54 cj3b 4.3 sm465 build

[54cj3b]

Sorry some picts may be blurry or distorted never claimed to be photographer

First day 3b got home in 2004









Beginning of tear down










After pulling engine this is what I found






Rusted solid only thing it was good for is a boat anchor


back to tear down













After the tear down I bought a 134 F head and rebuilt it





















After building the f head I changed my mind and bought a 4.3 along with a sm465












After repairing the body I put a bed liner on the tub before adding 1/4 in alum diamond plate Cutting and bending this stuff was a nightmare After going through 4 grinders 2 saws all and a jig saw I found it cuts like butter using a circular saw with a 12 tooth carbide blade used to cut plywood go figure












Added flairs from a S-10 blazer on rear wheel wells




bed lined whole inside of tub




installed 4.3 along with sm465











installed fuel tank




I painted the body panels but they came out like crap so i will be stripping them and redoing them

here are a bunch of goodies my wife let me order to finish my jeep











I went with gray seats







cant wait till these goodies get here

one thing I would do different next time is use the sm420 its not as bulky with the 465 be prepared to cut out the center hump on floor
trans sits about 6 inches above the floor inside jeep
now going to fab up a floor pan like this



Almost forgot with my progress added a wood floor to the rear tub floor





and roll bar



also window frame



6 years and still going but considering I was down 4 years with cancer think I'm getting back on track
My goal to have finished is April 2011

this is the color I'm going with





Burgundy pearl candy

 

[TerryMason]

I took the liberty of attaching your photos

Man that things looking good.

 

[BONESVT]

all I can say is WOW!!!!! Glad to hear you are feeling better, and the jeep will be awsome.

 

[54cj3b]

Well between last night and today I finished mounting the seats

cleaned up wheels and painted them

and yes the headers headers came now time to send out to be heat coated

and I see I got a better shot of the floor in tub

 

[bobcat481]

View attachment 5810

Ok....I see a what I believe is a Spicer 18 (best of my knowledge) with what appears the be a drive line either: 1) brakes or 2) parking brakes. What wuz it for? Did it work well? Is is some sort of "stock" set-up (I've never seen this on an 18)? Is it still laying around your garage?

 

[54cj3b]

used the spicier18 transfer case that was beefed up with 20 gears along with the parking brake it was original and sold the T-90

 

[jps4jeep]

Love the build, but honestly you lost me with the diamond plated sides. If you like them, the do it.

this build is exactly what I want to do, I got to wheel a 46 cj2a couple weeks back, pretty much bone stock except for front and rear lockers and 34" ltbs... Most fun I have ever had wheeling. but it definatly needed deeper transmission gears and looks like you got that covered. Don't mean to hijack, and please disregard the goofy passenger, it was a posed picture :roll:

 

[54cj3b]

The main reason for the diamond plate is because of all the rock out here and its probably going to be on its side a lot that way it gets the abuse not the tub and always can replace when it gets to the point I cant stand it

nice 2A yes there fun build it right you'll out perform the newer ones lol

 

[jps4jeep]

oh hell ya out perform, hard to see in the back ground of that pic, but it's a red TJ on 1 tons with 39" iroks and I got stuck less than him, in fact the one time I did get stuck was because I landed on a rock that was pressing on the clutch linkage and I could not get the clutch to disengage.

The body on that 2a was pretty beat to begin with. I was just saying the diamond plate was not my taste, I personally would have just use aluminum sheet.

 

[54cj3b]

For $60. a 4x8 sheet You would use it also lol found it at a recyclers Goes for almost $280. a sheet was going just polished then I got this good deal who am I to say no Just a FYI its no picnic cutting it

 

[54cj3b]

OK headers are back was going to install them when I found out The manifold gasket is the wrong one going to pick up the right ones tomorrow
but I got the grill on and radiator installed
and both brake master cylinder and clutch master cylinder installed today
Still awaiting the lift hope it gets here soon

did I mention I'm going round 2 on ordering more goodies:funny: :beer:

 

[54cj3b]

Did alot of wiring and ran speed o cable and few other things today no new picts yet but maybe tomorrow

 

[jps4jeep]

what are you running for axles and suspension?

 

[54cj3b]

Dana 44 rear 538 locked front 27 538 ,as for suspension stock springs with a black diamond 2.5 add a leaf and shocks soon as it gets here , been waiting impatiently for it to arrive it will have a nice flex but ride like a brick lol
well my new gaskets came so Ill put on headers today and finish wiring

 

[54cj3b]

Installed headers today look good , Had to trim inner fender wells also got left fender installed

 

[berettajeep]

Very nice.

 

[54cj3b]

Well today I finished the gauge cluster

Also got front part of the lift in along with new shocks

Now I sit till the back part of my lift shows up next week

 

[lambo]

Thats one sweet willy....

 

[snb73]

Looks great

 

[54cj3b]

found speedometer cable to be broken today (need to order a new one)
jacked back 1/2 of jeep up placed stands under frame in front of leafs PB all rear leaf hardware getting it ready to tear down and install rear lift busted loose all u bolts via impact gun boy I love this thing placed 2 more stands under axle to support it now a long day to come tomorrow ,