The "New" addition to my growing car family Options

[Jessie]

Well, it's been a bit guys. It's mainly due to graduating college and trying to catch up with bills and loans and making sure I stay afloat. During all of this time away I did make another purchase. I still have my 2005 GLS and my 2002 GT, but I decided to add this pretty little piece of history:

My 1969 Jeep M715.
14k original miles.
As is sits right now, it's about 98% stock. Axles, split rims, divorced diff, 5,87 gear ratio... all the good stuff.

I had actually been eyeing the truck for a little over a year. That's also conveniently how long it took me to convince the guy to sell it to me. I bought it as it sits right now, which not stock is the 350 motor and the fab work to make it fit, as well as an electrical cooling fan and newer style wiper motors, as well as power steering fabricated from a Wagoneer.
















It's still 24v, but there's a converter for the distributor. The starter is hooked up to 24v, so it screams when it starts. Other than that it really doesn't need much to me, maybe some TLC. I do have new rocker panels that I have to put on eventually.

I'm also working on getting a wider exhaust put on to help cool the engine. It likes to stay around 210, but the pipes from the manifold are only a 2" I.D so it chokes it up a bit.

I'm taking it to the Somerset, VA Steam and Gas show in September as an Exhibitor with the guy who I bought it from. The tan/camo one in the first few photos is his, which he's owned for the last 21 years.

I've put on about 500 miles in the last month and a half I've owned it and I am madly in love with this thing. It's a beast.

Hope everyone is doing well!

[elantragt]

Thanks for posting the update, Jessie.

[slowgls]

Now that is cool.

[RPW00Mirage]

big ass trucks!

[Jessie]

Thanks guys.

It's such a cool truck. It's been taking up some of my time lately, just getting everything working well and working the old oil out with multiple changes. It sat for three years so I've been trying to fix the small things right now while I can.

The silver 02 GT recently came beck from Hyundai with a hefty bill for replacing the whole power steering system. That was a headache but I'm paying that down before I do any serious work to the truck.

It's also my first truck so I'm still getting used to it on the road. And getting into the truck itself. The tires are new but I'm already looking at finding replacements because of the expense of 39" tires. The currents are Michelin XZL 11.00 R16, and they don't make them anymore. They are military grade as well so they will hopefully last me quite a while.

Hope that everyone is doing well!

[RPW00Mirage]

replacing the whole p/s system? was there a pump or rack issue? if it was the pump i would have just looped the line onto itself and left it.

[Jessie]

replacing the whole p/s system? was there a pump or rack issue? if it was the pump i would have just looped the line onto itself and left it.

Long story short, I was a ways away from home and the suction hose split. Not realizing it, I was still driving. It pumped all of the fluid out which caused smoke everywhere. I stopped couldn't find where it was coming from, and by the time I made it home the pump was chattering like hell and the rack wasn't moving hardly at all. It was my fault I'd assume. I had just gotten the timing belt done and they told me my hoses were leaking. So towed to hyundai and it was fixed about a month later.

[Jessie]

Decided to take the truck on a 60 mile trip to see how it did. Did awesome till the last 20 or so miles. It started to hard shift, then not shift into third of fourth gear. Fixed the issue by double-clutching and made it home. Took it to the guy who sold it to me and we drove it around a bit to heat up the trans, drained some fluid and saw brass flecks.

Lo and behold, the synchros are going. Bad news is it needs a rebuild. Good news, I have 2 extra transmissions for it so I'll probably end up rebuilding two at a full kit cost of $228.00 each, my current and a "just in case". Also good news, I can still drive the crap out of it. I don't have a problem double-clutching and it'll keep running on.

We're gonna pull the turtleshell from the inside to get to the top and pull that off to really inspect the damage and if it's worse than we think or no.

I love how this whole thing is mechanical. It's beyond easy to work on.