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Project "Step Child"


greasemonkey6886

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Ok here goes. I bought this 89 back in 06 after having had two BII's in the late 90's and loving them both. One got totalled in a rollover by my at the time step son and the other had to be sold due to hard times. Loved these things ever since and had to have it when I seen it for sale. It didn't run due to wiring issues but after working on it for an hour or two I had it running and was in the process of getting it back together from the PO's "work" on it. A guy I knew came over and seen the BII and told me he had another one in better shape he would sell for 250 bucks so I bought it too. The second one was given to my wife for a DD and mine was to be the toy. Well long story short I wound up having to rob parts off of mine to keep the other one going for the last 3 years. I did the 4.0 swap on the other one, now known as "Little Foot", so I can now get my parts back LOL.

Plans for it:

4.0 swap in the future but 2.9 for now
4 in. of lift and 31x10.50x15 to start with 6in. and 33's upon completion
D35 and 8.8 swap
auto trans in future, 5SP. for now
Chop top with removeable canvas
removeable doors, 1 set of full doors-1 set of "half doors"
bedlinered floors for easy cleaning
rollcage of some sort, not sure of just cab cage or complete cage yet

Any suggestions are warmly welcomed. Wish me luck!!:icon_welder:

As she sat three years ago




I will load pics from this weekend as I get a chance between working on it and sleeping.
 
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CHKNFKR

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auto? c'mon!! all that aside, the body looks to be in pretty good shape. lots of solid rust free metal to hack into! Good luck to you!
 

greasemonkey6886

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Only reason I say auto is I plan an doing a good bit of mudding with it and hate trying to shift a stick while deep in the mud and risk losing wheel speed. Thanks man. The past three years haven't been kind to her though sitting under trees and such. I will post the now pics tommorrow. You are right though lots of good metal, hardly any rust at all just a bent door and slightly bent fender on drivers side.
 

greasemonkey6886

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Well got some work done to her. I have to say that the last three years of sitting hasn't been kind to her but good thing is that it is only tree sap and leaves.





I got it washed up and the wheels and tires off the Explorer I used for a 4.0 donor for my wifes BII on it. Didn't get pics of it clean though, got too dark.

I plan on painting it blue so I am going to use the seats and dash out of the Explorer also since they are blue. Pulled the nasty seats,carpet and tan dash out.




Also hear is what is left of the original 2.9 that got robbed of parts. This will be coming out tommorrow and the good 2.9 put in.
 

dangerranger83

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Auto just for wheel speed in mud? Just keep the foot on the skinny pedal. Glad to see your fixing it and not junking it.
 

Robert_1967

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E-mail me that Tan Dash, please....


Also what did the side mirrors come off of, those look better then the little flag mirrors.




Robert
 

greasemonkey6886

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Side mirrprs were on it when I bought it. They are the ones for mid 80's Chevy full size pickup. You can get the at your local Advance or something like that. I will get right on e-mailing you that dash LOL. But seriously if someone needs it I will give it to them, if I remember right it only has one small little crack in it and it should clean up good.

I don't believe in junking a good body that can be used either. Even if I don't want it I will sell it before junking something that still has life left in it. Besides I have to have a toy right?

I knew I would catch grief about the auto trans idea. I know that the autos have issues sometimes and that a lot of people dont like them but to be honest I am REALLY getting tired of clutch hydraulic issues. I have went through three slave cylinders on my wifes BII before her 4.0 swap and during the swap I wound up having to pull the tranny back out to replace the slave again when it was working before the swap. And no I didn't damage it during the swap. They are just flat junk if you ask me. I plan on running the largest tranny cooler I can find with a dedicated fan just for it so the fluid will stay cool even when there isn't hardly any air moving through it from traveling down the road. like for instance when I am wheeling it. Anyhow.... thanks for the support guys. I will get more pics today, hopefully will have the engine back in it today.
 

greasemonkey6886

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Ok it's been a while since I updated. Haven't gotten much done on it lately, been too busy with other things. I did get the engine back in but it is just that, back in only. haven't bolted anything up or even unhooked the chain from it. Got some pics of it after washing it though. I think she must have looked really nice when she was new. The 31's really fill up the fenders too. Lift is in the works but for now need to get at least something finished on it.




 

The_Dealer

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theres a place in atl called certifit. u can get a new drivers side fender for like 25 bux, and they will ship. www.certifit.com

looks like u got a good little project on your hands to keep you busy for a little while
 

greasemonkey6886

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Thanks for the info Dealer!! If you happen to have there phone number that would be great. I was just going to look in the local yards for one but would prob. wind up just finding more bent ones. The drivers side door that I have is trashed too but I am thinking it will be good for the chopped doors I had mentioned to you. I am still going to need a good set of manual window doors for the winter and bad weather though. Hopefully I can get back down to work on the old girl in the near future. It kills me that it is getting a lot closer to running again but just haven't had the time to finish that part f it up yet. It really sucks that it is a hour away from me. Otherwise I would tinker with it every evening when I got home from work.
 

94xlt4.0

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the deuce looks good, im trying to fix up a 90 myself and its a money pit. but when they run they are wll worth it.
by the way...if you ever wanna sell those flares i would be happy to take them off your hands :)\
 

greasemonkey6886

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Thanks 94xlt4.0 I agree with you on the money pit thing and also on being well worth it. I love these little rigs!! It kills me to see one in the salvage yard, even though it is great to find them to source parts from. if I had the land to do it I would collect all of the I could get my hands on.
Anyhow...update time. I finally got down to work on it yesterday. Got the rest of the moldy, nasty carpet and back seats out. Cleaned the floor up some and started prepping it for the bed liner application. Anyone use the Rust-Oleum brand do-it-yourself roll on bed liner? Bought it from the Autozone for 60.00 a gallon. Figured it would at least be better than the plain floor that is there now.
Back just before Christmas I found an Explorer sitting at a off the beaten path repair shop that looked like it had been there a while. I stopped and talked the the shop owner and was informed that the owner had been talking about selling it. Looked at it and found that it had the 3.73 gears in the axles with the factory locker in the rear, just what I had been looking for. Shop owner said they had put a flywheel and starter in it and now it needs a fuel pump for it to start. Said it wound start with carb cleaner spray. I'm thinking, judging from the "knowledge" that I sensed from him that it could be something as simple as the crash sensor tripped. I left my number and today the owner called and said that for 500.00 it is mine!! Funny thing is that she ows the shop 250 of that.
Now to get the money together...anybody need a running 2.9 complete,a D35 & 8.8 both open and 3.55's, a D28 & 7.5 both open and 3.45's. Would possibly consider letting my spare FM146 go also.
Paul
 

MountainMike

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Looks like that 'sploder will be a nice way to advance the project right along!

She really cleaned up nicely Paul, looking forward to following along:icon_thumby:
 

Robert_1967

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Also now you will have a extra set of fenders and hood and grill, also the front bumper.


be sure to take lots of pictures, we like pictures :)




Robert
 

greasemonkey6886

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yeah she cleaned up really nice. I commented on how good it must have looked when she was new. Yes the Explorer purchase will boost the process along really nicely however more work and time till its driving again but hey...it will be a lot closer to being what I will call done. But then again who is ever really done with there project right? LOL.

Sad part is that the fenders and door from the Explorer wont work on the BII. Well let me say that the fenders I believe will bolt on but the body lines are completely different. The door I dont think will even bolt on. Wish they would, I allready have the remnants of a Explorer that I used for a donor for my wifes 4.0 swap. But yes the extra hood,grille,headlights and bumper will be kept for any repairs that may be needed from a hard day of playing. I am getting my blue dash and seats from the remnant Explorer I already have. The plan, if you are wondering, is to go blue exterior with the flares and centers of the wheels going black. The interior will be blue dash and seats with a blue denum headliner, black bedlinered floor plan and blue door panels.
I have an idea for a custom instrument panel but use the factory dash. I have started working through the design process of it and will post pics when I can afford the gauges. I am going to use the Equus brand of gauges that O'Rielly auto parts sell. Great gauges, made by AutoMeter, and a good prices and looks to boot. We have run them in the wifes BII for the last three years with 0 problems.
Paul
 
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