[yunkj17]

WOW this is coming along great! cant wait to see the final product. and for it to be sold to the masses.

[AdamH07]

This could be perfect for turning my LJ into a modern day Scrambler. I also like the fact that from what I have seen, if someone ever wants to go back to the TJ front end, it should be simple since it would all be bolt-on correct?

Keep up the great work. I am looking forward to production.

[monte jeep]

Originally Posted by jscherb

Some digital doodling this morning... here's another idea for a custom hood and fender project - using a factory 51-64 Willys Wagon grille...

The hardtop is the basic Safari Cab, with new side windows to be reminiscent of the Willys Wagon windows, and special graphics have been applied to the side of the LJ tub to simulate the paneled look of the original Willys.

Do I see a future project for the Red Retro Wrangler???????

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by AdamH07

This could be perfect for turning my LJ into a modern day Scrambler. I also like the fact that from what I have seen, if someone ever wants to go back to the TJ front end, it should be simple since it would all be bolt-on correct?

Yes, that's correct. I've designed this so that it's a bolt-on, and it can be removed and replaced with the factory sheet metal if desired. Whatever minor changes will be required to the TJ will be easily reversible.

Originally Posted by AdamH07

Keep up the great work. I am looking forward to production.

Haven't really done anything about finding a company to market the kit yet. I have two companies in mind, I'll contact them after I finish the inner fenders so I 'll be able to show them the complete package.

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by monte jeep

Do I see a future project for the Red Retro Wrangler???????

I did do a drawing of the Willys front end on a Wrangler pickup, but no, I don't have any plans to modify my Retro Wrangler. I like it just as it is.



I like the Retro being a modern Wrangler, but it's fun to compare it to it's grandpappy...

[Bobs85Reny]

Ok Jeff I started design work on the flares. I hope you are ok with me posting it here because I really need your help and input and this does relate to your project.

I decided to start with the rear flares. I think its a little easier for the first molds.

In the first image shows the stock flare and what I am thinking of doing. I have not had my LJ that long so I was surprised to see the difference in the opening compared to the original flare. I could gain about 2 inches of clearance just by changing the styling to match the roundness of the opening. That would also give me the CJ styling.

The flare would have to sit a little higher but when I looked at my cj the rear body line sits higher as well however not as high as I am planning. if anyone wanted to use the late model cj decals they would not fit. even with the stock flares the stripes are to wide. That's ok for me. I would rather gain the clearance. I think you could almost fit 33's in there with no lift. It would easily fit with just a 1" body lift

Thanks for posting the info of the mold master it was helpful. This is what I came up with so far. I want to know if you think I'm headed in the right direction. I think one of the hardest parts is to make everything repeatable so the more I can template the easier it will be.

The first 2 layers should be straight forward. Cut to arch router and mount together. I figured mdf should work ok for that is that an ok material to work with?

The 3rd layer is where I have been wondering if this will work. I figured I could cut a series of blocks and mount them around the arch as shown. I used your hard top for this Idea. How hard would it be to stitch together with 2 different bends. Can this be done?

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by Bobs85Reny

Ok Jeff I started design work on the flares. I hope you are ok with me posting it here because I really need your help and input and this does relate to your project.

I decided to start with the rear flares. I think its a little easier for the first molds.

In the first image shows the stock flare and what I am thinking of doing. I have not had my LJ that long so I was surprised to see the difference in the opening compared to the original flare. I could gain about 2 inches of clearance just by changing the styling to match the roundness of the opening. That would also give me the CJ styling.

The flare would have to sit a little higher but when I looked at my cj the rear body line sits higher as well however not as high as I am planning. if anyone wanted to use the late model cj decals they would not fit. even with the stock flares the stripes are to wide. That's ok for me. I would rather gain the clearance. I think you could almost fit 33's in there with no lift. It would easily fit with just a 1" body lift

Thanks for posting the info of the mold master it was helpful. This is what I came up with so far. I want to know if you think I'm headed in the right direction. I think one of the hardest parts is to make everything repeatable so the more I can template the easier it will be.

The first 2 layers should be straight forward. Cut to arch router and mount together. I figured mdf should work ok for that is that an ok material to work with?

The 3rd layer is where I have been wondering if this will work. I figured I could cut a series of blocks and mount them around the arch as shown. I used your hard top for this Idea. How hard would it be to stitch together with 2 different bends. Can this be done?

Bob,

I think you're on track with the design for the master, it's basically the way I came up with to do it when I was trying to decide among the various options.

I'd use more rather than fewer of the shapes, in fact I'd probably try to make the entire thing solid with those shapes. I'd cut the ones at the curves as wedges so they'd make it around the curve, and when the entire thing was together I'd sand off all the peaks and maybe use some filler in some of the valleys. To make a zillion of the shapes I'd probably set up a router template so they could be cut out with a straight bit in the router - that way they'd all be identical. I'd cut the wedge portion on the bandsaw.

How wide will you make them? Stock TJ flare width, Sahara/Rubicon flare width, or something else?

Looking good.

Jeff

[Mayfair_Jeeper]

Originally Posted by Bobs85Reny

Hey Jeff How about a Highline LJ Commando Halfcab

Oh My god...I think I need to find a secluded corner....

[armyRN]

Originally Posted by jscherb

I did do a drawing of the Willys front end on a Wrangler pickup, but no, I don't have any plans to modify my Retro Wrangler. I like it just as it is.



I like the Retro being a modern Wrangler, but it's fun to compare it to it's grandpappy...

These pictures are so making me miss my old 1956 Willys truck. I had to sell it when I got divorced years ago. I guess it was worth it, but I still miss the old truck.

[SeniorVerde]

I am building a Brute (slowly-don't bother looking for a build thread) and was considering a Willys nose/ bed.
I'd be curious to see how that went on a TJ, very interested in a kit if you decide on a facelift kit!

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by SeniorVerde

I am building a Brute (slowly-don't bother looking for a build thread) and was considering a Willys nose/ bed.
I'd be curious to see how that went on a TJ, very interested in a kit if you decide on a facelift kit!

The Willys Wagon/Pickup front clip sheet metal is very incompatible with any of the TJ/YJ/CJ tubs, what I drew would be a project very much like what I'm building in this thread - installing a factory grille and building a custom hood and fenders in fiberglass to tie it all together. I doubt I'll actually build a Willys front-end kit, it's just a concept drawing I was doodling...

[Bobs85Reny]

Originally Posted by jscherb

Bob,

I think you're on track with the design for the master, it's basically the way I came up with to do it when I was trying to decide among the various options.

I'd use more rather than fewer of the shapes, in fact I'd probably try to make the entire thing solid with those shapes. I'd cut the ones at the curves as wedges so they'd make it around the curve, and when the entire thing was together I'd sand off all the peaks and maybe use some filler in some of the valleys. To make a zillion of the shapes I'd probably set up a router template so they could be cut out with a straight bit in the router - that way they'd all be identical. I'd cut the wedge portion on the bandsaw.

How wide will you make them? Stock TJ flare width, Sahara/Rubicon flare width, or something else?

Looking good.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff
So adding more would be better ok. I wasn't sure what to do there. Its going to be a lot of cutting. I really couldn't think of any better way to be able to maintain shapes for 4 flares without some master shape. How do you set up a router template? I am interested in that since I will be cutting a zillion shapes.

Here are the dimensions for the flares that I came up with. I don't want them to huge. I figured as long as I am gaining clearance by opening up the tub I don't need to make them any wider than stock tj width. I don't like the look of monster flares. Whats your thought on this size?

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by Bobs85Reny

Thanks Jeff
So adding more would be better ok. I wasn't sure what to do there. Its going to be a lot of cutting. I really couldn't think of any better way to be able to maintain shapes for 4 flares without some master shape. How do you set up a router template? I am interested in that since I will be cutting a zillion shapes.

Here are the dimensions for the flares that I came up with. I don't want them to huge. I figured as long as I am gaining clearance by opening up the tub I don't need to make them any wider than stock tj width. I don't like the look of monster flares. Whats your thought on this size?

Bob,
Search the web on "template routing" and you'll find some ideas. Here's one I found:

YouTube

YouTube

The technique in that video would probably work for your parts. I'd recommend a router bit with a guide bearing at the bottom even though he says either a guide bearing bit or a simple straight bit would work.

The CJ-style rear flares are gently radiused around the entire length, so it would also be practical to use the "stripwood canoe" technique - make forms and attach strips of pine to the forms, then sand the strips smooth. This is what I did on the rounded edges of the Safari Cab parts.

For the front flares, the stripwood canoe technique could work too, except at the front, where you'll have a sharper radius to match the radius of the TJ fender. If you look closely at these photos of the Safari Cab roof, you can see I used the stripwood technique on the straighter parts of the rounded edges, and I used solid blocks at the four corners. I cut square blocks at first, then traced the adjoining curves on them, and then cut the blocks along all three curves on bandsaw, glued them in place, and did the final shaping with files and sandpaper.



As for the width, I don't like hugely wide flares either, but I do find the Sahara/Rubicon width (about an inch wider than the stock flares) is a nice width without being overly wide. I've got the wider Sahara flares on both of my Jeeps, and they just cover my 265/75-16's on factory Moab rims.

Of course the wider you make them the less they'll resemble factory CJ flares, so you've got a decision to make about fidelity to the CJ design vs. practicality for the more common larger tires/wheels people are using today.

[jscherb]

Here's what the front of the fenders look like after all of the modifications to adapt them to the TJ flares. I've matched the ridge across the front of the fender to the height and width of the ridge on the flare, and I've also altered the radius across the top to match the radius of the upper corner of the flare.



CJ fenders have a larger (about 1") radius along the upper sides than TJ fenders, which have a maybe 1/8" radius along the outside edge. I've kept the larger radius on these fenders to stay with the CJ's styling, and when I made the cutouts for mounting the flares, I mounted them about 1/2" lower than they would be mounted on the TJ fenders because CJ flares mount pretty far down on CJ fenders. Doing this I think preserves some of the CJ styling even though TJ flares are being used.

[Bobs85Reny]

Originally Posted by jscherb

Bob,
Search the web on "template routing" and you'll find some ideas. Here's one I found: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arqd8Ogccls The technique in that video would probably work for your parts. I'd recommend a router bit with a guide bearing at the bottom even though he says either a guide bearing bit or a simple straight bit would work.

The CJ-style rear flares are gently radiused around the entire length, so it would also be practical to use the "stripwood canoe" technique - make forms and attach strips of pine to the forms, then sand the strips smooth. This is what I did on the rounded edges of the Safari Cab parts.

For the front flares, the stripwood canoe technique could work too, except at the front, where you'll have a sharper radius to match the radius of the TJ fender. If you look closely at these photos of the Safari Cab roof, you can see I used the stripwood technique on the straighter parts of the rounded edges, and I used solid blocks at the four corners. I cut square blocks at first, then traced the adjoining curves on them, and then cut the blocks along all three curves on bandsaw, glued them in place, and did the final shaping with files and sandpaper.



As for the width, I don't like hugely wide flares either, but I do find the Sahara/Rubicon width (about an inch wider than the stock flares) is a nice width without being overly wide. I've got the wider Sahara flares on both of my Jeeps, and they just cover my 265/75-16's on factory Moab rims.

Of course the wider you make them the less they'll resemble factory CJ flares, so you've got a decision to make about fidelity to the CJ design vs. practicality for the more common larger tires/wheels people are using today.

I was wrestling with that one. the wider I tried to make them the more disproportionate they got. thats why i settled on the stock tj width. I need to cut a few templates at various sizes to to get a better feel for it. If I got 4 inches in the width without it looking off I think that would be the optimal size.

thanks for the link. very helpful. Fenders are looking good. I can't believe how fast you work. I wish I had more free time. Here's my doodle for you