The Blunderbus, bus #2

[fusername]

You ever get that thing out of the mud?

as for the state of this project, I am going to get all the glass in, then it gets mothballed/slow parts collection. all my focus will be A) Filling my bank account and B) titling the rail

this is the fastest I have ever abandoned a project, but these decisions absolutly make sense, so shush herbie. This bus will be fantastic when it is done tho, all out trail beater/work truck. Ugly and functional, she will definitly have personality. and nice tires. I may succumb to test fitting some tires this week to know what size I am saving up for.

[Devastator]

I went and picked up a beater. 95 grand cherokee in sad shape.

I have the ugliest 95 Jeep Grand Cherokee project on the planet. Just as I got the fuel injection working and fixed the hole in the top of the fuel tank, (don't ask), I had the automatic transmission lose 1st gear. So, if you decide to part that thing out, keep me in mind for the trans.

[fusername]

I will keep that in mind! Know anyone w/ a transfer case for a real cherokee? The guy i got it from (a good friend) just replaced it w/ said cherokee, and it has an angry sounding 2high

[Devastator]

I don't know anyone with Cherokee parts. They all convert them to rock crawlers, (popular out here in the desert).

[Sneaks]

There's a place up here that specializes in parting out Jeeps.

[fusername]

Ok so i am spending the afternoon on the bus. Its a balmy 41 deg today, so it is time for some welding and painting. Have an electric heater on the side of the bu, pushed it into my grandmas unheated garage, and all my paint is inside warming up.

Plan:
weld windshield lip, grind smooth and paint
same for rear vent window
lightly sand the rusty side and brush on some cheap primer.

If there is time or space, im gonna try and convince the dash to go in and get painted, and rekey the ignition. Not sure the ignition is possible w/o the old ey, but we'll find out soon.-

[fusername]

welding is hard. hopefully I'll get the windshield done tonight, and prep hte window sill for paint, looks like paint will ahve to wait till friday, but I did buy a tire changer, that's moving forward, right?

[fusername]

I didn't even come close. ran out of propane and time and drive. Started this morning at 10, gotta meet a freind at 6, so time table is short. I started with 1/3 the lip welded in and the side window w/ a lot of rust pits welded up. side window is done and painted, plan on trying to force the rubber in while the paint dries on the windshield, if I get that far. probably not tongith, but maybe in the morning.

[fusername]

Yes, that is a piece of the old bus serving as patch material, the curve makes my life easier, and it's some damn nice steel.

[fusername]

I think i forgot to take pics after I finished welding and grinding and painting. oops. It''ll be out again in a few months time when I get new glass anyways.

How I learned to stop worrying and let spider man install the glass:


took about an hour and half to install the windshield (old rubber was a PITA) and the vent window with the help of my mechanically dis-enclined sister. The trick to the vent wing is dont start from the front or back side, start from the top or bottom of the window, and it wedges in better. also borrow your neighbors garage and use the wall for leverage Alll the glass is in at this point, huzzah, and I think I have primer on all the bare metal. IT was abusrdly warm the last few days (this time last year iirc it was -5 in the mornings, it hit 60 in the afternoon I am told today.

[fusername]

Well me and a pretty lady were on our way to a party when the Jeep almost caught fire (twice) so if I don't feeel like putting money into it, I'm gonna work faster on the bus, sorry sandrail!

[bajaherbie]

glad to hear the good news about the lady.

[fusername]

don't get too excited, just an old friend from highschool, same one who went to Utah w/ me. Anyone who can put up w/ me and my cars for this many years isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Although she is the common denominator for all my catastrophic drive line failures.... hmmm, maybe I should be careful. doesn't make her any less pretty of course!

[fusername]

guess I should try nad pretend to keep this updated a bit.

This is the back with 31x10.5s on ET33 rims w/ a 3mm spacer behind them. this is literally EXACTLY the tightest it can get. I ordered a 5mm spacer, so maybe I can run that. fender must be cut, and if I went taller than 31, I may need to space it further since the tread is close to the torsion bar cap. it is tighter than it looks in that pic, but there is ~4mm between the tire and spring plate. can't get my hand in there. Sure looks good tho



in the below it looks like it fits better than it really does. there is an inner skin to the well, so it can't realy go up, and the tire is cocked a little bit since I forgot one of the bolts on the drum making the tire lean in a touch at the top. 31s don't work w/ fenders kids!


now for the 235s, they don't fit much better, almost look worse actually, but there is a 6mm spacer behind this side, but it looks like more than 3mm further out





all those pics are about an inch off the stop, which will be my final ride hight since I will lower the stops (notch spring plate) the rake will go away when i get lift spindles, then I need to fit the front wheels and tires, which will be harder.

[fusername]

I also figured out my spare tire/16 inch rim issue:

I need spares. this means I will keep a weather eye out for smoethign nice on CL. If i find nothing by the end of the month, that is when the 16s should be back in stock and I'll just order em up. If I have the money. I got a SCREAMING deal on the 15s I have, so I am happy there, they will be 2 front tires and 2 spares, since I will have mis-matched tire sizes, I will carry two 235 spares, so if I blow a rear tire I can swap em both out for 235, regardless of what I have back there (31s or 235x8516s) and fronts will be 235s regardless. Unless they are 215s, but that is a worst case scenario thing, usually with enough cutting anythign will fit. right? sure hope so.