GoldeneyeXJ

So what do y'all think about the idea of me repainting the interior od green and then putting a bunch of airplane style switches in the jeep to make it look like a cockpit? Eventually I want to paint the whole jeep like the "Memphis Belle" but that's farther down the road!

98XJ40K

To each his own, but I think the interior would actually look pretty good. If you want to be as authentic as possible (for a jeep looking like an airplane anyway) the interior would need to be a green zinc chromate instead of OD. I'll try to find the actual color name. In the end, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, it's your jeep, go crazy and do what you like! I look forward to seeing some progress updates.
(PS, Memphis Belle was a B-17, not a P-51)

RubberSideUp

I'd suggest reading a book about the aircraft first.

GoldeneyeXJ

Yeah guys I do know my aircraft I just cant imagine trying to make a B-17 cockpit because of all the controls I couldn't get the feel of it so I decided to do a P-51 style interior instead because it's a simpler layout and I wanted an od color interior not black like the B-17 but I love the exterior of the Memphis Belle so it'll be a hybrid airplane jeep haha sorry for the confusion guys :P

GoldeneyeXJ

Yeah i just looked like an idiot didnt i? Haha but look at how much red there is in the P-51 cockpit and i wanna get an OX locker so ill paint the shifter red to match the switch covers

Big David

Too much eggnog?

mcgeex88

yea its just zinc chromate primer and coming from someone going to school to be an aircraft mechanic i think this would be pretty cool

what also be cool is get a tach and an airspeed indicator and make your dash using some other intsruments

GoldeneyeXJ

I see some potential problems with using the instruments from the six pack but it certainly would be awesome! I'll think about it more and see what i can do i wanted to change the stock shifter to a joystick from the P-51 and make the trigger what locks it up but its just an idea :P

98XJ40K

You may not be able to hook up actual instruments, but I'd be willing to bet someone with a color vinyl printer could layout a skin for your instrument cluster that would at least make it look pretty close. The more I think about it, that would be pretty cool.

GoldeneyeXJ

The more i think about it, the more i realize how awesome this will be in the end! who knows maybe you guys could do this whole airplane thing too and we could be the first XJ Airplane club! Haha i'll try it out and let you guys know how it comes out

andrewmp6

You can get a blank switch panel from http://www.prime4x4.com/index.htm and get the military looking switches from http://www.12voltguy.com/SWITCH-COVERS.html

GoldeneyeXJ

Thanks for the links Andrew! Helped alot

andrewmp6

If you wanna go nuts and get airplane looking gauges http://www.classicinstruments.com/se...?SeriesCode=MA And http://www.speedwaymotors.com/ has bomber seats if you want those.

5-90

I'm working on a similar project - I want to do an "eyebrow" panel across the top of the windscreen (gages & switches, maybe mount a two-way radio or two,) got measurements to knock out a plate to replace the IP, and I'm even tossing around trying to adapt a control yoke to the steering column...

Why? Because I got my pilot's license before I got my driver's license, and got checked out to (legally) drive and get my acro ticket on the same day. Being a pilot made me an information junkie - that's why I don't like having a vehicle with idiot lights, and why I think the Torque app and an ELM327 adapter is the single best upgrade one can get for any OBD-II vehicle...

GoldeneyeXJ

That sounds like an amazing project ahead of you! I look forward to seeing the results on yours and the whole yolk instead of a steering wheel sounds sick in idea but might noy be the best in practice :P i'm going to paint the dash when this new england winter passes