you can leave the hood. the contour will be a bit off but most people won't notice.
Rhino grill conversion on a '79 J10?
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Originally posted by HankrodRistows right.................again,
Originally posted by Fasts79Chief... like the little 'you know what's' that you are.
Originally posted by Fasts79ChiefI LOVE how Ristow has stolen my comment about him ... "Quoted" it ... and made himself famous for being an ***hole to people. Hahahahahahahahahha!
It's like you're unraveling a big cable-knit sweater that someone keeps knitting...and knitting...and knitting...and knitting...
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-Jonny B.
1979 Cherokee Golden Eagle - UNDER CONSTRUCTION
7" Alcan springs, BJ's HD shackles - 35x12.5x15 BFG Mud Terrains
AMC 401 - Pro-Flo 4 EFI
NV4500/NWF BB/NP205 - Triple Stick'd
F D44 - 4.10, Eaton E-Locker
R M23 - 4.10, Detroit Locker
1979 Cherokee Chief - Parts
1979 Cherokee Chief - Parts
1979 Wagoneer - Sold
1981 Cherokee Chief - Cubed
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Tinkerjeep---Nice rigs, any side or front 1/4'ing shots of the 4 door??Art
ASE Master Collision Tech
"Beast" - 81 "S" W/T, 85-360, T-18, Lock-rite,wag alloys, 31-10.50 Pro Comp MT's, Warn 8274 in a fabbed bumper/deer strainer(tested and approved)
88 XJ, 3" lift, 31-10.50's, custom bumpers and winch/tow bar mounts, Warn 9500HS, custom sliders/steps, camo paint, & headliner
Member: FSJ Prissy Restoration Assoc.
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yeah
That is true the later models have wrinkles & the top doesn't match perfectly.
80 Cherokee
360 ci 727 with
Comp cams 270 h
NP208
Edlebrock performer intake
Holley 4180
Msd total multi spark.
4" rusty's springs
Member, FSJ Prissy Restoration Association
If you can't make it better why waste your time. No use repeating the orignal mistakes. I'm to old to push it that's why.
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Originally posted by goldhammerTinkerjeep---Nice rigs, any side or front 1/4'ing shots of the 4 door??
And here it is in its roughness. Deals more with some of the nitty-gritty points that I had problems with than a typical "look how I welded this to that!"
Sorry, this is way late and obsolete. I built this truck in 2004-2006. I thought I had a build thread on it a year or two ago, but I can't find it for the life of me. I'll start by posting a finished pic and then as I find the original photos and upload them to photobucket in the near future, I'll post an abbreviated
Heavy metal thunder - thanks. I had to put them somewhere. Those stupid pie-plates are screaming to become real trim-rings or mounting points. The other set became trim-rings for the recessed driving lights in the 4-door.
lord ov the deep - You can keep the original 79 hood, but not the latch assembly. You will also need to cut the core-support infront of the radiator where it bridges over the rad-opening to allow the 1962-1969 Gladiator hood-latch release lever to protrude down and forward behind the center of the grill. All that is relatively simple to do. If you can't find a gladiator hood latch, cut your existing latch release lever off the round cross-tube, center it, check the angle and re-weld it. Like I said, the article I did concerning this swap was in a magazine that is no longer published. I checked my photobucket account last night and couldn't find the pics. I'm not sure where my back-up photo CD is that has them - I'll have to hunt. But the article basically outlines everything I already said, just with pics...and more words.Last edited by Tinkerjeep; 02-07-2014, 01:10 AM.
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Originally posted by TinkerjeepIf you can't find a gladiator hood latch, cut your existing latch release lever off the round cross-tube, center it, check the angle and re-weld it.
You might be able to use a in-the-cab hood release system like the 1980- newer FSJs used. But I have never done this. its a cable and a lever assembly.
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hey thanks for posting your 79. i can look at these body styles all day.
just my 2 cents...and just my honest opinion.. and its your truck! you decide!
i would not mess with changing panels and i would def not cut and or hack and or snip anything but a couple rust spots i can see and you would be insane to get rid of the eagle hood cmon man!
unless you plan on repainting the truck-getting a glad hood-and panel- i dont see the rhino front on anything but.....a Gladiator
dont get me wrong it looks great really amazingly great. my favorite front end by far. But when most of our FSJ's need much, MUCH more than cosmetic work, i could see putting the money and time into something else on the truck before the grill.
again just my opinion, the rhino grill done right looks trick but unless you have the grill and bezels n such (im guessing what 300 bucks for nice ones?) plus the hood xxx dollars plus any other panels n such xxx dollars plus paint xxxx dollars to make your miss matched gladiator hood and front panel + rest of the truck matching looking good might as well just restore the whole truck. just saying when your starting with a can of worms it doesn't help to put more worms in.
and thats why i decided not to convert my 79 J20 to rhino front end!
good luck on whatever you decide to do with your awesome piece of AMC frankensteinery.
If your grill isnt all bubbly and chipping and broke i would just run it.
1979 AMC J20 Model 46, 360/TH400, P-6800 Toledo Built
Paint options 9N Morocco Buff/9A Alpaca Brown Metallic. 4" Superlift 35x12.5x16.5 BFG M/T's & Lockouts
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Yeppers
Tinkerjeep
They are really nice.
80 Cherokee
360 ci 727 with
Comp cams 270 h
NP208
Edlebrock performer intake
Holley 4180
Msd total multi spark.
4" rusty's springs
Member, FSJ Prissy Restoration Association
If you can't make it better why waste your time. No use repeating the orignal mistakes. I'm to old to push it that's why.
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WOW!!! THAT is exactly what my J20 looked like! Same colors and everything. But no lift. No race truck bumper. No big tires till later. Nice looking truck, Mike!
And having done what I did with mine, I will agree, unless you are willing to make the Gladiator grill match the rest of the truck, or vice versa, I'd leave it. Unless the grill is cracked or broken. I never was a fan of the plastic. I chose to go Gladiator front end because I was ready for a change from stock 1979 looks. and the grill was cracking and rattled. My Dad had ordered our J20 new from a broker...not a dealer. So, to some it might seem like sacrilege, but the bed-sides were rusting out where all 79 bed's do. So it was gonna need some body work. Anyway, it wasn't stock when I got it from him. He started the mods. The wuss 360/ 2V California engine was first to go. A mildly built 401 with forged pistons went in around 1984. I bought it from him in 1996 and waited a couple years before I did any cosmetic work. Then I reconfigured my truck into the 4-door when my days of construction-work were over and my days of having 2 kids had been a reality for 3 years. I soon missed having a 2-door, so I got the second J20, shortened it, lightened it. Rhino-ed it. Etc. And the point is:
lord of the deep -If you are the kind of settled-down guy who likes to keep things basically the same...don't change the grill. it will lead to other changes. If you are a kind of restless guy, and like to change up things every now and then - go for it. But get used to driving a "in-progress project"...or not driving it for months or years at a time.
Last edited by Tinkerjeep; 02-09-2014, 03:40 AM.
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Beautiful trucks tinkerjeep!
Yeah I am more of the restless type, always looking for something to fix or improve. Iv had my share of projects and restorations and love it. I admit I like how original my truck is besides a few things but still feel one day... Or I'll have a good excuse to buy a gladiator.1979 J10 Golden Eagle 360 T-18
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Originally posted by TinkerjeepWOW!!! THAT is exactly what my J20 looked like!
since this truck never sees offroad anymore due to transfer case chain slipping (needs swapped) and a decrepit cali smog 360 (going to chevy 350 conversion in the near future) i will be returning it to stock suspension setup with accurate looking steel wheels and tires hopefully big ol j20 hubcaps.
BUT whatever you do to these FSJ's as long as you dont drive it off a cliff its badass, rhino grill or not
you guys really know how to make these trucks mean lean and clean no BS on these J trucks i see.1979 AMC J20 Model 46, 360/TH400, P-6800 Toledo Built
Paint options 9N Morocco Buff/9A Alpaca Brown Metallic. 4" Superlift 35x12.5x16.5 BFG M/T's & Lockouts
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