Jordan's 1974 "back in California with no time" Thing build

[dustymojave]

[thingow181]

Late to the party, late to update, late for everything. If anyone is at the Sand Sports Super Show come swing by the eBay booth!

BAD1B338-C5BC-4416-BEF6-D0ADBA087421.jpeg

The car drove in and will drive out today. Say you’re from Shoptalkforums for bonus coupons!

[CentralWAbaja]

NICE!

[Devastator]

Hey! Is this your's Jordan? If so, I DID stop by and chat with you for a while about it. I had just put an LSJ supercharger on my LE5 and was talking with you about the oil cooler you'd installed. We also chatted about my homemade pulley replacement where the power steering used to be, while you had guttet an AC compressor to do the same IIRC. Seeing this first hand, I can tell you all that this is a job nicely done!

[thingow181]

Hey Devastator- that was me! And I remember the pulley you built- looked great but didn't spin! And yes, I just pulled 6 bolts out of an AC compressor and ran the pulley.

Thanks for the compliment, it's been a long process.

[thingow181]

So the build has been a long time in progressing but it got done.

I got the car painted in Decemberish of 2017 and shot Raptor Liner in the interior myself. It's good from 30 feet.

painted drivers side.jpg

I started assembling the suspension over the next year plus.

Rear- Laser Innovation 3x3 Microstub, RBP microstub 4 piston brakes, 2.0x12 King coilovers, 2.5x12 King 2 tube bypasses
Front- RBP 4 piston brakes, Woods spindles, Foddrill +4 big pivot arms, 2.5x8 King Internal Bypass shocks, Unisteer electric steering, SACO HD rack

Rear Suspension Aug 2018.JPG

Front Suspension Feb 2019.JPG

It was around this time that a friend on my team suggested I finish the car for the Sand Sports Show and then the real work started. It was a scramble of wiring, plumbing, etc.

blower cooler 8212019.JPG

dash spaghetti 8212019.JPG

fuel spaghetti 8212019.JPG

computer 08212019.jpg

underhood clean 8212019.JPG

But there was still more to do...

[thingow181]

How do you fit an LSJ exhaust into a Thing? Cutting and patience.

Custom Exhaust July 2019.JPG

I had some Raptor Liner color matched to the C9A VW color for the body and shot my cut up fenders:

Raptor Liner Fenders August 2019.JPG

But just as it seemed like everything was going to work, and I was about to trailer it down to the show, the clutch wasn't working right and she was burning coolant... I rolled an O-ring putting the supercharger back together.

supercharger full of coolant.jpg

So the engine came back out Monday the 9th and I drove back to LA. Drove back up Thursday the 12th, put the engine back in the car and got it on the trailer that afternoon. Drove it into the show Friday morning, and out again on Sunday.

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It still needs work. I need to adjust fuel pressure, clutch, bed the brakes. Doors need to be hung, sheet metal cover for the rear put together. I want to change some of the hardware for bolting the bumper on, get a decklid put together (stock would touch the blower pulley) and a few other little things. I'll drive it for a while to get the bugs out and see how it does.

I figured I had to close the loop here eventually- projects CAN actually get finished!

[Devastator]

Hey Devastator- that was me! And I remember the pulley you built- looked great but didn't spin! And yes, I just pulled 6 bolts out of an AC compressor and ran the pulley.

Thanks for the compliment, it's been a long process.

Lol, yeah, the pulley that didn't spin still doesn't.

[Leatherneck]

Very cool Thing. Actually get finished, really?

[Devastator]

It looks damned cool in person too Leather.

[Leatherneck]

It looks damned cool in person too Leather.

I’m sure it does, looks performance and ride, the total package. Get a chance would like to see some ride videos.