TrueBlueXJ

Update:

Got a good bit done on Friday since we both had a day off from work, and we had to forgo Saturday to attend a Jeep ride.

First thing's first, just to show you how ridiculously long this frame was when we started:



So we went ahead and cut the rivets out that hold the rear leaf springs in place:



And moved the axle forward to where we'd like our wheelbase to end up. We cut a few feet off the back of the frame, but not as much as WILL be cut when all's said and done:



And a shot of the rear:



Without a drivetrain yet, we decided to tackle some of the body repairs that needed to be taken care of. The original owner had a leaky soft top he decided to do nothing about, so most of the floor boards behind the front seats is shot:



So out with the old...



And in with the new, using some of the scrap metal I acquired from work:





The cargo area still needs to be finished, and the area behind the seats, but that will have to wait for another weekend. The original owner of the frame has decided he only wants the 460 big block, and that we can have the C-6 transmission and NP208 transfer case, so now our sights are set on a Ford motor instead of a Chevy. We're thinking a 351 Modified would suit this beast just fine.

99XJDad

That thing is going to be SICK!!! Hell, it already is!!!!

Imo a shorter wheelbase would look and probably perform better.

TrueBlueXJ

Update:

Sadly, the Tracker has been scrapped. Trying to line up the rear end, suddenly the main leaf on the driver's side broke. Just glad it broke then and not on the trail. And the more we dug into the body, there was just nowhere safe to weld up body mounts. Luckily we only had a few hours invested in it, and only $50 to speak of. We're keeping the 10.25 rear end, 36" HMMWV tires, 2 transfer cases, and 1 tranny. So now the hunt is on for a new project. I'll keep you guys updated as the parts and plans come together. Guess this one was just too good to be true.

jonb8

Sorry to hear about your loss TrueBlue, remember some must die so others can live. Go find a old s10 blazer they have a great frame to start with and cheap to buy with a blown 2.8. Small blocking one is easy and hanging your axles will be easier than building a frame. there easy to chop because there full frame and not unibody, I'll get some pics for you.

TrueBlueXJ

Yeah, an old Blazer wouldn't be a bad idea. We had our fun beating on this thing for a few days, but the further along we got we realized it just wasn't gonna be as solid a rig as we'd like. But that $50 and time spent got us a pretty decent stockpile of parts for the next project.

jonb8

TrueBlueXJ

I don't normally use this word, but... SICK!!

fixitman

that tracker would have been sick as hell! i had a 96 tracker with the 1.6 and i had a 4" calmini lift and 31's it was a pretty badass lil mudder but i moved on to bigger and better things(k5's and jeeps)

there she is!