zlucky_13z
Bigger Hammer
- Mar 2, 2011
- 108
- Willys Model
- Willys Year:
Hello all. Been a long time member, and I'm finally at the point that I'm ready to start building my project. I've had my 48/53 Willy's Wagon (Registered as a '53 and I'm assuming it has a '53 chassis, but it has the '48 body with the rounded rear wheel wells.) for about 3-4 years now, and have done nothing with it as I've been trying to decide what route to take. In my attempt to decide what to do I bought a 1983 FSJ Cherokee, only to find out that I hadn't done enough research as it had the vacuum actuated hubs that nobody wants. I sold it about a year later for a slight profit. I then decided I just wanted to take out the the f4-134, and replace it with an L6-226. I traded a saddle I had for one that I found on craigslist, and figured out that I really wanted to be able to drive it on the freeway, and that it wasn't going to be as easy as just swapping out the motor. I sold it about 6 months later to a gentleman that has a tractor that uses the same engine. Now at the present time, I was able to purchase a 1979 Scout II for $1200. It runs, it drives (doesn't stop, but it drives.). It has all the components I need to get my Willy's on the road (Intl. 304 V8, I believe a T-18, Dana 20, and Dana 44's front and rear with disc brakes up front.). However, I did more research only to find that the willy's america catalog left out the part about the castor not being sufficient, which I don't really understand what it is but it sounds like it's beyond my skill set. My original plan was to stretch the frame on the scout and swap bodies, but the guy I found to do it said it would actually be easier to take the components I need from the scout and put it into the Willy's. Either way I chose, he'd be willing to do the work, and it would cost about $2400 dollars IF him and his guys can get it done in 40 hours. So after reading Midnights post on someone else's Scout II Dana 44 issues, I'd like to ask everyone (and especially Midnight) what the best way to go is? Should I swap bodies, or should I replace components? The big dilemma is that, as Midnight put it, everything on the scout was engineered to work flawlessly together, but when you take a part of it away to use on something else, it's not going to work without some more work...essentially. Or does the castor problem even come into play when you're using everything from the scout just on a different frame? Anyway... Here are a few pictures of the two vehicles to get this thing started. Thanks for the input in advance.