This is how the Moonlight Rambler looked when we first got her. Only things I had done at this point was take off the factory steps, get the brakes working (sorta) and installed a turnsignal switch.
This is the only known pic in existence of me and the Rambler that first season.
Here, the rebuild has started. Taken in the spring of 2002, you can see we've taken the top off for some repair, and this pic shows the remodeled roll bar. It also shows the new height as we had the springs re-arced and add-a-leafs installed.
Flexed out a bit in the snow. I wanted to check that the new springs flexed okay. I'm no flex monger since I don't rockcrawl, but ya gotta check these things out! If you say "hey, he's not flexed much" I ask you to try it on snow and ice in 2wd with those tires! She's still wearing the Dunlop 10-15LT Dune Runner tires she had when we first got her....I've kept them for going on the beach clam digging!
In the paintshop this summer. That's my father in the background. He's been a huge help on the rebuild doing most of the welding. Here he had just surprised me by painting the tub and fenders for me. I'd previously painted the hood and rollbar. He also had put the new 33x9.50 Trail Mark M&S tires on. I really like the new ride height!
My daughter Shayla in the driver's seat. She looks a bit unhappy. She didn't like being in the jeep without me. She wanted to "help" me drive the couple of back road blocks to the garage from the paintshop. She was on my lap when I lit the fire in the 304....remember, we were in the shop, the top was off, and the hood was off.....it started on hi-idle too.....she immediately went to grandpa and rode home with him in the Explorer! Oh well.....Nowdays she really enjoys riding around in the jeep.
Here we've made it from the paintshop to the garage. We've got the hood on and things are shaping up nicely!
Flexed a bit again. Rollbar is back in after lining the tub. You can see we have one of the most important accesories installed--the gunracks! On the back you can see the swing out tire carrier and jerry can.
Back from playing a bit. Iwasn't quite finished with the top, so she spent the summer of '02 topless. It was okay until it started freezing at night! In this view you can see the then new rock rails/running boards and new front bumper.
Before the top was finished, we still played a bit with the jeep. Here Tanya is picking some Lingonberries, commonly called low bush cranberries. This trail leads to a muskeg swamp. We went down quite a bit further, but when the ground become swamp we turned around. I managed to hook a tree between the bumper and right front fender, causing my first trail damage--a small crack in the fender.
An over the hood shot of the typical trail on the Kenai Peninsula. You crawl over a fair number of logs/stumps, some moss covered rocks with the occasionally mudhole or muskeg swamp thrown in for fun. There are lots of places to play in the mud, but I prefer the trails less traveled by.
Here we've just put on the hardtop, but haven't gotten any of the doors on yet.
This is a good view of the back, and the custom swing out tire carrier/gas can carrier.
A shot of the rear carrier fully loaded in the driveway. Note the long mudflaps....they got ripped in half on two different trips--one at Wishbone Lake, the other out at Goosebay.
Tanya took this shot of me coming up a hill near Wishbone Lake. This spot sorta surprised me. It looked simply like a good photo op. However, it starts out going throgh a mud hole that is deeper/nastier than I thought, then up a 2-3' vertical climb, then a fairly steep hill climb. I started walking on it when I felt myself sinking in the mud, then had a WHOLE bunch of momentum when I got to the vertical. No problems, but I wish I could have crawled it rather than bouncing it!
Next photo in the sequence.
Last photo in the climb sequence.
A quick shot from the other side. The picture doesn't do the spot justice. Still it was a lot of fun!
The man behind the jeep. My niece Deanna snapped this pic of me at my daughter's third birthday party.
Year: 1974
Make: AMC
Model: CJ5
Engine: AMC 304 cid V-8
Tranny: T-150 3 speed
Transfercase: Dana 20 2 speed
Front Axle: Dana 30, open, 3.73 ratio, Drum brakes
Rear Axle: Dana 44, Trac-loc, 3.73 ratio, Drum brakes
Springs: Stock, re-arched 2.5", add-a-leaf in each pack, rear shackle lift to level jeep.
Tires: 33" x 9.50" R15 Trail Mark M&S on 15"x 7" White Spoke rims
Top: Aftermarket '70s Steel Hardtop
Mods: Custom steel front and rear bumpers, custom swing out tire carrier w/jerrycan, custom rock rails, re-configured roll bar, custom grill guard
Planned Mods: Safari rack, winch.
Ride Height Adjustment--leveling a CJ!
