Looking for advice on my FIRST Jeep Buildup FROM SCRATCH. I have always bought somebody elses "half-assed" project and then had to deal with all there screw-ups and mis-alignments etc... So I am ready to build my own...

My goal is to build a capable trail rig but be able to use it as a daily driver for winter snow loads.

I already bought the donor truck - as usual it is a half assed built 1975 Blazer. It has 14bolt FF rear, 44 flat top up front, Sitting on 38.5" (I can always change sizes). Power plant will be a 383 stroker, th400, np205.

MY IDEA:

I was thinking I could just get a PRE-75' year CJ frame & title - that would put me "smog exempt" so I could use my SBC setup. Then I could buy a newer wrangler tub/body and top/doors. I am thinking wrangler body ONLY because I assume that since it is newer, I could find one that is pretty solid I.e. weather proof. Whereas any CJ tub/body I find is going to leak and have the usual rusty floor pans etc...

I wanted to know if the CJ frame can take a wrangler tub/body if I weld on some mounts...


Do I have the right idea OR --- Is there a better way to go about what I want???

You could probably modify the frame to mount the later body, however the early cj5 frames aren't exactly strong. You'd be better off using the YJ frame too. I am kinda in the same position and have since built my own frame.

Kevo

I seen quite a few that use the blazer frame and mount a cj-8 /scrambler body on it. I think you only need to make body mounts

Well I have a line on a nice YJ frame but it wouldn't title as SMOG EXEMPT which means I wouldn't be able to TAG it at DMV... That would be a problem for my daily driver need in the winter...

Any ideas around that?

In late Aug. I picked up a 1946 CJ2A and since I wouldn't trust a 60 y/o frame
I bought a CJ8 frame from Throttle Down Kustoms. It was just dropped off here
at work a couple of hours ago via truck freight. :D I plan on stretching the
body out to make it look like a "Flat Fender CJ6". It will have 4.3L V6, SM465,
D300 with LoMax or a Stak, D60 & 14b.

Make your own frame from 4x2x.120.

If you are wanting to build it 'FROM SCRATCH' then build your frame from scratch..

The only frame that would be long enough to possibly set up a wrangler tub would be a CJ6, those were 101 or 104" WB. Everything else is 84 and shorter. But all the 75 and earlier frames are straight rails, where the 76-up Jeeps frames widened at the back. It can still be done (I ran a 78 tub on my 75 frame easily enough), but I wouldn't bother.

Any of those old frames are going to be relatively weak for a big buildup.

Just find a rusty junker for the title, and go from there.

Myself, I'm building my frame from scratch for my 53 '3a. It won't be any more work than stripping the old frame, reinforcing it, modifying body mounts, modifying suspension mounts for longer wheelbase, etc.

id use a TJ frame, better than the YJ frames and even if you need to register it all you need to do is register the body, CHP will most likely check the vins if you dont have the title to the body you are using. if thats the case and you have no title just cut the section out of the frame and weld a new piece of plate in.

:cow:

id use a TJ frame, better than the YJ frames and even if you need to register it all you need to do is register the body, CHP will most likely check the vins if you dont have the title to the body you are using. if thats the case and you have no title just cut the section out of the frame and weld a new piece of plate in.

x2, I'd just do this if you're looking for the new tub. Much easier if you ask me :smokin: