RacnJsn95 Posted June 13, 2010 Report Share Posted June 13, 2010 Well it's been a while since I've been on here, and the format sure seems to have changed! I got burned out working on my datsun for a while, so I picked up another project (or two). The latest and greatest being a 53 Willy's Jeep 4x4 pickup. I found this beast on craigslist for a whopping $850, and it was conveniently located right across the street from my Dad's house. I talked them down to $750 and they delivered it to my house! They had told me that they couldn't get it running. It was a half complete project someone started, and didn't finish. Someone swapped a Ford 2.3 pinto motor into it. I guess it was a fairly common swap back in the day. Whoever did it, did it right, and bought all the adapters, etc for it. There was no gas in the tank, and I'm not sure if the lines were clogged or not, but I ran a fuel line into a 2 gallon gas can, and it fired right up! But it only ran on 3 cylinders. :( So I jerked the head off, and found it to be majorly cracked in one of the combustion chambers. I assume this was the problem. The hunt was on for a good head to rebuild; I went through 3 bad ones before I finally got a good one. Put the new head on and played hell with the timing belt for a while. Finally got the timing belt situation ironed out today, and it would run decent if I poured gas into the carb, but would not run on its own. I pulled the top of the carb off and it was filled with rust. I imagine something got clogged while sitting after I pulled the head off. I tried to clean it out, pulled the jets, etc, but it just wouldn't run with that carb. I got lucky and my latest 79 620 KC parts truck I bought had an ok looking webber carb that came sitting on the floor board. I drove to my dad's and got it, came back, bolted it on the jeep, and to my amazement it fired up, and continued to run on its own. Seems to run pretty good now :) As you can see the wiring if kind of a mess currently. I'd like to buy a new wiring harness, like a painless or something and re-wire the whole truck, and clean it up a bit. Whoever started this project had the right idea with what they were doing, as far as replacing the pedals, replacing the crap jeep master cylinder, and some other various things, but while their ideas were good, they were executed poorly. Steering column pretty sketchy, pedals and master cylinder bolted to the firewall in such a way that it allows major flex in the firewall. Feels like your foot will blow through the floor if it gives out... So I've got a few things to do yet. Put some different pedals in it (these came out of the pinto), beef up the firewall where the pedals and master cyl will go. Replace the steering column, and make sure the front suspension is safe. Should be a fun winter time ride for toying around up in the hills :) Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted June 17, 2010 Report Share Posted June 17, 2010 I love the old Willys trucks. There classics. But just so old and hard to drive.Steerings suck. The Pinto motor was a coomon swap. I went Hunting in Hawaii and a guy had a Pinto motor in a 43 willys jeep. PS clean that tank otherwise more dirt will get in there and the idle jet will get plugged!!!!!!! Ps your 620 should be ezer to work on than this. Is it still alive? L motors are EZ Quote Link to comment
Guest DatsuNoob Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I drive by one of those everyday, parked under some guy's tree. Very cool, I've always liked the old flat fender Willy's Quote Link to comment
elmerfudpucker Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I drive by one of those everyday, parked under some guy's tree. Very cool, I've always liked the old flat fender Willy's If it has a bit of dimondplate and tinted windows, it belongs to the regional manager of KFC, I put the stereo in it and did the prep work for the tint. Quote Link to comment
Guest DatsuNoob Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 If it has a bit of dimondplate and tinted windows, it belongs to the regional manager of KFC, I put the stereo in it and did the prep work for the tint. This one is most likely not the one you're talking about. It looks like it hasn't moved in years. Kinda sad that it'll probably just sit there as a landscape decoration until it becomes one with the earth. Quote Link to comment
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