Big Al's Bloggity Blog

Hey guys, thought I'd finally make a blog for my pile of Heap so what the hell..here goes nothing...

For those of you who don't know me let me introduce my self. My name is Alex, I grew up in the south bay and I'm in my late 20's. I love just about anything to do with cars. I'm a mechanic for a living, I started out working on domestic and Japanese cars and now I specialize in VW's, Audis and Porsches. I own a 1966 GT Mustang I've had since high school and a 2004 GT with a full Griggs Racing chassis that I built for open track and road course driving. Then...I got a 1987 XJ...soon after it all went to hell in a hand basket and I got the wheeling bug BAD.

Before I get to the Jeepus here are a few pics of my Mustangs.







I started with a 87' XJ, 4.0, 5 speed, A/C and nothing else. No cruise control, no power mirrors, no rear defog, nothing. Its weird, it was the absolute base model but its a 4.0 with A/C, kind of nice because there isn't much else to break. I got it with 243,000 miles on the clock and I bought it for 300 bucks cash plus a rechargeable Stream Light from the Snap On truck, LOL.



The weirdest thing was the non tinted windows. I swear, at night time sitting at a stop light I felt like everyone was watching me, its like being in a huge fish tank with all the windows, no tint and small pillars.

Here is it after some Pro Comp wheels, 32's and a 3 inch lift.



This is its most current state.



So, far I've upped the lift to 5 in the rear and 4.25 in the front. I swapped out the front for a non disco 30, swapped in a rear 44, locked both ends and installed 4.56's. I built bumpers for it, got sliders, rebuilt the engine, deleted the C101 connector, swapped in a 89 PCM (apparently better among the RENIX crowd?), re did a whole bunch of the interior and added some insulation, ditched the carpet in favor of vinyl flooring, worst mistake ever (fits like absolute crap), swapped injectors, cleaned up the wiring, the list never ends...

Now I've got an AX15 sitting around for it, 6.5 inch coils, long arms, rear shackle boxes and a few other items. I guess I'm doing what I should have done 3 years ago from the get go. The wheeling bug is in full effect now...

Well, I hope to keep this updated with my future "re-rebuild" of my Heap. I've met lots of good people on here, went "Red" this year and hope to meet more of you XJ freaks!

atriot:

Never saw your 65 before, looks good Alex.

As far as re-doing what you should have done in the first place... I think everyone has made that mistake. Let me know if you ever need a hand.

-Drew

Thanks dude, my 66 is always a work in progress. I think the picture makes the car look a little better then it really is, its got plenty of flaws but its still a fun cruiser. The Jeep is way awesome! Who cares about door dings because it sees worse when I'm wheeling and I push shopping carts out of the way in parking lots, whats there to hate?

my first car was a '65 mustang coupe that i got when i was 12.
there is a build / work party at my fun factory tomorrow (saturday 11/5) if you want to stop by & work on your junk.

I've got a lot or stuff going on this weekend but I should make it a point to roll by and hang out for a bit. What times the factory gonna be open?

Alex E said:

I've got a lot or stuff going on this weekend but I should make it a point to roll by and hang out for a bit. What times the factory gonna be open?

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starting 8:00 am until i crap out saturday night.

That's a sweet lookin 'stang - what color is that? Looks too light to be Ford's "Nightmist Blue", but I haven't seen that color in person. Here's my wife's '66:



I'm trying to convince her to let me get it painted Nightmist Blue, since it needs a paint job anyway, as well as a new interior... wiring... pretty much needs to be properly rebuilt. She's had it since before I met her & it sat out way too much with no one working on it or keeping it covered, so it's ready for some love. I told her I'll get working on it after I finish working on my Jeep, my WRX, my KLR... It's all money, and all of my vehicles are DD's, so I have to keep them all maintained, modified, and driven in rotation, which means none of them are actually "done". At least the wife is cool with my hobbies, even if she doesn't enjoy joining me on all rides/drives.

You've got some good looking toys, and your stories of working on them are making me want to get out in the garage when I get home from work!

You should work on your junk! I like the wifeys 66, except I couldn't do white interior. I'd destroy it...I took my 66 to work today and I spilled coffee on the floor...oops : / My paint is...dare I say...Chevy colors! Its that blue that was popular on the Silverados in the early to mid 2000's and the stripes are this pewter from a van they had around the 2000's also. They guy who painted it thought I was nuts for doing metallic blue with copper, goldish brown stripes. Don't you want silver or white stripes? No, everyone has blue with those color stripes. Its a fun car, 289, fairly built with all the right bolt ons. Its a healthy 300hp and about 340 ld ft of torque. Its got a close ratio 4 speed top loader so its fun to run through the gears. Nothing like the new Mustang though. That Griggs chassis is so dialed in its scary.

Anyway, I know this is a Jeep forum but I haven't worked on my junk lately. I've got a WHOLE bunch of stuff in the works but I'm kind of waiting for my stock pile of parts to get bigger and just do it all at once. I've got 6.5 inch coils, more armor to install, shackle boxes, an AX15 I'm rebuilding and a t case to drop in. I just gotta get that done and I could get new drive shafts made and I might have to order up some new leafs for the rear. Oh, I'm doing long arms also. So hopefully I can post up a whole bunch of stuff in a month or two if anyone wants a pretty good 3.5 inch lift with adjustable upper and lower short arms, shocks, springs and a t case drop kit. We'll see, I've got way to much crap going on I'm going to go nuts. I got a kit to make a tire carrier for my bumper and I was going to make a custom roof rack. Now I feel like freaking out, I have a long list... : /

If you ever need advise on the pony let me know, I know where to get everything and where not to get stuff and I know what to get and what not to get. I sure as hell know what I'd do differently second time around.

Ok so...its been a while since I've updated this blog. Progress on the Jeep seems to be moving slowly BUT I'm hoarding parts like its going out of style.

My plan is to swap the Peugeot tranny for my rebuilt AX15, finishing rebuilding the NP231 with 4 to1 and lift it all at once. The main reason for doing everything in one shot being I only have to take care of the drive shafts once. I've almost got my entire lift pieced together from some new and some used stuff. Just gotta get new shocks, shackle boxes and long arms and I should be ready to give the Jeep its new reincarnation. Here are a few things I've been working on but haven't gotten to enjoy/install yet except my new tires.

Stock diff cover after creek wheeling on my last trip.


New bomb proof A to Z fabrication diff cover.


The AX15 before I rebuilt it, can't wait to row gears in this rather then the Peugeot : /


The NP231 thanks to Ben H


The additional low range should be frick'n sweet on the rocks, especially with a manual tranny.


And last but not least...NEW TIRES! I was way over due, those are my old 32x11.5s worn to literally 29 3/4...not good but these new 33's should serve me well. I would have went 35s but I love to drive my rig every where. I plan on getting a roof top tent next January so I don't really want to be pushing 35's with a RRT, going up highway 80 at 8200 feet with all my camping gear and a RENIX 4.0 doing the work.


Any ideas, changes or things I should consider before I do my build? Hope fully I'll be set for a fun year of camping/wheeling in 2012, get out to some events and meet some more people and I might even be able to join in a snow run or two with my fresh tires.

FYI, I will be selling off my old lift stuff in the next month or two if anyone wants a complete 3.5/4" lift. I will be selling shocks, leafs, coils, dropped cross member, upper and lower adjustable short arms, adjustable trac bar and a rebuilt NP231 with 2lo and SYE.

Alex :us:

So, replying from Tims build thread...lol. I called Rough Country, I need some shocks that will fit a 6.5 inch lift and got some pricing on A:long arms if I get theirs AND B:drop brackets and shipping costs. Basically I can get 4 shocks and long arms shipped for a grand total of...750 bucks or so...OR get 4 shocks and drop brackets shipped for 295 or so. I'm thinking of going the cheaper route, this way I'm not obligated to keeping my Jeep long armed if I sell it to upgrade to a 97 and newer. Also, I will save around 450 bucks and that should pay for half a roof top tent and I could sell my old lift crap-ola for some change and pay for the other half or so. At least this way later on I can get the long arms I really want, TnTs, when I get a Jeep I like a little better.

FYI, that pricing is with a 10% dicount, so call your orders in if you plan to get stuff from Rough Country.

Any one think other wise?

check with the_weirdo, he had a set of drops for sale a while back. they are always for sale used for around $150 a set.
also, i have some 12" travel used rear shocks for stoopid cheap if you want to save some clams.

I sold my drop brackets a couple of months ago when we installed the TnT long arm.

Alex E said:

Alex :us:

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that transfer case is junk, nothing but scrap metal. :looney:
you should sell it to me for what you paid!:wave:

Ok, but I get part of your beard. Yours is more intense then mine. I can't let you have a better t case AND a better beard!

Funny you bring up my t case. I took it back apart tonight and was looking it over, dude the inside is perfect, everything looks good. I think I might just clean and re seal it. I was going to rebuild it but all the bearings look tits. Next I just gotta tare into my AX15, order up my shocks and I'll be set for 6.5 lift, 4 to 1 and new tires!

Alex E said:

Ok, but I get part of your beard. Yours is more intense then mine. I can't let you have a better t case AND a better beard!

Funny you bring up my t case. I took it back apart tonight and was looking it over, dude the inside is perfect, everything looks good. I think I might just clean and re seal it. I was going to rebuild it but all the bearings look tits. Next I just gotta tare into my AX15, order up my shocks and I'll be set for 6.5 lift, 4 to 1 and new tires!

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Nice, glad its going to work for you. Yeah I rebuilt that case probably four years ago, but seldom drove it on the road. It was just the seals that needed love, hard to get those out without fawking them up. The chain that is in there now is also pretty new...making the one I gave you the other day a brand new spare. You figure out the 2-Low and novak shifter yet?

Ben H said:

Nice, glad its going to work for you. Yeah I rebuilt that case probably four years ago, but seldom drove it on the road. It was just the seals that needed love, hard to get those out without fawking them up. The chain that is in there now is also pretty new...making the one I gave you the other day a brand new spare. You figure out the 2-Low and novak shifter yet?

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Sort of, I played with all the t case positions to see how they worked. I assume they match accordingly to that nice billet shifter I got??? : D I can't frickn mount it up til I rebuild my AX15 first. Apparently the Frenchies who made my Peugeot tranny left out two splines making it a 21 spline : / I hope to have my junk done by the end of December. I wanna get a wheeling party together for my Birthday in January.atriot:

If you look at a stock shift pattern and the 2low kit, you'll see an extra bump in the shift slot. Thats pretty much all there is to it...an extra indent the prevents the front from engaging. Shift pattern matches the lineup on the knob. 2low nice.

2Lo is gonna be SAWEEEEEEEET! 4 to 1 is gonna be sweeter, can't wait to go super slow on rocks or give someone a tug with fresh tires, 4 to 1 and my lockers. I like to think my Jeeps a little monster but Heaps like your Rubi or Tims red Heap make my Jeep feel like a little wiener wheeler. But I haven't lost focus, I wanted it to remain road worthy for driving on long trips.

I like all the goodies your getting!

I love my 4.88's with my AX-15. I love being able to let the clutch out and idle up obstacles. I cant even imagine how nice it would be with a 4:1!

BTW, thanks for your help with all of my mustang questions. I ended up passing on my uncles 72 (74? I already forgot lol).

Jeep450r said:

I like all the goodies your getting!

I love my 4.88's with my AX-15. I love being able to let the clutch out and idle up obstacles. I cant even imagine how nice it would be with a 4:1!

BTW, thanks for your help with all of my mustang questions. I ended up passing on my uncles 72 (74? I already forgot lol).

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For sure on the advice, I always like to share my knowledge with people who consider my opinions and what not. Also, good choice on passing up the Mustang, don't get me wrong I love Mustangs but the last good year was 70' and then it was a LONG time before any thing decent came about. I wish I went 4.88's, I'm running 4.56's so really, big deal, BUT if I had to do it over, I'd do 4.88's. My Jeep really likes cruising at 70-75 with with the revs around 2,800 to 3,000, other wise I'm constantly hunting between 4th and 5th.

Hope fully I can get my junk done before my birthday weekend but we'll see. I might just wheel it how it is. I don't want to rush things and then miss my own date! atriot: