ntsqd's '71 Wagon

[ntsqd]

Just a note at the start, there are a couple projects ahead of this one, so it may take a while before things start to move. Even then my pace can usually be described as somewhere between 'Glacial' and 'Analysis Paralysis'.

I could blame this all on Yeller, and that would be really unfair to him. I've on and off looked at these trucks for years. His truck was just what spurred me into action.

Expected use: Haul the RTT on the rougher trips where our CTD/pop-top camper isn't appropriate. Haul the grand-daughter around on camping trips. Take the dog to the beech. Part-time DD. I am not a rock-crawler, more of a desert explorer and desert race support guy.

As purchased configuration:
TBI 350 SBC/TH400/D20
Unkwn ratio, Auburn LSD in the rear
33-10.50R15 BFG A/T's
RS5000 dampers and rear springs, fronts as yet unkwn
Dakota Digital Dash
Complete (?) rewire w/ fuse block under dash
Mostly installed Vintage Air system (no condenser)

General plans (subject to change as it comes in contact with reality):
LS/4L60/NP241C swap
Hydro-Boost
Clone Yeller's front suspension (I've seen how well it works)
GM 63's at the rear
Appropriate axle ratio, TruTrac up front, Trutrac or ARB or OX for the rear - undecided
Same tire size or possibly 31-10.50's, don't need anything bigger for this use. See "My Distraction" if I need something more capable
Ride height leveled at where the rear is now.
Decent front bucket seats, this bench was recovered, but not rebuilt and it's pretty awful
Calif. Compressor based OBA.
More esthetic bumpers based off of what is there (they're well built except for the auto-clangers))
More traditional instrument cluster (Dakota VHX?)

Long range nice to haves / want to haves:
Exploder RDB's
Full-Float D44

Just loaded up and ~8.5 hours from home:


A few other pics:

[Yeller]

Nice 2nd post

It’s nice to see all these thoughts in a few paragraphs instead of a bunch of texts and emails lol. No worries of putting the blame on me, I can take it

Ntsqd and I live in completely different parts of the country and have followed each others builds and exploits going on 25 years. This past spring we met in UT and spent several days exploring some exquisite back country and made plans for more.

This is us on the trail in March 2023.

PS: no worries about the multiple posts, it’s a glitch in the software and the moderator will remove the extras. Stuka is a great guy, just busy so sometimes it takes a day or 2.

[ntsqd]

That was a great trip!

Well, except for the breaking the camper part. That's what this thread's truck is all about.

A couple of the questions that I have are:

Possible to buy everything needed to convert to the late style 2 piece headliner?

What about the late door mirrors? Like these: https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/up ... =940%2C633 (Sure wish that I had a 6 lug truck so that I could run a set of those wheels!)

[Stuka]

Nice waggy!

[sierrablue]

That was a great trip!

Well, except for the breaking the camper part. That's what this thread's truck is all about.

A couple of the questions that I have are:

Possible to buy everything needed to convert to the late style 2 piece headliner?

What about the late door mirrors? Like these: https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/up ... =940%2C633 (Sure wish that I had a 6 lug truck so that I could run a set of those wheels!)

Welcome! I also have a '71, and it has a few of the goodies you're talking about here.

I went to the later 2-piece headliner, which gives you a little more head room, as well as just generally being a better design, and it's easier to make custom. It's easiest if you have a parts rig to take the stuff out of--there's lots of drilling holes but it's nothing hard/major in that department.

Things you HAVE to have for that swap:
-rails running down the sides
-good boards (the 2 pieces)
-all other surrounding hardware, esp. the middle strip
-dome lights (don't have to be hooked up but must hold up the middle of the headliner)

You can use your stock mirror/visors inside with it; just embrace that you won't get the hook to work right so it just bolts up, and you do have to poke a little hole up there for the screw that holds the ball on to sit in.

Other things I'd consider in the headliner swap:
-there are mounts for front shoulder belts about 1/2 way over the rear doors. You might consider poking holes in the later headliner for that (and there are spots in the rear too, if you have kids riding with you that'd be good, tho shoulder belts there requires some bracketry). I went with some TJ seat belts from Quadratech, as I like the buckles and I didn't have to drill any holes in the floor for them. You can also buy the TJ extension if you're worried about the angle with it being so far back in the roof.
-hooking up dome lights/cargo light switch properly

[sierrablue]

As far as the mirrors go, I'd say don't get the Jeep ones. The switches are like impossible to find.

However, the Jaguar XJ series from the late '80s uses a very similar setup with a different, easier to find switch, as well as higher quality chrome. You may need the base off the Jeep one but that's relatively easy to find.

Not sure how the holes would line up with your existing mirrors. Probably the one that's there is longer than the base for the late model mirrors.

Other things I'd recommend/consider:

-'74-'79 D44 front axle from a n/t Cherokee or Wagoneer--easier to service/disc brakes
-flanged rear axle if you don't already have that

When I got mine it was already swapped to 6x5.5 in the back and had the later 6x5.5 front axle on it.

If you're interested I have the stock gauge cluster and an HVAC controller out of a '72 (same as '71). Cluster needs some love but the gauges all work and they sell a new mother board for them.

My build thread is in my sig if you're interested in how mine looks/most of the ins/outs of what I've done to mine. I've learned a little bit of everything from it (well, I learned rust from the '88 I used to have...) in the last 3 years and have been daily driving it for over 2. I've done service on pretty much everything but the transmission and the ring/pinions...it's taught me a lot fast lol. Feel free to reach out, not that you don't have any clue what you're doing or anything but this has been my first project and when I get bored I tend to research them

[ntsqd]

Thank you for all of the info!! It's going to take me a bit to digest this.

In terms of Jeep parts I really don't know what I have. In terms of hardware it has GM D52 calipers up front. Power brakes, but boy is that booster tiny! Uses a pressure switch in the bottom of the m/c. Haven't seen that in decades, it gets replaced with some sort of switch under the dash as those are famous (in my area anyway) for failing and leaking. Rear axles are one piece, no nut in the middle of the wheel mount flange. I didn't know that D44's ever came that way, the only axles that I've ever experienced with that were AMC 20's (& ACVW's, but those are a whole different deal entirely).

RE: Interior lights, note those LED's in the pic of the digital dash? Well, they're green. As are the dome lights the PO installed. The cheesy/cheap rocker switch that was unfortunately cut into the dash turns them on and off. There are three more of those at the rear that are in the OEM location. I'd be OK with those overhead lights if they weren't green. If those lights are available in a warm white I'll directly replace them. Those in the dash will be gone and I won't miss them.

[Yeller]

I remember from the add you sent me it has had the front axle upgrade to the later front end. So you can check that box as good lol.

I need to get to work figuring out that 5 lug FF hub thing, easier on a waggy, there is a lot more room for brakes than in a truck. I know it is doable, I’ve done it, just at what price and what brakes.

[SJTD]

I agree, those LED's in the dash gotta go. Look like some kinda late night Mardi Gras mistake.

[tgreese]

Might be neat to change those green LEDs interior lights to two-modes, one with bright white and another with red. The red LEDs are cheap and red light won't impact your night vision ... supposedly. Key on red, key off white.

The LEDs on the dash are cheesy ... what to do with the holes though. You could replace them with any color you want and dim them when the key is on. Or make them multicolor, and add effects like Christmas lights blinking different colors. Fun, but likely not your highest priority.

Yes, the pressure switches are terrible. And the modern replacements are even worse.

With a flanged rear, I would put the full-floater way down on my list. You could convert an earlier tapered axle (cigar butt - free or scrap prices) and sell the flanged rear. Lots of experience in the CJ world converting the tapered 44 to full-floating using Dutchman or Moser shafts. I recall the rest uses mostly scavenged parts.

Original booster? That's a liability because there are no cores. I'd think about an upgrade.

[Greg72]

@ntsqd

Is this the same "ntsqd" from CK5.com?

It would be a fun and interesting coincidence.


-G

[Yeller]

TS, toward the bottom of the first page are pics of how I did the brake switch. Took about 15 minutes and cured the brake switch issue.
viewtopic.php?t=23659

[sierrablue]

Waaaaait--I've seen pics of that Jeep before.

https://forums.ifsja.org/forum/tire-kic ... pics/page2

His sig has the other parts of the build thread too. I suspect this will tell you all about the crazy stuff that's been done to it though.

[ntsqd]

I had a reply all typed up and in need of some editing, and it appears that the forum software ate it. Oh well.

Greg72, I use this handle everywhere. If you've seen it before, it was me. Sorry about that. I do recall your handle from cK5, nice to run into good folks from other forums. I saw another familiar handle here too, only now I've lost that post and don't recall who it was. They'll turn up again.

Sierra, What a score! Mucho Gracias!! Now I need to look to see if that tail gate switch is still there. Unfortunately the headliner is not. A Mini-Spool up front? Really? Need to investigate that! I wonder if he still frequents that forum? Doesn't appear that I can do anything over there in spite of registering.

Re: door mirrors. Not married to the OEM power mirror switches, wouldn't even care if they weren't power (but a power RS door mirror IS super handy in the rough). Just need larger mirrors and was looking for something that looked correct. For power mirrors I'd be tempted to use the switch application from our '95 CTD and make/find/build a more correct looking knob for it.

Re: rear FF D44. Maybe Brennan's flanges and modify the Exploder or Expedition caliper brackets to bolt on? For these bigger than an EB trucks the Expe system might be the better choice. If the bloody H-B conversion kit ever gets here I'll be able to evaluate them under an FSB.

Re: brake booster, Hydro-Boost is definitely in this truck's future. It will be a while though. Since this one is working at least a little, plenty of higher priority things to do.
Thanks for the brake light switch mounting and p/n. Bought some SS 1/8NPT plugs for the similar brake light switch supplied in the wilwood p-valve that I'm using on the FSB. Only need one for that, but they came in a package of 5, so.....

[Yeller]

Funny how many of us have spent time at other sites. I was always a lurker on ck5, but there are others too LOL I am alwasy Yeller or Yeller Blazer if plain ol Yeller was taken.

Your welcome on the part numbers and bracket, figure if its figured out, no reason for others to reinvent the wheel.

[sierrablue]

No problem, happy to help.

Another mirror mod some do is they use the late '80s-90s Dodge or GM mirrors, and either buy the bracket for them from BJ's, or take apart the existing one for the newer mirrors and bolt them on there. Not a horrible option but personally I think those mirrors look too square/triangular on our Jeeps.

Yeah I really wanna go to discs in the back too. Such a pain having drums to work on...Ik how they work but why does it have to be so complicated?

Like I said, glad I could help. Now you're not winging all of it and just guessing about what's been done lol.

[ntsqd]

Got to really looking at the tires on this truck and they didn't look good. No cracks between the lugs as BFG's are known to do, but they were old tires. Still had maybe 5mm of tread left on them, but they'd had a rough life and it showed. It also had this odd shake going on that showed up at highway speeds. I suspected a bent rim. Decided to put new tires on it and the guy whom I go to for tires pointed out that I was very, very lucky that one of them didn't come apart on me while driving it around. I went with the size that was on it, 33-10.50R15 and put them on 15X7 US Mags. My all-time favorite wheel are AR23's, but those aren't made in a 7" rim and from years of driving 33-10.50's I know that they look and work better on a 7" width over an 8" width. So slot mags got the nod for looking period and being available in a 7" width.
I parked it when I got home and it's not in a place where it's easy to get good pics of. I'll try to move it and take a pic of it next week because I know how we all like pictures!

While my tire guy had it up on jacks I locked the hubs. When he set the first front tire down I grabbed the other tire and tried to rotate it. There was some back-lash, but it would not spin at all. This with the t/c in 2 Hi. That it could have a Mini-Spool in the front seems plausible. Next is to figure out what ratio is in there.

Made an interesting discovery the other day. I was looking at how different the whole cooling system is now as compared to the last entry about them in the threads that Sierra found (different radiator and poorer mounting method, pathetic trans cooler, and A/C condenser missing) and noticed that the water pump is a Stewart Components aluminum pump.

[Yeller]

My guess is someone had the timing wrong and was chasing an overheat issue. Seems like a common theme on a lot of old vehicles. Lol

[sierrablue]

I don't remember when the last entry was on those threads I found--maybe somebody owned it between you and the guy with the threads on IFSJA???

Probably doesn't matter tho lol. Just gotta figure out if what's there is any good and go from there...

[MrFloyd]

A blast from the past.

Was good talking to you ntsqd, glad the jeep has found a new home and will get some love again.

A quick list I thought of after we talked that might help you.

The truck is a 71, but was a actually a hold over from 70, so it still had the Buick 350 and the little Dana 30? closed knuckle front end when I first acquired it.

Front end swap was from a 78 wagoneer so it's the d44 and yes it had a mini spool.

TBI was complete from a 89 chevy 1/2 ton.

Chevy crate engine, rebuilt original turbo 400 swapped into a chevy case, Dana 20 was rebuilt with Terra low gears.

I did completely rewire with some hotrod wiring kit... probably alot of crimped connections as my wiring skills were still weak at the time.

Dash at some point had a dash pad that had been torn out. That's why there are all the holes. I stuffed LEDs in there just so they weren't empty. At the time they weren't readily available like now, couldn't find dim or soft white so that was why the color. I figured gauges were green so??? Caught alot of BEEP for it online, lol.

Dakota digital gauges that I bought just because they are programmable to work with whatever senders you have.

Vintage air AC.

Serpentine kit on the engine I believe was from Vintage Air too.

Those pics definitely show some work done after I sold it, so not sure everything I remember will help you, but give me a shout again if something comes up.

Todd