The floors are straight and solid. Even the hat channels are still solid except for the end of one on the passenger side.
I think the original color was avocado mist maybe?
Looks like a Jeep now!
