Please forgive me as I don't always take great pictures and steps may be missed.

So this started as a donor XJ with rotten floors, frame rot at the rear but ran fine with a nice interior. This project started last year so I'll separate posts up a bit, I also need to resize every image so expect this over a few days when I get the time to post.

Once stripped out it began.




I have no images of the A-frame build, as I gave that job to someone I know who is much better suited for that kind of job.



Has anyone actually seen a front-end build before?

 

i'm loving all those bay window's in the background. what year is the kombi?

 

I couldn't tell you the year off the top of my head, all I know is it's a later year 23 window Samba. If you couldn't guess though, Type 1's & 2's are what me and my dad specialise on.

So the next step was to repair what was the footwells and sills, then spray it all up.

 

This is the last set of images for today, resizing each image one by one in paint .

So the next job once back on its wheels was the front opening. Not that this trailer can carry loads but, I didn't want to be lifting everything up and in risking damaging the fibreglass front or ending up with rubbed down paint eventually.



The light units are to stay in place but the rest will lift away



As the headlights will be my tail/brake lights, they need a colour change.


I bought a US indicator to become my fog light.


As the front is just fibreglass and plastic, and I have chopped a lot of strength out of it, I have had to make a frame of sorts. This will remove the stress of being lifted and flexing away from the fibreglass and onto the metal. 4 bolts hold the bottom of the header panel to the frame and the top is held with the original mounting points.





To locate the bottom and hold it straight, I have made some brackets which it all locates into. (Ignore the continuity error of the headlights)


To close off the interior of the trailer from the front panel, I have used a section of the old roof.

 

interesting to use a front end for a trailer. can't wait to see how it turns out. great idea.

i used to have a 70 westy. miss that thing. it was a fun little camper. wanted to do the subaru engine swap, but mine ran so damn good. lol just needed more power.

 

I don't think I've seen one built this way. I'm enjoying the ingenuity and workmanship and looking forward to the final product.

 

I was thinking the same thing.
Guessing the trailer will have a built in cover with the hood. LOL.
I am curious if those headlight buckets on the donor Jeep are the leveling type that European XJ come with.

 

Todays set of pictures later on shall tell the story of the hood bonnet.

Both mine and donor (95 & 93) are Limiteds but neither have the electric headlight adjustment. I've seen it on 2 96's so it may have been a later addition.

 

Pardon me.
Bonnet. LOL.
I wasn't really sure what the year span was for those and even if it were an every European XJ thing or a factory option that needed to be ordered.
If I could find a parts Jeep here in the US that had them I would consider trying to put them on my '00.
Don't ask me why though.
But I would only try if I were able to pull the parts from the donor myself.

 

 

Being that it will be at the back and there won't be a motor under it, should it be a "boot"?

 

I'll let you decide if it's a boot or a trunk.

 

So the next set of pictures is ready.

Registration plate and lamps fitted.


In the UK trailers are required to have a fog light central or on our drivers side. I opted with one central one as it was the best location for its size. I first designed and 3D printed a piece that the light could screw into. Next was to fit it into the bumper so I made a housing out of some sheet steel, cut the bumper and welded it in.



I plan to do something with reverse lights but still have no settled on exactly what I want to do or how/where to place them. My original plan was to put my fog and reverse lights in where my amber indicators are however the fog light is too close to the brake light so that plan went out the window.


So next is the release for the bonnet/hood/boot/trunk/cargo lid/cargo cover/no longer covers and engine cover. Maybe one day we'll decide on a name for it.

Does anyone else's pre 97 bumper end caps like to sit hanging out and not properly in place? Out of the 3XJ's I know of, all of them suffered with the end cap not sitting right so I decided to make it into a feature. The original cable is not long enough so the original interior plastic piece, a tandem bicycle brake cable, universal cable sheath, VW aircooled heat exchanger bracket, some metal and a hinge later... we have this.

There is a hinge fitted to the bumper which bolts to the end cap & the original screw holes of the cap elongated. All of this now means that you grab the edge of the end cap (where the 2 screws are in the 3rd picture) and give a firm pull. Pop goes the [insert chosen name here]. I still need to alter this as only when I looked at my bumper end cap, I realised that there isn't the gap to get your fingers in when you have the arch flares fitted, which the trailer currently does not.

 

I like your approach for this... Maybe a set of fog lights in the bumper for your reverse lights ??

 

Possibly. It's one area I'm struggling to work out if it fits how I want it to look, which for the most part happens as I get there.