Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[jscherb]

I'm getting the LJ ready for the trip to Easter Jeep Safari (no, not taking the JK this time). I often bring my spare-mount Excursion Rack on off-road trips, I typically carry my cooler and and ammo can for food that doesn't need to be cooled.

I've posted about the Rubican containers in this thread before - I decided that the rack is also a good place to carry a Rubican (or a Rotopax)...

Using a Rubican extension mount, it's easy to add another container.

Swing it down and the rack can still be used for cargo...

 

[Comanche Scott]

a fun mod for someone using your Excursion Rack would be installing Jeep hood latches.

In a way, taking the LJ, is a lot like taking the JK, because all of the cool things on the LJ are pretty much on the JK. Just need to finish up your new front end kit for the JK.
So someone asks "That's really cool Jeff, but what about the JK?" You can say, "Yep, been there - done that one too!" :victory:

 

[jscherb]

a fun mod for someone using your Excursion Rack would be installing Jeep hood latches.

It wouldn't be too hard to adapt Jeep latches to the Excursion Rack. Perhaps pointless, but not too hard .

In a way, taking the LJ, is a lot like taking the JK, because all of the cool things on the LJ are pretty much on the JK. Just need to finish up your new front end kit for the JK.
So someone asks "That's really cool Jeff, but what about the JK?" You can say, "Yep, been there - done that one too!" :victory:

I planned to start work on the JK Retro Rhino project about six weeks ago, and I set up the parts in the workshop to start work back then, it's just that other projects have gotten in the way - I hadn't expected to have to build an Overland Rack prototype in time for EJS, I got sidetracked with the JK flat fenders, I've done several furniture projects for the house, etc. In a few days I'm leaving for EJS, hopefully when I get back I can begin cutting metal for the Retro Rhino.

What's in this photo below is a JK hood and an FSJ hood, they'll be cut/spliced to create a JK-sized mold master hood for making the fiberglass mold for the final hood. Also JK headlights mounted in FSJ headlight buckets with original FSJ trim rings, a very nice condition original grille emblem, original FSJ turn signals (I won't be using them though), and more modern looking smaller replacements for the original "pie plates" (I've got several very nice sets of original pie plates, but they're much too large for the scaled down design on the JK, which is the printout underneath everything).

 

[SGNellett]

It wouldn't be too hard to adapt Jeep latches to the Excursion Rack. Perhaps pointless, but not too hard .



I planned to start work on the JK Retro Rhino project about six weeks ago, and I set up the parts in the workshop to start work back then, it's just that other projects have gotten in the way - I hadn't expected to have to build an Overland Rack prototype in time for EJS, I got sidetracked with the JK flat fenders, I've done several furniture projects for the house, etc. In a few days I'm leaving for EJS, hopefully when I get back I can begin cutting metal for the Retro Rhino.

What's in this photo below is a JK hood and an FSJ hood, they'll be cut/spliced to create a JK-sized mold master hood for making the fiberglass mold for the final hood. Also JK headlights mounted in FSJ headlight buckets with original FSJ trim rings, a very nice condition original grille emblem, original FSJ turn signals (I won't be using them though), and more modern looking smaller replacements for the original "pie plates" (I've got several very nice sets of original pie plates, but they're much too large for the scaled down design on the JK, which is the printout underneath everything).

This is soo cool, would be even more awesome for a TJ! I'm just sayin, LOL!

 

[jscherb]

This is soo cool, would be even more awesome for a TJ! I'm just sayin, LOL!

The way I've designed the components, there are 3 fiberglass parts - the hood, the front panel, and the grille itself. The hood is specific to the JK, but the idea is that the front panel/grille could be adapted to the TJ, all it would take is a new hood specific to the TJ.

This photo shows an earlier (wider) print of the front panel/grille being held in front of my LJ:

Now having said that I am not saying that I am actually going to do a TJ version, all I'm saying is that I've thought about what's required from a design standpoint and I have a plan for it if I ever decide it's worth doing. For now I'm just planning to do the JK version.

 

[Comanche Scott]

If you decided to take it commercial, and could do it without having to make the molds yourself, that could be a pretty cool deal.
Also (and this is a biased opinion), your CJ grill/hood setup is pretty awesome on the LJ.

Have you ever thought about doing these kind of projects in CAD where a potential mfg could purchase the CAD drawings to work from?
Does that even make sense from a manufacturers point of view on large molds?

I've never done molds so, this is all new and cool processes.
Although I do plan to use your processes to build a custom console for the Scout.

 

[jscherb]

If you decided to take it commercial, and could do it without having to make the molds yourself, that could be a pretty cool deal.
Also (and this is a biased opinion), your CJ grill/hood setup is pretty awesome on the LJ.

Have you ever thought about doing these kind of projects in CAD where a potential mfg could purchase the CAD drawings to work from?
Does that even make sense from a manufacturers point of view on large molds?

I've never done molds so, this is all new and cool processes.
Although I do plan to use your processes to build a custom console for the Scout.

In my experience, companies that would be interested in small-volume fiberglass products like most of the ones I do don't have CAD capabilities - only the big volume companies have that. Since it's unlikely things like my CJ Grille Kit could ever interest a high-volume company, the best way to take them commercial is to build quality mold masters and prototype molds and deliver either of those to the company, depending on their preference.

Where CAD would make a lot of sense for me is with the hardware projects I do - everyone who does anything more than one-off metal fab products these days uses CAD to drive flatbed lasers, tube lasers, CNC bending brakes, etc. I do engineering drawings for all of my hardware projects, but due to cost, it doesn't make sense for me to invest in CAD software. Sometimes I output CAD files from my drawing program and deliver those to a company, but those really just provide a starting point - once they import what I've done into their software they still have a lot of work to do to get the CAD file to the point where it can drive their manufacturing process. I'd like to do CAD for these projects, but since I just do this as a hobby, it just doesn't make sense for me to invest thousands in CAD software.

And thanks for the comment about my CJ Grille Kit for the TJ/LJ, I think it's pretty awesome too . I've still got all the molds and mold masters for it, so if it ever makes sense to turn into a production product (or even to make one or two more for a special project build), I can do that .

 

[KD702]

Today UPS delivered a dozen production Tactical Spare Covers for me to transport to Easter Jeep Safari. I couldn't resist trying one of the 32's on my JK (they sent me 32's and 35's). They're a little wrinkled from being in the box, but the fit is absolutely perfect. The Coyote color is also perfect, and also goes very well with the Spice color of my hardtop.

The sewing company did a really nice job with these.

They also sent me some in black and olive drab but I haven't taken those out of the box yet.

Just a thought... But what do you think of a large round pocket between the front panel and the tire. Be great storage for a Round Fire Grate!!!!

 

[KD702]

The spare tire fire grate of the Conqueror UEV-490 always intrigued me.

 

[jscherb]

Just a thought... But what do you think of a large round pocket between the front panel and the tire. Be great storage for a Round Fire Grate!!!!

The spare tire fire grate of the Conqueror UEV-490 always intrigued me.

It wouldn't be hard to sew something like that. Are there fire grates out there that are the right size to fit in a spare cover? I don't know much about fire grates.

I did a quick concept sketch for you, is this what you're thinking?

Zipped/unzipped:

 

[jscherb]

Doing a little comparing and really wishing my JKU were olive drab instead of cherry. Other than the side marker lights I added to keep everything legal in this century, the fenders are very faithful to the originals of 3/4 of a century ago.

I'd love to do a military theme like the 75th anniversary salute JK Jeep did last year, only I could do mine with the right fenders .

If you look closely at the MB in the photo above, it's got a blackout light mounted to the driver's side fender.

And how cool would it be if the blackout lights were mounted on the JKU flat fenders and converted to house a high-intensity LED off-road light like the ones I've been playing with recently:

Oh well, none of that works in cherry .

 

[ReconH3]

There's a modern LED version of the blackout light made by Grote. I had it on my old JK on the bumper. It would definitely be way cooler on the fenders.

 

[jscherb]

There's a modern LED version of the blackout light made by Grote. I had it on my old JK on the bumper. It would definitely be way cooler on the fenders.

That's perfect! It would look great on the flat fenders.

 

[akpostal]

Got the rack together. Still need to bolt in the ammo cans and action packer, the cooler will be strapped in. Im going to need a collapsible stool to get in the cooler while its on the rack, Ill bungee that to the top of the cooler.

Came out better then expected. Ive been wanting this since 2014 when I pulled the spare off the back.

Once my morryde hinges come in Ill add the third bracket, the 2 on the tire mount are using the 15" side, the bracket going on the hinge will use the 21" side.

 

[jscherb]

Got the rack together. Still need to bolt in the ammo cans and action packer, the cooler will be strapped in. Im going to need a collapsible stool to get in the cooler while its on the rack, Ill bungee that to the top of the cooler.

Came out better then expected. Ive been wanting this since 2014 when I pulled the spare off the back.

Once my morryde hinges come in Ill add the third bracket, the 2 on the tire mount are using the 15" side, the bracket going on the hinge will use the 21" side.

Nicely done!

Glad I was able to help you realize something you've wanted since 2014 .

How heavy are the loads you plan to carry in the basket? If they're too heavy for the tailgate with just the MORryde hinges, what you've done will bolt right up to the MORryde tailgate reinforcement.