Australian YJ #23

[Digit]

Well I guess it's time to start a build thread. As some of you may already know YJ's were not brought to australia (apart from a dozen or so to test market in late 80's and the odd grey import with British or Americans becoming Australian residents) so to be the proud new owner of one is quite exciting!

She's a 1987 hard top Laredo package, so there's a bit of work to do with the roof doors and interior, but with no market to shop around in, so be it.

I feared the chrome grille on the Laredos was the actual grille and I was dreading not being able to have it painted properly, was pleased to discover it's merely a dress trim over the front, I'll leave it in place for now as the paint's a bit damaged under there and it looks nicer.

My license plates turned up today, got my numbers on ready to go, they're a bit thin for my liking so I'll make some aluminium backing plates for the front one I think. I've purchased the fold down American style rear plate frame from ebay and that's on its way.

Full factory wiring and switch is in the jeep for fog lights so that's a bonus.

Having an issue with my wipers at the moment, coming to rest in random places, perusing some forums for that issue.
Just been doing fiddly little jobs so far like replacing oils, old globes, bit of a tune up etc.

Apart from that not too much to report yet. Where do I start lol?!

[ausjeep]

i see yours has something that mine desperately needs: a better horn.

first order of buisnees is get that roof off. you think you got a grin driving it now just wait until you go topless

[Digit]

Yea I put that in. It had an after market air horn but trumpets were broken, put a new single trumpet on old compressor and it sounds good.

Took cover off spare to make sure it had air and wash it, suprise! Can't complain about the tyre and wheel combo there! Now I only need to source 4 of them.

[Digit]

Can anyone tell me what these holes might have been for? They're on both sides.
Ta

[ImperialTrooper]

Normally a plastic trim piece would be affixed to the windshield if you used an OEM style soft top.

[ratrace427]

What he said. Its a trim that is used by the door seal. Also on your wiper situation, check the ground. Usually the motor grounds through the bolts holding the motor on. It might even have a flat piece of metal running under one bolt for the mount. Back the bolt off some and then tighten it back up. Fixed that easy.

[COBrian]

What was already said on those holes... but with a little extra detail for you to ponder....

If you have a soft top AND half doors a plastic piece screws onto the windshield on those holes to provide a surface for the top half doors to seal against as more surface is needed. if you have a hard top the metal door has the seal and it is a more precise opening hence it only needs the windshield area to seal against. It is the black plastic trim you can see in any pictures of the movie jeeps windshield area.

If you keep the hard doors and go with either the hardtop or a softtop that supports that (not movie accurate; if you care), then those holes mean nothing to you.

If you swap to half doors and get half upper soft doors you will use those holes to attach the plastic trim needed to create the seal.

[Digit]

Thanks for the info guys. Fixed my wiper issue and investigated why my instrument lighting was so dull. Found little blue condom sleeve things on all the bulbs, had gone old and funny. Peeled all them off now it's looking much better. Thought I'd snap a pic of how the glove compartment part of dash has been modified for the RHD conversion for anyone interested.

Also picked myself up a set of jumbo torx keys ready to get roof off and windscreen down tomorrow.

[ratrace427]

Buy the expensive torx keys. I twisted my cheap one apart like it was plastic. I had to borrow a MAC bit and use a cheater pipe to get mine apart. If things dont go your way stop, if they strip you are in trouble. I used some valve grinding compound on the torx bit to get a better hold in the head of the screw. Some of the mine tried to round off.

[Digit]

Already envisioned that being nearly 30 years old so I spared no expense and got the ones designed to go on a rattle gun for the ones in windscreen and roll bars etc.