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Thread: '46 CJ2A Parts Runner

  1. #31
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    I remember watching Wide World of Sports when I was a kid and once in a while they would have demolition derby. For some reason one name I remember is a guy named Boggs. He must have been top dog at that track anyway. That and figure 8 racing, that was a hoot too. That seemed to be more of a "chicken" situation than just speed.

  2. #32
    Super Moderator gmwillys's Avatar
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    Some cars/trucks are collectors, and some are destined for crashing. Late 60s - mid 70s Chrysler and GM land yachts are the most popular derby cars. They were tough as nails, but not collectable due to being crew cabs. The '68 New Yorker That was pictured above was in descent shape except the entire floor was rotten. The car was a California car, but was purchased and brought to the mid west. Neighborhood hoodlums broke out the windows and the rain collected in the carpet and eat through the floor. Being unibody, the structure was too far gone to save, plus it wasn't a Charger or Cuda, so the parts weren't available in the aftermarket.
    Figure 8 races take a special level of testicular fortitude. There are even three car chain figure eights where the center car is not powered, but is steered. The lead car guides and the third car controls the swath of destruction. Combine, school bus, truck and trailer, and now lawn mower derbies. If it moves on its own, let's bash it in to another for a trophy! I'm in!

  3. #33
    Senior Member 5JeepsAz's Avatar
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    Totally in. It may not cure what ails us, then again, it might! I agree with those pipes on the trophy car. And the tires. Did you go into the deal confident? Or was it a surprise victory?

  4. #34
    Super Moderator gmwillys's Avatar
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    I was all in. The other car was a '69 Continental with a bus frame. We were playing tag for a while, and it was getting boring. I motioned to him to back up to the far end of the arena. I did the same on the opposite end. We both trompt the gas and raced to the middle of the field. We hit so hard that the shifter would automatically jam up to reverse. We repeated this sequence for four or five boughts. My car shortened up five inches at the upper control arm mount, because it was the only part of the sub frame that wasn't stuffed with scrap steel. The big block was mounted to a half inch plate of steel that went across the front of the engine to the other frame rail to support the engine. This plate also bowed forward six inches. The left side engine block cast mounts sheared off and took off the number 3 and 5 spark plugs. It still had plenty of power even being down on two cylinders.

  5. #35
    Senior Member 5JeepsAz's Avatar
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    Yep. It's on my list. I am going to idle around while someone constructs a steel plates Lincoln continental. I am going to ride in the vehicle which tows this to an arena. I am going to watch this behemoth transverse some mud track. If the results are anything close to what you describe above, again, your personal viewpoint of what must have been a fluiditic, dynamic situation, then I will be happy, and will have been prepared for the true quest, called by some the peninsula of Baja, 500. Or thousand, whatever. Not important. I thought I had a cheap old guy hobby. Build a Jeep truck I said. Okay. honey she said. Amazingly enough, it worked! A year and a half later I'm in hog heaven driving my pick em up truck.

    Then I read a forum post I that said:

    "The big block was mounted to a half inch plate of steel that went across the front of the engine to the other frame"

  6. #36
    Super Moderator bmorgil's Avatar
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    A real live look at "Death Race"! In the movie Jason Stratham plays gmwillys.

  7. #37
    Super Moderator gmwillys's Avatar
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    I liked Jeff Bridges in The Last American Hero. A piece of rail road track mounted behind the turn signal.

    There was a lot of hard hits during a season. I often wonder why it takes a few moments to get out of bed in the morning.
    Every county fair had their own show. You just picked and choose to where you wanted to run. There are some videos on the tube that has some of the tracks that I ran. Pine City MN, Rush City, MN and Marshal/Putnam Fairgrounds in IL.

  8. #38
    Super Moderator gmwillys's Avatar
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    After waiting for the paint to dry, here are the results of the CJ3A frame horn conversion to a 2A front bumper configuration. As a recap, the front frame was rotten on our 2A, and I had acquired a 3A frame that was rotten in the middle. The way my brain works is to Salvage what can be saved before condemning the whole frame. Since the middle of the 3A frame was weight reduced to the point that you could jab a screwdriver through the back of the C channel from the master cylinder to the rear spring mount. The big difference between the 2A stub and the 3A is the step down formed on the 3A. The early 2A had a boxed rectangle that the difference between the bumper and frame is made up by gussets that tie the bumper to the frame. The gusset follows the contour of the 3A frame step down almost perfectly, and unless you were really versed in frame configurations, it would not likely be noticed.

    The only modifications that needed to be made to the frame to make all this work was to drill six 3/8" holes to accept the upper gusset hole closest to the frame upkick. The two angle brackets that tuck in behind the bumper and mount to the frame horn outboard side to secure the bumper to the frame, needed two holes drilled per side. Everything lined up as far as frame width and height.

    Now, The next thing to ponder over is if I should go all the way and cut in the lower gussets. The rub is that the lower gusset is sandwiched between the frame and the forward spring shackle mount. Not a huge deal, with the easiest solution to be to cut the gusset close to the spring mount, then weld them in on the 2A frame. This is more cosmetic more than structural. I'm sure down the road I may.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  9. #39
    Super Moderator bmorgil's Avatar
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    Looking perfect! This is the ultimate "Parts Runner". Run out to get parts anywhere in classic style .

  10. #40
    Super Moderator LarrBeard's Avatar
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    I really enjoy watching a true craftsman at work.

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