bmc010
Active member
im new here and posted in the intro section so now its down to business. I was browsing around the other day and found some photos of a wicked jeep hot rod featured in jp magazine. I was hooked and in love. I got on craigslist and found a 47 cj3a willys in great shape. it was all original, body was complete with grill complete as well. Everything was straight and very little rust, original glass and windshield frame as well all for 300 delivered to my drive way. I feel like i got a great deal. I have since chopped the windshield frame down a good 5 inches and stitched it back together. It didnt go so well and i could not figure out why...until i started really looking at it. The frame was broken in two places and some one tried to fix it but didnt work out so well. so i am debating just making a new windshield frame all together, but will probably just rework the one i have....these last couple days (i get little time out there with a baby and a full time job) i narrowed the tail gate about an inch and a half and zapped it back flush with the body, it looks awesome. a pound or so of wire later its sitting welded in and ready to be ground down. All the paint on the grill is stripped and i have reworked the head light mounts to pull them back a bit. I did this because as they sit stock (and ill take photos to help the explanation) they are sticking out far to much. I wanted to pull them back into the grill frame, so when they are mounted, the contour of the rounded headlight would flow with the contour of the bezel. As they sat, the headlight stuck out a good 3/4" further than the bezel. Im sorry if you are still reading this and have not seen a photo, but they are still on my phone and i just have to transfer them over. Basic build plans for the project are
1. Super super cheap. I have set a budget of 700$ and would like to not come near that. I am in it so far for 300 and already have a complete sbc minus spark plugs and plug wires. Body complete minus tail lights. frame is from a yj (if you dont know what that is look it up, i am a hard core off roader so a rat rod is new to me)rear end is a tj d35 (see a pattern here) I am planning on building either a 3 link or a 4 link front end, using xj spindles and wheels and tires i find somewhere for free.
2. GoArmy. I want it to look early 40s military, if you do your math, yes, that is pre WWII. When America was geared up for the war, but everything looked shiny and new cause it has not blown any s**t up yet. I have done some research and have come up with a game plan to incorporate as many bomber and fighter pilot cockpit styles as i possibly can.
3. Safety. I will not skimp out on the safety factor of this. There will be seat belts (army green 3" cam lever lock if i can find a set in my 4 wheeling gear) sub-floor will be over kill and front axle will be overkill (im thinking .25 wall sleeved 2"dom with 3/8" plate here and there)
4. Basic. if the car does not need it, its not going to have it. I dont need all that vacuum and computer crap that all these rice burners get lol(my codger coming out) I am building this to be all mechanical, the entire care is going to work like a v8 would have worked when henry ford broke his wall out and test drove his first car near the turn of the century.
5. Time. This beast is going to be driving by spring. Yes i live in denver and that means a lot of cold cold cold ass nights (not days, i dont have those) in a single car garage with no insulation. Bring it on mother nature, im ready for you.
Ok enough with my yammering, probably way to much for a newb to write. Here is a photo of how i bought it a short two weeks ago. Ill have photos tomorrow of how it sits now.
1. Super super cheap. I have set a budget of 700$ and would like to not come near that. I am in it so far for 300 and already have a complete sbc minus spark plugs and plug wires. Body complete minus tail lights. frame is from a yj (if you dont know what that is look it up, i am a hard core off roader so a rat rod is new to me)rear end is a tj d35 (see a pattern here) I am planning on building either a 3 link or a 4 link front end, using xj spindles and wheels and tires i find somewhere for free.
2. GoArmy. I want it to look early 40s military, if you do your math, yes, that is pre WWII. When America was geared up for the war, but everything looked shiny and new cause it has not blown any s**t up yet. I have done some research and have come up with a game plan to incorporate as many bomber and fighter pilot cockpit styles as i possibly can.
3. Safety. I will not skimp out on the safety factor of this. There will be seat belts (army green 3" cam lever lock if i can find a set in my 4 wheeling gear) sub-floor will be over kill and front axle will be overkill (im thinking .25 wall sleeved 2"dom with 3/8" plate here and there)
4. Basic. if the car does not need it, its not going to have it. I dont need all that vacuum and computer crap that all these rice burners get lol(my codger coming out) I am building this to be all mechanical, the entire care is going to work like a v8 would have worked when henry ford broke his wall out and test drove his first car near the turn of the century.
5. Time. This beast is going to be driving by spring. Yes i live in denver and that means a lot of cold cold cold ass nights (not days, i dont have those) in a single car garage with no insulation. Bring it on mother nature, im ready for you.
Ok enough with my yammering, probably way to much for a newb to write. Here is a photo of how i bought it a short two weeks ago. Ill have photos tomorrow of how it sits now.
And yes, that was a steal for 300 [cl[cl
