Mine started as a good relatively clean scrambler with rebuilt engine, Howell EFI, steering overhaul, and rear ARB locker. Frame in excellent shape, body only has minor rust oder the rear fender wells.
The goal of this build was to provide a secure platform to support photography trips. Travel destinations mainly around the south west with future thoughts of international travel. I generally do bare bones camping; coming from a background in mountaineering I am quite comfortable sleeping under the stars or in a small light tent without much more than a light multi fuel stove and some food and water. I wanted a secure cover over the bed that would allow me to sleep on it, stand with a tripod, and be tall enough to hold several jerry cans. With the bed cover came the need to remove the roll bar and replaced with an in cab roll cage (Rock Hard). The other consideration was fuel capacity; the stock tank just isn't enough fuel to allow base camping in an area without having to head out to restock. Travel routes being some paved, 50% gravel, remainder moderate trails. Hard trails and it is faster to ride a mountain bike...
A good portion of the work discussed above was done by Code4x4 in Rifle Colorado while I was living in Africa. They did an excellent job on the fuel tank, bed cover, suspension, and new gauges, etc.
I have been doing a lot of work along the lines of making the jeep a bit quieter, storage customisation, weight distribution, and electrical modifications. I have added a custom padding for the bulk head, carpet, YJ fold forward seat brackets, custom sewn bags for mounting on the bulkhead, removal of the heavy 4x6x1/4" bumper in lew of a lighter trailer hitch and bumperettes, Tuffy under hood toolbox, Blue Sea fuse boxes and 2 cigarette lighter outlets, a usb power outlet, and a DIN outlet, new heater cables, etc.
Immediate future work planned is:
Installing my Speehut CJ gauge, oil temp, and transmission temp gauges.
Custom center console (front is cover for a future hand operated parking brake and rear extending all the way back to the bulkhead for camera storage) with Tuffy lock (all keyed to match...
Hand operated parking brake (either from something like a Land Rover Defender or Range Rover or one from a place like Lokar)
Tuffy secure glove box.
Acrylic canvas seat covers with centre section being merino sheep skin.
New hard doors
HiLift jack mount in rear.
Fabric cover for extending bed rails (will make since when you see it).
Some minor interior modifications in the way of lighting and placement of the dual batter controller.
Aluminium front bumper
Rigid led lights on front bumper and rear bed cover
Things I am ponder for 2yr future:
Forged aluminium wheels
Tires
Paint (Sage green body and light tan top/bed cover)
Plastic windshield
Foaming insulation between the two hard top layers
Upgraded headlights
Chevy V6 (wanting further weight reduction and fuel economy with similar power)
Willwood disk brakes
Light ford 9" rear axle
Upgraded duty cycle air compressor
Further lightening/weight distribution (less weight on rear axle and moving that to the front.
The goal of this build was to provide a secure platform to support photography trips. Travel destinations mainly around the south west with future thoughts of international travel. I generally do bare bones camping; coming from a background in mountaineering I am quite comfortable sleeping under the stars or in a small light tent without much more than a light multi fuel stove and some food and water. I wanted a secure cover over the bed that would allow me to sleep on it, stand with a tripod, and be tall enough to hold several jerry cans. With the bed cover came the need to remove the roll bar and replaced with an in cab roll cage (Rock Hard). The other consideration was fuel capacity; the stock tank just isn't enough fuel to allow base camping in an area without having to head out to restock. Travel routes being some paved, 50% gravel, remainder moderate trails. Hard trails and it is faster to ride a mountain bike...
A good portion of the work discussed above was done by Code4x4 in Rifle Colorado while I was living in Africa. They did an excellent job on the fuel tank, bed cover, suspension, and new gauges, etc.
I have been doing a lot of work along the lines of making the jeep a bit quieter, storage customisation, weight distribution, and electrical modifications. I have added a custom padding for the bulk head, carpet, YJ fold forward seat brackets, custom sewn bags for mounting on the bulkhead, removal of the heavy 4x6x1/4" bumper in lew of a lighter trailer hitch and bumperettes, Tuffy under hood toolbox, Blue Sea fuse boxes and 2 cigarette lighter outlets, a usb power outlet, and a DIN outlet, new heater cables, etc.
Immediate future work planned is:
Installing my Speehut CJ gauge, oil temp, and transmission temp gauges.
Custom center console (front is cover for a future hand operated parking brake and rear extending all the way back to the bulkhead for camera storage) with Tuffy lock (all keyed to match...
Hand operated parking brake (either from something like a Land Rover Defender or Range Rover or one from a place like Lokar)
Tuffy secure glove box.
Acrylic canvas seat covers with centre section being merino sheep skin.
New hard doors
HiLift jack mount in rear.
Fabric cover for extending bed rails (will make since when you see it).
Some minor interior modifications in the way of lighting and placement of the dual batter controller.
Aluminium front bumper
Rigid led lights on front bumper and rear bed cover
Things I am ponder for 2yr future:
Forged aluminium wheels
Tires
Paint (Sage green body and light tan top/bed cover)
Plastic windshield
Foaming insulation between the two hard top layers
Upgraded headlights
Chevy V6 (wanting further weight reduction and fuel economy with similar power)
Willwood disk brakes
Light ford 9" rear axle
Upgraded duty cycle air compressor
Further lightening/weight distribution (less weight on rear axle and moving that to the front.
