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(Jeremy)>> You're watching Powernation!
[ Music ] [ engine revving ]
(Katie)>> Welcome to Powernation Builds. Today we have a ridiculously large vehicle, but if you're gonna build a mud wagon you've got to start somewhere. Here's Carcass. [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> Well Jimmy what do you think? Take this thing off road?
(Jimmy)>> I think so. It's very underpowered, extremely overweight, and has an astronomically high center of gravity. So what could go wrong?
(Jeremy)>> The truck's been doing absolutely outstanding. You really can't ask for a better base platform to start with, and it's locked already.
(Jimmy)>> What else do you want I guess?
(Jeremy)>> We upgraded, we threw some tires on it.
(Jimmy)>> Threw some tires on it, necessary.
(Jeremy)>> Necessary upgrade.
(Jimmy)>> The skinny 235's weren't gonna do us much good in the mud holes but these 37's, they got it.
(Jeremy)>> We're having a blast driving our new project vehicle around at Wooly's Off Road Park.
(Jimmy)>> And since it recently rained we're having a whole lot more fun.
(Jeremy)>> With our daylight quickly fading we decided to end our day of fun.
(Jimmy)>> We had a great day of wheeling and all we have to do now is get our truck back to the shop and start our project. [ Music ]
(Jimmy)>> Oh this was a genius idea.
(Jeremy)>> Man I don't know about you but I am super excited about this combo.
(Jimmy)>> Me too but it's a lot of work until we get to see the final product. We have huge plans for this truck and it all revolves around our 1953 Willys body and the chassis of our 1984 CUCV, and to top it all off we're gonna throw a blown small block Chevy at it.
(Jeremy)>> To do all that we're gonna have to drastically change the way our CUCV looks to accommodate the Willys body, and that means we're gonna have to shorten the chassis, but before we can even think about doing that we're gonna have to get rid of the cab and that big 2,000 pound box that's on the back.
(Jimmy)>> Alright let's see what we're working with here.
(Jeremy)>> Well it's just like a regular truck bed ain't it?
(Jimmy)>> It looks like there's brackets welded to the chassis and then bolted to the box.
(Jeremy)>> Alright so should we use the torch or try the impact?
(Jimmy)>> I think a combo of both would be fine.
(Jeremy)>> Alrighty, well now's a good time to start. With getting rid of this massive box there's some stuff that's pretty easy, and then there's some stuff that's gonna need some real persuasion. [ Music ] [ mechanical humming ]
(Jeremy)>> With the front end of the truck out of the way we'll use a cart to get rid of the box. [ mechanical humming ]
(Jimmy)>> We're gonna attack all these items simultaneously and removing the grille guard will help us do just that.
(Jeremy)>> That's heavy duty. There's a few more points we need to disconnect before we can get to the heavy lifting. The front driveshaft needs to come loose, and then we'll just heat up the rear bolts so we can get that loose as well. The wheelbase of our CUCV is 132 inches. Now the wheel base of our Willys is 104 inches. Now to marry those two together we're gonna have to cut a section out of the frame of the CUCV. When we're done with that we're just gonna bring the two halves together. Then we'll grab our Willys body and set it right on top.
(Jimmy)>> To get this cutting party started we opted to use cutoff wheels. The cutting disc makes it pretty easy to follow a straight line.
(Jeremy)>> To knock this out fairly quickly Jimmy and I are both gonna be cutting each side of the frame. We're gonna cut the front side loose first, but this isn't gonna be just any old straight cut.
(Jimmy)>> That's right. At the bottom of our frame we left a little tab, and this will help realign the chassis later on.
(Jeremy)>> With our final cut releasing some stress in the frame we'll separate the two halves.
(Jimmy)>> Half way done. Half the truck, get it? Yeah! With the front half out of the way we'll get started shortening the chassis. In this scenario we're starting at the bottom. We'll follow that up with cutting up the side of the chassis, and finally we'll make the last cut safely from the top, allowing the 25-pound chunk of metal to fall to the ground.
(Jeremy)>> Oh yeah, I think we need to roll the chassis forward. [ Music ] Alright let's try that.
(Jimmy)>> Alright going down.
(Jeremy)>> Okay stop right there.
(Jimmy)>> It actually looks really level the way it's sitting there now.
(Jeremy)>> You're right, that's sitting like perfectly level on the chassis.
(Jimmy)>> So I think we just make mounts as it's sitting there and call it good.
(Jeremy)>> Yeah we'll just leave it right there.
(Katie)>> Coming up, this isn't gonna be just any mud wagon.
(Jimmy)>> We have a lot of metal to cut through, not to mention the layers upon layers of weld, bondo, and chicken wire. [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> To free our Dana 60 from the chassis we'll have to unbolt a number of items, including the shocks, the drag link, and the U-bolts that hold everything together. [ Music ] Looking good so far. A little bit, done!
(Jimmy)>> With our axle positioned so it's easy to work on we'll remove the wheels and tires. [ drill humming ]
(Jimmy)>> Then we'll remove the hub and rotor assemblies and pull the axle shafts.
(Jeremy)>> We'll unzip the bolts from the diff cover and pop it open. Once the gear oil drains from the case, we'll remove the bearing caps and carefully pry this heavy differential from its snug little home.
(Jimmy)>> We'll take the diff over to the work bench and remove all the ring gear bolts. Then we'll tap it with a hammer doing our best not to let it come crashing down and potentially chipping a tooth. With the correct shim arrangement, we can drop in our new differential and tap it into place. Then we'll secure it with bearing caps and check the backlash. [ drill humming ]
(Jimmy)>> The lift in the rear comes mainly from the leaf springs but the BDS provided lift blocks help level everything out. These are sandwiched between the axle and the springs with U-bolts. You want these to be tight. So we torqued these down to 100 pound feet.
(Jeremy)>> We are almost finished with the lift kit in the rear, but before we can move on to the front we're gonna add some shocks.
(Jimmy)>> The front lift kit installs a lot like the rear. The first parts to be installed are the leaf springs. [ drill humming ]
(Jeremy)>> Before we can mount the axle under our chassis we need to add some steering stabilizers. The provided bracket allows us to line them up. Secure them with a bolt and then we'll just snug them down.
(Jimmy)>> The other end is secured to the tie rod bar, and then we check to make sure we have full range of steering.
(Jeremy)>> Now we can finally get our front axle into position. We'll lower the chassis, snug up the U-bolts, securing everything in place.
(Jimmy)>> We'll attach the provided extension bracket to the sway bar. Then attach it to the U-bolt plate and tighten it down.
(Jeremy)>> The last thing we'll throw at our new suspension setup is a pair of shocks... [ drill humming ]
(Jeremy)>> ...completing our 8-inch lift. We're mounting our fuel tank behind the wheel wells and inside the cab.
(Jimmy)>> Our tank has a low spot or a sump for the fuel outlet and return lines. So we need to cut a hole big enough to fit that portion of the tank and any fuel lines we secure to it. [ saw buzzing ]
(Jeremy)>> With our tank in place we can measure for the fuel tank straps. Nine and 17. [ mechanical humming ]
(Jimmy)>> The fuel tank straps can then have four 90 degree bends put in them. Two on the outside for a mounting flange, and then two in the opposite direction to wrap around the fuel tank. [ Music ] Back at the body we'll lay the tank straps down and mark the holes where they'll drilled in the body. [ drill humming ]
(Jeremy)>> A roll cage is the next logical addition for this build. [ Music ]
(Jimmy)>> This style of roll cage doesn't tie into the chassis like others that we've built. Seven by four. This go around the cage is going to be tied into the Willys' floor. The floor isn't as heavy gauge steel as a chassis would be. So we're gonna make large plates to disperse any load that the cage might put into it.
(Jeremy)>> With the steel plates cut out we can prep the Willys body and... [ welder crackling ]
(Jeremy)>> ...tack them in place. With our main and side hoops in position we can burn them in. Then we'll measure for a diagonal brace, notch it, and add it to our roll cage for some strength. [ welder crackling ]
(Katie)>> Ahead, there is still plenty to do on the Willys. So, get ready!
(Jeremy)>> Keep coming, slowing down!
(Jimmy)>> We'll line up the bell housing and the transmission with the holes on the back of the engine. Then we'll add bolts marrying the two together. [ drill humming ]
(Jeremy)>> Alright a little bit on the throttle.
(Jimmy)>> Now we're ready to test fit our engine. We'll lower it into place until it touches the frame rails.
(Jeremy)>> Almost, there we go. Let's see if we can sneak it behind the supercharger. That just kind of slid right in there. Okay man fluid's in it and it's all wired up.
(Jimmy)>> Let's get some spark going on this guy.
(Jeremy)>> Let's see if it rocks, ready? [ engine starting ]
(Jimmy)>> Ohh yeaaah, woo! That's awesome!
(Jeremy)>> Just like that! [ engine revving ]
(Jimmy)>> Yes! The fenders are a simple install but require two people. One to hold it in position while the other adds the hard to get to bolts.
(Jeremy)>> With the two fenders installed we can add that recognizable front grille that will bolt to the fenders and the custom body mount we made up front.
(Jimmy)>> The last item to be installed will be the hood, but we already know it won't fit just because of how tall our engine is. So, we're gonna have to make some modifications. We'll measure the width to the outside of the headers and how much room the scoop takes up front to back.
(Jeremy)>> Back at the hood we'll start laying out those measurements. We'll use the body lines as a natural line to follow for the width of our cut. We'll use two-inch tape on the sides and one and half inch tape for the front and rear cuts on the hood.
(Jimmy)>> Now we're not gonna get to cutting right away. We're gonna start with the corners first. Our engine is solid mounted, and it's gonna shake and rattle around, and corners are very prone to cracking. So, we're gonna round the corners off to prevent that and it's gonna give us some style points.
(Jeremy)>> To accomplish this we'll use an inch and three-quarter hole saw. We'll line the edge of that up with the outside edge of our tape without the pilot bit installed. This will allow us to mark the center. [ Music ] Then we'll come back with the drill, apply even pressure to punch our way through the hood.
(Jimmy)>> We'll follow that up with a cutoff wheel carefully following the outside of our tape lines. As we cut, we'll work our way around meeting each of the rounded corners until we reach the last corner setting the sheet metal free.
(Jeremy)>> There ain't no turning back now. Time for a test fit. We need to remove the scoop up top and the air filters because we know the hood isn't going to completely fit in this state. The air cleaner and the scoop overlap the hood just a little bit. So, we'll mark that and then take it back to the bench to cut it out. We'll use the same hole saw to take care of the corners and trim the rest like earlier. [ saw buzzing ]
(Jimmy)>> Now we're ready to see how this bad boy looks. With a few finishing touches our nearly 70 year old hood gets a tough new look.
(Jeremy)>> The shifter assembly we got from Summit Racing is fairly easy to install. The only tough part is working in tight quarters. The main plate goes on first, screwing into the casting mounts on the transmission.
(Jimmy)>> Next, we need to position the shifter body on top of the plate and mark the area where we need to cut the trans tunnel. We'll do this from the top side.
(Jeremy)>> Now you may be asking yourself how in the heck are we gonna mark the top side of the tunnel? Well, that's easy. We'll just count the ribs on the bottom side of the tunnel. Then we'll do the same on the top side to locate our starting point.
(Jimmy)>> Using a spare piece of metal, we'll protect our wiring from any sparks, and we'll begin our cut using a cutoff wheel. We'll carefully cut along our line creating a rectangle long enough to allow the shifter to fully travel.
(Jeremy)>> We can now pass the shifter through the hole. Then with the help of a buddy we can position it over the main bracket and install the hard to get to screws. A quick tip. If your fingers can't get into those hard to reach areas but a wrench can just add a little bit of masking tape to the ends. That way it has just enough material to grab onto the nut to get into those hard to reach places.
(Jimmy)>> With the shifter now secured to the main plate we need to install the trans gear lever. It's a quick bolt on. Following that we need to measure the length of the threaded rod that will connect the shifter to the trans gear lever. You'll want to make sure both of these are in the park position.
(Jeremy)>> We'll transfer that measurement to our threaded rod subtracting an inch and three quarter for the rod ends. Then we'll just trim it off with a cutoff wheel. With our rod ends installed we can now marry our transmission to our shifter. One end goes to the trans gear lever and the other connects to the quad lever on the shifter. Then we'll just snug up the set nuts on the rod ends. A quick test in the cab makes sure that everything functions properly.
(Katie)>> Up next, it's time to get dirty as our team locks in some Big Willys four wheeling fun.
[ Music ] [ engine rumbling ] [ Music ] [ engine starting ] [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> This is the first time we're getting behind the wheel of our Willys mud wagon, and I can't be any more excited cause this is exactly what we did back home in Minnesota.
(Jimmy)>> And what a better place to take our mud monster than American Rebel Mud Park in Waynesboro, Tennessee. Approximately 500 acres and situated on the banks of the Buffalo River, this park is designed as an escape for mudders and enthusiasts. With a park like this it's needless to say that this is the perfect place to take our Willys mud wagon on its first test drive.
(Jeremy)>> Now we made some modifications up front to make sure our engine didn't pull in any debris. We turned the scoop backwards and we added three intake tubes to pull clean air from inside the cab.
(Jimmy)>> And we added a torque arm to prevent axle wrap under hard acceleration. [ engine revving ] [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> Alright man what do you say we take it easy here for the first little bit?
(Jimmy)>> Yeah, I think we go up a little bit at a time and then see if we can't put this thing through the ringer.
(Jeremy)>> Yeah there's a little pit here. So, let's start right here.
(Jimmy)>> Sounds good. [ engine revving ] [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> Alright man that truck's a little too clean. It's time to get it dirty. You go for it. [ Music ] [ engine revving ]
(Jimmy)>> The first and second puddles were about the same. A lot of water, a lot of mudslinging off the tires, but the third puddle wasn't so easy. I was looking at it from over the hood and it didn't look that deep, and then my front tire sank in and I thought this might be a problem.
(Jeremy)>> Oh that's deep, oh that's deep! Stop, out of the throttle.
(Jimmy)>> So I gunned it hoping to get the wheel speed up to get out of the mud, but the tires just kept getting deeper and deeper in the mud, and well I got stuck. [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> That's just good ole fashioned fun right there. [ Music ] Dude I thought we were gonna take it easy?
(Jimmy)>> Minor miscalculation. Yeah, I went into this one and I'm like. [ bleep ]
(Jimmy)>> Right when I got in I started sinking, I'm like oh #*%^.
(Jeremy)>> The Willys is finally feeling at home in the mud but maybe this hole was a little too deep.
(Jimmy)>> Alright so first run of the day off to not so hot of a start. We got the truck stuck. Kinda reiterates my I don't love lifted trucks, but this is one problem you get. When you get stuck in the mud you have to pull it out. So, Jeremy's getting the F-350 I am sitting on my personal island. [ Music ] [ engine revving ]
(Jeremy)>> So if I could rewind to the beginning of the day and draw this picture of exactly how I wanted the Willys to look that right there is 100 percent how I thought it would look. That's awesome! [ engine revving ]
(Jimmy)>> I'm filthy, the truck's filthy. We got it out of the mud. So now it's Jeremy's turn to thrash this thing.
(Jeremy)>> On my run I'm gonna take a slightly different approach. I'm gonna play around in the shallows, figure out how the truck acts, and figure out how the mud is gonna act, and then once I'm confident that the truck can do this we're gonna hit the deep end and then the ultimate goal is not to get stuck. [ engine revving ]
(Jeremy)>> The shallows went great, and I have all the faith in the world that we can push our Willys mud wagon into some deeper water. So, we're gonna whip this thing around this pit and hope we don't get stuck on the other side. [ engine revving ]
(Jimmy)>> This mud hole wasn't as deep as the one I ran into to, but when Jeremy ventured into the deep end the blower belt starting shoot water out of the cutout in the hood. [ engine revving ]
(Jimmy)>> Nice driving slick.
(Jeremy)>> Dude that is an absolute animal but it kinda felt like something was rubbing towards the end there. I don't know what's going on. The center section legit broke off the tubes.
(Jimmy)>> That's gnarly dude! That's not supposed to look like that. You think it's gonna make it back to the trailer?
(Jeremy)>> Yeah, I think it will but you know what? I think we've got to call it a day, but man look at this thing. It did everything we wanted it to do.
(Jimmy)>> This is what it's supposed to look like at the end of the day anyway.
(Jeremy)>> Yeah it wasn't supposed to be clean. For more information on anything you've seen today check us out on Powernation TV dot com.
(Katie)>> Man that Willys mud wagon is a beast. We know the guys had fun and sure hope you did as well. Remember you can catch all of our other great projects right here on Powernation Builds.
Show Full Transcript
[ Music ] [ engine revving ]
(Katie)>> Welcome to Powernation Builds. Today we have a ridiculously large vehicle, but if you're gonna build a mud wagon you've got to start somewhere. Here's Carcass. [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> Well Jimmy what do you think? Take this thing off road?
(Jimmy)>> I think so. It's very underpowered, extremely overweight, and has an astronomically high center of gravity. So what could go wrong?
(Jeremy)>> The truck's been doing absolutely outstanding. You really can't ask for a better base platform to start with, and it's locked already.
(Jimmy)>> What else do you want I guess?
(Jeremy)>> We upgraded, we threw some tires on it.
(Jimmy)>> Threw some tires on it, necessary.
(Jeremy)>> Necessary upgrade.
(Jimmy)>> The skinny 235's weren't gonna do us much good in the mud holes but these 37's, they got it.
(Jeremy)>> We're having a blast driving our new project vehicle around at Wooly's Off Road Park.
(Jimmy)>> And since it recently rained we're having a whole lot more fun.
(Jeremy)>> With our daylight quickly fading we decided to end our day of fun.
(Jimmy)>> We had a great day of wheeling and all we have to do now is get our truck back to the shop and start our project. [ Music ]
(Jimmy)>> Oh this was a genius idea.
(Jeremy)>> Man I don't know about you but I am super excited about this combo.
(Jimmy)>> Me too but it's a lot of work until we get to see the final product. We have huge plans for this truck and it all revolves around our 1953 Willys body and the chassis of our 1984 CUCV, and to top it all off we're gonna throw a blown small block Chevy at it.
(Jeremy)>> To do all that we're gonna have to drastically change the way our CUCV looks to accommodate the Willys body, and that means we're gonna have to shorten the chassis, but before we can even think about doing that we're gonna have to get rid of the cab and that big 2,000 pound box that's on the back.
(Jimmy)>> Alright let's see what we're working with here.
(Jeremy)>> Well it's just like a regular truck bed ain't it?
(Jimmy)>> It looks like there's brackets welded to the chassis and then bolted to the box.
(Jeremy)>> Alright so should we use the torch or try the impact?
(Jimmy)>> I think a combo of both would be fine.
(Jeremy)>> Alrighty, well now's a good time to start. With getting rid of this massive box there's some stuff that's pretty easy, and then there's some stuff that's gonna need some real persuasion. [ Music ] [ mechanical humming ]
(Jeremy)>> With the front end of the truck out of the way we'll use a cart to get rid of the box. [ mechanical humming ]
(Jimmy)>> We're gonna attack all these items simultaneously and removing the grille guard will help us do just that.
(Jeremy)>> That's heavy duty. There's a few more points we need to disconnect before we can get to the heavy lifting. The front driveshaft needs to come loose, and then we'll just heat up the rear bolts so we can get that loose as well. The wheelbase of our CUCV is 132 inches. Now the wheel base of our Willys is 104 inches. Now to marry those two together we're gonna have to cut a section out of the frame of the CUCV. When we're done with that we're just gonna bring the two halves together. Then we'll grab our Willys body and set it right on top.
(Jimmy)>> To get this cutting party started we opted to use cutoff wheels. The cutting disc makes it pretty easy to follow a straight line.
(Jeremy)>> To knock this out fairly quickly Jimmy and I are both gonna be cutting each side of the frame. We're gonna cut the front side loose first, but this isn't gonna be just any old straight cut.
(Jimmy)>> That's right. At the bottom of our frame we left a little tab, and this will help realign the chassis later on.
(Jeremy)>> With our final cut releasing some stress in the frame we'll separate the two halves.
(Jimmy)>> Half way done. Half the truck, get it? Yeah! With the front half out of the way we'll get started shortening the chassis. In this scenario we're starting at the bottom. We'll follow that up with cutting up the side of the chassis, and finally we'll make the last cut safely from the top, allowing the 25-pound chunk of metal to fall to the ground.
(Jeremy)>> Oh yeah, I think we need to roll the chassis forward. [ Music ] Alright let's try that.
(Jimmy)>> Alright going down.
(Jeremy)>> Okay stop right there.
(Jimmy)>> It actually looks really level the way it's sitting there now.
(Jeremy)>> You're right, that's sitting like perfectly level on the chassis.
(Jimmy)>> So I think we just make mounts as it's sitting there and call it good.
(Jeremy)>> Yeah we'll just leave it right there.
(Katie)>> Coming up, this isn't gonna be just any mud wagon.
(Jimmy)>> We have a lot of metal to cut through, not to mention the layers upon layers of weld, bondo, and chicken wire. [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> To free our Dana 60 from the chassis we'll have to unbolt a number of items, including the shocks, the drag link, and the U-bolts that hold everything together. [ Music ] Looking good so far. A little bit, done!
(Jimmy)>> With our axle positioned so it's easy to work on we'll remove the wheels and tires. [ drill humming ]
(Jimmy)>> Then we'll remove the hub and rotor assemblies and pull the axle shafts.
(Jeremy)>> We'll unzip the bolts from the diff cover and pop it open. Once the gear oil drains from the case, we'll remove the bearing caps and carefully pry this heavy differential from its snug little home.
(Jimmy)>> We'll take the diff over to the work bench and remove all the ring gear bolts. Then we'll tap it with a hammer doing our best not to let it come crashing down and potentially chipping a tooth. With the correct shim arrangement, we can drop in our new differential and tap it into place. Then we'll secure it with bearing caps and check the backlash. [ drill humming ]
(Jimmy)>> The lift in the rear comes mainly from the leaf springs but the BDS provided lift blocks help level everything out. These are sandwiched between the axle and the springs with U-bolts. You want these to be tight. So we torqued these down to 100 pound feet.
(Jeremy)>> We are almost finished with the lift kit in the rear, but before we can move on to the front we're gonna add some shocks.
(Jimmy)>> The front lift kit installs a lot like the rear. The first parts to be installed are the leaf springs. [ drill humming ]
(Jeremy)>> Before we can mount the axle under our chassis we need to add some steering stabilizers. The provided bracket allows us to line them up. Secure them with a bolt and then we'll just snug them down.
(Jimmy)>> The other end is secured to the tie rod bar, and then we check to make sure we have full range of steering.
(Jeremy)>> Now we can finally get our front axle into position. We'll lower the chassis, snug up the U-bolts, securing everything in place.
(Jimmy)>> We'll attach the provided extension bracket to the sway bar. Then attach it to the U-bolt plate and tighten it down.
(Jeremy)>> The last thing we'll throw at our new suspension setup is a pair of shocks... [ drill humming ]
(Jeremy)>> ...completing our 8-inch lift. We're mounting our fuel tank behind the wheel wells and inside the cab.
(Jimmy)>> Our tank has a low spot or a sump for the fuel outlet and return lines. So we need to cut a hole big enough to fit that portion of the tank and any fuel lines we secure to it. [ saw buzzing ]
(Jeremy)>> With our tank in place we can measure for the fuel tank straps. Nine and 17. [ mechanical humming ]
(Jimmy)>> The fuel tank straps can then have four 90 degree bends put in them. Two on the outside for a mounting flange, and then two in the opposite direction to wrap around the fuel tank. [ Music ] Back at the body we'll lay the tank straps down and mark the holes where they'll drilled in the body. [ drill humming ]
(Jeremy)>> A roll cage is the next logical addition for this build. [ Music ]
(Jimmy)>> This style of roll cage doesn't tie into the chassis like others that we've built. Seven by four. This go around the cage is going to be tied into the Willys' floor. The floor isn't as heavy gauge steel as a chassis would be. So we're gonna make large plates to disperse any load that the cage might put into it.
(Jeremy)>> With the steel plates cut out we can prep the Willys body and... [ welder crackling ]
(Jeremy)>> ...tack them in place. With our main and side hoops in position we can burn them in. Then we'll measure for a diagonal brace, notch it, and add it to our roll cage for some strength. [ welder crackling ]
(Katie)>> Ahead, there is still plenty to do on the Willys. So, get ready!
(Jeremy)>> Keep coming, slowing down!
(Jimmy)>> We'll line up the bell housing and the transmission with the holes on the back of the engine. Then we'll add bolts marrying the two together. [ drill humming ]
(Jeremy)>> Alright a little bit on the throttle.
(Jimmy)>> Now we're ready to test fit our engine. We'll lower it into place until it touches the frame rails.
(Jeremy)>> Almost, there we go. Let's see if we can sneak it behind the supercharger. That just kind of slid right in there. Okay man fluid's in it and it's all wired up.
(Jimmy)>> Let's get some spark going on this guy.
(Jeremy)>> Let's see if it rocks, ready? [ engine starting ]
(Jimmy)>> Ohh yeaaah, woo! That's awesome!
(Jeremy)>> Just like that! [ engine revving ]
(Jimmy)>> Yes! The fenders are a simple install but require two people. One to hold it in position while the other adds the hard to get to bolts.
(Jeremy)>> With the two fenders installed we can add that recognizable front grille that will bolt to the fenders and the custom body mount we made up front.
(Jimmy)>> The last item to be installed will be the hood, but we already know it won't fit just because of how tall our engine is. So, we're gonna have to make some modifications. We'll measure the width to the outside of the headers and how much room the scoop takes up front to back.
(Jeremy)>> Back at the hood we'll start laying out those measurements. We'll use the body lines as a natural line to follow for the width of our cut. We'll use two-inch tape on the sides and one and half inch tape for the front and rear cuts on the hood.
(Jimmy)>> Now we're not gonna get to cutting right away. We're gonna start with the corners first. Our engine is solid mounted, and it's gonna shake and rattle around, and corners are very prone to cracking. So, we're gonna round the corners off to prevent that and it's gonna give us some style points.
(Jeremy)>> To accomplish this we'll use an inch and three-quarter hole saw. We'll line the edge of that up with the outside edge of our tape without the pilot bit installed. This will allow us to mark the center. [ Music ] Then we'll come back with the drill, apply even pressure to punch our way through the hood.
(Jimmy)>> We'll follow that up with a cutoff wheel carefully following the outside of our tape lines. As we cut, we'll work our way around meeting each of the rounded corners until we reach the last corner setting the sheet metal free.
(Jeremy)>> There ain't no turning back now. Time for a test fit. We need to remove the scoop up top and the air filters because we know the hood isn't going to completely fit in this state. The air cleaner and the scoop overlap the hood just a little bit. So, we'll mark that and then take it back to the bench to cut it out. We'll use the same hole saw to take care of the corners and trim the rest like earlier. [ saw buzzing ]
(Jimmy)>> Now we're ready to see how this bad boy looks. With a few finishing touches our nearly 70 year old hood gets a tough new look.
(Jeremy)>> The shifter assembly we got from Summit Racing is fairly easy to install. The only tough part is working in tight quarters. The main plate goes on first, screwing into the casting mounts on the transmission.
(Jimmy)>> Next, we need to position the shifter body on top of the plate and mark the area where we need to cut the trans tunnel. We'll do this from the top side.
(Jeremy)>> Now you may be asking yourself how in the heck are we gonna mark the top side of the tunnel? Well, that's easy. We'll just count the ribs on the bottom side of the tunnel. Then we'll do the same on the top side to locate our starting point.
(Jimmy)>> Using a spare piece of metal, we'll protect our wiring from any sparks, and we'll begin our cut using a cutoff wheel. We'll carefully cut along our line creating a rectangle long enough to allow the shifter to fully travel.
(Jeremy)>> We can now pass the shifter through the hole. Then with the help of a buddy we can position it over the main bracket and install the hard to get to screws. A quick tip. If your fingers can't get into those hard to reach areas but a wrench can just add a little bit of masking tape to the ends. That way it has just enough material to grab onto the nut to get into those hard to reach places.
(Jimmy)>> With the shifter now secured to the main plate we need to install the trans gear lever. It's a quick bolt on. Following that we need to measure the length of the threaded rod that will connect the shifter to the trans gear lever. You'll want to make sure both of these are in the park position.
(Jeremy)>> We'll transfer that measurement to our threaded rod subtracting an inch and three quarter for the rod ends. Then we'll just trim it off with a cutoff wheel. With our rod ends installed we can now marry our transmission to our shifter. One end goes to the trans gear lever and the other connects to the quad lever on the shifter. Then we'll just snug up the set nuts on the rod ends. A quick test in the cab makes sure that everything functions properly.
(Katie)>> Up next, it's time to get dirty as our team locks in some Big Willys four wheeling fun.
[ Music ] [ engine rumbling ] [ Music ] [ engine starting ] [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> This is the first time we're getting behind the wheel of our Willys mud wagon, and I can't be any more excited cause this is exactly what we did back home in Minnesota.
(Jimmy)>> And what a better place to take our mud monster than American Rebel Mud Park in Waynesboro, Tennessee. Approximately 500 acres and situated on the banks of the Buffalo River, this park is designed as an escape for mudders and enthusiasts. With a park like this it's needless to say that this is the perfect place to take our Willys mud wagon on its first test drive.
(Jeremy)>> Now we made some modifications up front to make sure our engine didn't pull in any debris. We turned the scoop backwards and we added three intake tubes to pull clean air from inside the cab.
(Jimmy)>> And we added a torque arm to prevent axle wrap under hard acceleration. [ engine revving ] [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> Alright man what do you say we take it easy here for the first little bit?
(Jimmy)>> Yeah, I think we go up a little bit at a time and then see if we can't put this thing through the ringer.
(Jeremy)>> Yeah there's a little pit here. So, let's start right here.
(Jimmy)>> Sounds good. [ engine revving ] [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> Alright man that truck's a little too clean. It's time to get it dirty. You go for it. [ Music ] [ engine revving ]
(Jimmy)>> The first and second puddles were about the same. A lot of water, a lot of mudslinging off the tires, but the third puddle wasn't so easy. I was looking at it from over the hood and it didn't look that deep, and then my front tire sank in and I thought this might be a problem.
(Jeremy)>> Oh that's deep, oh that's deep! Stop, out of the throttle.
(Jimmy)>> So I gunned it hoping to get the wheel speed up to get out of the mud, but the tires just kept getting deeper and deeper in the mud, and well I got stuck. [ Music ]
(Jeremy)>> That's just good ole fashioned fun right there. [ Music ] Dude I thought we were gonna take it easy?
(Jimmy)>> Minor miscalculation. Yeah, I went into this one and I'm like. [ bleep ]
(Jimmy)>> Right when I got in I started sinking, I'm like oh #*%^.
(Jeremy)>> The Willys is finally feeling at home in the mud but maybe this hole was a little too deep.
(Jimmy)>> Alright so first run of the day off to not so hot of a start. We got the truck stuck. Kinda reiterates my I don't love lifted trucks, but this is one problem you get. When you get stuck in the mud you have to pull it out. So, Jeremy's getting the F-350 I am sitting on my personal island. [ Music ] [ engine revving ]
(Jeremy)>> So if I could rewind to the beginning of the day and draw this picture of exactly how I wanted the Willys to look that right there is 100 percent how I thought it would look. That's awesome! [ engine revving ]
(Jimmy)>> I'm filthy, the truck's filthy. We got it out of the mud. So now it's Jeremy's turn to thrash this thing.
(Jeremy)>> On my run I'm gonna take a slightly different approach. I'm gonna play around in the shallows, figure out how the truck acts, and figure out how the mud is gonna act, and then once I'm confident that the truck can do this we're gonna hit the deep end and then the ultimate goal is not to get stuck. [ engine revving ]
(Jeremy)>> The shallows went great, and I have all the faith in the world that we can push our Willys mud wagon into some deeper water. So, we're gonna whip this thing around this pit and hope we don't get stuck on the other side. [ engine revving ]
(Jimmy)>> This mud hole wasn't as deep as the one I ran into to, but when Jeremy ventured into the deep end the blower belt starting shoot water out of the cutout in the hood. [ engine revving ]
(Jimmy)>> Nice driving slick.
(Jeremy)>> Dude that is an absolute animal but it kinda felt like something was rubbing towards the end there. I don't know what's going on. The center section legit broke off the tubes.
(Jimmy)>> That's gnarly dude! That's not supposed to look like that. You think it's gonna make it back to the trailer?
(Jeremy)>> Yeah, I think it will but you know what? I think we've got to call it a day, but man look at this thing. It did everything we wanted it to do.
(Jimmy)>> This is what it's supposed to look like at the end of the day anyway.
(Jeremy)>> Yeah it wasn't supposed to be clean. For more information on anything you've seen today check us out on Powernation TV dot com.
(Katie)>> Man that Willys mud wagon is a beast. We know the guys had fun and sure hope you did as well. Remember you can catch all of our other great projects right here on Powernation Builds.
