Brian has provided a very thorough look at his approach to wiring his CJ-3B. My only wish is that he had written this BEFORE I had wired my Jeep, because I would have created a mockup dash like he did.  Many thanks Brian!

Brian writes, I had a major setback in my 3b project when I damaged the valve train on my CPI engine, stopping oil from getting to the lifters. So, I had to swap engines before I could really start my test-drive shake-down period. As part of my swap, I chose to go with the TBI 4.3L V6.   What really hurt was that I almost had the wiring complete for a CPI engine, but I knew what worked for the CPI would not work for the TBI engine. This meant a major layout change was in order.

If I had to label this part of my build I would have to call it “The things Painless does not want you to know”, because I feel I was able to save well over $1000.00 by utilizing a free wiring harness I pulled from a Blazer I junked.  By working with the stock harness, I was able to use fuel pump relays and other items that help me avoid the nickel and dime effect that can add up to big bucks. I also learned some sort-cuts and where to get OEM parts to help complete the job correctly.  So, here’s my adventure ….

LAYING OUT THE WIRING

Because the limited amount of space under the dash of my 3b, I had to move things around from the stock location in the Blazer. Fortunately, the harness I salvaged had enough wire to do this. However, trying to rewire and do everything I needed to do underneath the dash wasn’t an option.  So, I made a mockup of the dash out of wood that allowed me to easily organize, size and create a well designed electrical layout.

Fuse box firewall bulkhead connector assembly used for mockup.

The harness enters the engine space in the same place as the Blazer.Note the valve covers, anyone seeing a nice set of center bolt aluminum valve covers for a 4.3 let me know.

THE CRIMPING TOOL

One important goal of mine was to shorten some of the wires and avoid some bird nests of stock wire under the dash.  Doing some research I discovered GM uses Packard 56, 58 ,59 and Delphi Metri-pack connectors/terminals that you can buy at PCS Connectors. The advantage to using connectors and terminals “to shorten” is pretty obvious: you eliminate the potential of a splice failure; also, it looks much cleaner.

Having the right tool for wire splicing and terminal connectors is a key. I contacted a small company I was an engineer for and borrowed a ratcheting-crimping tool that you can see below. It took only three tries to get the crimping technique mastered, making my wiring appear professional. (crimping tools from PCS)

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Diego describes himself as a ‘new willys lover’ who discovered a CJ-2A project on eWillys that he just had to have — a clear sign that he has been overcome with the damned ‘Willys Sickness’.

Despite the severity of his illness, which he has shaken off with bravado, Diego has made substantial progress with a project jeep he spotted on ewillys. As you can see in the first couple of images, at sometime in this jeep’s life an owner felt they wanted to combine the starkness of a jeep with the peacefulness of a natural setting, so it was only logical to turn the cockpit into a park bench. I can’t imagine that made the ride any softer; maybe they had a really padded bottom?

One other unusual change was the additional coil springs between the axles and the frame and all four corners, which I’m sure made the ride all that more stiff! I can’t remember ever seeing that modification.

Anyway, Diego’s turning this back into a real jeep and he has made good progress! Btw, if anyone has any experience with titling Jeeps in Florida, he’d be happy to get some advice as he only has a bill of sale at the moment, though he does have the serial number.

Before:

In Progress:

And now (it’s a little blurry, but you get the point):

Every now and then a reader sends me a picture of an old willys they want to buy and asks my opinion.  Had George sent me a picture of the Wagon he purchased years ago, I would have said, “I think we can find you something else”.

However, George wasn’t swayed by his purchase and spent about a decade raising kids, working, and using his extra time to slowly save his Willys.

George writes, “My wife tells me I have Willys on the brain – hey what can I say!  This Wagon is all original with the exception of possibly some extra chrome on the grill. The grill inserts were chrome plated when I purchased the wagon, so I figured I would put it back like I found it. Everything was rebuilt, including the front and rear ends. I wish now that I would have changed the gearing a bit. I think it is a 5.38:1. This thing has a mean granny gear! Once I get all the small oil leaks fixed I’ll invest in OD.”

He has every right to be proud of his efforts, because out of an awkward, rough wagon he built a beauty.  For his next project, George is looking for a deal on a solid 1953 CJ-3A. If you know of one in the Texas area, let him know!

Nice work George and thanks for sharing your story and pics!  Here is a before and an after pic:

Gerald and his brother have completed his brother’s low budget build.  It just demonstrates that with some creativity, a low budget build can look great!  Nice work guys. To see more, go here.

Gary has completed his build just in time for some warm weather.  It looks great!  Thanks for sharing.  You can learn more about his build here: http://www.ewillys.com/?p=29757

UPDATE:  This slattie was bought in early 2010 and resold a few months later.  It demonstrates how a little work can go a long way.  Dexter found a variety of deals using craigslist and managed to improve this inexpensively.

Below are the before pics.  Here are some after pics.

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Quinn asked if I knew of any 3 lever boots for a tc & overdrive.  I said I didn’t, so he approached his local upolster to have him build something. If you have the same problem, it’s a good solution.  He also had his guy tuck the corners of a CJ-5 bikini top to fit nicely.  Good ideas and thanks for sharing!  You can see more pics of Quinn’s Jeep here.