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I Bought A J-Truck!

New-to Me '73 Jeep J2000

Posted May 19 2008 06:23 AM by Jp Editor 
Filed under: Editorials, Jeep Enthusiast Culture, John Cappa

So I found my new J-truck. It's a '73 J2000 shortbed with an AMC 360, T-18 manual tranny, Dana 20 T-case, and Dana 44 axles front and rear. Of course the front axle is the crappy closed-knuckle 44, but it will work for now. It even came with good 33-inch tires, but they rub pretty badly. I'll be fixing that.


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Rear
AMC 360
Interior
Front
New truck driver front

I really wish the previous owner would have left the sweet deteriorated yellow paint as is, but primer spots are OK for now I guess. I really don't want to paint it. Anyway, as with most of my old Jeep purchases I have been chasing down wiring gremlins. It's not charging either. So I yanked the alternator and exterior regulator. I'm gonna upgrade to a high-amp late model alternator with an internal regulator. I just need to go to the junkyard to get a late-model alternator bracket. There are also a few add-ons on this truck that need removal. Namely the 200-plus-pound rear bumper! Back to work!
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Reader Comments:
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1. nice...did it come w/the winch?and what are plans and is this gonna be a keeper? and nothing like gray pox all over too!

keithpapa    - Posted May 19 2008 06:37 AM

 
2. Nah, It was a cheapie winch. I didn't want it so I bid it down without the winch. But it does have a NOS Warn winch bumper. Kinda cool...Of course it's a keeper. At least until it's beat to death. Plans? You'll have to wait and see.

Jp Editor    - Posted May 19 2008 01:07 PM

 
3. i hpoe its a BIG cover story, center pages kinda stuff...and also a FSJ special edition would be killer too cause I (and I know other people) want to see more FSJ in the mag...dont mean to be pushy, but a pic of a J series pup that was a crew cab was in the last edition was the size of a quarter.

keithpapa    - Posted May 19 2008 02:21 PM

 
4. Ahhh, then this build-up will be "How to Cut an FSJ in Half" using a chainsaw! Then I'll toss the carcass in a dumpster and burn it. How ya like that?

Jp Editor    - Posted May 19 2008 03:48 PM

 
5. no god please no, dont do it!!!
oh the humanity!

keithpapa    - Posted May 20 2008 07:58 AM

 
6. Haha... I'd pay good money to watch you try and chop it in half with a chain saw... lol

Jp Web Editor    - Posted May 20 2008 09:44 AM

 
7. Screw the chainsaw. I'll come over with some of my big bore guns and we'll shoot at it until it falls in half!

Cappa, I just realized something. Now that we've both got J2000s we've got the makings for that "FSJ Death Match" story I pitched about 5 or 6 years ago. I'm gonna go weld spikes to the front bumper of my '68 J2000.

Jp Tech Editor    - Posted May 20 2008 02:17 PM

 
8. ok stupid question but whats wrong with closed knuckle dana 44's? the reason i ask is i just put one in the postal jeep im building.....

GonePostal1    - Posted May 20 2008 04:11 PM

 
9. No way Christian! I like this one. Lemme get a real pile like an '80s Grand Wag.

GonePostal1: The closed knuckle 44 has very small steering U-joints and tiny 10-spline stub axles. It's basically Dana 25 stuff on the outer portion of the axle. Plus it has drum brakes.

Jp Editor    - Posted May 21 2008 01:08 PM

 
10. It looks like you got what you wanted, and the readers are in store for more J-truck articles. Ever since FSJ Magazine went to Jeep Junk (or Jeep Junkies I can't remember) it's JP who carries the Full Size Jeep torch. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm glad you picked a pile too. It's nice to see magazines publishing trucks with less than stellar paint and without all the chrome bs.

club31    - Posted May 21 2008 03:10 PM

 
11. You COULD do a crew cab conversion like mine...I'll give you a few tips on what NOT to do.
Thanks again for answering my tire questions Re: snow/ice ratings. Heh heh heh.

MrTinkerjeep    - Posted May 21 2008 04:54 PM

 
12. This on is gonna be a trail truck that can hit the street too. Needs to stay shorter wheelbase though. No crew-cab. And it may never get paint.

Jp Editor    - Posted May 22 2008 07:08 AM

 
13. is the short box J the same wheel base as my 79 cherokee? and what type of trails do you want to run it on?

keithpapa    - Posted May 22 2008 09:23 AM

 
14. Keithpapa -The wheelbases on short-box J-trucks are alternately 119" (late versions) and 120" (early versions) long. The SJ Wags and Cherokees have a wheelbase of 109".

Cappa -4-door J-truck or not, whatever you build will be ugly/cool.

MrTinkerjeep    - Posted May 22 2008 04:59 PM

 
15. Uuhh, John. I think I just named your Jeep. Sorry. It just popped in there.

Jp Tech Editor    - Posted May 23 2008 06:45 AM

 
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