[Guest]

I'm looking at getting a fiberglass body for my 1979 CJ5 . Those of you out
there who have them , how do you find them so far ? How was the installation
process , wiring etc... ?

I've looked at a few companies so far , all claim to have the best . There
is AJ`s & Shell Valley and 4Wheeldrive Hardware that I have found so far .
Any comments , good or bad about these manufacturers ??
Any input would be appreciated , THANKS !!

[UPDATE]
I just wanted to say THANKS !! to all of you who have replied with VERY useful and helpful information . It is very much appreciated ! The info. so far points to 4 WheelDrive Hardware Tubs as being the most user friendly and well built tubs. I`m sure they all have thier good points but they seem to be the most favoured .

Jeff

 

[Guest]

I like mine. It is from 4wd hardware. The bdy guy even commented on how nice it was. I had a hood from shell vally and it was junk. The nstall was rather straight forward. It takes a while to get everything lined up and installed. Thegrounding was not to bad but i had it all running for around a month and i was still working the bugs out of the ground wies.

Al
My web page

 

[Guest]

I have a one-piece front end from 4wd Hardware and am vey satisfied. Up here in the snowbelt, rust is a big problem, so 'glass is a definite bonus. It's extremely well made. It has held up to quite a bit of abuse and still looks good. Wiring was a little tricky, but not exactly a horror story. Take your time, and you'll be happy with the end results.

[bold]1976 CJ-7
258ci, T18, Dana 20
6" Lift, Dana 44 Front & Rear[/bold]

 

[103]

I have a four wheel drive hardware fiberglass body on my 78CJ. I have had it on now for almost a year. I would buy another one from them as the body is very sturdy. In May I was hit head on buy a drunk driver and the body didn't move. It doesn't show any cracks what soever. Check out my web at
http://members.aol.com/fastflyn31/page1.html

 

[jeepnut_nh]

I have a 4wd hardware tub & one piece frt. end, and I'm very impressed w/ both.
While I did not do the original install, the previous owner indicated that it went well for him, he also indicated that wiring was "a real pain in the ass". However, I would expect that any time you replace a tub(metal or glass). One not of interest is that during the rewiring process you can make some trail mods merely by running all your wires inside the tub, as mine was( no wiring is exposed under the body).
anyways, that's my take on the subject,
jimbo

'74 CJ5,blasted/painted frame, glass tub&tilt frt end, rebuilt 232I6,and still lots to do!

 

[Dana]

I have a glass body on my 79 CJ5. I don't know whose it it, or how old it is (it was on there when the previous owner bought it in '92), but it's holding up well. It's one of the older ones with plywood core. Grounding hasn't been a problem as the grille and dash are still metal, and I ran all the taillight grounds to the front with one wire so I can kill all of them with a switch if I want to. Only real problem (not the body's fault, but the idiot who installed it) was that it was 2" too far back on the frame, pulling the radiator into the fan on any major bump. And the spare tire (I made my own mount) needed to be supported by the frame as I don't think the glass back (no tailgate) was strong enough.

-Dana

Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!

 

[Guest]

I'm not a big fan of fiberglass. There's one on my fiance's 77 and it's horrible. BUT, I'm pretty sure it's the guy that installed its fault. If you take your time and don't drill any holes until you're ABSOLUTELY sure you want a hole there, you'll be okay...It currently has about 50 tiny drain holes in it because the guy was an idiot. Another problem is of course with grounding. In an earlier post Dave mentioned grounding everything where it came from, i.e. drivetrain stuff to engine, body stuff to body, frame stuff to frame. Fiberglass causes the majority of stuff to be grounded to the frame. So, it'll be okay if you just make sure you're grounded stuff to bare metal, as I found out the guy with this jeep before me didn't understand that concept. Hope this helps /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif
Happy Jeepin

Steve
/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gifJust Empty Every Pocket/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

 

[LooseNut]

I've owned 2 4WD Hardware bodies, and been involved in converting several others. My brother bought one from Shell Valley that had the color molded in. It faded over time in the sun, and developed lots of surface "stress cracks". I wouldn't buy a Shell Valley. I did buy a second one from 4WD Hardware and would buy another if my wife would let me.

Loose nut behind the wheel
Another right-wing conservative.....

 

[Guest]

Jeff, I installed a FWD Hardware body on a 77 CJ7 body about 12 years ago. The install was very simple, considering that I don't have any formal mechanical training. Do the install slowly and take lots of time aligning the tub. I went so far as to attach the fenders to the tub and grill before doing the final alignment and drilling the holes. I cut the old steel firewall off and mounted it the glass body. This gives added firewall protection, and you only drill the necessary holes. Additionally, it protects the original vin number. A police officer, during a traffic stop, has the right to inspect your Jeep for the original vin. If it is missing the officer has the right, and responsibility, to confiscate your Jeep until he/she can confirm that it is not a stolen. I used hockey pucks for body mounts. I sold the CJ in 1992, but a few months ago I happened to see it, stopped the driver, and asked him about the CJ. The body and "garage paint" job, and hockey puck mounts, are holding up very well. Good luck with your project, I'm starting a 79 CJ7 this winter. Edward.

 

[CJ7Taz]

I have the AJ's tub and one piece front end on my '80 CJ7. I like it, it's a well built. If you are doing the
front clip as well and don't have a problem clearing the winch, the one-piece front end is great but the
grille is moved back a little.

I do have a couple cracks in the tub, one where I over tightened a hood hinge and another by the tailgate
where I got the steel plate too hot cutting out the tailgate hole. I also had to do a little 'glass work to get
the front flairs to fit.

BTW- Everything I've seen from Shell Valley is JUNK! I ordered and returned a fiberglass tub, fenders,
hood and windshield frame. All were so thin there were places where some of the corners were not even
there. There was also a warpage problem under the tub.

 

[Guest]

Go for it Jeff, I put my 4wheel drive fiberglass body on in 84, it has held up real good, I got Shell vally Fenders last winter(the wife T-bone a Ford F-150 bent the frame and broke both fenders, Totaled the Ford) I am already seeing stress cracks in them! For the wiring I put a terminal block in the rear and one in the engine compartment, I run one ground to the frame and ground all electrical components to the blocks, works great and makes it look a lot neater.
Make shure to seal any holes you drill, fiberglass will wick water and seperate, and any metal reinforcements that are built in will rust away. Also use metal backing plate for all of the safety equpment, SEATS, SEAT BELT ATTACHMENT POINTS, ROLL BAR, etc........
I'll never go back to a metal body on my CJ
wsm

 

[Guest]

I have a 4wdhardware tub and one piece front end and am pretty happy with it. They could have used more glass in the sides. In alot of places, it's only 1/4" thick and there's no way it would hold the original spare tire carrier (mones two years old now). QuadraTec has some made out of kevlar that sounded pretty cool, but I would have to hear some great remarks before choosing it over the 4wdh.

Curtis