My '84

[SJTD]

Not much done. Had to rebuild the alternator in the Jetta and do some yard work.

Modified the dash switch to use relays on the tailgate motor.

In their center positions the key switch passes both motor leads straight through and the dash switch grounds them.

When the key switch is moved it disconnects one lead from the dash switch and powers it while the other lead continues to pass the ground through to the dash switch.

When the dash switch is moved it disconnects one side from ground and powers it while the other remains grounded.

The rear can be used as is by removing the two wires that go to the dash switch which then become the signal wires to the relays but the front has to have the center contact removed or it will power the opposite relay when the key switch is operated. Also could?ve used uses diodes to prevent this.

Before:




After:

[Achilles]

Nice fix, I wish I would of known this when I was working on mine. I really did want to keep the original dash switch. To bad I sold it, I might would go back and use your fix and reinstall it.

[SJTD]

Got the wiring done.




Hooked it up, didn’t let any smoke out. Big disappointed feeling when it didn’t work until I remembered the interlock switch.




This is the sleeving I’m going to use at the hinge. Silly-cone with glass fabric liner. Got it for free and used it on the TIG torch cables. A little thick walled but really flexible.

[Achilles]

Looking good. I still have not found anything to replace the sleeve on mine.

[SJTD]

Haven?t posted in a while but got some work done.

Cleaned up the quarter window rubber; this is from scrubbing one of them with dish detergent. Still soft after 30 years.


Put shrink sleeve on some of the tailgate hardware to protect it and maybe help with noise.


Made some Teflon washers to replace the spring washers on the tailgate support arms.


Scored the stainless trim to replace the plastic around the glass. Put some vinyl tape under it to protect the paint.


And got the trim, glass seal and tailgate in.


I was going sand blast and powder coat the trim and license plate mount, etc, but decided to just clean them up for now. I can always go back and do that kind of stuff. I want to get this thing on the road.

[Achilles]

Nice progress

[SJTD]

I like the pre ?73 dash but the instrument panel is too small for the gauges I want so it?s getting modified.


The housing gets narrower toward the back.



Removed the corners.



Removed the sides and made a hammer form to flatten out the taper.



Reinstalled the straightened sides and put in some bracing to hold the shape and give something to clamp the new corner pieces to.





When you turn the welder down, make sure to verify the setting.



First corner complete.

[SJTD]

A picher of the finished housing with the instrument panel.


Looks better than I thought it would with the beeezels touching. I?m also surprised that the unmatched faces, bezels and needles don?t bother me. I was planning to open them up and do something about them but I?m not so sure now. I am working on a fix for the bezels.



This crack on the 70?s dash corner had me wondering. I think it must come from the parking brake hanging on it? Maybe some support bracket was missing?




Another question I have is why did they stop using the two holes on the side and go to the tacked on mounting tab on the later dash? Cheaper? Easier to install? Eliminate squeaks?




I used the whole corner from the ?84 because of the crack but added the tab to the passenger side. I?ll prolly go with the ?84 mounts since there are no nut plates for the other holes.




Removed the brace from the ?84 to install in the older dash since the new column is bigger and mounts differently.




One thing that bugged me about the older dash was that the column was not centered on the cluster. It offends my sense of symmetry. Turns out with the ?84 column in the stock position it will be. The old cutout is too far to the right but the plastic trim covers it.



A couple pics from New Year?s Day. Two B2?s flew over several times. Didn?t get a pic of them in formation. I don?t know if they made several passes over the Rose Bowl or were staging for one big pass at half time. I?m sure none of you can answer that since you were working on your jeeps too, not watching the game.

[SJTD]

Clamped the dash to a bar for alignment and welded in the brace.




Debated the location of the A/C controls. Leave them in the stock location and hear ?can you turn the heat up/down/sideways? or move the controls and let the wife play with them herself.

Easy choice and now there?s a place for something else. Probably the gas gauge.

Also filled all the other holes. Easier start with a clean slate for positioning everything than to try and make them fit with the existing holes. The A/C vent should take out the old fresh air cable holes.

[SJTD]

Got started on a face plate for the cluster:



Long term plan is to remove the bezels and lenses from the gauges and remake the plate to come down to the gauge faces with the faces all at the same level then cover the whole thing with clear plastic. At that time I can reprint all the faces to match. Not going to do that until the warranty on the VDO gauges expires. Hopefully I’ll be driving it before then.


Stopped working on the gauges when the A/C came in. Used a tie down to get the position as high and far back as possible without hitting the wipers.




The rear mount Vintage provided is intended to hang from the dash or cowl but I plan to put an additional glove box in here so I had to make a new rear mounting plate. In keeping with my practice on never doing something simple I rubber mounted it. Four sets of urethane bushings about the consistency of gummi bears.




These brackets behind the dash support the rear of the AC:




This will allow for a large glove box to replace the stock one that’s going to be reduced by the AC vents and a 2 DIN display.

I didn't get the transfer to Pueblo but I'm going there on a DTA for six months starting April 2. I'm hoping I can rent a place with a garage and have the company ship my CJ. Then I can rebuild the trans and TC while I'm there.

[SJTD]

And I worked on the A/C vents.


The face of the dash is convex but the vents are made to mount on a flat surface so I made a pair of these to weld in.

[DieselSJ]

Nice! What model Vintage Air unit is that?

[SJTD]

Gen IV Magnum. They say "can handle even the largest sedan or wagon". Hope so.

Got the vents welded in but left the camera at home, well, the other home.

[DieselSJ]

I could not figure out how to get one in there and retain my factory glove box. IIRC, I would need to cut out about half of it.

[SJTD]

Have to figure out how to do a uniform radius on the weld around these vents.

Soldered the seam but I don’t think it’ll look good painted because the sides don’t match up well.
I guess I’ll give them a quick coat of primer to see before I remove it.





The defrost ducts provided with the A/C kit.





’72 On the left, ’84 on the right. Looks like they spent some money modifying and retooling for a reason
so I figger the later design is prolly better.





Driver side. I trimmed the inlet and was going to graft on a new round piece at a better angle but the
hose fits into it pretty well. I think I’m just going to come up with a way to anchor it.





’84 Passenger won’t work. Can’t see it but the outlet of the defroster is almost directly below the
end of the duct and the duct is too tall. It’s tilted way back toward the camera.




’72 Won’t work on the pass side.





Modified driver side isn’t too bad.





I’m going to modify the ’84 passenger duct to make it much shorter with the inlet on the right.