CJ3B Beastie

I will get him back once it is all bolted together and ready to get the road registration process underway Doug.

I've got some assembly still to do and the wiring will take a few extra days to do, the windscreen glass is happening next Tuesday so within another 2 weeks I think I will be close.

Thanks for the encouragement and positive comments everyone, it's nice to know I am not doing anything that looks terrible, despite my wife telling me she hates the colour I chose.
She wanted something like a burnt orange, but that didn't fit with the look I was going for.
Jokingly (I think) told me yesterday she wanted to keep the CJ5 cause she didn't even want to ride in the beastie.

 

I will be using some rubber sheet, like what I'd likely cut from an old tractor-tire tube or similar large tire tube.
Then I'll use some oiled chaps leather that I'll fab in over the top of the rubber 'mud shield' and bolt down using the cover plates that I'll likely have to also fab. Plan on using leather boot laces to first wrap a 'nub' on the shaft for a top-holder. then I'll use the laces to tie it off.

I thought of just using rubber from the tubes... might be able to use tube patch glue to get something useful, IDK. May be stitch the rubber pieces together, and use the glue, compress while it cures ... IDK if it'd work or not.

 

Worked on the intercooler install while the front guards are still off.
Makes access easier when you can step in around the front tyre.

I am mounting it above the engine because there is no room in front of the radiator unless I modified it all substantially to pull the radiator back to make the room.
So I will be making a bonnet scoop to direct air in and down.

I believe it was originally out of a small Toyota hatch back. "Starlet"
It's around 6 inches x 18 inches (Fin dimensions) and that is about 3/4 inch more than the frame work in the bonnet so it will be a reasonably easy mod to the bonnet while also allowing me to mount it far enough to the rear so that the scoop wont interfere with the windscreen being able to fold down.

Ran into a few issues that needed some thought but it all worked out.
The intercooler has outlets like this either end.



Which is fine for the input side but the output side is going to clash with the brake booster and reservoir.
So, modified it to be a 90 degree pipe by doing this.

Then fitting a pipe in and TIG welded it.


I initially started making a bracket to mount the intercooler to the engine but then read up a little and it seems the more common option is to mount the intercooler to the body and rely on the hoses flexing to allow for vibration etc.

Because the cooler sits pretty high above the engine it made sense to body mount it so I changed tack and re purposed the bracket I had welded to the firewall that was going to hold the hot water heater I will be installing later.

After the bracket got painted and I went and got new hose bends to plumb it all together it all looks very cool.

 

Next step, measure lots and then cut out the opening in the bonnet skin, remove a section of the centre frame and add a new cross member in front of the cut out.


Then made up a scoop.



Used 16 gauge alloy with a bit of perforated to fill the front and stop debris.


Screwed to the bonnet over the opening.



With the windscreen folded down the rubber seal just catches the top front edge of the scoop but the inlet is unobstructed.


In the final major drama, I had to reposition the windscreen washer nozzles because of the scoop.
But now the bonnet is ready to be painted.

Then I can sort out some seals under the bonnet frame work to direct air only through the fins to get maximum efficiency.

 

Decided I wasn't completely happy with the scoop, so made an alternate style one today.

The perforated plate in the front didn't thrill me, and the 45 degree slopes looked a little out of place on the bonnet with its curved sides.

I remembered I had some stainless mesh floating around so I made a curvy stainless scoop with a mesh front.





Much happier with how this one looks.

Sorted out the wires from the alternator before attaching the left hand front guard.
Will do the final tidy up on the bonnet and paint that tomorrow, then start to sort out some wiring.

 

Major progress report.
Got the wiring completed. It has taken a bit of time to get it done cause I am working with no diagram so have been winging it just doing one system at a time.

Had to determine which of the outlets in the recycled switches and the steering column did what function, then began with the ignition switch, glow circuit and the the fuse blocks.
As mentioned earlier I am mounting the solenoid for the glow circuit and the relays for the headlights under the battery.


While fiddling with the glow controller unit I had, I think I wired it wrong and it stopped working. So, just going with a solenoid controlled by the ignition key to do the glow.

Anyway, it started of looking pretty simple.
These are the flasher relays for the blinkers and the hazards.

They mount above the steering bracket.

Then it started getting messier.




Gauges installed.


Then it got really, really messy.


Did notes and sketches as I went so I can create a bit of a diagram for my own records.

 

Ultimately it all came together and everything worked as it was supposed to.

Got the headlights finished.


The wires to the rear are sorted, the wires to the front are done.
For those I used a length of 7 core trailer wire, seemed like a simple solution rather than running individual wires.
Utilised the earth and 5 other wires.
blinker left and right
tail
stop
reverse.
The spare 7th wire became the sender from the rear fuel tank.

Wrapped all the loose wires in insulation tape then wrapped the bundles with spiral sheathing.



Other items installed were a new thermo controller for the electric fan.
I have run a fuse block on the firewall for items that draw power at all times.
Then I have another 2 fuse blocks under the dash from the ignition switch.

So after finally getting all the wiring finished, tested, running it all with everything on to make sure no smoke came from anywhere, I could put the bonnet on.

Still have to paint the front bar and finish the rear bar plus a lot of little details to be done yet.

I think this deserves a big pic.

 

Now for something that would make Spielberg vomit.
Shaky, out of frame, wind noise video of a short road test up the street.

 

Very nicely done.

And to think i am on year five of my rebuild. Too many excuses here.

Great video.

 

Excellent !

 

Congratulations on the wiring! Always a daunting challenge.

 

That is absolutely gorgeous. Your wiring looks great! So beautiful!

 

that deserves the big pics for sure! beautiful!...i enjoyed the video too! im kinda sad this build will be coming to an end...but looking forward to the next one

 

Year 11 on mine.

Very very well done, browncoat.

 

Thanks gents, there's still have a lot of little items to cross off the list but not far to go now.

Don't think there will be next build.
I have spent just over 2 years doing this one and the cj5 before it.

Time to get out and enjoy them in the bush where they belong.

One big drama to solve is the speedo being so far out of wack.
It gets to near 100KPH along the street when I would be going max 65 KPH I reckon.
I will check it with a GPS today but I am definitely going to have to make a reducer gear arrangement for it.

 

Wish I could give more than one like

So exciting to see that vid and here it, it sounds and drives amazing.

How many people were leaning to the right watching that video hoping he would move to the other side of the street

 

Looks good, can't wait to see it in action.

 

I just spotted browncoat's 3B in the background of one of my daughter's school lessons.

 

I just watched that video. What an utterly amazing ride. Sounds amazing, clearly handles great, but seems to want to wander to wrong side of the road. Oh well!

Seriously, I love this.