Mad-Max

Well...after 20 years of building and wheeling multiple Dodge trucks...I'm finally gonna build a Jeep .

Just picked up this 2014 JKU - it's bone stock, right-hand drive, and other than an engine that won't start it's 100% complete.

The plan. Gonna gut the Jeep's entire driveline and wiring harness, drop in the V8 and 1-ton driveline from another rig, and install a fresh yet primitive electrical system with old-school toggles and switches, Ididit column, Grant wheel - not an OE computer in sight. Magnum 360 with Sniper EFI, 46rh trans, Atlas 4-speed, D60 front, 14b rear. Both axles are getting Artec trusses and full-hydro steering. A 4.5" long arm kit from Iron Rock Off Road will smooth out the bumps, and a host of HD armor will protect the body. It'll be fully highway friendly, and a beast off-road, with lots of strategic armor to protect pretty much everyone and everything. Hoping to start jammin' on it Jan 24.

brought this home Thanksgiving Eve 23 - I'll keep the majority of the interior, but otherwise I'm gonna pretty much yank everything out of this -


...drop in all of the awesome 5.9 Magnum/46RH/Atlas4/Tons/40s driveline from this -


...incorporate lots of the charm and dirt-simple simplicity of this -


...engineer it to feel and perform pretty much like this -


...and brush on Air Force Strata Blue oil-based paint so it'll look kinda sorta like this -


...and in the end we'll have 'his n hers' JKUs in the family -


Again, I'm going to completely remove the OE Jeep driveline and electrical harness and install a stand-alone, computer-less, dirt simple, primitive, and effective 'switch-to-component' harness, mod the firewall and wiper system for left-hand drive, drop a nice aftermarket 4.5" suspension kit under it, weld on the Artec hardware to utilize the D60/14b, go full-hydro, and rock the hell on. It'll be about 10 times stronger than our M-38...so it's designation is the M-380

- Sam

Mad-Max

...so I'm not 100% certain...but according to the info on Rock Auto I think the OE radiator in the 2021 JL 392 is...pretty much...the same overall size as what is in my 2014 JK. I would have thought the 392 would have a mo-bigger radiator...but apparently not. Anyone have any first-hand knowledge of the 392 radiators, and if so are they really sized as indicated here?

Sixty4x4

Good luck with the build. Will be quite a machine when its done.

Mad-Max

thanks - I'm hoping it will be my last 'off-road' build...at least for myself

Mad-Max

...so among other 'right-hand-drive' parts I'm after are the inner fender tray(s) for the battery and windshield washer reservoir, and I might as well post this up in case any of yall have the two tray's I need and would sell me cheap and ship to me? As I understand, I can use either the pre-11 or post-11 tray(s), and I think the pre-11 tray has the battery back by the firewall, and that's where I'd prefer it instead of it being up by the drivers-side headlight, with the introduction of the 3.6 engine(?), so I think from 07-11?

So yah if anyone has a set of these taking up space pls lemme know

Mad-Max

cool I've found all the parts for my left-hand-drive conversion...at least I think I have, including an entire stripped 2-door tub with a complete cowl and firewall, so I should have everything I need for the conversion . Lots of big and small boxes are piling up in the shop waiting for the Go code - it's like second Christmas . Hoping to start jammin' on the build by the end of January

- Sam

Mad-Max

so this is kinda cool - The JK I got my dash and cowl/firewall hardware from was designated as a 'Mule' - a demo of sorts, which...if I have the story right...was given to the PO to test new hardware and such for the aftermarket. It never had a VIN and as such couldn't ever be registered, which made it a perfect candidate for parts, some of which are going in my Jeep. Kinda cool. I also got the grill, which is now a badge of honor on the shop wall

it has a Mopar pn# on it, but note there is no 'Jeep' emblem on it -


and for fun we found a real nice granite grey grill to improve our indoor decor -


This weekend I should be finishing up a temporary project in the shop, after which it's game on with my M-380 build

- Sam

Mad-Max

...body's off the Dakota - time to dust everything off and pull the driveline





LOVE this Harbor Freight crane -

Mad-Max

..engine/trans/t-case are outty...

Mad-Max

...very productive weekend...and nothing and no one got crushed 👍

All of the driveline is out from under the Dakota's frame, the 'roller' axles are bolted under, and the cab is back on; few things remaining to remove from the cab and the Dakota is ready to roll back into the barn, and will go up for sale.







Since the Jeep won't have a/c I found the proper serpentine belt to literally bypass the compressor, with no voodoo - love it 👍



And here's an interesting view of the frame with the rock sliders and all - this whole thing is for sale, and any 4-door Dakota cab will bolt right onto it



- Sam