[Dana]

Well, lessee.....

I'm kinda proud of the center console in my CJ5. I started with one of those cheap "organizers"-- you know, the kind with a curved bottom to fit over the center tunnel of a car, and little spikes to grip the carpet, with two cupholders, CD/tape holder slots, and some other compartments. I cut it off flat on the bottom and screwed it to a board that was cut to match. Immediately behind it and also bolted to the board is a 50cal ammo can, with provision for a padlock. The whole thing is then bolted to the floor.

Then there's the "trunk". I don't have a tailgate, so after putting a steel channel accross the back to support the spare tire carrier (also homemade-- I didn't think the fiberglass body was strong enough
), I built a box with a hinged (and locked) lid to fill the 6" space behind the rear seat (it locks to the channel). This is the place for jumper cables, lug wrench, extra oil, etc. It wouldn't stop a determined thief, but nothing in there is all that valuable anyway.

I also added a bar from the center of the rollbar to the center of the windshield, as the stock attachment hardware in the glass body didn't support the windshield adequately. It provides a place for the dome light (salvaged from a Nissan truck before taking it to the junkyard) and an aircraft compass (from a wrecked Cessna 150).

No question about it, Jeeps are the easiest vehicles in the world to bolt stuff onto, no two seem the same.

-Dana

Have you any idea how successful censorship is on TV? Don't know the answer? Hm. Successful. Isn't it?

 

[Dana]

Re: Homesewn?

In reply to:

I just realized we forgot to mention the sewing of your soft top trick! It saved my wallet about a year and a half ago. Just use dental floss.....Also for repairing ripped up or shredded windows I recommend packaging tape....

Even better than dental floss is heavy waxed thread, as in the speedy stitcher I describe below, then RTV (silicone) over the stitches. Packing tape makes an awful mess, there was a lot of it on my Jeep when I bought it. Here's an older post of mine describing a better way:

I just finished replacing the second of two soft top windows (they were slashed when I bought the Jeep), and have worked out a reasonably simple technique. You'll need the plastic (obviously), which I got from a place that does awnings and boat covers for $15/yard (60" wide). Don't use the thin stuff you can get from the hardware store; it will turn brittle and crack in less than a year (been there, done that). Also some double stick foam mounting tape (1/2" wide), and a "speedy stitcher" sewing awl, which has a spool of waxed thread inside the handle. You can do without the speedy stitcher and do it by hand with a big needle (as long as you use strong waxed thread, not ordinary sewing thread), but it won't be fun.

Don't cut out the old window yet, you need it to hold the top in shape. Cut the new window to the exact same size as the old one. Now apply the foam tape around the edge of the old window (to the window itself, not to the surrounding fabric). Peel off the backing, and stick the new window to the tape. Now sew all around, right through the foam tape, pulling it tight enough to compress the foam. This way it won't leak. Now you can cut out the old window at the edge of the tape. Finally, run some black (or other color) electrical tape around the edge, covering the stitching and foam tape. Good as new, and only 1/2" smaller all around.

-Dana

1. Misogynist.........Women are no good
2. Feminist...........Men are no good
3. Environmentalist...People are no good
4. Cannibal...........People are good.

 

[Dana]

I also added a switch in the ground wire (there's a ground wire to the frame 'cuz of the fiberglass body on my CJ5) for all my tail lights-- that way I can shut them all (tail, blinker, brake lights, backup) off when off road, especially after dark. There's also a red warning light under the dash to remind me to turn them on again when I get back on the pavement. Makes it a little less conspicuous when wheeling in an area where it's legal, but not fully appreciated by neighbors.

-Dana

Starve a feeding bureaucrat...vote Libertarian.