CJ in Wrangler's Clothing
Jamie Quisenberry is originally from somewhere-rust-eats-Jeeps sent us a few pictures of his YJ-bodied '76 CJ-7. The Jeep originally came from Oklahoma, moved to Ohio, and finally wound up in Las Vegas, where the rebuild took place. With all the rust on the original body, he found it easier to relocate the body mounts and swap stuff over. He put the YJ tub, fenders, and windshield frame on the CJ frame, then added a new rollcage, paint, and top to make a completely new-looking CJ.
Caged J-10
OK, so it isn't really caged, there is way more space in Randy Stanley's garage than there was in Trasborg's with his 715. Nonetheless, there aren't that many J-Truck projects out there, and it looks like he's doing all he can to keep it the legal height in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. This '79 J-10 still has the 258ci inline-six but is sporting an SM-420 between the engine and the Dana 20 T-case. The front and rear Dana 44s are suspended by a 6-inch BJ's Off Road lift while front and rear Dutchman shafts turn the Allied bead locks and 37-inch Baja Claws. Stanley estimates a total of two years to get his J-10 on the road with the M-715 front clip and bed.
CJ-What?
This '48 CJ-something or other belongs to Geoff Fritzges of Hatfield, Pennsylvania, and he just got it in February of 2006. He doesn't know much about it, but what he does know is contradictory. There is no tailgate where there should be, the gas filler is in the rear for the rear-mounted gas tank, and the windshield has one piece of glass in it where there should be two. In short, it's got the normal mish-mash of flatfender mixing and matching, with a smidge of DSPO thrown in for good measure. Geoff is just curious as to what it might be, but since he only plans to four-wheel it, he isn't too concerned.
A Fleet of Five
Eric Hancock hails from "the big mitten state" which we can only assume is the lower peninsula of Michigan. He sent us in pictures of his many ongoing projects. Pictured here is his '81 CJ-8, which was his first 4x4 vehicle and got him hooked on the whole thing. It has sat since he blew the last engine back in 1996, but he's got big plans, including a fuel-injected stroker engine and, hopefully, a late-model six-speed. The Comanche is another project that is detailed to become a daily driver. He is going to put a 2.5L out of a '95 XJ in it, which he's already got, but since the picture was taken, the MJ has taken on a deer and lost. Not pictured are a pair of fullsize Cherokees, and God only knows what else Eric has in his fleet.
Levitating Willys CJ-5 Not...
Levitating Willys CJ-5
Not bad for a first Jeep. Shawn Murillo of Normandy Park, Washington, tells us he was "farting" around online one day and stumbled across this '56 CJ-5. He showed the wife a picture, she said he should buy it, and history was made. When he got it, it had a 300-pound rollcage in it (maybe it was concrete filled), but the CJ was mainly stock otherwise.
(continue)To keep costs down,...
(continue)To keep costs down, Shawn plans on keeping the Jeep mostly stock. The F-134, T90, Spicer 18, Dana 25 front, and coarse-splined Dana 44 rear will all stay. The only non-stock thing on it so far is the Bellevue winch on the front bumper.
Phat Flat CJ-5 We've dragged...
Phat Flat CJ-5
We've dragged home some really beat Jeeps before, but none that looked like the Jolly Green Giant had stepped on it. Fortunately, Brian Leonard was only using the squished one as a donor vehicle. He sent us a bunch of pictures of his '76 CJ-5, as well as a veritable novel of modifications and repairs. Most of them read how he was driving it somewhere and something died.
(continue)The Jeep has been...
(continue)The Jeep has been in his care for three years, still has the 304 V-8, T-150 transmission, Dana 20 transfer case, Dana 30 front axle, and AMC 20 rear axle. Brian tells us that, in addition to the normal old Jeep issues, the crossmember/skidplate was welded to the frame, the rear axle was rebuilt wrong, and the pinion angles were all wrong.