The American Legend Lives On...

Mounted Lee Enfield Rifles can be found here!

HERE!      < < < Click here to see the GREEN MACHINE!

Links

The M38A1 Hybrid/Project Jeep Chassis-up and other Jeep related stuff

Disclaimer, apologies and legal stuff
Jeep, Wrangler and lots of other names are trademarks of the Chrysler Corporation
Their use here is not generic and correctly refers to those products. I am not affiliated with Chrysler Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The result is that parts are hard to come by, and no-one even attempts to do an original restoration. The more popular Jeeps are the CJ2s, CJ5s and CJ6s, and of course the CJ7s. But like I said earlier - whatever you can lay your hands on...

What to do when you want to build a Jeep:
I can only tell you what I did and what I think - so here goes: Have a look at the different types of Jeeps that exist - find the one that makes your heart thump a little faster. A good idea would be to look at the Jeep identification thingie (see links on left) and choose the one you like. My reasoning behind this is that you've seen them around, you've seen them in the movies - and now you want to put a name to the specific Jeep model that you like.

I chose the CJ5 - only later to find out that it's actually a M38A1 (the military version that lead to the CJ5 being produced) that I've bought. They look the same in shape and size, so it doesn't matter. The Internet is quite amazing when you start doing research - use search words like Jeep, then narrow it down using model designations like CJ5 or M38A1. Look at every site, even if it's just a parts supplier or someone selling a Jeep. You always learn something new about your Jeep (eg. The M38A1 had Dana 44 axles at the back - mine has a Dana 41 - where does this come from?). 

Save stuff - pictures, articles, tech tips, etc and build yourself a file for reference. Talk to Jeep owners, hang out at the Jeep or 4x4 clubs.

Buy magazines, books, manuals or whatever else you can lay your hands on about the Jeep that you're interested in. If you're not going to fit an original engine, find the owner's manual of the engine that you want in there (mine's a 1968 Holden Monaro 307ci with the Saginaw box - how do I know this? I found the workshop manual in a damp basement of a spares shop somewhere!).

These are just suggestions - some people like to just build and are not interested in the history of the Jeep.

Step 2
Start looking at/buying magazines and newspapers that advertises second-hand vehicles. Here in South Africa you can look at the Junk Mail, Auto Trader (it has photos - a big plus), Cape Ads, or your local newspaper. Look for a while to get an idea of what is available and at what price. Go and look at the vehicles to see what condition fetches what price, but don't buy yet. 

I found that if you look for a while, you will know when a vehicle is a bargain or not. And in the looking process, you will probably run across the Jeep you've been looking for. Don't get disheartened - I looked for 6 months before finding the right one!

Look at rust (surface rust or rusted through?), completeness (?) of the Jeep - meaning things like headlights, indicators, dials, fuel tank(s), etc. - some of these might be hard to find. Also look at the condition of the chassis - see if it's straight, not badly damaged or rusted. If you can, turn the diffs and listen/feel for irregularities like rough turning, or looseness. Then decide whether it is a good buy - make an offer a bit lower than the asking price...sellers will normally haggle a bit, and you might score a few bucks - you will need it later, believe me!

Step 3
It would probably be a good idea to go to the M38A1 Project/Hybrid page now, where I described how I went to work on my Jeep to get an idea of where to start once you have your Jeep. Also look at the Jeep links - there's a Whole Wide World of information at your fingertips!

Important!

I describe my experiences, ideas and suggestions - you are under no obligation to a) believe me, and b) to make these kind of changes to your vehicle. In fact, I assume no liability for how any individual or company chooses to use the information contained on this website. Modifications to your vehicle will cause it to behave differently - it may increase the risk in driving your vehicle, or increase the size of you cojones when driving your vehicle, 'cause you think you can do riskier things. Use your brain and common sense when using your vehicle - remember that when you are not sure about an obstacle, you risk your life, but if you turn around, you risk only ridicule from some idiot who probably was too scared to go himself.

Website created by Chris Sieberhagen