Jeep to Juggy and everything inbetween

[79JeepinCJ7]

Hey guys, my name is Devin Noyes.

I just moved down here to Madison NC from VT for work and was introduced to this website so I figured I'd introduce myself and start a thread of the history of my rig. I will say its very picture heavy and quite a few stories so sorry for the long wind!

It started as a 79 CJ7 that my parents had bought and never got around to redoing. Had an amc 304 and SR4 trans. The SR4 blew up the first weekend on the road so it got a T5. The last picture is my dad towing me home from campus (15 minutes) with the blown trany. And of course I was young and dumb and just played in the mud.

After finding a 360 for it I spent the day swapping engines at my parents. Let me say that where we were working on the jeep under the deck was perfectly level on crushed stone and the jeep had been in neutral all day. Once you get out from under the porch theres another 25 feet of flat yard then a long down hill and horse field.

This picture is standing on the back porch above we were working looking down the hill and field I was talking about.

Well I went to bed that night and came out the next morning and the jeep was gone. I thought my buddies were playing a trick on me so I ran up on the deck to see if I could see the tire tracks on the grass. I wish I had taken a picture of them because the jeep rolled out from under the porch backwards, turned around at the top of the hill then rolled forwards down the rest of the yard, through the horse fence and into the woods at the bottom of the field.

My heart sunk I ran as fast as I could to the bottom of the hill to see the damage praying it was okay. Once I got there it was about as bad as it could get. The jeep had a fiberglass tub and fenders that did not fair well. The right front tire had grabbed a large maple tree on its way into the ditch which ripped the front right fender off, broke the right leaf spring pushing the axle back and braking the transmission in half. The right side of the frame was about 4" further back then the left. Also cracking the cowl and whole side of the tub. Dented the hood and the glass flew out of the windshield and wrapped around the tree infront of the jeep on the other side of the ditch.

This is how I found it

I got it back to my shop down the road and got it in the garage to start the tear down. The Jeep looked so sad.

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

So I started looking on CL and found a good frame with another 304, t18, narrow track axles and boxes of odds and ends parts for $300. Got that home, stripped down and started the rebuild with my dads help.

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

Once we got the frame done, it was onto the body.

The finished product, man she was beautiful! One CJ of the month on Jeepforum too which was very exciting after all that hard work!

But yet again... destiny just didnt want this jeep to live. We were out on a class 4 road and I blew a brake line on a climb. I dumped the clutch to try to stop me from rolling backwards but my right rear tire bounced on a rock lifting that side of the jeep up sending us over down the climb.

I was heartbroken again, but this time it was my fault for not just leaving it on the road and building something to beat in the woods with (which still haunts me today). The next day my dad was furious since he asked me not to wheel it with the amount of time he helped put into the body work and paint. He said he wasnt going to help again this time around. Fair enough.

But now I had a thirst for wheeling. So I spray painted some other dinged up fenders along with a spare windshield frame I had and threw them on. I wheeled the rest of the season like that along with adding a rear locker to the narrow track 44.

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

I got sick of having a carb so I found an old chevy tbi truck and built my own FI for the AMC engine along with an AX15 swap with a waggy front, scout rear, RE SOA front springs and OME rear XJ springs giving it a little bit of a stretch as well.

What I started with

Half way through

Never took any more pictures of the finished FI harness. I was too excited to get it in and try to start it so I could do the axle swap! That 360 ended up having some issues so I threw a sb350 in it with the newer tbi setup I built for the 360. I just had to reflash the computer back to stock.

What a difference!

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

After that season of wheeling I needed a cage to step up the game again. So with the help of some buddies the cage began!

Theres are just goofing around. The cage wont be this low.

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

The hot pink looked really cool! And I joined a group call "Crawling for a Cure" and raised money for breast cancer. The pink faded pretty fast unfortunately tho.

Another season went by and I had to keep up with the big boys! So the dana 44's hit the road and she got a 78 Ford dana 60 I had out back and found a 79 14 bolt.

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

My front leaf springs had been hammered so hard over the last few years that now with the bigger tires the axle wrap was awful. After repeatedly breaking front driveshafts from binding caused by the axle wrap I bit the bullet this winter and cut the rest of the body off, 3 linked the front, 4 linked the rear and put a 5:1 atlas in it behind my sm465.

I have only had 1 shakedown at Uwharrie and the fuel cell cracked open when I flopped. It split the welds one end of the cell. I've had it for quite a while now but I'm not sure if the rear tubing twisted some and that popped it or not. But I have to get that tigged and get it out on another run.

Hopefully I'll get to the flatts sometime and really get to try it out. Other then that I dont know of any harder stuff yet. So hopefully once I meet some of you guys I can get led in the right direction!

I still have to build a dash for it and a few other little things as well once I get a welder down here. We where off a little on the curb weight with the coilover springs too so its 2" higher all the way around then it is suppose to be. I need to take it somewhere and have the suspension tuned and the correct springs swapped in, so if any of you guys have some recommendations where to go/who does it that would be great!

Here are a couple videos for fun of the crew back home at club property. I'll be making a trip back every year in August to wheel there and anyone who doesnt mind hauling a rig to NH for some really awesome wheeling is welcome to come up with me! We camp and wheel all weekend.

This was when we were all still on 36's with dana 44's at my parents land.



And this one is a mix of my parents land and field and forest (where I'll be trailering to).

 

[amcjeepman]

Welcome to the board Devin, hope you come ride Potts Jeep Trail with us this weekend.

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

Thanks James!

The fuel cell is being tigged tonight and I have all the parts for my transfer case ordered for my truck, so hopefully everything will be back in working state to be ready for the weekend!

 

[jeepinmatt]

Cool pics/story. I swear H2 wheels look good on everything except H2's, haha!

 

[BigClay]

Very nice progression!

Welcome to NC4x4

 

[XJfreakHO]

Glad you found the forum Devin, look forward to catching up soon.

 

[TheGriz]

My RCI tank split in the same exact place on my 3rd trip. After reading about all the other people who had the exact same problem, I replaced it with a JAZ that has a plastic bladder.

I didn't flop or anything to cause it. I was doing some go-fast, but I don't picture that section of my tube chassis flexing in a way to do that kind of damage.

Good looking build.

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

Really? Good to know. I'm gonna run this one tig welded but I'll start shopping for a jaz tank because I'm sure it's gonna happen again.

Your build is pretty impressive too.

 

[rodcycle]

Good looking jeep

 

[XJsavage]

Nice looking rig and great story! I even like the Crawling for the cure scheme. (My mom is a BC survivor) Looking forward to wheeling with ya.

 

[drkelly]

Awesome thread!

Based on the videos you posted, you need to hit the Flats next open ride.

 

[frankenyoter]

I saw grape Laffy Taffy stop a leak in an aluminum fuel cell once. True story.

Oh and welcome to the forum.

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

I saw grape Laffy Taffy stop a leak in an aluminum fuel cell once. True story.

Oh and welcome to the forum.

Ha! thats awesome! We had some gum but it wasnt gonna be enough and I figured the gas would just eat it off very fast. But thats pretty funny.

And thanks guys! drkelly - id love to get out to the flats on the next ride and then hopefully join a club that uses it regularly. From what I've heard its going to be the closest to what back home was. All those guys from the videos are anxious to get down here and wheel a long weekend once I find something worth driving down for as well.

 

[79JeepinCJ7]

So I got my fuel cell back this morning from a buddy at work who knew a guy that tig welded. He reinforced all 4 corners where the tank was bowing and where it had spit already.

Hopefully that will hold up for the season or 2.

 

[rodcycle]

Just YouTube the flats Marion nc. Lots of video