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Post by moneypit on Jun 10, 2009 19:11:55 GMT -5
WElcome back ssbeagle. You have a great Jeep there. I went wheelin 3 weeks ago in southern Illinois. It was very very muddy. There was ao 09 Unlimited X in our group. The only upgrade was some stock Rubicon tires and wheels they bought off someone upgrading. They went everywhere we all went. They did lose a flare and a passenger side mirror but they had a great time. It was fun to see one in some really difficult terrain. Get out and enjoy it!
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Post by nwquadriders on Jun 10, 2009 21:55:24 GMT -5
Spent some money today... Getting the short bus re geared to 4.88's. Putting an ARB in the back with 33 spline shafts, fancy ARB cover, heavy duty air line kit, etc... I'm leaving the front open for now.... This was a big bill already. Lucky for me the total install charges are very small thanks to one of the guys I wheel with being the head mechanic at a local 4x4 shop. It should all show up and be installed mid next week!!!
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Post by c2kraft on Jun 11, 2009 11:55:28 GMT -5
Spent some money today... Getting the short bus re geared to 4.88's. Putting an ARB in the back with 33 spline shafts, fancy ARB cover, heavy duty air line kit, etc... I'm leaving the front open for now.... This was a big bill already. Lucky for me the total install charges are very small thanks to one of the guys I wheel with being the head mechanic at a local 4x4 shop. It should all show up and be installed mid next week!!! Lucky!!! But well earned, I am sure  Paid off my jeep a couple weeks ago. Once my bank account recovers I will start wheeling again. For some reason the Jeep drives a little different when its paid off  |
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Post by nwquadriders on Jun 11, 2009 21:45:26 GMT -5
I paid mine off a few months ago... it's a good feeling!!!
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Ridge
Trail Guide
Posts: 176
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Post by Ridge on Jun 11, 2009 22:33:28 GMT -5
I've thought about trading my 04 Unlimited for a new 4 door Rubicon. I'm just afraid I'll miss the 04 and we've had some good times together. It seems just like yesterday when I bought it. My wife wants me to get a pickup, especially for hauling stuff including the family and dogs. Eventually I'll probably get a pickup, but the Red Unlimited will stay. I really enjoy driving it.
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ssbeagle
Trail Guide
Remembering the ssbeagle LJ 06
Posts: 136
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Post by ssbeagle on Jun 29, 2009 21:23:12 GMT -5
Hi, Semi-sad karma. I think I've been putting off coming back with the new jeep pictures because it means goodbye. I have to say I really, really do miss the red '06 LJ, and I am going to really miss coming to this forum. I wish you had a JK Unlimited section, but that's okay. You are an elite group now, and you LJ owners are highly respected in other forums! I've been scouting the JK sites and reading what they have to say before settling down. (If they look up to you guys, then I figure they must be alright! ) Here is the new jeep, which I am becoming very attached to. (The dogs think it is their jeep!) PS: You taught me well. We won't be covering it all up in chrome! Promise! I'm sticking with the down-to-earth jeep look, not the ritzy look! ssbeagle/Susan   |
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Post by brigantine on Jul 14, 2009 20:14:55 GMT -5
Hey guys, I still wander through here, too. I'm still just a wannabe, but things are moving forward, finally. Last year, I bought a project boat, which has soaked up a lot of time and money, but it was one of the prime reasons for wanting a jeep, too. So, one step at a time. Here's a link to my restoration of the 1959 Glasspar, I picked up: www.writebyte.net/writebyte.dll/GetPage?PageId=RunaboutI don't stop in much anymore because I have come to the conclusion that I just couldn't cope with the 4 door Unlimited. My original reason for wanting the unlimited was that the extra 10" of wheelbase made what I considered to be a twitchy ride into a nice driving vehicle. That and the extra towing capacity of the unlimited. But, the boat I ended up with doesn't need the extra towing capacity and the new short wranglers have 7" more wheelbase than the TJ. So, I have pretty much decided to go with the short wrangler when I am finally ready to get the jeep. It's great to hear that you guys with the 4 dr Unlimiteds love them. I may have to take another look. But as an old car guy, I just have a real hard time resolving the 4 dr thing. I still keep my eye out though, for a used 06 unlimited. If I spotted one in red or jeep green, I would have to think real hard not to go for it. Good to see you guys. |
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Post by moneypit on Jul 14, 2009 21:12:21 GMT -5
Hey good to see you are still out there. Looks like a fun project you have. How long will it take you to rebuild the boat? How much need to be done? I noticed there is what looks like a Jeepster parked next to the boat. Did you get that with the boat....
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Post by brigantine on Jul 17, 2009 9:19:17 GMT -5
The boat is finished. Save for a year or so worth of detail work.  It's down again now, with starter trouble, but other than that, it was running sweet and it gets tons of looks both on the road and on the water. It took exactly a year. I've got about 1,000 hrs in the restoration. If you look at the left side of the page, that is a menu of all the different stages I documented over the course of the year. No, I didn't get the Jeepster, but I was very tempted to try and get it from him. The fella I bought the boat from had bought both the boat and jeepster as projects and had intended to run them together. But, he's apparently very busy and never seems to make time to do the projects. Something to do with the wife wanting his time when he's not working... He had the boat 7 years and never touched it. Same with the Jeepster. I did mention it to him. But, he's not interested in giving up on the Jeepster just yet. I didn't want to push him, because that would have cost more, if he knew I "really" wanted it. But, I imagine that it could be had for the right price. Apparently it runs well and he uses it occasionally, but it's not in pristine condition. The shots on this page were taken just two days shy of a year: www.writebyte.net/writebyte.dll/GetPage?PageId=FinishingUpI ended up going over a year, if you count building the boat cover, but the boat was splashed and sea trialed, exactly a year after I bought it. |
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Post by moneypit on Jul 17, 2009 20:56:46 GMT -5
Nicely done. I just didn't look at all the pics. Otherwise I could have answered my own questions. You should have a lot of fun with that boat. But I must say it would look good being towed by a Jeep.
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Post by brigantine on Jul 17, 2009 22:59:13 GMT -5
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Post by moneypit on Jul 18, 2009 16:05:41 GMT -5
Hey , it's only $$$$$. Someone needs to get this economy moving before Washington bankrupts the country. We just bought a new car and a 1 year old work van to replace my 1998 that had 215K on it. Bought the same truck with the same options as the last one and paid less for it then I did 10 years ago. If you can swing it there will not be a better time to buy. The deals are great.
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Ridge
Trail Guide
Posts: 176
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Post by Ridge on Jul 21, 2009 9:34:39 GMT -5
moneypit is right, now is the time. And that boat would look amazing be pulled by an LJ. Hope you can get one and when you do make sure to post pics!
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Post by huskerjoe on Jul 21, 2009 15:19:44 GMT -5
Amazing work on that boat!!! But I have to ask, are those the original style of seats? Also, what happened to the original Evinrude that was in the first pictures? That is a cool looking motor with a style that seemed to fit the boat perfectly!
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Post by brigantine on Jul 26, 2009 9:50:00 GMT -5
Thank you, HuskerJoe and Ridge.
The original seats were upholstered plywood. Usually in vinyl. vinyl and me do not get along. Can not sit on it. So, those seats are my own design. I've got the seat bottoms where I want them, but am on my third iteration of the seat backs and it is still not right. When it gets rough, the seat slats stab me in the lower back. not cool. so, I may end up going to an upholstered seat back after all. But, it will be leather instead of vinyl.
The motor that came with it was not original either. The boat is a 1956 and the engine was a 1959. It had been a rat's nest for an undetermined amount of time and the stench of rat feces when you took the cover off made your eyes water. Having attempted to deal with that on a car I owned once, I was done the first time I took off the cover.
Every piece of rubber and wire on the motor was chewed. It would have been a major project, just to get the engine running. I sold it for parts. The current outboard is a 1969 40 hp.
Outboards and I get along just fine as long as they run when I turn the key. I am not a fan of working on or caring for two stroke motors. So, as the current outboard I have runs fine, but is a bitch to start, I am in the market for a newer one, yet. If I had the scratch, I'd buy a brand spanking new Mercury 4 stroke (one of only two motors made today with short shaft at 50 hp.) I like the Merc, because it is fuel injected, no starting problems. Never been a big fan of Mercs, because they were hard starters. But apparently with fuel injection, they got it right.
At this point, my total cost for the rig is less than $4,000 (excluding about $80,000 worth of my time) So, a $6,000 motor would be a serious hit. But, if I burn up another damned starter, I will have to very seriously consider it... sigh. (Since I was here last, my starter arrived, I put it in, went for two boat rides and burned up the brand spanking new starter on second boat ride... grrrr.)
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