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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.
 
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#298 ·
I grabbed some paint while at the store today and conducted a little experiment with the tub before I strip it all down. I bought a can of rustoleum multicolored textured 'desert bisque' and 'autumn brown' and sprayed the right rear corner to see how it looks. I used this textured paint a years ago on a step stool for my kids and it's held up very well. I always thought it would make for a great desert camo paint job. I sprayed a scrap piece of sheet to leave outside and see how it weathers too. I really like it and may paint the whole jeep in a 2 color desert camo scheme with it. This way I don't have to worry about an expensive/pretty paint job when I scratch it up on the trail. The texture makes the colors blend very well. I sprayed it over the top of several other coats of spray paint so it bubbled a bit as seen in the second picture. My guess is that once the tub is stripped, cleaned and primed that I won't have that issue. It's gonna be painted either this camo color scheme or orange.

Liquid Fluid Drink Cylinder Bottle


Gas Wood Machine Plastic Auto part


Rectangle Wood Composite material Gas Tints and shades
 
#302 ·
Took a ride in the 79' today and hit a nice size bump which caused my flex a lite fan to shed three blades on the right side fan.... So now I have to either find a replacement blade or install the countour fan that was meant for the project and hit the junkyard for another one. One step foward and ten steps back, gotta love jeeps.

Wheel Automotive tire Product Motor vehicle Hubcap
 
#303 ·
I'm going to put the contour fan in the 79'. I need to get it done by thursday because I have to get the 79' smogged and re-register it. I do have some questions though.

1. The flex a lite unit was very light weight and the contour assembly is much heavier. I'm concerned about damage to the radiator and fan assembly by installing it with those plastic radiator zip tie things. Like if I hit another bump...hard. Has anyone installed one in their CJ who can offer up any feedback on using the zip tie's? Any failures with these things? I made an aluminum shroud for the flex a lite which used the radiator mountings bolts only so I didnt have to use the zip ties.

2. I have the original fan harness off the contour but it is dried up, cracked and a fire waiting to happen. What are these connectors and do I need them? I have searched through the forum and the write ups all have DIY wiring jobs. Is it worth trying to save this harness and connectors?

Hand Drinkware Fluid Bottle Hypodermic needle


Gas Auto part Metal Font Screw


3. When using the FAL controller, is the temp sender switch that goes into the back of the thermostat housing on the 6 cyl the same thread as the one on the back of my 401's thermostat housing? If so I'm gonna buy one and use that. But for right now I just need to wire it up so it works with an on off switch on my dash so I can atleast get it smogged.

Any help is appreciated....
 
#304 ·
Ok, I got the fan mounted with the zip tie things in about 20 minutes. I cut the brackets off and filed down the sharp edges. This was by far the easiest swap, it literally dropped right into place.

Now onto the wiring. I went to Autozone and asked for the FAL controller and the guy says "Flex a lite, is that a brand? What vehicle, I need to look it up" I wound up walking to the back shelf and looking through all of their cooling parts. Needless to say all they had was the zip ties. This led me to O'reilly's, Pep boys, and Napa with negative results.

Motor vehicle Hood Automotive design Automotive tire Automotive exterior


So my plan for the time being is (sorry no diagram) to run power from the battery via 8 gauge wire to a 6 circuit fuse panel (30 amps per circuit) on the fender. Then run power to a seperate relay for each fan from the fuse panel to each relay with 10 gauge wire. Then 10 gauge out to each fan and grounds. I have an old bulb type adjustable temp switch that I will stick in the radiator and use to switch the relays which will be connected to an on/off dash switch. This is just to get me through until I can smog it and then I can find a FAL controller online or something.
 
#305 ·
'Black Betty' uses a single 18" flex a lite in a shroud I had to modify. Originally the fan was mounted through the radiator fins tightly with the supplied zip ties, later I found heavier duty ones. However over time the torque of the fan began to abrade the coolant tubes in the radiator causing leaks. I addressed this by fabbing up some strap mounts to the shroud~and a new three row radiator.
 
#306 ·
I used a total of 8 of those zip tie things, it's on there real good. I tried to make a rubber seal along the edge of the fan housing to cushion the radiator tubes by cutting 6 feet of 3/8th's rubber fuel line down the center and slipping on the housing edge but it interfered with the installation because the fan is such a direct fit without it. I had to work dayshift today so I didn't get to wire it up yet.

I got a quote to media blast the tub, hood, windshield frame and cage..... $1000.00. Guess I'll be stocking up on strip discs and stripping it in my driveway. I was trying to avoid the mess but $1000.00 is f'n crazy.
 
#311 ·
Tested the Contour Dual Fan Swap

THE CONTOUR DUAL FAN SWAP IS BY FAR THE EASIEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE COOLING UPGRADE I HAVE EVER DONE!!!!!!!!!

The install went as follows:

8 gauge power from Battery + terminal to a 6 circuit (each circuit rated at 30amps) panel on right side inner fender. I used two of the 6 circuits and ran 30amp fused power to two Bosch sealed relays (pulled with the bracket from a 97' caddy) each having their own 30 amp fused circuit. Then each fan was wired up with their own dedicated relay with 10 gauge power from their relay and 10 gauge grounds that run back to the Battery - terminal. I have an on/off switch mounted on my dash that provides power to my old school fan control switch (bulb mounted in radiator type) that controls the fan relays on/off. All connections were sealed with heat shrink tubing and covered in the plastic loom.

I am very impressed (that my jeep didn't burn to the ground :laugh:) with:

#1 - The fit - After cutting off the brackets the fan drops right into the radiator between the tanks and completely covers the entire cooling surface of the tubes/fins.
#2 - The flow - The amount of airflow that these fans pull feels like nearly double what the Flex a Lite unit was pulling.
#3 - The function - The entire system works very well and I don't even have a fancy controller.
#4 - The cost - $50 for the fan at the yard + $30 for miscellaneous electrical items and wire that I needed.
#5 - The ease of install - This was a VERY EASY install, thanks to all of those great write ups and threads on here.

I drove it all over today with no issues, both fans kick on 'high' at the same time and my alternator can keep up with them. And to top it off, my 401 passed smog on its own today :2thumbsup:.

Here's some video, (The wiring for the fan is all neat but the rest under my hood needs to be cleaned up a bit, it's on the to do list):

http://s487.photobucket.com/albums/rr234/motiv8ya/?action=view&current=IMG_2057.mp4

http://s487.photobucket.com/albums/rr234/motiv8ya/?action=view&current=IMG_2064.mp4

http://s487.photobucket.com/albums/rr234/motiv8ya/?action=view&current=IMG_2065.mp4

Oh and here's another JEEP acronym for the wives:

Justify
Every
Expense
Please
 
#314 ·
The resistor bolts to the shroud in the lower corner so it is in the main air stream. It is the wound spring inside the metal cover with all the holes in it in the background on the right side of the second resistor picture. You only need this if you are wanting to run the fan(s) at reduced speed. Without it they will obviously run at full speed. The other component you pictured, I believe it had purple wires going to it, is used for the Contour A/C system so you can just remove it since you don't need it for anything.
 
#316 ·
Here's what I was talking about reference using a switch in the water neck on the 401. I found this switch http://www.ebay.com/itm/185-Degree-Fan-Thermostat-Temperature-Switch-Kit-BONUS-/130571278265?_trksid=p5197.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26itu%3DI%252BUA%26otn%3D8%26pmod%3D310341004040%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D5450903723455601346#ht_2472wt_956 and thought I could use it here on the water neck to control my fan relays on/off with 12v power from a dash switch.

Automotive tire Gas Bumper Auto part Plumbing fixture


Simple but will it work? The plug in the back of the water neck is 1/2 inch.
 
#317 ·
That will work fine if you are running a lower temperature thermostat. Mine is a 190* so the fan would run all the time with my set up.

Just take the ground side switch of the relays and run one to the thermal switch and the other to your switch on the dash. That way when either switch grounds the wire the fans will come on. Also be careful with pipe thread sealer as the switch's body does need to have a good ground.
 
#319 ·
Here's the test piece that I sprayed a light coat of each multicolored textured rustoleum paint on. Since 12/20 this thing has been outside and has been sprayed with water daily.... No rust !!! The bare metal piece I had next to it is covered in rust. I really like this paint! I think it'll hold up well in the dry desert environment.

Rectangle Road surface Bedrock Building material Artifact
 
#320 ·
Replaced the chrome valve covers with some cast finned aluminum ones today because the right side valve cover was leaking. Here's why

Automotive lighting Rectangle Automotive exterior Door Vehicle door


I've done valve covers with rubber gaskets, cork gaskets, rtv, the 'right stuff' and every combination in between, always wound up with a leak. So I decided to install the aluminum valve covers dry with rubber felpro gaskets. We'll see how it goes. The valve covers came with hardware, 10mm hex bolts. Guess I know where these were made. I'll report any leaks.

I need to spend the rest of the day cleaning out the garage (bins of xmas crap) so I can get my workspace back.
 
#321 ·
I moved a ton of stuff out of the garage and now have my workspace back. I'm happy to report that my new valve cover install is leak free. Dry rubber felpro gaskets and cast aluminum valve covers is the way to go.

I got back to work stripping the grill today. My wire wheel disintegrated in my face and luckily I was wearing my safety glasses, this one could've sucked an inch or two lower.

Hair Glasses Head Eye Human body


Then my angle grinder burnt up so I went at it with some sandpaper and elbow grease. I have a couple more hard to reach areas on the back to clean up then I'm gonna get some primer and paint to spray it the tan color and see how it looks.

I guess I need to invest in a quality angle grinder because these harbor freight ones aren't gonna cut it anymore, especially when I start on the tub.
 
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