Fuelie Flattie
We know a hard-core Jeep when we see one. And Matt Ipaktehian's CJ-2A is one. We ran into Matt twice during the Easter Jeep Safari. One time was when he dropped into Mickey's Hot Tub on Hell's Revenge trail and another was on the Coyote trail, which is like Die Trying in Montrose, Colorado, only tougher. Matt is obviously about the `wheeling. A big engine, big axles, big wheelbase, big suspension travel, and big wheelin' make up for a Jeep that's admittedly a little aesthetically challenged. And as most of you know, the ugly ones are usually the most fun to ride.
Hard Facts
Model: Willys CJ-2A
Year: 1947
Build time: 2 years
Owner: Matt Ipaktehian
Hometown: Thorton, Colorado
Engine: '02 Chevy 5.3L
Aspiration: MPI injection
Transmission: TH350 automatic with manual valvebody
Transfer case: Atlas II, 4.3:1
Front axle/diff: Dynatrac high-pinion Pro Rock Dana 60, ARB Air Locker
Rear axle/diff: Dynatrac high-pinion Pro Rock Dana 60, ARB Air Locker
Ring-and-pinion ratio: 4.88:1
Front suspension: Custom four-link with coilovers
Rear suspension: Custom four-link with air shocks
Wheels:17x9 Walker Evans beadlocks, 3.75 inches backspacing
Tires: 37x13.50R17 Nitto Mud Grappler
Other cool stuff: Tub stretched on custom frame, full hydraulic steering, original Willys hood, grille, windshield frame
Our favorite mod: Modern 5.3L repower
Leftovers
For a while now, with all these Hemi-converted JKs running around, we've been saying that someone should take the JK engine and transmission and put them in a lighter Jeep where the power-to-weight ratio would make for a lot more fun. Half of the swaps we want to see happen, don't, and we just don't have time to do them all, so we were floored when we found this CJ-2A with exactly the swap we'd been talking about. If that wasn't enough, this flattie was basically built from the leftover parts of other Jeep builds. The engine and transmission was left over from a Hemi swap, the transfer case was leftover from a TJ, and the body was deemed too rusty to reuse for a frame-off restoration on another CJ-2A. That's our kind of recycling and Adam Scherer wasn't afraid to use it.
Hard Facts
Model: Willys CJ-2A
Year: 1947
Build time: 1 year
Owner: Adam Scherer
Hometown: Hurst, Texas
Engine: '08 3.8L JK-sourced V-6
Aspiration: '05 Chrysler Town and Country PCM, intake, and throttle body
Transmission: '08 JK 42RLE
Transfer case: TJ NVG241OR
Front axle/diff: '00 Ford Dana 60, Detroit Locker
Rear axle/diff: GM 14-bolt, welded spider gears
Ring-and-pinion ratio: 5.13:1
Front suspension: 14-inch Sway-A-Way 2.0 air shocks and custom links
Rear suspension: 16-inch Sway-A-Way 2.0 air shocks and custom links
Wheels: 16x8 black steel wheels with Staun Beadlocks
Tires: 39.5x12.5-16 Super Swamper Irok
Other cool stuff: 10-gallon fuel tank made from two "gerry" cans, tubular frame bolted to body and bolted to rollcage like a normal Jeep, and the deletion of the fly-by-wire after hours of staring at wiring diagrams
Our favorite mod: The reliability of a JK engine with the style of vintage iron
Low & Slow
We've been preaching the low-center-of-gravity thing for years now, so when you stick a veteran Jeep-basher in a TJ with 2 inches of suspension lift and 1 inch of body lift rolling on 40-inch tires you get the right combination of experience and stability that can go anywhere. We had been talking to Robert King while he was resurrecting this Jeep, which had a salvage title from an accident that left no body panel undamaged, but it wasn't until we ran into him in Moab on Moab Rim that we were sold. The Gen-Right Boulder Series armor replaced or covered the damage from the accident and paved way for the big-league tires that, along with a few well-chosen drivetrain components, put this Jeep squarely in the big leagues with a minimum of drama.
Hard Facts
Model: TJ Wrangler
Year: 1998
Build time: 6 months
Owner: Robert King
Hometown: Simi Valley, California
Engine: Stock 4.0L inline-six
Aspiration: Stock multiport fuel injection
Transmission: Stock AX-15
Transfer case: Atlas 4-speed
Front axle/diff: Currie Rock Jock, Detroit Locker
Rear axle/diff: Currie Rock Jock, Detroit Locker
Ring-and-pinion ratio: 5.38:1
Front suspension: Teraflex 2-inch lift and long-arms
Rear suspension: Teraflex 2-inch lift and long arms
Wheels: 17x9 Walker Evans beadlocks
Tires: 40x13.50R17 Goodyear MT/R
Other cool stuff: The bare-bones interior with just a pair of swapped-in PRP seats shows what Robert cares about: the drivetrain. Thanks to the low, low lift, this TJ still rides just like stock; it's really easy to forget the monster rubber that is under it
Our favorite mod: Going from a wreck to this in 6 months. OK, its not a modification... but it must have taken many, many sleepless nights