Just brought home a 68 Gladiator, Central IL

[68JGladiator]

New in Central Illinois, I just picked up my second old Jeep. Its a 1968 Jeep J3000 Gladiator had the 327 V8 and 3 speed on the column. Almost streetable lol ordered a new accelerator cable, and throttle return spring, and new locking hubs this week. Hopefully get to go for a spin soon.

[addicted]

Welcome from MI. Looks like you have a good start there. A lot more solid than most.

[The PIG Smith]

Originally Posted by addicted

Welcome from MI. Looks like you have a good start there. A lot more solid than most.

X2

Welcome from Fort Wayne, Indiana
Yes, looks very solid!
Much more solid than the junk I am working on!
I like it!

[68JGladiator]

Thanks guys! I have a plan in my head and hopefully it all works out.
Here's some more pictures for viewing pleasure. I know everybody likes pics!










I received the carb parts just waiting on the hubs. I can't wait to drive it!

[JeepBountyHunter]

Very nice, you gonna keep the behind the seat gas tank?

[68JGladiator]

Probably not, I think putting a new tank back under the bed is a safer idea. lol

[JeepBountyHunter]

If you sell the behind the seat one, lemme know...
Aaron

[68JGladiator]

Little update on the 68, I got the hubs installed and carb running good other than it doesn't like to restart after its hot giving me a headache. Not very good at tuning carbs. Anyway drives good, just around town, shifts nicely figured out 1st gear isn't used for much lol

Now that it is warming up it will be coming home and will be working on it more, I have decided to go towards it being a more offroad oriented Gladiator.

[68JGladiator]

Make progress. Started stripping paint Sunday night, shooting for the bed stripped by the end of tomorrow night. However my fender flares are pretty much not salvagable any suggestions what I should do there?

The goal of the Jeep is to look decent, cruise around town, and hit some trails nothing crazy lol.

General idea of what is going to happen:

5.3L Swap with 4L60E and NP241C transfer case.
Bobbed bed some what.
BJs 4.5 inch lift kit
Kustom Shop Hot Rod Flat Olive Dab Green
Custom bumpers and a roll bar tied into a cage.

Basicly a big list lol






Progress pictures from tonight

[Mars]

Looks good! Welcome to the insanity

[suttonlive]

I have basically the same exact truck. I have the tank behind the seat and under the truck. Looks like you have the same or similiar setup. Looks like the bed has a filler hole for the under truck tank. I had figured the PO of mine had rigged in the behind the seat tank, but since you have something similiar I am rethinking that idea. Was this an option of dealer installed option?

Any ideas. Mine had a valve handle to switch between the two tanks on the floor about at the beginning of the seat.

If your driving yours your ahead of me. Have ordered the carb kit, fuel pump and other things to get it going.

Nice truck.

[68JGladiator]

As far as I know on mine, one of the PO bashed the original fuel tank. They then installed the behind the seat fuel tank instead of replacing the original. How long ago and what the behind the seat tank came out of I don't know. I plan to put a tank back under the truck so I can have the additional cab room. Hope this info helps.

[68JGladiator]

Took the day off yesterday to enjoy the nice weather, worked on the Jeep and went shooting.

Progress:
-Frame is now shorter, no going back now cleaned and prepped frame for undercoat.
-Getting a new prevent rear cross-member




Bent up rear cross member


Cleaned and prepped frame


Off with the flares, I liked the flares but after stripping the paint and finding half of one was nothing but mud decided to cleanly cut them off.

[68JGladiator]

Well worked hard on the Jeep this weekend and within one week I completed one of the major modifications. Shorting the frame and bed.











This coming week's task, strip the cab and front clip, weld up some holes, pull a dent and fix the rusty rockers and two spots on the bed.

[rocklaurence]

The bed work looks good. What size tires are you going to run?

[68JGladiator]

Originally Posted by rocklaurence

The bed work looks good. What size tires are you going to run?

I don't know yet, my original plan was a BJ's offroad 4.5 lift kit with 33" tires. But after finding damaged flares and removing them, I might be doing4.5 lift kit with 35" tires.

[mglapa]

In case you've found a trouble like mine... I am in the midst of similar issue with my ;'j2000, it turns out that somehow, my 360 has a fuel pump on it, that does not have a return/vent line. So basically when the rpms go up, the fuel pump heats up from back pressure, and the two-barrel carb starts to malfunction and the engine starts to fail... I don't really understand it very well, but it's causing a vaporlock of sorts... I'm going to either find a pump with a return line, or switch to an electric fuel pump... probably the latter.

M

Originally Posted by 68JGladiator

Little update on the 68, I got the hubs installed and carb running good other than it doesn't like to restart after its hot giving me a headache. Not very good at tuning carbs. Anyway drives good, just around town, shifts nicely figured out 1st gear isn't used for much lol

Now that it is warming up it will be coming home and will be working on it more, I have decided to go towards it being a more offroad oriented Gladiator.