Well, to tell you all something that you all already know... 2020 sucked. 2021 was a little better. Now here we are mid-way through 2022 and we're mostly embedded in our new "normal". I hope all of you who were/are following this build thread are safe and healthy.
As you might imagine, the build took a hiatus in the interest of keeping everyone as safe and virus-free as possible. The folks in the shop (shameless plug here for Performance Offroad in Alexandria, KY) were all affected in one way or another by Covid--either contacting it personally or having family / loved ones affected. Most of you likely lived this same reality. This resulted in a lot of stutters and restarts due to quarantine requirements. The shop owner and co-"mad-creator" for this project gave us all a big scare involving a close connection with a ventilator that lasted longer than some of my past relationships. Thankfully, he's now recovered and is back in fine-fettle.
So, where does FrankenJeep stand?
As of late July 2022, all the hard parts are figured out and it's mostly a matter of sticking it all back together (this time with wiring and plumbing). Sussing out the interior was/is--as my departed pop would have said-- "sporting". Jeeps, in general, aren't known for being particularly spacious (though that new $90k Grand Wagoneer BETTER have sleeping accommodations for 4 and a full galley!). Space constraints are exacerbated by the fact that FrankenJeep is a "single cab" on a custom aluminum tub, so all cab-piercing accoutrements had to be engineered, re-engineered and (occasionally) re-re-engineered.
I hope to get some pics this week to update this thread visually. It's pretty much down to plumbing, wiring and final assembly... and there ain't many wires on this beast. In fact, I'd say the electrical system is about as simple as it gets. Think "1950s farm tractor" with a few extra wires for tail lights.
Stay Safe, Ya'll...
~doc
