1987 J-20: From Plow Truck to Treasured Antique

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Bob Barry
    Jeep Doctor
    • Apr 09, 2000
    • 8335

    1987 J-20: From Plow Truck to Treasured Antique

    I've been away from FSJ's for about ten years, but decided this is the time to get back in, while there are still some in existence. I wanted a J-truck this time, and finally found one that is pretty solid, especially for the Northeast.

    It was a plow-truck, and hadn't been on the road for nearly two decades, but it must have been stored in a garage to remain as solid as it is. This is how it looked when I first went to see it after an ice-storm:



    I got it home, de-plowed it, and started revitalizing it from its life of long-neglect:



    I've been posting videos here and elsewhere of the work I've done, which I'll put links to here, but tonight I was able to remove the seat and carpet to see exactly how bad my floors were.

    Surprisingly, the floors are solid! There is surface rust on the driver's side, but initial scraping does not reveal any serious rust-through.



    The passenger-side is amazing for this area.



    There is a crack in the rear floor behind the driver's-seat that I'll have to weld up, but it doesn't need full floor-replacements like all the others I looked at before this one.



    There was an amp mounted under the passenger-side seat, fed by an unfused 6-gauge cable coming through a hole in the firewall without a grommet. I have no idea if I'm going to keep it, but I'm not going to keep it there, given how much space there is under the dash on the passenger-side without an A/C unit, but at least it's disconnected for now.



    The seat is intact, but not great. I'd replace it with buckets and a center armrest if one came up, but for now, I'll just lube the tracks, clean the upholstery, and reinstall it. I think it has been recovered, but it does sag badly on the driver's-side.



    I'm not sure if I can save the carpet, which smells of mouse-piss. I will try shampooing it, but a replacement might be necessary.

    I'm very pleased.

    I'll add posts below with the other stages of the progress.
    1987 J-20
    Video projects for my J-20 on Youtube
  • Bob Barry
    Jeep Doctor
    • Apr 09, 2000
    • 8335

    #2
    Straightening the Bumper

    The poor bumper on my truck was bashed up at each corner, and also shifted over to the left by about 3":



    So, a come-along and a snatch-strap on a tree in my driveway let me gradually pull it out into something resembling a straighter bumper.

    Here is the video of the unbending of the bumper:



    and here are the results:







    It could still use a *little* tweaking, and some repro end-caps would be very sweet, once I painted the entire bumper. The corner of the bed was also pierced by the pointy corner of the bumper; I did start bending it back out, but it will need a good amount of massaging to make it good.
    1987 J-20
    Video projects for my J-20 on Youtube

    Comment

    • SOLSAKS
      304 AMC
      • Jul 25, 2016
      • 1781

      #3
      great truck
      solid like you said
      heck the grille alone is worth a lot !

      good luck

      dave in NC
      SOLSAKS - dave
      1976 J-10 HONCHO Fleetside
      1982 J-10 Fleetside
      1988 grand wagoneer
      2004 RUBICON jeep
      Benson, NC

      Comment

      • DarkMonohue
        Shakes hands with danger
        • Jul 01, 2012
        • 1145

        #4
        Hey, another late J20! Always love to see that. Thanks for sharing.
        '85 J20 Old Man Truck, bought @ 65K miles - not great, but better than walking.
        Member, FSJ Prissy Restoration Association
        High quality junk here: intro thread and slow build thread

        Did you know? Willys is just Willis spelled differently, but pronounced the same. Neither Willy nor his apostrophe are involved.

        Comment

        • rang-a-stang
          Administrator
          • Oct 31, 2016
          • 5465

          #5
          That bumper video was AWESOME!!!!!
          Chuck McTruck 71 J4000
          (Chuck McTruck Build Thread)
          79 Cherokee Chief (SOLD, goodbye old buddy)
          (Cherokee Build Thread)
          11 Nissan Pathfinder Silver Edition 4x4
          09 Mazdaspeed3 Grand Touring
          00 Baby Cherokee

          Comment

          • Bob Barry
            Jeep Doctor
            • Apr 09, 2000
            • 8335

            #6
            Repair Videos: Wiring

            I made some progress at remedying the botched wiring on my truck, and made some videos of the process:

            Taillight wiring repair:



            Front Turn-Signal Wiring harness repair and housing replacement:



            Next video will cover the rejuvenation of the floor with POR-15; here are the results in pictorial form:





            I just put in new factory-style door seals from BJ's; they fit perfectly, and only took five minutes to install, which was good because the rain was hitting my back as I was finishing up and I wanted to keep the cab dry until I could seal up some pinholes and the seams with some seam-sealer.
            1987 J-20
            Video projects for my J-20 on Youtube

            Comment

            • Bob Barry
              Jeep Doctor
              • Apr 09, 2000
              • 8335

              #7
              I needed a battery hold-down; the ones from the auto-parts store did not work.

              So I made my own:

              Five-Minute Fabrication Video:



              The the completed hold-down (not yet painted):

              Last edited by Bob Barry; 05-04-2020, 06:40 PM.
              1987 J-20
              Video projects for my J-20 on Youtube

              Comment

              • Bob Barry
                Jeep Doctor
                • Apr 09, 2000
                • 8335

                #8
                Floor coated with POR-15

                Here's a video of the process of making the floors look like they do in the above pictures:

                1987 J-20
                Video projects for my J-20 on Youtube

                Comment

                • J76137
                  232 I6
                  • Sep 03, 2019
                  • 76

                  #9
                  It is awesome to find some you tubers doing an FSJ.
                  My carcaine addiction wasted my life but it is a life well wasted.

                  Comment

                  • Bob Barry
                    Jeep Doctor
                    • Apr 09, 2000
                    • 8335

                    #10
                    Originally posted by J76137
                    It is awesome to find some you tubers doing an FSJ.
                    I'm more of an FSJ'r doing Youtubes, at the moment...

                    I've got more footage in the can, but this week of work will keep me from editing down my axle and carb videos until next week.

                    Stay tuned! (is that what Youtubers say?)
                    1987 J-20
                    Video projects for my J-20 on Youtube

                    Comment

                    • Bob Barry
                      Jeep Doctor
                      • Apr 09, 2000
                      • 8335

                      #11
                      Lining for Bed?

                      I finally degreased the inside of the bed.

                      The bed is, amazingly, unrusted. There are some spots of surface-rust, but that's it.

                      I was going to POR-15 over the surface-rust, but what should I use to paint the bed? I don't want anything that's going to trap moisture, so I was thinking something like a brush-on epoxy paint.

                      I'll be using the bed for carrying things, but not regularly, and I would put down boards or tarps if I was going to carry stuff that would damage the bed.

                      Any suggestions?

                      1987 J-20
                      Video projects for my J-20 on Youtube

                      Comment

                      • J76137
                        232 I6
                        • Sep 03, 2019
                        • 76

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Bob Barry
                        Stay tuned! (is that what Youtubers say?)
                        Dont forget to like, share, and subscribe.
                        My carcaine addiction wasted my life but it is a life well wasted.

                        Comment

                        • Bob Barry
                          Jeep Doctor
                          • Apr 09, 2000
                          • 8335

                          #13
                          Originally posted by J76137
                          Dont forget to like, share, and subscribe.


                          Yeah, I haven't gotten the hang of saying that, yet...

                          Maybe I'll pick up the pace in future videos...

                          Remember to like, share and subscribe, though!
                          1987 J-20
                          Video projects for my J-20 on Youtube

                          Comment

                          • Bob Barry
                            Jeep Doctor
                            • Apr 09, 2000
                            • 8335

                            #14
                            I forgot to say "Click Subscribe/Share/Like"...

                            I just finished uploading my three-part video series covering the operation and restoration of the shifter and throttle-valve linkage for the TF727 in my 1987 J-20.

                            Part 1- Disassembly and Description

                            [youtube]https://youtu.be/y6S1vmVdL18[/youtube]

                            Part 2- Modifying Shift-Linkage Bushings

                            [youtube]https://youtu.be/msj5p70jahA[/youtube]

                            Part 3- Reinstallation and Adjustment

                            [youtube]https://youtu.be/Sfzy4txmzb0[/youtube]

                            Here are the parts I used in this restoration, with links to the suppliers:

                            BJ's Shift-Linkage Repair Kit, Part Number:02-7530:



                            Mega-Parts Throttle-Valve Linkage Spring:



                            Dorman #14041 Shift Linkage Bushing Kit (for upper shift-linkage bushing at Steering-column arm):



                            Hillman 1"x3/8"x3/8" Nylon Spacer Part # 880448:

                            1987 J-20
                            Video projects for my J-20 on Youtube

                            Comment

                            • Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81
                              Cherokee Outlaw
                              • Jan 10, 2006
                              • 7292

                              #15
                              Darn, no pics...and YouTube is blocked where I am.
                              -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

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X