Build CJ5 wild stretch and full build (Judy)

1Sinner said:
We've been looking. I'm mostly waiting at this point until I finish my degree. Then I have a fall back to be able to make roughly the same money anywhere we go. And anywhere else my dollar stretches a helluva lot farther.
Click to expand...
you become serious about iowa let me know. i will do what i can from this end to help or point in the direction :)
 
chaplinfj60 said:
you become serious about iowa let me know. i will do what i can from this end to help or point in the direction :)
Click to expand...
I've been looking at Idaho falls a lot, since I have a nuke background and the national lab is right there. It would be an easy transition. I'd really prefer to be up in the panhandle, or Wyoming, Utah, Montana or Northern AZ. But housing and land is much cheaper farther east. The hard part is convincing my wife to move that far from family. I would personally rather be mortgage free (or close to it) because we could afford to do more and take more trips.
 
1Sinner said:
This is true. And I have thought about it. But I also don't really wanna.
Click to expand...
The Porsche RSR19 racecar originally had the wiper motor mounted down on the center tunnel with a carbon tube going up to the wiper transmission, trying to keep the CG as low as possible.. Soo we believe in you. :laughing:





It also ended up not being a great design and was later updated to move the wiper motor to the cowl :homer:
 
I ordered a set of manual sxs wipers to see how they fit and I'm considering building a linkage.

Started on the door hinges for the new doors. Because finding hinges for Meyer doors is impossible. Upper hinge bolts to the windshield frame. Left these way long to see where the door fits best and give me room to make the hinge fancier than factory.
PXL_20250725_012831061.jpg
had to make pin bushings..having a lathe makes life so much easier when you do fab work. 21/64 reamer was the perfect size. Turned out of 5/8 steel round bar.
PXL_20250725_024630385.jpg
snug, but not tight and swivels freely. Going to make a small brass bushing to clgo between the pin boss and the upper hinge plate.
PXL_20250725_024621864.jpg
the brass will suck up the excess stickout on the pin.
PXL_20250725_024616544.jpg
Now I have to fit and tape the door skin in place and start fabbing the rest of the hinge parts and get them tacked into place. Once the doors are on pivots, I'll start on the interior brackets and getting the window guide channels fabbed up.
 
Finished a set of hinges tonight. Made some tap plates to back the hinges on the door so I don't have to **** around with nuts and bolts.
PXL_20250725_232101091.jpg
will help keep the door more rigid in this area as wel.
PXL_20250725_232104011.jpg
door gaps set and spaced, hinges bolted on, in plane with the upper header channel
PXL_20250726_000327706.MP.jpg
then I bolted the plates onto the body, fit and tacked the hinges, pulled em off and welded them out. Once they were finished and cool, I ran a reamer back through the pin barrels to make sure the hinges wouldn't bind.
PXL_20250726_032050767.jpg
this was when they were first fit and set before I pulled them back off. Wanted to check for function and fit first. Of you look real close you can see the bronze bearing I made to go between the upper hinge and the pin boss. I wanted something to keep steel from grinding on steel.
PXL_20250726_023955923.jpg
gratuitous side shot
PXL_20250726_023930597.jpg
door open, hinges in action.
PXL_20250726_023939224.MP.jpg
the way the hinges are set up, I have almost 180 degrees of function.
PXL_20250726_024047806.jpg
 
I'd say that's proof you got those hinges lined up 100% perfect :beer:

I have honestly never seen a Jeep with a top like that or doors that looked like those and mounted that way. Is this like a mail truck or military or??????????

pxl_20250726_024047806-jpg.jpg
 
All the early CJ5 tops were this way with the doors. Of course, none of them were long like these. They all looked super squished as the early short fender 5s were so short all around. They only had an 81 inch wheelbase from the factory.

You just generally don't see a hard top on many of the Early models. So it really makes them look different compared to the soft top most people run.

1000001241.jpg
1000001240.png
technically its ***led as an m38a1 but the m38s have a lot of small differences. Battery box on the cowl (I did make the plate to bring it back, but it wasn't going to work with the AC system so I left it off) no JEEP stampings, the round indentation for mounting the military anti aircraft spot light on the passenger side cowl, insert headlights and blinkers (I didn't want to cut up an m38 grille) cut outs for a snorkel on the hood(only came on short hoods, and very rare). They also got a large gas filler cutout and cap on the drivers side for filling with Jerry cans. Which is why my filler looks different. And a split windshield that pops out at the bottom for ventilation (jeep shown doesn't have the correct safari windshield).
1000001242.png
the military CJ ambulance is even weirder. A huge cutout on the passenger side for stretchers, but a regular CJ5 door on the drivers side. Round spotlight mount is there, but no provisions to actually mount the light.
1000001243.png


of course at this point, the jeep is just a mutt. Some old features, some new, some military, some not. But a whole lot of stuff to make you wonder which model it is. Long dissertation for your question, but I really enjoy the unique-ness of the Early cj's.
 
WaterH said:
So I take it the openings line up with the rear windows? Are you going to fit all the original stuff in it. (Latches, handles, window workings)
Click to expand...
Close, the upper line matches, but I can't get the lower line any farther down. The window mechanism doesn't have enough throw. But yes, the inside will be fully fixtured and window guides added.
 
I'd never heard of the slave plug being used for an anti aircraft light, usually just for jump starting.
 
WaterH said:
I’m not a jeep guy, so if you paint that I don’t know how fast I would realize it was majorly altered. Probably the gull wing handles would be the “give a way”.
Click to expand...
That's been the plan the whole time. I wanted the proportions to be as factory looking as possible to make people wonder if it's a jeep model they weren't familiar with. Hoping I can pull a few trophies with it and still have a capable crawler.
 
Started layout and pieces for interior supports.
PXL_20250730_021549716.jpg
this is all .75 outside width U channel, with a 9/16 ID width, I've found window seal that should fit the channel. Should I leave this pad floating for alignment purposes or weld in place since everything is currently aligned?
PXL_20250730_023103248.jpg
a lot of hand fitting on the joints will be required before welding.
PXL_20250730_024837612.jpg
 
I think I would leave it unwelded. You can always locktite it and torque it good. At least until it’s completely done. But I change my mind 14 times while building something like this.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar Threads

638: Full Build vs Portals Whats Cheaper With Portal Pros
Replies
0
Views
102
JimmyJet10
JimmyJet10
Build, The General Lee, Tons, 40s, stretch, leaves
7 8 9
Replies
266
Views
21K
plym49.2
plym49.2
Build ExWrench's Oddball Mods + Sneaky Stretch
4 5 6
Replies
152
Views
17K
Louis Winthorpe III
Louis Winthorpe III
Top Back Refresh