Out back, a Currie 9-inch axlehousing plays host to a Currie High Pinion centersection full of 4.56 gears and a 35-spline spool. Out on the axle ends are a pair of parking-brake equipped Explorer disc brakes. Up front, stopping is via Wilwood aluminum calipers.
DrivelineThe entire drivetrain of the Jeep came out of a'71 Chevy 31/44-ton pickup. How's that for simple? Like Cole Quinnell's 14-Day Flattie, this drab Willys sports a hot Chevy 350 V-8. David built the 355ci engine himself, with 9:1 pistons, iron Vortec heads, and a Comp Cams Xtreme Energy cam with a split 200/208 degrees duration and a 0.472/0.480 lift on the intake and exhaust, respectively. Topping the small block is an Edelbrock Performance manifold with a Holley TBI Pro-Jection system. A pair of Advance Adapters fenderwell headers sends the fumes out the sides. The engine was slung in the frame using M.O.R.E. bomb-proof motor mounts and a bit of custom fabrication.
Backing the hot small block is the '71 SM465 transmission that was rebuilt by David's dad, Richard Learman. A Zoom clutch was added to the resurfaced flywheel for extra gription.
Finally, a massive NP205 T-case hangs from the factory Chevy adapter. The whole shabang is suspended from the framerails with a custom miter-cut crossmember built by David. It's ugly and hangs low, but it's only temporary. A pair of custom 1310 driveshafts by Denny's Driveshaft connects the T-case to the axles.
Body and InteriorLike we said earlier, the big trick to this lengthened flattie is the fact that the entire stretch job was not performed at the same location on the body. Unlike some we've witnessed, with overly exaggerated door openings, or hugely built front fenders and hoods, David chose to divide the stretch job, putting two 6-inch sections in the door and wheelwell openings. The results are clean and help preserve the original flatfender body lines.
After cutting the tub, adding an MB grille, and welding in the extra 6-inch sections, David's dad, Richard, once again lent a hand by capably spraying the olive-drab paint. This ain't no spray bomb job and looks killer in person.
A very nice rollcage was built by Mosher Customs in New York, but David mounted the Bestop seats, AutoMeter and VDO gauges, and set up the steering himself using a column out of an '89 Cherokee. Under the dash is a stainless steel air tank from a military aircraft that is fed compressed air via the engine-driven York unit. An aluminum Army surplus fuel tank and Jerry cans mount in the rear
Wheels and TiresBecause the Jeep sees terrain varying from Moab's slickrock to the snot-slick trails of Paragon Adventure Park in Pennsylvania, David chose to go with a set of iron-strong Super Swamper SXs with fully siped treads. The tires provide good traction in the rocks, yet the big lugs don't let him down when the obstacles get muddy. The bigish 36x12.50-15 size is right at home on the lengthened chassis.
For wheels, a set of 15x8 Weld Stonecrushers offer up a nice 3.5-inch backspacing to keep the tires out of the suspension while the Champion bead locks make losing a bead nearly impossible.
Good, Bad, & What's It For?There were so many cool trinkets and features on David's '49 we really can't list them all. You have to see the rig to appreciate the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. From the onboard air system that uses a converted York compressor, to the hand-built aluminum radiator fan shroud, to the cleanly plumbed Wilwood master cylinders on the firewall, the Jeep screams pride of ownership. Lots of thought went into each modification, from the extra plating on the mount for the AGR steering box to the way David submerge-mounted the Warn 8274 winch for a better center of gravity and better airflow through the radiator
The big-ticket thing we got hung up on (no pun intended) was the way the stock Chevy drivetrain hangs way below the framerails right in the way of trail obstacles. But David informs us that he already has an NV4500 and Atlas II T-case ready to be installed with a new crossmember to improve the ground clearance and give a much better crawl ratio.
What We ThinkWe like flatties of all shapes and sizes, but most of the stretch job ones have left us gagging. We're on board with David's execution, though. It allows for a much longer wheelbase for more stable climbing and interior room without being gaudy. In short, we dig it because it's a small-block powered flattie sprayed olive drab that actually manages to stand out from the crowd of other O.D. green, small-block powered flatties.
Hard FactsVehicle:'49 Willys CJ-3AEngine:Chevy 350, Holley TBITransmission:SM465 four-speedTransfer Case:NP205Suspension:Tuff Country 2-inch Wrangler springs, spring-over and shackle reversal (front); stock Wrangler springs (rear)Axles:Dynatrac Dana 44, 4.56 gears, ARB Air Locker (front); Currie High Pinion 9-inch, 4.56 gears, 35-spline spool (rear)Wheels:Weld Sidewinder 15x8 with Champion bead locksTires:36x12.50-15 Super Swamper SXBuilt For:Enjoying the outdoors and for the sake of building stuffEstimated Cost To Build:$25,000