Here is the buildup of my 1984 postal Jeep. It has been an ongoing process and I have to thank all the suppliers, designers, and wheelers that have gave me the inspiration to build it one time.

I have owned a few of these right hand drive CJ-8's but have always ended up selling them. I found three of them for $2500. One was complete and ran the other two in various stages of decay... The Jeep and website are both under construction...

Here is the "clean" one that I brought home. I drove this around for a few years while I was gatering parts to rebuild it. One day when I went to go check the mail it died on me never to start again. So the rebuild began...

Horible it was, the death of a postal Jeep. Ironic that it died at the Post Office. I guess that it just wanted to go home to die...

This next part will be hard to see for Jeep lovers. A proper funeral was made for what was not salvaged.

The rust underneath the body was to much to save. After having the frame sandblasted, it was much worse in the rear than I had previously thought. So I made a few calls and went to work.

First I marked the frame where the right hand drive steering box mounts then cut the front off. I slapped an adress label on it and shipped it to AFW (now Throttle Down Kustoms). Jeremy hooked me up with a mandrel bent frame set up for my Chevy engine, RHD, and galvanized too.

I had been discussing my engine needs for a daily driver and a off-road race ready vechicle with custom engine builder Gregg Hekimian of Hekimian Racing Engines. We took everything in consideration: tranny, T-case, axles, gears,tires. He then designed and built me a Chevy 383 pushing about 460hp @5500 and 490fptq @3500. Rock solid engine and a superb person to work with as well. Ok, I know it is sad to take it outside just for photos, but at least I did find a good use for that Chiltons manual.

The Tranny was built by local racer and tranny guru Jimmy from Top Jimmy Performance, he took the engine spec sheet and transformed my 700R4 so it could handle the horsepower and torque.

The body I orderd was steel. My choice for this was that I had to drill and swap out firewalls to retain the right hand drive steering and heating components in the body. Since I was already in a cutting mood (on a new body) I decided to give myself some extra room in the rear wheelwells and cut them. The photo, below right is a "how to" fender trimming link that will open in a new window.

Well since I was in the modifying mood...well...I think I will set it up for a CJ-7 top and tub the rear. So I went and tubbed it in and took a perfect tailgate and welded it in. Had a rack made for the rear and BAM its done. If only it was that easy.

Click on the spacecraft to email webmaster.

Lost in Alaska™ and the Lost in Alaska logo are trademarks.

Copyright © 2000-2008