So, I've been notified that I'm lazy, and am therefore slacking on posting any pics or info on what I'm doing--so I'll go ahead and start a thread to motivate me to update anything, ever. 
I've been slowly collecting parts for most of this year, but haven't done too terribly much work--so updates to this thread will e few and far between, so bear with me.
Outline: I want a flatfender Jeep, sorta similar to my old one (which I miss) but built far better, and with better components. My old Willys was my first real "builder", so I learned as I went and made a bunch of mistakes and re-work. This one will hopefully turn out much cleaner and thus work better.
I acquired a CJ2A tub/front clip/windshield frame/tailgate. It's pretty rough, but most of the rust is limited to the floorboards so they'll be relatively easy to replace. The sides and cowl are surprisingly solid compared to the floors, so I'm golden. I don't like the looks of stretched-body flatties, but I need to create enough room to fit my long legs, plus 2 kids in a backseat so more room is definitely needed. I've settled on stretching it mildly in 2 different spots so it'll be less noticeable. So far I've stretched it 4" in the middle of the rear wheelwell, and cut the wheelwell out to fit a 37" tire with more compression travel than the original would allow. (pics to come later) I'll stretch it an additional 2 or 3 inches in the door opening.
I have a GM 3.8 out of a 1996 Pontiac Bonneville, bolted to a Chrysler 904 from an early 2.8 Cherokee, which will be bolted to my Dana 300. The 300 has 4:1 gears and a heavy-duty output shaft. It's a 1980 D300, which is the only model that won't readily accept HD output shaft housings, so I modified it appropriately. (again, pics later) All I needed to bolt it up where I wanted it to was a simple clocking ring.
I have a front Dana 44 out of a Wagoneer, I have 4.56 gears for it, as well as a Detroit locker. I'm planning on using a 1986 or later Toyota minitruck rear axle in the rear, but I don't have that one yet.
Steering will use a steering box, I have one from an Astro van (thanks Kiel!) since it's a standard Saginaw box, but reverse rotation so it uses a forward-facing pitman arm.
I kept the gas pedal, brake pedal, brake booster and master cylinder from the Bonneville, I'm planning on using all of that if I can make it fit OK. I also kept the fuel sending unit and pump from the same car which I'll build a fuel cell to match the depth of.
The frame will not be a typical box tube one, I'm going to use round tube for both the "frame" as well as the cage, and they'll be tied together everywhere, sandwiching the body where they need to. Think all-tube buggy, with a flatfender tub sandwiched inside. I do want to keep it low and street-legal, which will complicate things a bit, but will also serve to make it a "sleeper" of sorts, which I like.
So far the only actual fabrication I've done is the 4" stretch on the tub, the D300 output shaft bolt pattern change, the engine-side motormounts, and I've started the mounts for a necessary idler pulley to make a serpentine belt work without the air conditioning compressor I removed to make room for a motor mount. (the engine was originally a front-wheel-drive transverse mount, so it didn't have typical side mounts on the block)
I'll try to get some pics up, which will make this thread slightly more worthwhile.
I've been slowly collecting parts for most of this year, but haven't done too terribly much work--so updates to this thread will e few and far between, so bear with me.
Outline: I want a flatfender Jeep, sorta similar to my old one (which I miss) but built far better, and with better components. My old Willys was my first real "builder", so I learned as I went and made a bunch of mistakes and re-work. This one will hopefully turn out much cleaner and thus work better.
I acquired a CJ2A tub/front clip/windshield frame/tailgate. It's pretty rough, but most of the rust is limited to the floorboards so they'll be relatively easy to replace. The sides and cowl are surprisingly solid compared to the floors, so I'm golden. I don't like the looks of stretched-body flatties, but I need to create enough room to fit my long legs, plus 2 kids in a backseat so more room is definitely needed. I've settled on stretching it mildly in 2 different spots so it'll be less noticeable. So far I've stretched it 4" in the middle of the rear wheelwell, and cut the wheelwell out to fit a 37" tire with more compression travel than the original would allow. (pics to come later) I'll stretch it an additional 2 or 3 inches in the door opening.
I have a GM 3.8 out of a 1996 Pontiac Bonneville, bolted to a Chrysler 904 from an early 2.8 Cherokee, which will be bolted to my Dana 300. The 300 has 4:1 gears and a heavy-duty output shaft. It's a 1980 D300, which is the only model that won't readily accept HD output shaft housings, so I modified it appropriately. (again, pics later) All I needed to bolt it up where I wanted it to was a simple clocking ring.
I have a front Dana 44 out of a Wagoneer, I have 4.56 gears for it, as well as a Detroit locker. I'm planning on using a 1986 or later Toyota minitruck rear axle in the rear, but I don't have that one yet.
Steering will use a steering box, I have one from an Astro van (thanks Kiel!) since it's a standard Saginaw box, but reverse rotation so it uses a forward-facing pitman arm.
I kept the gas pedal, brake pedal, brake booster and master cylinder from the Bonneville, I'm planning on using all of that if I can make it fit OK. I also kept the fuel sending unit and pump from the same car which I'll build a fuel cell to match the depth of.
The frame will not be a typical box tube one, I'm going to use round tube for both the "frame" as well as the cage, and they'll be tied together everywhere, sandwiching the body where they need to. Think all-tube buggy, with a flatfender tub sandwiched inside. I do want to keep it low and street-legal, which will complicate things a bit, but will also serve to make it a "sleeper" of sorts, which I like.
So far the only actual fabrication I've done is the 4" stretch on the tub, the D300 output shaft bolt pattern change, the engine-side motormounts, and I've started the mounts for a necessary idler pulley to make a serpentine belt work without the air conditioning compressor I removed to make room for a motor mount. (the engine was originally a front-wheel-drive transverse mount, so it didn't have typical side mounts on the block)
I'll try to get some pics up, which will make this thread slightly more worthwhile.
