The "Garbage Jeep"...

[B.M.800]

So I bought this thing. With a blowed up engine and rotten floors and rockers. Inside was full of candy wrappers, cigarette butts and various other garbage... hence the name "Garbage Jeep". If I was smarter at the time, I would have told the people to clean it out...

The redeaming factors... its 2 door. Its a 5 speed! ...and its got that visor thingy, thats gotta count for some cool points right?

From a distance, its not too bad looking on the outside. The clear coat is coming off the hood and tailgate. It had a bumper... we pulled it off trying to tow it home.

So I have a bit of a project here.

 

[B.M.800]

Some google searching revealed some people with the same problem... some of them worse. So there is hope for me!

Mostly gutted. Next will be getting the rest of the floor out. I had thought about getting replacement floor pans, but it will be cheaper to use a sheet of steel.

If I recall, the factory stuff is 18ga. Im going to use something thicker.

...and the first major modification. A fancy hurst shift handle! I figure, +5 to 10hp. Even on the blowed up engine.

 

[Bbqjoe]

You could probably sell it for double what you paid just because of the Hurst handle!
Put a Rolls hood ornament on it, and quadruple.

 

[B.M.800]

Oh atleast!

So Im looking at the rockers... I want to rebuild them completely, including the around the bottom of the doors. Seems to me it would be better to do this before the floor. That should give me something solid to tie the floor into.

And while Im at it, I think the crossmember/brace the the seats bolt to will be replaced aswell.

Gona need to visit the metal shop and beg for scraps...


{EDIT} So Im open to suggestions to aid in the project... along the lines of the metal work.

 

[Bbqjoe]

The first thing I'd do, is gently roll it over to make it easy to replace the floor, and anything else.
(maybe)

 

[B.M.800]

lol I thought about somehting like that... If I was going to go crazy and pull the entire drivetrain and axles from it... Figured that would make it easy to plate the frame.
Probably plate some of the front and back for bumper mounts.

The frame isnt bad considering what the floor and rockers look like. 3 places that need minor attention.

Im tempted to go to the junk yard and see if there is any jeep with the area in the 1st pic that is more solid.

Going to rebuild the entire rocker an sill below the doors.

Got most of the passenger side front floor cut out.

Drivers side is worse shape. Ill make a few of these seat support brackets. What do we think about a "C" shaped piece of 1/8in?
Or should I go thicker?

Im thinking 14ga (.078) for the floor, and 12ga (.109) for the rockers.

 

[B.M.800]

Im thinking about getting one of these for the air hammer. Do these work as slick as I might think?
To trim metal from the trans tunnel and floor?

I wouldn't use it to cut the new metal for the floor.

 

[Bbqjoe]

Im thinking about getting one of these for the air hammer. Do these work as slick as I might think?
To trim metal from the trans tunnel and floor?

I wouldn't use it to cut the new metal for the floor.

Got me, but I'd get one anyways!

 

[Hellion]

Air chisel?

I've never used one but I know they work well at removing rusty metal and all that. Either that or the 3" pneumatic cut-off wheel tool (which I have used). I think the air chisel is going to win in the areas that the wheel cannot reach.

Aside from this being a Jeep, does this thing in its current state have any redeeming qualities?
1. Blown engine -- check
2. Rotten chassis -- check

Oh yeah, you said standard transmission.

Note to self: never purchase vehicles from the Rust Belt.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

And those XJ's are unibody. Nice you found a 2 door. But it looks like is seen better days. You got quite the project going.

And those air chisels get with it. It should remove anything on there you want.
I'm sure more will fall off just from the vibrations.

---------- Post added at 06:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:10 PM ----------

It's also probably have Dana 30 and 35 axles. I mean turdy and turdy5.
What xfer case is there? 231?

 

[B.M.800]

I figure if I can fix this mess... I can fix just about anything...

 

[chancer]

Some google searching revealed some people with the same problem... some of them worse. So there is hope for me!

So lots of people have old Jeeps full of Candy wrappers and Cigarette Butts!

 

[B.M.800]

Well Ive got maybe 65% of the junk floor out.

Ive been using a hammer and chisel along the frame and cross members to cut the floor from the spot welds. Used the angle grinder with a cut-off wheel to section off the floor. Not cutting the whole way through, but enough to make it easy to bend and break it off.

Make quick work of a speaker wire while I was at it... Ohwell. I guess I wasnt going to put those speakers back anyways...


After the floor is all off, I got back through and grind the spot welds flush.

 

[Bbqjoe]

Well Ive got maybe 65% of the junk floor out.

Ive been using a hammer and chisel along the frame and cross members to cut the floor from the spot welds. Used the angle grinder with a cut-off wheel to section off the floor. Not cutting the whole way through, but enough to make it easy to bend and break it off.

Make quick work of a speaker wire while I was at it... Ohwell. I guess I wasnt going to put those speakers back anyways...


After the floor is all off, I got back through and grind the spot welds flush.

You must really like this Jeep, huh?

 

[B.M.800]

I will learn to like it. And I will like it! Whether I like it or not!



So far, its been kind of fun... I mean, it could stand to be a bit warmer... but its not bad. Yet.

Not sure Id want to do it again... good practice anyways.



....aaaand everyone thinks Im crazy. Turds.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Thinks????

 

[B.M.800]

Oh right...


So I had a thought, for the back... Instead of buying brandy newy sheet metal, why not "liberate" some from a truck bed? Then Ill have them fancy whoopty do groove thingys... Does that seem as slick as I think it is?


Now that I think about it... why not liberate some more panels off a few things for the front floors...

I had wanted to make the floor thicker that what it was. Im not sure what Ill find though... Id imaging the truck bed would be a bit thicker...

The stock sheet metal is 18ga, according to the internet experts.

 

[kenworth85]

Don't give up I started with about the same. Still working on it but 4 yrs later this is what I have. Lots of money, frustration, blood and tears. needs a good cleaning

 

[OzFab]

...them fancy whoopty do groove thingys...

... don't just look pretty, they add strength to the panel; once a metal panel is bent in one direction, it takes a lot of force to bend it in any direction; unless there's lots of support, the main floor should also have

...them fancy whoopty do groove thingys...

 

[B.M.800]

Stronger yes, that, and it being cheaper than new metal makes it good. Mostly the cheaper part.
I may not do that for the front, it will need to be bent up under the dash and as you said, it wont bend very easily.
Probably get some to do the front, atleast experiment some using the torch to heat it up and bend it to where it needs to be.


On the hunt for a new welder for this project too... Looking for something little 110 unit I can plug into an extension cord and run out to this thing.
Any suggestions? Id prefer to stick with a name brand unit.

{EDIT} So Im curious... and to make it more interesting...
How much $$$ do yuns think it will cost to put back on the road?