1976 CJ5 Resto/Mod

[BigDukeSix]

Like a said, a real dude doing real work. I built my V-twin chop in my basment. No outsdie access. Tore it down and built it again on my patio...Your rig is going to be awesome. Actually it already appears to be.

[HackFabrication]

Thanks again!

[HackFabrication]

Finally got the CJ5 over to JCR Offroad on December 6, 2008, for a list of things that I either couldn't do, didn't want to do, or just didn't have the time/equipment to do. The trip there was uneventful as the snow hadn't fallen, and I pulled it behind my Blazer with the towbar.
The trip to pick it up went like this:
It started out at 9AM to get the u-haul trailer: Covered with snow, lights weren't working, three times as much safety chain as you'd ever need. Two hours to Kazoo to get the CJ, stop for gas 1/2 mile before the shop, have problems with a gas pump (and the dumb toothless biotch behind the counter), move to another pump and fill it up.

Get to the shop at around 1pm, shut off the Blazer, go inside to check on the CJ (they're finishing up the tow bar brackets, so I snap a few pics. Then I go outside to position the trailer for easier loading.... Blazer no start. Cranks, but no start. Daryl and Brian work on it, still no start. By this time I've called my brother (who lives in Tecumseh) to come rescue me with his pickup and he's on the way. It's 2pm now.

We mess around with the Blazer for another 40 minutes, but it's getting late, so I go inside and call AAA for a tow back home. They cover the first 100 miles, so I have to pay for the extra 30-40 miles. AAA says an hour. It ends up to be two. In the interim my brother shows up with his Chevy PU, we hook up the u-haul (thank God he has the 7 to 4 converter plug), and position it for loading. The CJ comes out of the shop with Daryl at the wheel (under its own power...WooHoo!), and the front wheels start to skid. Brakes are sticking. Of course the snow/ice in the parking lot isn't helping matters either. So Daryl and I messed around with them, don't come up with a short term resolution, and it's getting around 4:30.

AAA shows up, I go to put the Blazer in neutral so he can winch it up on the flatbed, and I think: Hell I'll try and start it. You guess it: Started right up. Driver asked what I wanted to do. Yeah, 4:45pm getting dark, snow on the way. No way was I going to drive it back home. I told the driver he's gonna tow it, I'm not going to trust it now. I toss the driver a $20 and tell him to get dinner on the drive back to Kazoo.

In the mean time we've hook up the winch, thinking that we might have to winch the CJ up onto the u-haul. Daryl drives the CJ out into the lot, he get's it lined up and drives it onto the trailer. Where we find that the front wheel nets/tiedowns aren't long enough to work with my 32" tires. Even though I SPECIFICALLY asked the guy if they would work on my 32" tires, and he told me they would work on 17" truck wheels. These wouldn't work on 14" trailer rims. Luckily, my brother carrys all sorts of crap in the bed of his truck and he had three heavy duty straps that we used to span the difference.

Two hours later (and about 400 deer sightings-no shortage of whitetail between Battle Creek and Jackson) we are in front of my house on the packed snow over ice covering the street. I jump aboard, fire up the 5.0L, and attempt moving the CJ off the trailer (it didn't want to move - front brakes). Finally get it off, then several attempts (and some floor dry) to get it up the small 'dip' onto my clean driveway. Too bad the last 'professional shop' that did the exhaust didn't leave adequate room for the front driveshaft, 4WD would've been handy with sticking front brakes. Which is what I believe is the problem. Hell, the rebuilt front calipers have only been on the CJ for ten years without any brake fluid in them. Probably will have to R&R them. Anyway the ARB locker in the rear functions well. As does the SBF making a nice roar in the quiet 'hood at 7PM. It's resting comfortably in the garage again.

Anyway, I'm super happy with the work the shop did. Here's some pics of the new winch bumper, and the reworked rear tire carrier with Jerry Can and Hi-Lift mounts:





Trans Cover (Sweet):


They also cut the rear spring perches, spun the axle and set the pinion angle for the new Tom Woods CV driveshaft (I've got a new TW front one too-just not installed. See above.). And a bunch of 'little stuff'.
JCR Offroad. These guys do good work at a very reasonable price. They'll be seeing my CJ again this spring/summer.

[Wrecker]

I was wondering where you have been.

[HackFabrication]

Under a foot of snow.



And more on the way.

[HackFabrication]

Well now. It's been five years since I've posted, and little had been done on the CJ5. I debated for the past couple of years whether to sell it 'as is' or just give the darn thing away. I decided to start looking for a shop to finish the project. I went back to working full time, and I'm doing shift work with rotating days off. I just don't have the time to dedicate to finishing it, and it's deteriorating just sitting in my garage:



After looking around for a local place to do the work, I had these guys pick it up last November:





As of now, the running gear is waiting for the body to make it through the paint shop:





Bedliner has been sprayed, top and bottom:



Custom dash from DD Fab:



Autometer gauges from their custom shop:



Lots of work left to do, but I really hope it get's done by August.

[Deadman 94 xj]

Very nice work sir. Makes me wish I'd gone in a different direction with mine. It looks like youre getting very close!

[gonecheenin]

Wow - impressive.

Though what's most impressive is you didn't give up on it!!! Cheers to you for that, most woulda bailed then complained/whined about it.

[HackFabrication]

Thanks!

It would've been far easier, and cheaper, to get rid of it. But I hate giving up on it considering all the work I had done before deciding to let someone else finish it for me. The shop has already pizzed me off with the work they did on the exhaust system, which the previous exhaust shop, had also screwed up. I had to have a 'wee chat' with the shop boss about that. It's an exhaust system. How hard can that be? Must be comparable to a moon launch...

The original plan with the shop was that they fix all the mechanical problems first, then disassemble, bodywork, paint, reassemble. Somewhere along the way, that plan was modified. The problem is, if the costs continue to mount, I will be no closer to having a finished vehicle than I was before they took it. Actually, I'll be going backwards with the exception of the bodywork, which I do not have the facilities (or time) to do.

The body work is costing a ton more than I anticipated. I had guesstimated around $6000 for it, and it's WAY over budget. Lots of hand work on the sheet metal. Many, many, many spot weld 'dimples' that needed to be filled/blocked/etc. Ended up getting a new (aftermarket) hood, as the old one would have been too costly to repair. Even then, there was some body work need to smooth it out:



I have no doubt that the finished body will look near-show quality. But: If the project goes too far over budget, it may just end up back in my garage for me to assemble again, as I'm having a hard time justifying their shop rate to basically bolt things back together.

[The_War_Wagon]

TOM WOLF?!?!


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...



SERIOUSLY nice work on the CJ so far. Wanna do the hydrobooster upgrade on my RC, too!

[HackFabrication]

^^^ Ya know.... It would have relieved a whole lot of stress if it had burnt to the ground. Once again I'm finding out what I already knew: Be prepared for disappointments when it comes to the quality of other peoples' work.

I had originally planned to use a hydraulic winch, but came upon the 8274 for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Having the plumbing for the hydroboost brakes would have been a simple add on. I would recommend using a remote reservoir for the power steering fluid, if you are able to.

[gonecheenin]

Auto body work at shop rate can get rediculous but that sounds over & above!

[HackFabrication]

Auto body work at shop rate can get rediculous but that sounds over & above!

Agreed. Not much I can do about it right now but to pare costs in other areas.

A lot of the cost overrun is my responsibility. Bed lining the inside and underside (including fender wells) was one of those MAW's. Bed lining the front/rear bumpers and a portion of the roll cage has also run the bill up. Instead of just having them 'paint everything' with minimum prep, I had them do a ton of smoothing and detailing to the body. I chose Jeep Natural Green Pearl for the topcoat, and being a dark color (almost black from certain angles and in certain light conditions), it would have shown every little spotweld, wrinkle, etc. A lot of the areas were sanded back down to bare metal, primed, filled, sanded, spot filled, blocked, etc. After the final coat of primer, they wet sanded everything working their way down to 600 grit. So there is a load of hand work into this. But prep is everything when it comes to getting a great paint job. Con

Here's the various parts still in the booth with color:









Still to be done: Grill, Windshield frame, Tailgate, Dash, and various small parts.

[Sycotik Skier]

I love the color choice.

[HackFabrication]

Thanks!

[The_War_Wagon]

You gotta bring that to Bantamfest next month - just so we can drool over it in PERSON!

[HackFabrication]

Thanks! I would love to be able to do just that. Probably would have to trailer it due to the 4.56 gearing. But it is quite a few months away from being a road ready Jeep. I'll be lucky (and bankrupt) if they get it done by August.

[Deadman 94 xj]

Agreed on the color. Love it!

[gonecheenin]

Does look great in that color. If you have them smoothing out ever wrinkle in a Jeep that helps explain the cost since I'm pretty sure they came from the factory with alot of those!

[Wbertoty]

Can I ask what the custom exhaust work cost and what problems you had with it? Going to need one made for my YJ.

[HackFabrication]

Can I ask what the custom exhaust work cost and what problems you had with it?

First shop that install the exhaust didn't leave room for the front driveshaft (which wasn't installed at the time, but I told them to leave room for-It's a Jeep for Pete's sake). They also didn't mount the O2 sensor bungs where I asked them to. One was too low, and would surely get sheared off by the first tree limb I ran over. They were a well recommended exhaust shop that had done plenty of custom systems. The bill was $350. The present shop was told by me, that they could cut the existing system off at the muffler and the headers and 'start all over' if they wanted. They chose to adapt what I had. In the process, they ground a bit off my bellhousing to gain clearance with the exhaust pipe. I was, to put it lightly, BREATHING FIRE MAD. And they still didn't put the 02 sensor bungs where I asked them to, although they are in a much better location. Their bill was double the original, and I'm not paying for it. PERIOD.

If you are getting any sort of custom exhaust work done, you will be best served to be standing right there while they are doing it. Otherwise you get what you get, and have to argue and fight to have it made right.

Honestly, the exhaust system on my CJ has been a royal pain. And it ain't that complicated.

[ridgerunner97]

^ Should have just did it yourself and got bends from Summit to cut to fit....

[HackFabrication]

^Unfortunately, I don't own a welder.

[HackFabrication]

Getting ready to put it back together:

[HackFabrication]

More progress: