Jeep Enthusiast Forums banner

BUILD THREAD: Project "Ghetto Fabulous"

158K views 811 replies 92 participants last post by  Jim1611 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, here I go again. This is CJ7 #3 for me and here's the story behind it and the title of the build.

For the past 7 years I have worked in the "Ghetto" and have driven past this one house that had this CJ7 parked along side the house for probably longer than 7 years. I would pass this thing numerous times a day and always check to see if this fellow Jeeper has made any progress on it. It never changed, it sat in the same spot the entire time never to be worked on again....until last week when I drove by again and there was a 4 sale sign on the grill. I called that day and went to take a look at it.

It "is" a 76 frame with an 83 tub, a chevy 350/ muncie 4 speed/ dana 20, stock axles, P/S. P/B with a custom cage and lots of extra parts.The tub has two minor areas with surface rust, solid floors and windshield frame. The chassis/frame looks new and all of the body mounts are solid. The guy asked $700.00 so I jumped on it (I wanted to build a $crambler, but what the hell) :thumbsup:.

So not only did I get a great deal but the guy trailered it to my house and helped me unload it into my garage!! :

The Jeep sat in the desert heat for years, so after vacuuming the desert off of the floorbaords (and the black widows) I was pleasantly surprised to see their like new condition. Nothing more than surface rust that will easily come off with a wire wheel or media blast.

So this turned out to be a "fabulous" find in the "ghetto", hence the build title.

Here's some pics:









The plan is to build a wheeler that will see street use:

#1. dump the stock axles for Currie 9 inch housings front and rear with detroit lockers and discs all around.
#2. dump the stock suspension and lift shackles for a quality 4.5 inch lift.
#3. install tube fenders up front and TJ flares out back to clear 35's.
#4. install Vanco hydraboost brakes and a high pressure P/S system.
#5. strip the body and line the interior and underside. the body will be painted either orange or camo. I already have a token red jeep :laugh:
#6. install rock sliders and bumpers with a tire carrier
#7. install new wiring harness
#8. tear down the motor, trans and xfer case and freshen them up because they sat open in the desert for years, probably got scorpions living in them, or completely replace everything.
#9. custom exhaust

Now here comes the big decision, do I keep the 350/muncie/dana 20 or install my worked 304/th400/dana 20 that I also have from another Jeep and put Fuel Injection on it? I'm an AMC kinda guy and I like to keep my CJ's mostly AMC/Jeep when I can (everyone and their mother can run a chevy, but an AMC takes a little TLC).

This project will take me quite a while cause I'm in no rush, so please bare with me and I'll post updates and lots of photos.

If anyone has any suggestions feel free to let me know.

I may put blacked out rims with some bling bling chrome center caps to keep with the "Ghetto Fabulous" theme. Cause in the Ghetto camoflauge and chrome match.
 
See less See more
8
#688 ·
I'm having a hard time finding a 1/8th 27 Temperature Switch for my fan relays. That is the size of the original coolant sender and I want to reuse that hole for a temp switch to eliminate the brass 'T' on the other side of the intake manifold. This will allow me to put the TBI 3/8th coolant sensor in the port on the passenger side so it will be directly in the coolant stream. The thermostat housing has a port on the back that I used on my other 401 (with an Edelbrock Performer intake) but the Airgap intake manifold has clearance issues between the switch and the intake runner.

I googled and also spent some 'quality time' at the parts store looking through books with no luck. I'm assuming the original sender can't be used to ground the relays like a thermal switch does, correct? I may try to put a 90* fitting on the back of the t-stat housing to see if it'll clear the runner with the 3/8th switch I already have.

I made a strap out of paracord and a carabiner to keep my rear passenger ebrake cable from making contact with the exhaust. The cable slides freely through the carabiner and it's quiet. It worked well.

I fixed the wiper linkage also. Thankfully I saved all of the spare little clips and parts. It's nice to walk over to a shelf in your garage and have what you need.
 
#693 ·
243 said:
You have made a ton of progress since I last looked, very nice.

Every time I look at a build I say "I should have done it like that" :D
Thank you! I followed yours too and your work is impressive. Very detailed and clean.

It's been a long road for this project but the end is near. I definitely had my share of would've - should've - could'ves over the past five years. Right now I'm thinking I should've replaced the Dana300 front yoke seal when I swapped the yokes the other day :).
 
#699 ·
So much for that!

I got all ready to drive it today and it just grinds when I try to put it into reverse. It won't shift into a forward gear with the engine running either. The transmission shifts fine without the engine running but not when it's running and the clutch is engaged. Scratching my head!?!?
 
#700 ·
You probably need to adjust your clutch linkage. Try setting it a little deeper so that full deflection of the clutch pedal pushes it more than it currently is. It sounds to me like the transmission doesn't have the ability to slow down before you try shifting.
 
#701 ·
cjjon7 said:
You probably need to adjust your clutch linkage. Try setting it a little deeper so that full deflection of the clutch pedal pushes it more than it currently is. It sounds to me like the transmission doesn't have the ability to slow down before you try shifting.
So add more slack into it?
 
#702 ·
No, remove slack. There should be 1/8" or so of preload on the clutch fork when sitting (not stepping on the clutch). Basically you want the clutch to open further when you step on the pedal, but not so far that it slips when you release the pedal. It will take a little playing with but once you find the sweet spot, youll know.
 
#703 ·
cjjon7 said:
No, remove slack. There should be 1/8" or so of preload on the clutch fork when sitting (not stepping on the clutch). Basically you want the clutch to open further when you step on the pedal, but not so far that it slips when you release the pedal. It will take a little playing with but once you find the sweet spot, youll know.
Ok, thanks. I'll report back
 
#705 ·
cjjon7 said:
Good luck! Everyone finishing their builds are really motivating me to hurry my *** up and finish mine!
Looks like I need a longer threaded rod to make more space between the zbar and the clutch fork. I adjusted this all the way out (I didn't know it was that far out) and the trans finally went into reverse (but still grinded) then stalled the engine. I tried to adjust it further but it dropped out ontop me, that's when I realized I went to far. Can I use a piece of all thread for this or is it some special part?
 

Attachments

#706 ·
Yeah as I recall when I used to have the T4 trans in mine, after a body lift/relocation toward the rear I needed to mess with mine as well... A piece of allthread would work fine.

I used a section of stainless rod and threaded both ends, one to take a small heim joint/ball socket piece and the other to thread into the hexagonal pusher end.

An alternative would be to use a coupling nut such as this.... http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/120/3204/=r3g0fn .... and cut your existing rod, splicing that in between to make it further adjustable.

Allthread sounds like the less redneck of the two though
 
#707 ·
Fastenal was closed so no luck on finding the threaded rod today. I looked through my box of old bolts and found an old 3/8 water pump bolt that had the correct thread on one end and was longer. I cut off the coarse thread side and threaded the remainder of it with the correct fine thread.

The old part was 4" long. I installed this new one and now have 4.25" of distance between the link end and the hex adjuster. I tried it again with the engine running and now I hear the clutch dragging as the pedal is depressed. Gears are still grinding. It's been a long time since I had a manual (i swapped an auto into my other cj) and I don't remember ever hearing the clutch drag on it.
 

Attachments

#709 ·
cjjon7 said:
Yeah youre definitely getting closer..

Odd that its so far out, what did you change dimensionally with the body? Did you move it forward from the stock position or get a different linkage? Is the pedal going all the way to the floor?
1" body lift, that's all. The engine sits on factory mounts in the factory frame holes. Pedal goes all the way to the floor and is hard. Worst case scenario is that I go buy 3/8 rod and cut/thread to fit.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top