My 1963 CJ3B Build Thread

[Doug_3B]

The next thing I started working on was the lift gate.  It needed a new hinge.



And time for a test fit.  Fit perfectly!





I had to notch a small portion so the spare tire carrier would fit





The lift gate had no latch; the tailgate held it closed.  It did lock in the open position.

On to the doors.  I've seen the question asked many times:  will a top for a low hood Jeep fit on a CJ3B?  Here's where you can really run into issues.

Here is a shot of the passenger door for a CJ3A (I think) on a CJ3B.  This is what you're up against.  Look along the edge of the windshield frame.  At the top everything is good, at the bottom, not so much.  In actuality, I probably could have run it like that and just had some water and air leak in.  I wanted to make it look right; however.





And, I had a welder, a wild imagination, and spare sheet metal sitting around.  I cut a pattern from a piece of cardboard, then used that to cut out a piece of sheet metal.  Ya got to be careful with sheet metal, especially when it comes to a point - it just kind of starts to disappear on you.  Anyway, I got the piece welded in.  Not perfect, but functional.





I was just kind of winging it here, basing my design off of some pictures I found on the CJ3B Page



I ended up with very little gap in there



And checking to make sure the door fits





The same process was repeated on the drivers side.

Then, I ran it for two winters with no glass in it LOL.  The top always came off in early April and went back on as late in November as I could stand it.  Sometimes I was a little late putting the top on

[Doug_3B]

After a couple years of running the top with no glass, I finally broke down and set to that project.  The sides originally had sliding windows, but I decided to just make them stationary.

Being the cheap man that I am, I had the glass place cut the laminated glass (which was NOT cheap, I assure you), but I was going to install.  I also bought the seal from them. 

It took many hours of cussing, sweating, and struggling to install the locking strip in the seals, I finally got them in.





Holy smokes, so I wasn't about to struggle through that again!  I went and found the correct tool to install those seals and bought it.  I took the lift gate to the glass shop and had them cut glass for it as well.  They installed the seal for me for free without me asking....



But, I wasn't about to complain!



You can also see in these pictures, I painted all of the rims black.  While the white looks good, I like the black better.



Now, with glass installed in the sides and lift gate, when I put the doors on, even with no windows, the cab started to get nice and toasty....

[SteveKfl]

Did they put the seam of the gasket on the top?  It all looks good together.  BTW, do you think a bedliner coating rolled on would hide your "flaws" you mentioned while giving it a protective coating and a vinyl top look too?  Just a thought out loud.

[Doug_3B]

For the hard top, all that was left were the doors.  While I had the exterior painted with hammered black, the insides looked like this:



I used a 3M product that was supposed to protect the metal and help provide some sound insulation



The plan was to spray the entire interior of the top with this stuff.  I only ever got around to doing the insides of the doors.



I removed the crank mechanism, blasted it with my cheap sand blaster and cleaned it up pretty good.  After greasing the moving parts, it actually moved really nicely.

The next thing was to get the felt window channel.  I had no idea what I was doing here, so did a lot of research and finally ordered the channel.  It came in one big long strip.



I had to measure, cut, and shape it to fit the door.



when it came to glass, I had two that I salvaged off of an old CJ5 Koenig top.  They were plate glass and were about 1/8" too wide.  I had a glass shop trim them down and both shattered.  They warned me that would likely happen.  So, I ended up with two brand new laminated glass windows.

Figuring out how to get them installed was a little tricky.  There was some trial and error.  Put it in, take it back out and try again.



Finally, I had a fully enclosed cab!







I used some thin paneling and finished the inside of the doors



As soon as I started driving it with an enclosed cab, I found that the windows fogged up on me.  I had planned on fabricating up a defroster duct out of sheetmetal, but needed something in the interim.  Here is what I ended up doing:



Yes, it was clunky.  It was simply held in place by 4 sheetmetal screws, and it worked great.



I finished the top in December of 2014 and ran it every winter until this year (2020).  I sold the top this past summer.  It was functional and solid, but it takes up a lot of space when storing it, even in pieces, and the blind spots were so bad that I was afraid to drive it.  I thought about modifying it and making the windows much larger, but that still left me the problem of storing it.  After much thought, I decided to sell it and go with a vinyl or canvas top.  While the hard top is gone, I still haven't decided on a new top.  So, the Jeep is spending the winter in the garage and if I drive it, I'll bundle up.

[Doug_3B]

Did they put the seam of the gasket on the top?  It all looks good together.  BTW, do you think a bedliner coating rolled on would hide your "flaws" you mentioned while giving it a protective coating and a vinyl top look too?  Just a thought out loud.

Steve,

I'm not sure what they used originally, but I used 3/4" wide weather strips from the hardware store between the hardtop and the tub, and also between the sides and roof.

I never even considered using a bed liner.  I bet it would have worked great.  Paint it on inside and out, it probably would have done a great job at hiding the flaws and may have even provided some sound insulation.

[Doug_3B]

One day in June of 2014, I guess I was a little bored, so set about modifying my roll bar.

Here is how it originally mounted in the Jeep.  I used eyebolts, that way I could secure gear down if I was going camping or whatever.



I didn't like how that plate covered the whole fender.  So, I set about fixing it.  I removed the roll bar and had to get a shot of the Jeep without it:



Then I divided the plate into 4 equal sections and cut out the middle two sections:



There was quite a bit of drilling involved to get through both plates on all 4 corners.



I decided that while I'm at it, I might as well weld on nuts to the bottom plate and then paint it with POR-15



I used strips of an old mud flap for between the roll bar and tub.



And finally getting it secured in place:



And from the bottom.  It should be easy enough to add a piece of bar from the bottom plate to the frame should I ever decide to do that.



I don't know if this was beneficial in any way or not, but it kept me out of trouble for a couple days

[Doug_3B]

I often wished I had locking storage in the Jeep.  I planned to use an ammo can.  I took some rough measurements between the seats and then went looking for the right size can.

A 40mm grenade ammo can had just about the perfect dimensions.  When it arrived, I did a test fit.



Perfect!



The only thing that wasn't perfect is that the lid didn't hinge.  I was used to normal people ammo cans that latched on one end and hinged on the other.  Apparently wild men, who shoot things like the Mk-19 belt-fed grenade launchers, do not like hinged lids on their ammo cans.

This wasn't a big problem because I had a welder and left-over piano hinge!

I started out by making raised legs to keep it of the floor of the tub and also have it at the right height to double as an arm rest.  I used pipe with washers welded to both ends.  Due to differences in the floor height, one leg had to be longer.



Here is another test fit





Here is a shot of the bracket that is on both ends of the ammo can.



With little work, I removed the bracket from one end.



Flip the bracket around, and it was the perfect fit to reutilize



I welded the bracket in place and put a strap around the can to put a slight pressure on the lid.  I wasn't sure if it would seal properly if I didn't do that.



And finally, the hinge welded on.  One side to the lid, the other to the repurposed bracket



Testing it out



Here it is installed in the Jeep



For the locking part, I welded on the loop from a hasp lock



Lined up with the existing holes in the front latch



And the front latch clears the shifters just fine.

[SteveKfl]

I used the same can and added a "cam lock" through the front, and shaved off the handles on top for a smooth top.  It also fits a small insulated vinyl cooler bag to contain cold drinks if desired.

[Doug_3B]

For 6 years, from 2008 when I first put my 3B on the road, until 2014, I drove around with seatbacks that looked like this:



Finally, I had enough!  My back had enough!!

Again, I had no real idea what I was doing, but I cut out some fabric



Pinned it in place:



Sewed it, pinned the other end on



Semi-finished product



Added some snaps



And some thin foam



And installed







And while I was at it, I made this as well

[Doug_3B]

I used the same can and added a "cam lock" through the front, and shaved off the handles on top for a smooth top.  It also fits a small insulated vinyl cooler bag to contain cold drinks if desired.

Steve, do you have a picture of your cam lock setup?  My setup is pretty simple and effective, but I don't like how much the lock rattles around while I'm bouncing down some Forest Service road.  Always looking for improvements!!

[SteveKfl]

I don't, but I'll go over to the shop today to try to get some for you.  I used locks for 'filing cabinets" from Home Depot, all keyed alike for three storage compartments I made.  Not a bank vault security, but keeps nosy ones out and does not rattle.  I love the seat covers and matching center padding.

[Doug_3B]

We are REALLY close to being up to date on this rig.

Starting in 2013, I went through a rough couple of years as my life was upended in a divorce.  Some good friends and the Ol' 3B helped see me through.   

In late 2015, I met the beautiful lady that was to be my new wife and spent a couple years convincing her I was the right guy for her 

In that time, I didn't get a lot of  projects done on the Jeep.  There were a few; however.

In the fall of 2015, I got tired of the stiff ride of the 3B, so purchased the Superlift 1" lift kit.





I was really impressed with the difference in the ride.  It was like a Cadillac (compared to what it was before!)

I was also trying to find an authentic horn.  Authentic Jeep horns must be made of gold because you can't find them.  If you do find them, the prices are outrageous!

I ended up finding this guy and am very pleased with it:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H84UVK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1





I always wanted a tach in the Jeep.  I finally broke down and bought one.  It's nothing fancy, but it works.



In the past year or so, I replaced the old steering wheel that had the small horn button with the correct large button steering wheel for a 63.



In my never ending quest to see behind me better, I added this nasty mirror.  I'm still looking for something better than this



And after years of contemplating, I finally broke down and bought a Pertronix ignition module.  I noticed no difference; perhaps I'll order their coil to go along with it and see how that goes.  I put one on a 69 Bronco years ago and the difference was amazing.  On that one, I don't remember if I used their coil or not.  But, for right now on the Jeep, I am underwhelmed.



So, finally, that brings this thing up to date.  I wanted to get this documented again because there are other projects I'd like to do and wanted to have the whole process in one place.

Some things I plan to do and not necessarily in this order:

Buy/install canvas top
Install a radio
install oil pressure/amp/temp gauges without cutting holes in the dash
real seat coverings
emergency flashers
passenger wiper
11" brakes
Reverse light mod
better fuse/circuit breaker panel
upgrade to 16" rims and radial tires
LED lights
swing away tire/jerry can carrier
dual reservoir master cylinder
side steps
Add cup holders somewhere, the current idea is to put them on front of the center console.

I'm sure there is more that I'm forgetting, but that list alone should keep me busy for a couple years.

I'll try to be good at keeping this thread updated

[Doug_3B]

I don't, but I'll go over to the shop today to try to get some for you.  I used locks for 'filing cabinets" from Home Depot, all keyed alike for three storage compartments I made.  Not a bank vault security, but keeps nosy ones out and does not rattle.  I love the seat covers and matching center padding.

I sure appreciate it Steve, no big hurry.  yeah, I'm just looking to keep the nosy ones out.  If someone wants in to the one I have, they'll get in. 

Ya know, this might be dangerous:  all of us sharing Jeep pictures, giving everyone else ideas for never ending projects! 

[SteveKfl]

OK, I've tried 3 times to attach pics to my reply, but it just cycles back to a blank reply page..  New to me camera, and borrowed laptop, so I'm not sure what is different now, as I never had an issue before.  I'll check pic size next. Sorry for the delay.

[SteveKfl]

Let me try the pic attachment again.  3/6 this time.