Project Phin (The thread that promises to impend more doom than Cal's!)

Back in January of 2007, we got Ms. Lobsterdmb a XJ of her own from MikeinNJ. It's a 1987 2 door 4.0L, Auto, NP242. It is Blue Metallic Blue (Jeep's crazy name for the color) and has served us well over the past couple years

When we first brought it home:


Put on a RE 3.5" Lift:




Then Wheeled it at Rausch Creek:


Lately in our backyard:



At the NAC's Lobsterfest (also in our backyard), Ms. Lobsterdmb destroyed the front end here and did some good body damage to it:





We were going to chop the XJ sometime next summer anyways, so instead of replacing the front axle, front suspension and multiple tires, the chop is going to start a little early (now with a gung-ho wife on board!)

As Project Phin sits now:


Plans are:
Chopped right behind rear front seats
Custom long arm front suspension and 4 link rear with air shocks
14 bolt rear and Dana 60 front (possibly CUCV's)
Full integrated exo cage
Either 39's or 40's on beadlocks
Dana 300 or Atlas t-case


The deconstruction of the jeep will begin the end of this week or the beginning of next. Hopefully, the chop will start in december. I am currently working 50+ hours a week so this build is going to start slow, but I promise it won't disappoint like Cal's thread did :wave:

Sweet.

Can't wait to see it begin John.

lobsterdmb said:

At the NAC's Lobsterfest (also in our backyard), Ms. Lobsterdmb destroyed the front end here and did some good body damage to it:

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The best part about that was she was smiling the whole time. Especially after she kept saying she couldn't turn left, then sideswiped the tree.

lobsterdmb said:

It is Blue Metallic Blue

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Good luck with the build John, I'm sure its going to come out awesome.

awesomeness!!! I would love to hang around when you do the chopping. Cutting up Jeep unibodys is great fun

Can't wait to see this, looks like a good build.

your welcome for egging her on, but now you get to build a fun jeep like im in the middle of doing

im assuming you dont care about clearance issues running pass drop?

ive seen a few 79d60s now that i have my own and they are mighty nice to swap into an xj

And another one bites the dust!!!

You need to make your pictures larger, it's like looking at thumbnails without the full size a click away!

lobsterdmb said:

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I spy a Rusty's trackbar failure? looks awefully familiar

djblade311 said:

I spy a Rusty's trackbar failure? looks awefully familiar

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Yep, that was a Rusty's trackbar.

Yeah, it was a Rusty's trackbar. However, Melissa did a great job of taking out the entire front end, not just that. I will make sure the pics are larger when I start the build for real. I am trying to finish getting the garage clean so the deconstruction can begin.

Nice backyard! Looks like a fun build! Why the LP D60 and not a HP one?

Thanks, we have 55 acres and only a few trails cut right now, but more to come. There were a couple reasons for the LP D60. I have a good line on CUCV axles cheap, which will make life easier because I will just run the 4.56 gears that are in them to start. The other main reason is that I am considering running a Dana 300 t-case, so by running a passenger side drop axle, I can save some money in having to flip it. However, if the CUCV axle deal doesn't work out, I already have a Rear Dana 60 sitting in my garage, so I would probably just pick up a matching Ford Dana 60 front. Then again, if I can score an atlas t-case on a good deal, I would just go that route anyway.

Geoff, I resized the pics for you

lobsterdmb said:

Thanks, we have 55 acres and only a few trails cut right now, but more to come. There were a couple reasons for the LP D60. I have a good line on CUCV axles cheap, which will make life easier because I will just run the 4.56 gears that are in them to start. The other main reason is that I am considering running a Dana 300 t-case, so by running a passenger side drop axle, I can save some money in having to flip it. However, if the CUCV axle deal doesn't work out, I already have a Rear Dana 60 sitting in my garage, so I would probably just pick up a matching Ford Dana 60 front. Then again, if I can score an atlas t-case on a good deal, I would just go that route anyway.

Geoff, I resized the pics for you

Click to expand...

I kinda thought that was what you were thinking. If I would have not been given the 205 I would have probalby done a D300 instead of the 203/205 that I have.

Ghost said:

Why the LP D60 and not a HP one?

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I wouldn't be too concerned about going LP60 over HP60, there isn't a huge difference between factory axles anyway since the pinion is fairly close to the centerline on a 60.

lobsterdmb said:

Geoff, I resized the pics for you

Click to expand...

Good boy!

lobsterdmb said:

Then again, if I can score an atlas t-case on a good deal, I would just go that route anyway.

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.....cough.....cough.....

http://forum.neow.net/index.php?showtopic=93530

So today, Rob (nhrocker) came over, so Ms. Lobsterdmb, him, and I got to work disassembling the jeep. We got the interior stripped, the doors off, the gas tank out, the rockrails off, and the rear axle out. Tomorrow, we will continue stripping it and maybe chop it.

So the fun is starting huh John?
I got a text from the Mrs. today saying "My Jeep is naked" and I knew what was going on.

just because you have a blind man's walking stick on the fron of your jeep, i still wont move to the side of the road when you are coming up behind me.

Yesterday, Rob (nhrocker), Ms. Lobsterdmb, and I got to chopping!










Then we took a little break and decided to go wheeling in my backyard.



Took some body damage on Rob's Jeep




It was so nasty that the winch even had to come out



And now there's more room in my garage!