1968 Jeepster Commando Renovation

Tested the Rogue Fab tube bender, "Bendasarus Rex", and made some shock hoops.

It took me awhile, but I finally got around to installing the replacement. It looks so good, I wish I’d bought 2.

I saw some Jeepsters in Moab that were using the top portion of the hard top as a safari style top. I’d thought about this before, but wasn’t sure the thin metal would hold up well. After seeing it in action, I’m ready to do it.

Finally got it running!

Made a transmission mount that screws into the factory holes for the original mount.

Got the engine running!! We test fired it last Thursday, but there were some wiring issues. I got everything sorted today, turned the key and Boom!! 💥 31 days until we leave for Moab! 😬

Coated the Jeepster tub in Aluminum Chassis Saver and Monstaliner.

I cut a section out of the cross member, then cut a piece of 2x3 tube steel to fill in the gap. I then bent a few pieces of 18ga steel to support the top and bottom of the radiator. It’s not pretty, but the radiator fits exactly where I want it and has a solid fit.

What a pain. I should have purchased a better tool for cutting plate metal awhile back, but I didn’t think I had much to cut so I skipped on it. Looking back on it, I’ve wasted a lot of time cutting steel with a cut-off wheel.

There’s also a piece of metal that will sit between the bumper and grill (not pictured here).

I made what I initially thought would be a simple mount for the Hydroboost. There were a lot of little things to consider, such as push rod stroke distance and leaving space to access the bolts with a wrench.

I needed 15x10.5 which is an odd size. My options were basically between BFGoodrich and Dick Cepek, and the Cepeks had a longer lead time. I still need to find a 5th wheel and purchase a spare tire.

Mocking up the front bumper and steering box. I’m using a YJ bumper from Barnes4WD, but it’s a little wider than my frame so I’ll have to drill new mounting holes. To mount the steering box to the frame, I used a M.O.R.E. steering box mounting bracket. It’s made for a CJ, will fit with the mounting holes. I finally made a decision on the radiator and bought a Griffin CU-58182-XLS (22w x 19h). I needed something that will fit and has enough area to cool the engine. I might need to revisit the fan in the future. Now to figure out how to mount it.

Installed the Pirate Mfg tilt steering column and Lokar column shift linkage. A few weeks later when I was measuring the drive shafts, I realized the front shaft might hit the bottom of that linkage bracket. I’m hoping it’s just a minor issue requiring a simple cut.

I applied DEI Floor and Tunnel Shield II to the transmission tunnel. Part of the tunnel on the Jeepster includes a removable panel. I didn’t want to permanently glue it shut, so I applied the shielding separately. This tunnel panel is from an automatic and has the transfer case shifted on the right. I’ll be relocating mine, so I made a simple cover for the opening (I have something else planned for a future project). The DEI shield is heavy duty and required tin snips to cut it. It wasn’t too difficult to apply, but make sure you cut it and test fit it several times before you peel open the sticky backing.

Bent some 18ga steel to make a glove box for the Jeepster. I left the right side disconnected in case I need to shorten it for the roll cage.

Steering shaft from a '96 Cherokee Sport.