Rusty Jeeps , part 1
 

A few months ago I purchased Jon's ( LilblueXJ) 94 2 door XJ as a project for my 16 year old son. I knew it had some rust issues and figured if it was to far gone I would just pull the drive line and sell it to a buddy in need :D . Well rust issues are an understatement. A few weeks ago my son called me at work and asked if there was anything he could do to the Cherokee until I got home, I told him to " GUT IT !" he says.... GUT IT ! yep I want it all out, everything but the dash . He did a good job and by the time I got home he was finished and looking a little worried that I was going to part out his Jeep....... So of course like any father would do, I made him suffer while I started screw driver testing the remains of the floor. Then came the Sawsall and this is what I was left with:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ylorsXJ001.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ylorsXJ002.jpg

for the most part the entire floor of this XJ is gone or on it's way , even in the rear.

I headed to Mitchell's and lucked out , Scott was getting ready to crush an 80's model Caprice. I got the hood and deck lid off it and pealed the sheet metal off the support frames and ended up with enough sheet to do the entire floor for free.

I started the other day and got the front section of the passenger side cut and about 90% welded in.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ylorsXJ004.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ylorsXJ003.jpg

So I had plans on spending last evening finishing up the front, however, a buddy called with big problems with his 89 YJ. The rear frame was rusted at the shackle and there was only a 1/2 inch strip of metal left at the top of the frame....

So I pulled the XJ out and pulled the YJ in . The frame was completely rusted out around the rear shackle , like they all do. I broke out the Sawsall and the Plasma and ended up here :

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91106-1954.jpg

I took a piece of 2x5 tube and cut and rewelded it in to something more like 2x4 1/4 , it slid inside the frame and allowed me to weld it and then fish plate it .

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91106-1955.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91106-1956.jpg

Everything fit back together like a glove , I'll get some finished shots this evening.
It was late and I had to work this morning so I kicked everyone out and crashed with out taking any shots.

First thing I said to the wife this morning was " damn I'm sick of dealing with rust !!!!! She responds " ya aint done with Taylor's Jeep yet ! "

Stay tuned for the RUST of the story !

Nice work... :beers:

Nick

Ah yes, the rust chronicles.... a book i have read way too much lately.

OK ! the rust masking continues . Got the floors in from front to back and got the interior back in. only thing left to do on the inside is a head liner and a good cleaning. no good pics of the inside yet !

on to the outside , this is what was left of the rockers, pretty much nothing :

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91114-1733.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91114-1733.jpg

these shouldn't dent or rust out for a long long time , 2x5 :

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91114-1733.jpg

welding to the uni-body frame sucks !!!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91114-2159.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91114-2158.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91114-1736.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91114-2157.jpg

Ran out of wire late last night so I had to stop with only one side done, I may put a tube step on the rocker at a later date. I am going to fab up some tube flares that will bolt to the rockers and bumpers ( gotta build the rear bumper first.

Got the other side completed lastnight ,all except for paint . Now on to the rear bumper and tube flares:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91118-0653.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...91118-0653.jpg

lookin good! When is your son taking it to the tressle?

couple of weeks till he takes his final test . Oh ..... it's been down there serveal time already :D

You going to have Jeremy or somebody pull him over and scare him silly?

hahaha , no need . He knows that everyone will be watching ! AND he knows what happens the first time I get a call :cool:

Yeah but it would still be fun. I need to do this to my floors because my carpet is holding it all together.

The carpet in this one was holding it together as well , I did a late night bonzi run down the creek a was getting hit with water in the face..... and the windows were up :eek: one of my twins was with me and says " Dad why are feet getting wet ????? "

It's all solid (and water tight ) now and has a fresh coat of bed liner .

I'm calling this refurb. done for now ! Will get to the back bumper at some point but I have got to get started on my other project :D soon . My son is at the BMV as I type hopefully passing his driving test .....

Don't mind the bow tie floor mates , they were in the garage and I figured it would run better with a bow tie in it

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...aylorxj002.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...aylorxj001.jpg

already got a little mud on the floors !!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...aylorxj003.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...aylorxj006.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...aylorxj008.jpg

And topped it off with a new headliner .

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...aylorxj005.jpg

and some bump in the trunk !

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...aylorxj004.jpg

As for the next project ......... here's some hints it will include alot of Bow-Tie (GMC), a little less Ford and a dash of Jeep. Not going to be a huge build or my final wheeler . That one will come later on . This one will be a good all around DD and weekend wheeler sitting on no more then 35's.

Looks great! You did what I wanted to do for a long time and never had the time to get around to. Glad someone is getting use out of it instead of seeing it sit around rusting away more.

Did your son wreck it yet Sarge? :D

Thanks Jon , It really has turned out to be a good rig for the boy . I put a set of RE disco's on it the other day and now I'm chasing some electrical gremlins , but other then that it has run great and been beat up at the Trestle a hand full of times. :beers:

No ...... as I knock on desk !!!!!!!

dont let the trenton cops catch you there!!!

I know the answer to this but I will ask a Trenton Officer anyway. Is it legal to ride at the Tressel? I got a free escort out of there many years ago and have never been back. How do you get in?

Did I say the Trestle :cool: who's works for TPD ? :cool:

cough ! cough !

Not on a public forum !!!

I guess there are no Trenton Officers on this forum?:D