22-APR-2012
This is how it looked the day it was picked up
It's basically all there just not the look that I'm looking for so some changes are needed to be made.
I bought this from my brother who purchased it for his son. He had it for only a couple months before deciding that this little green Commando was going to be more of a project than he was looking for. He ended up buying a Jeepster that was already built that didn't have the problems that this one has.
I bought it to replace a buggy that I built about thirteen years ago that is in my Toyhauler trailer. I'm kind of over the buggy thing having used it all these years in the desert and in the sand. So when the desert season starts again in October the buggy will be sold. Now having the Jeep and it being street legal I will be able to take advantage of driving it around as a cool old convertible as well as taking it to the desert to cruise with and do some exploring I couldn't do in the buggy. Here in California we don't have to smog anything that is older than 1975 so I can do whatever I want to do with the engine and not have to worry about giving the State a penny to run it through a smog test!
My plan is to remove the Bullnose front clip that I'm not too found of and install my version of a Jeepster front clip using YJ front fenders, a CJ grille with custom made Jeepster ears, and a lengthened Jeepster hood to cap it off. I'm going to get rid of the interior along with the roll bar and build a nice full cage with different seats with harnesses and a YJ Fold and Tumble seat in the rear. I'm going to rework the dash and update the gauges, tilt column, a fresh coat of paint, and shoot bedliner in the whole tub. I'll keep the TH 400 and the Dana 20 but will probably change the shifters on both. front and rear axles are supposed to be Dana 44's but they aren't very wide and the previous owner installed spacers on front and rear. The 350 Chevy conversion with TBI is an added bonus but just doesn't run very well and will have to be figured out. The wiring is original 1972 Jeep wiring along with whatever harness was used as a donor for the electronic stuff and is a complete mess so it will all be ripped out and replaced with a new harness and fuse box. Rust repair and rear bodywork will need to be done and a new paint job will cover it. It won't be show quality but it will be straighter and and have fresh paint on the exterior (still fighting with my 16 year old daughter on the color choice!). I gave the complete doors to my nephew for his Jeepster because all he has is soft doors and my plan is to use another set of hard doors (which I have) and make them into half doors. I have an idea to use some JK door hinges to give the doors a different look.
All this and I need to keep it it low enough to still get it into my trailer! So for now SOA suspension is out of the question.
22-APR-2012
The beginning
The Bullnose front end with some big white fangs for a grille behind the winch!
10-MAY-2012
Bullnose with teeth bumper grille guard and winch
I'm not too fond of the Bullnose front clip but the teeth really need to go!
22-APR-2012
The beginning 2
Another side view, the front suspension was so bad that the shocks were bottomed out on each other.
Notice the shackles on the front springs are almost laying down!
03-MAY-2012
The beginning 3
The rear bumper wasn't too bad but the swing out tire carrier/rack has to go!
03-MAY-2012
Tire carrier
Another shot of the "picnic table" on the tire carrier. All of the tires are rotted except for the spare which is actually on the passenger rear. This tire on the rack was so rotted that the sidewall blew out just sitting on the street!
10-MAY-2012
Tire carrier bracket
Looks like I'm going to have lots of holes to fill!
10-MAY-2012
Tire carrier bracket
More holes to fill on this bracket
03-MAY-2012
Modified Bullnose hood
Wasn't really sure why the holes were put in the hood until I made the 30 mile trip home. The temp gauge kept climbing, climbing.....
I'm guessing they were to help the failing cooling system!
03-MAY-2012
Modified hood and flares
Another shot of the "modified" hood and the hacked up TJ fender flares
Interior-dash
Long straight steering column, aftermarket gauges mounted in what looks like a ceiling fan blade!
Jeep Cherokee seats
Jeep Cherokee seats were used with stock Commando seatbelts, comfortable but a little wide for a console in the middle