Where to start?

I have a 63' fife that will be one way or another restored to close original. i also have a 65' five tub thats going to be butcherd for panels. The 63 is complete, minus the dash guages, wiring, tailgate, seats, the F134 is complete and appears to be in running order. The clutch still holds well, and does the twin stick Tcase. Should I start with the mechanics or the body?

What web sites have a good selection on body panels, restoration parts, etc?

Which places can I start looking for engine rebuild kits, tcase, trannie peices?

I think the axles will be the only thing I wont have to touch, lol.

 

It all depends on how far you want to go. If you are thinking about taking the body off the frame to do your work (easy to do) then I would do mechanics then the body. It is a lot easier to work on the frame standing up. If you want to be able to drive it while you work on it then just list the HiPro item in oder and attack. (a nice body and paint might be #1 on your list) keep in mind there is a GOOD chance that you will scratch a new paint job when working on the mechanicals. (The chance is directly related to the amount of $$ you have in the paint Job)

When I do my 2nd it will be another off-frame. there is normally a lot of rust on the bottom of these old guys and you may not be able to see it with the body on.

Just my $.02

There is a lot of parts suppliers out there. Check the web and the buyer comments forum on this site.

 

Appreciate the words of wisdom, I have done restos before just never a CJ, It is completely taken off frame right now. Both Tubs are in my garage, fenders, hood, etc. the grill is the only thing still attahced, since some yahoo reinforced a tow bar preventing any luck from getting the bottom bolt out.

 

http://www.jeepdoc.com/catalog/zcatalog.asp
http://www.4wd.com/default.asp?404;http://www.4wd.com/shopvintage/ProductList.asp
http://www.walcks4wd.com/
http://www.willystech.com/parts/board.shtml
http://www.northstarwillys.com/
http://www.beachwoodcanvas.com/newindex.asp
http://www.thejeep.com/onlinecatalog/
http://www.kaiserwillys.com/
http://www.classicent.com/jeep.htm#Price List
http://www.rigidsteel.com/y0p0tC1k0.html
http://www.hermtheoverdriveguy.com/
http://www.novak-adapt.com/

 

Now thats what I needed... Thanks a mil, I owe yah a cold one

 

no problem. If those sites don't take care of ya, post in the WTB section here or Willystech. Also ebay if you have time and patience to watch for something. Your local auto parts store may have some stuff too.

 

Good luck on the project.....Welcome from Ohio!

 

Re the local auto parts store, most of the stuff like engine parts, axle seals, bearings, etc. will be available from a regular parts store. If you can find a parts store that will work with you and has knowledgeable employees, their parts will be less expensive generally than Walcks or the rest of the boutique Jeep parts sources. I find that many, many parts for F4 and V6 Jeeps are listed at www.napaonline.com ... that's a good place for a price/availabilty check before you try your local olde-tyme parts store or one of the boutique* places. For an F4, last year of production was '71, so check there too if your part isn't listed under '63.

hth & good luck


* nothing bad meant by "boutique" - just a name I picked.

 

Take lots of pictures before you tear it down into uncountable piles of rusty bits. I have gone back to my pictures numerous times to remember not just where a part goes, but what the heck it was supposed to be. (And, get a service manual and read it through. It is surprisingly readable.)

http://www.all-sales-final.com/~dad

 

I think I just read your entire build, what did you use to strip all the paint and rust with?

Good job btw.

 

Paint removal was done by a professional "un-paint" shop in Atlanta. Alhough they did my job, they were moving and I have not found where they have moved to. B^(

 

Well theres no way in heck Im driving or shipping my whole body to Atlanta to have the paint stripped, Ill need to find a way to do it myself, whether it be chemical or sand blasting.

 

Check your local phone book for "media blasting". For paint removal, they usually use soda or walnut shells now, maybe hematite for rust removal AFAIK. Sand is seldom used because of concerns about silicosis.

 

I used silica free blast grit, and did the whole thing myself, I was lucky a friend had a commercial blaster with air compressor, did it in a gravel parking lot where I work. Turned out really nice, when I primed it the metal texture was rough and the paint stuck really well. I started with the mechanicals first now I'm doing the body. I have mechanically cleaned a body, started with stripper, than moved to wire wheels, then chased rust by hand. It was a lot of work but doable when you are with out resources or money.
Joe

 

I used a brass wire wheel on my angle grinder. They're about 5 bucks apiece. They work pretty quickly, and the brass doesn't damage the underlying metal. I think I've used a total of 4 of them to strip the whole Jeep. They do make LOTS of dust though, so you might want to strip it in the driveway and wear a particle mask.

Jim