Welcome to the next installment of the

Topic of the Week

Let's talk about what our forefathers did to their flatties.

I'm not trying to imply that Though some of us are still in the process of doing these things...

Things like Pinto engine swaps
Saginaw swaps
etc...

I think a common swap was the F head in where a L was. Between the two I have in the 40+ years they had before I got 'em they got lots of toggle switches, selectable hubs, roll bar, better seats, snow plows, new bondo and sheet metal. Seems like all the mods done to mine were done with whatever the farmer had around at the time. Flatties were a tool back in the day, so they got used and abused..just like Jeeps still do today:D

Before lockers really were. Welded diffs.

I run with a couple of guys that were wheeling when it wasn't cool. The set up there rigs pretty much the same. One has a cj5 with a dauntless V6, SM420,T18 and stock axles with the 5.38's and limited slips. My other buddy has a flatty that is pretty much the same way. Those things will go anywhere my cj7 will go and never break. I have shown them the light these days though and both have traded in their lift springs for a good spring over. See you can show an old dogs a new trick or two.

Hey Bob.....:flipoff2:

Originally posted by Mo

Things like Pinto engine swaps
Saginaw swaps
etc...

Highhooder is our forefather? :confused:











































:flipoff2:

A very common swap was to replace the closed knuckle D25/27
front axle with the open knuckle D30. A D30 is plenty strong
under a flatty with a 4 banger.

Originally posted by SanDiegoCJ
A very common swap was to replace the closed knuckle D25/27
front axle with the open knuckle D30. A D30 is plenty strong
under a flatty with a 4 banger.

Sweet! Gary, what else did you guys do to new CJ-2A's:flipoff2:

Originally posted by LAME


Sweet! Gary, what else did you guys do to new CJ-2A's:flipoff2:

Austin.....................................:p :p :flipoff2:

vintage jeeps are older than I am. ALOT older than I am.

where is Glenn when we need him :flipoff2:

You could always tell if a flattie had a F head because it always had a hood scoop. Other common old Jeep engine swap were 4 cylinder Iron Duke, V6, Chevy small block, Ford small block and Buick 340 which is the same as a 225 V6 with two extra cylinders.

A couple more things to add are swinging pedals, full float rear 44s with smitty built axles and locking hubs that would never stay on or together. One of the cool tires way back was a 32" Maxi Trac or True Trac. These tires were always so out of round that you could never get them to balance.

In 1967 my uncle built a 1941 flattie with a 340 Buick, sm420, rear 44, Saginaw steering and about 31" tall tires. In 1973 dad had a CJ-5 with a 340 Buick, sm420, Dana 18 with OD, 5:38 gears, Saginaw steering, Powr Locs in both ends, 32 True Tracs, tilt dash and a full cage bar. That thing was bad to the bone for 1973.

Originally posted by Scouter

A couple more things to add are swinging pedals, full float rear 44s with smitty built axles and locking hubs that would never stay on or together. One of the cool tires way back was a 32" Maxi Trac or True Trac. These tires were always so out of round that you could never get them to balance.



Some things never change huh?

a 31-32" tire back in 1967 and the problems they had...

Taking inflation in to account

in 2002 you have the same problems with 44" tires.



:laughing:

Originally posted by Keith Strong


Highhooder is our forefather? :confused:




:flipoff2:

yup, now go mow the lawn:flipoff2:

so far I've done most of the mods mentioned, pinto motor, dana 30 front, flanged d44 rear, saginaw conversion...

Originally posted by Scouter
Buick 340 which is the same as a 225 V6 with two extra cylinders.



I ain't an engine guy, but I love the sound of the odd-fire 225s...

I know the firing order is what makes it odd-fire, but is there a diff between the buick 340 firing order and a standard SBC's firing order?

Originally posted by Scouter
Buick 340 which is the same as a 225 V6 with two extra cylinders.




Scouter, I have to disagree on this one. The Buick "300" is the
same as the 225 V6 with two extra cylinders. A V6 version of
the Buick 340 would be 255c.i.

Originally posted by SanDiegoCJ



Scouter, I have to disagree on this one. The Buick "300" is the
same as the 225 V6 with two extra cylinders. A V6 version of
the Buick 340 would be 255c.i.

Thanks for the correction SanDiegoCJ, it is the Buick 300 that is the same as the 225. I must be getting old and Forgetful :D

Anyone ever seen a rear bumper made from about 4" pipe that doubles as the muffler?
How about a Studabaker sraight 6 in a flatty?:eek:
Putting hubs on the early stuff was a step above the slugs they came with. Now we have people looking for slugs because they go through hubs to fast.:confused:
Everybody did 12 volt conversions too, probably so they could put a radio in it.

Apparently the oldtimers around my home town all built round roll bars for their flatties back in the day, and I mean round, like the main hoop is totally round, from fender to fender, a complete half circle, with two diagonals going back to the rear corner, conventional CJ style, but the main hoop was round. The first one I saw I wrote off to some farmer making his own junk, the second one I had to go back and look at the first one again to make sure someone didn't buy it and swap the roll bar out into the second one, then the third one really got me thinking, then I saw the forth, oh boy. I guess the theory was if you rolled with enough momentum, you'd just roll right back on the wheels. Either all four flatties once belonged to the same skilled fabricator, or they were all friends, or this was a really popular mod back in the day, but most likely it was an isolated northern Michigan thing

Blazer springs for SOA was huge about 18 years ago.

Remember when every jeep had those hard flat Goodyear wranglers on them? I think that was the worst tire ever made for the mud.

Now I am gonna really date myself. I got one of the first sets of Daytona Super Stags in 32 11.50 15 Wahoo I was the man for like a week

My Dad custom made linkage to go from the PTO on the transfer case of our '43 MB up to the front bumber to turn a Ramsey PTO wench...That thing could winch all day long and never heat up!

When I got a hold of it (the '43) I snatched off the oil bath air cleaner and chopped in a K&N. World of difference. Also went to a newer carb.

Well, it's not a flattie - but a '69 is still kinda "vintage"

1. D30 replaced a D27 up front. 7 degree steel shims were welded in to correct the castor angle with the installed 3.25" lift. D30 provide 3" wider track over the D27 and the stock D30 tierods set you up for a saginaw power conversion.

2. Home made saginaw setup, with dropped pitman to flatten the steering geometry. pumps and brackets from a 231 fit perfect.

3. SM420 swap (via novak adaptor). Original bell behind the Dauntless V6 matches SM420 perfectly with minor mod to the lower bell bolt holes.

4. custom linkage for the original Warn overdrive and single stick D18........ D18 linkage mods can be avoided by conerting to twin sticks.

5. Stock, placebo heater cut open to replace original squirel cage and motor with a larger unit from a waggy.

Not very radical, but it works well in a '69

great vintage tech available here (http://www.forumco.com/sparky)

Not really tech info, but for you "vintage" guys, there is a yellow flattie for sale in north Sacramento/Rio Linda. It sits out on Raley Blvd infront of some guys house. I have not talked with the owner, don't know price yet, but I have stopped to look at it.
I believe it is a CJ2A or GPW, all stock, flathead four, closed knuckles, a lot of cob webs. I plan on finding out price this week.

I have started paying more attention to my flatty lately...trying to keep it very vintage and in the original flavor that I found it.

Anyways its a 1942 Willys MB that I rescued about 3-4 years ago

-clean 225 buick swap with factory cj5 towers.
-12 volt conversion
-Custom saginaw pump bracket and steering conversion with a hacked dash and newer steering column.
-Super clean dual exhaust all tucked up inside the frame using some kind of factory manifolds.
-Hanging pedel conversion using an odd master cylinder on the firewall, and a cable for the clutch.
-SM420 transmission using a homemade THIN adapter ( like less than 1" ) To a twin stick D18.
-D25/27 front end with disc brakes and oldstyle hubs, 4.27 gears.
-D44 rear with a powerloc and 4.27 gears.
-Homemade solid front and rear driveshafts.


I have wanted an MB for like 10 years and couldn't pass this one up. I love the retroness of it and am planning on keeping it very close to how I found it.
Honestly I think junkyard/retro building is just about as cool as it gets.

Do you realize this post is 4years old?!

who cares.....it goes along with the vintage theme

Ok, I'll play here even if I am supposed to being doing homework.

Here's a picture of my dad around 1975 coming out of Morris lake above Paradise. At this time the Jeep had Norseman, or Trutracs tires. I really can't remember, but I think they were 32's on 15x10's. He did the Saginaw conversion with power using the pump from a 300 Buick. I believe he had Powerlocks in the diffs. The Dana 30 had just come out and no one was using them yet. Heck, at this time you got teased for owning a Rambler around the campfire. At that time it was called a Nash. He also changed the steering column which he later changed back. The cage was one of the first things. Later mods where a T98 and TrueTrac posi's with 5:38's and a rear hub conversion for towing.
When my brother turned 16 in 1970 dad let him drive it to school. He painted it green put cherry bombs on it with a Holley 500 cfm. I remember him pulling wheelies, and rebuilding the transmission several times. Dad took the Holley of because it wouldn't idle.
In this picture notice the back. I used to have to ride on that stuff with my head up in the boat.

The first Jeep I ever rode in was an MB or GPW that belonged to my uncle . . . and that was about 1958. I don't remember a lot of the details about it but I do remember that it had a flathead Ford V8 in front of a 3 speed transmission. It also sported a rollbar made of 2" pipe complete with threaded elbows. I had my first Rubicon experience in that Jeep and I'll never forget it.