My attempt at a YJ unlimited...

**LilViper95** · 05-15-2011, 05:55 PM

****So it appears that my photo hosting website decided to flake out and change their format. I am working on uploading all my build photos to another server and linking them to this build.****

So a couple of months ago I stumbled upon a 93 YJ 4.0L 5spd that was in pretty tough shape but super cheap. I drug it home like I always seem to with jeeps that really deserve to be scrapped! Floors are gone, both quarters are pretty well shot, frame has typical YJ rot.

Initially I was just going to repair the rust, put a new top on it, repaint and sell it.

I ordered the Keystone factory style floor pans and kept browsing craiglist for good deals on parts. I kept seeing a unlimited soft top for a great price but no deals on YJ tops. I got to thinking and began to search to see if anyone had stretched a YJ and used a LJ top. Low and behold I find "dukegnarly's" thread and I was instantly sold on the idea!

I called my local junk yard and bought a YJ tub that someone had hacked the cowl section off from. Bought the LJ top that I had been seeing on Craigslist. Finally I did some measuring and ordered some steel from my local supplier to build corner armor from.

Now I am in the process of replacing the floors in my super rusty tub to stiffen it back up some so that I can take it off the frame without it buckling! I think I am going to order the Classic Enterprises floor supports tomorrow as mine are beyond repairing!

Now for some pictures....

The day after I towed it home

cherrybomb05 · 05-15-2011, 05:58 PM

Wow! You are taking on quite the project! Cant wait to see how it turns out!

**LilViper95** · 05-15-2011, 06:04 PM

My Tub as it was delivered from the junkyard, looks way better in these pictures than it really is! has a lot of patching and bondo in the floors and rockers.

On my little trailer behind my JK about to get hacked up!

I will end up having to cut it back further I just wanted to get the tub down to a more manageable size to work with

I bought the LJ belt rails from the Jeep dealer, here is one sitting on the donor tub showing how much length difference there is!

I searched high and low for an LJ roll bar...the only one that I found the yard wanted ridiculous money for. I bought a TJ bar from my local yard instead. I will end up using the main hoop and front spreader bars and fabricating my own rear bars.

Here is the YJ with the LJ top sitting on it, also a junk TJ upper in the half door. I started pealing off the nasty decals too!

**LilViper95** · 05-15-2011, 06:07 PM

here is the 3/16 steel I had bent up for corner armor. TJ in the back ground belongs to a couple who we are friends with. We built a nice set of tube fenders for it and painted it!

g4x4xgeoff · 05-15-2011, 06:07 PM

holy rust!

good lucK!!!

**LilViper95** · 05-15-2011, 06:12 PM

These are the tube fenders that we built for the TJ. I am going to do something similar for this Jeep...possibly highlined.

These are 1.5" tubing bent on my JD2 model 4 bender. I think we used 16 gauge to skin them.

**LilViper95** · 05-15-2011, 06:16 PM

I began cutting out the floor pans with the plasma cutter. I left the metal on the floor supports for now, need to drill out the spot welds and remove the remaining floor material.

This is where I ended up yesterday afternoon. It is tough to find time to work on this as I work 60 hours a week at my full time job during the weekdays, weekends I work as a reserve police officer at night, plus I have a wife and 13 month old son!

**LilViper95** · 05-15-2011, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by g4x4xgeoff

holy rust!

good lucK!!!

Not my first rodeo with rusty jeeps!!! It was pretty daunting the first time though!

I do a lot of antique car work which in northern new england always means rust repair! I just sold my 70 Challenger Convertible that had extensive rust repair done to it!

here are some of my older build threads

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f12/m...roject-526640/

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/un...ubicon-968708/

g4x4xgeoff · 05-15-2011, 06:22 PM

i got "lucky". my tub was fairly clean....but i sectioned my frame in 3 spots.

jeep spent 12 years in montpelier vt (according to the research i performed) before finding its way into a junkyard in RI for me to snag it

**LilViper95** · 05-15-2011, 06:45 PM

In the time since my last post, I went and picked this up!

**LaddieHanus** · 05-15-2011, 07:22 PM

That floor reminds me of the 63 and 65 Corvairs I had in the 70's. Chicago area salt turned both into Fred Flintstone mobiles. Will be watching with interest but my 89 is in good shape just wore out.

rottenrobert · 05-15-2011, 08:54 PM

Wow!!! I cant wait to see the transformation.

**LilViper95** · 05-18-2011, 06:38 PM

I had a couple of hours tonight to work on the old rusty jeep! I have the floors pretty well removed. The floor support channels that also serve as the body mounts are pretty well shot on this side of the jeep. I considered buying the classic enterprises prefabbed floor supports, however it would have cost around 200 for the 4 pieces that I need to replace (assuming pass side is just as bad as this side! I bought a bunch of steel from my local yards scrap pile and only have about 13 dollars invested in more steel than I will need to complete this repair!

I started with a piece of 2"x2" square tubing that is 1/8th inch thick. I cut 1/4 inch off of one side of the tubing to open it up into like a c channel. I then took a piece of 16 gauge steel and put a 90 degree bend in it with my metal brake (quite a task in a cheepo metal brake!) Welded the 16 gauge to my c channel and welded all of that to the good metal that remained of the factory brace.

Here are some pictures...

In this picture you can see the cage I am building for to capture the body mount nut.

I think that I am going to boat side the rockers, If I do that this piece will have to be cut down some!

Hopefully I can get another chance to get into the shop this week and rebuild the rearward body mount support channel. Then I will be pretty well wrapped up on this side and can start welding the floor pans in!

stumpjumper09 · 05-18-2011, 07:05 PM

i know this is a little off topic but i have been searching everywhere and i was wondering if your gonna use these brackets that hold down the rear seat? if not can i have them? or buy them?

**LilViper95** · 05-18-2011, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stumpjumper09

i know this is a little off topic but i have been searching everywhere and i was wondering if your gonna use these brackets that hold down the rear seat? if not can i have them? or buy them?

Let me make sure they are both on the tub, if they are then they are yours...PM me your address