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Well let me introduce Hodge. A 1964 J200 Turbo Diesel Swap Story that I hope has a happy ending at some point.
I discovered a friend had this truck sitting about an hour away from home. He had picked it up from someone needing a bit of cash. He quickly realized it was far beyond what he wanted to deal with and he was starting a business so no time was a premium commodity.
I traded him some stainless sanitary fittings and other brewery equipment I had laying around and found a roll back to drag her home to my garage.
Hodge got his name because he is a bit of a mess, and Hodge Podge of really shoddy work done over the decades. There was a non running 360 from a later FSJ under the hood. That was mated to an unknown condition TH400 and a 1339 that I suspect was not in great shape since it had been running with the front hubs unlocked. Speaking of the front end ol' Hodge was sitting on some lift blocks made from square tube between the axle and the spring pack. Hodge also has rust and rot, lots of rot.
Here is how Hodge looked the day I drug him home.
It has sat in my garage for about a year now as I contemplate a path forward and acquire parts as they become available. Not much has changed on the truck in that year but a few weeks ago I ended up with some key pieces that determined the future of Hodge.
That massive chunk of metal now sits on the shop floor and will be transplanted into the heart of Hodge.
This is a 2001 6.5 TD engine, 4L80e transmission, and NV 242 AMG from a HMMWV Hummer.
The (hopefully) completed project will consist of:
6.5 TD engine
4L80e trans
undecided TC (see below)
undecided front axle (see below)
FF 14 Bolt rear with 4.56 gears and a Yukon Dura Grip. Disk brake conversion.
Hydroboost conversion.
Leaf sprung front and rear for version 1.0 (possibly linked later)
Custom fabricated bed to mimic the look of a M715 or M105A2 military bed/trailer
Bed and frame will get chopped just after the rear leaf shackles.
Rack for the Kayaks with a canvas style topper to protect the camping gear.
Fabricated front and rear bumpers (front winch)
Version 2.0 may get a slightly extended wheel base when the leafs are replaced with a link suspension.
Interior is getting Dakota seats a simple radio setup and my UHF/VHF/HF gear.
Version 2.0 will also likely get Air Con but that getting version 1.0 on the road is the priority.
The goal of project Hodge is to have a fairly robust camping, fishing, and hunting truck that can handle a drive to work or a Home Depot run on occasion. Overlanding is all the rage these days so I would say this will be in the vain of a hybrid Overlanding and Light Trail rig.
I discovered a friend had this truck sitting about an hour away from home. He had picked it up from someone needing a bit of cash. He quickly realized it was far beyond what he wanted to deal with and he was starting a business so no time was a premium commodity.
I traded him some stainless sanitary fittings and other brewery equipment I had laying around and found a roll back to drag her home to my garage.
Hodge got his name because he is a bit of a mess, and Hodge Podge of really shoddy work done over the decades. There was a non running 360 from a later FSJ under the hood. That was mated to an unknown condition TH400 and a 1339 that I suspect was not in great shape since it had been running with the front hubs unlocked. Speaking of the front end ol' Hodge was sitting on some lift blocks made from square tube between the axle and the spring pack. Hodge also has rust and rot, lots of rot.
Here is how Hodge looked the day I drug him home.
It has sat in my garage for about a year now as I contemplate a path forward and acquire parts as they become available. Not much has changed on the truck in that year but a few weeks ago I ended up with some key pieces that determined the future of Hodge.
That massive chunk of metal now sits on the shop floor and will be transplanted into the heart of Hodge.
This is a 2001 6.5 TD engine, 4L80e transmission, and NV 242 AMG from a HMMWV Hummer.
The (hopefully) completed project will consist of:
6.5 TD engine
4L80e trans
undecided TC (see below)
undecided front axle (see below)
FF 14 Bolt rear with 4.56 gears and a Yukon Dura Grip. Disk brake conversion.
Hydroboost conversion.
Leaf sprung front and rear for version 1.0 (possibly linked later)
Custom fabricated bed to mimic the look of a M715 or M105A2 military bed/trailer
Bed and frame will get chopped just after the rear leaf shackles.
Rack for the Kayaks with a canvas style topper to protect the camping gear.
Fabricated front and rear bumpers (front winch)
Version 2.0 may get a slightly extended wheel base when the leafs are replaced with a link suspension.
Interior is getting Dakota seats a simple radio setup and my UHF/VHF/HF gear.
Version 2.0 will also likely get Air Con but that getting version 1.0 on the road is the priority.
The goal of project Hodge is to have a fairly robust camping, fishing, and hunting truck that can handle a drive to work or a Home Depot run on occasion. Overlanding is all the rage these days so I would say this will be in the vain of a hybrid Overlanding and Light Trail rig.
I put a rebuilt 4L80E in a CUCV with a 6.2. I bought a US Shift controller after reading lots of reviews, and have been super happy with it. The basic unit at the bottom of their product line, but it has worked flawlessly for a couple years now. The tech support before buying it was really good. They made sure I was set up right for the diesel. I moved a couple shift points on the laptop, but like it and would recommend it. I'll be watching the build here. 
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