Happy Australia Day guys! I thought it was about time I shared my project with you fellow Jeep heads.
Here's where I'm at after countless hours of research (and a lot of $$):
The Jeep - Top half
I have bought SwampDonkey's original build. It's a Black '03 TJ with a 6 point roll cage, race seats, custom front and rear bars, dual batteries, ARB compressor etc etc etc
The Jeep - Bottom half
Solid HP D44 in the front with a Detroit locker and 35 spline Chromalloy Axles (I have since bought Ox uni joints for it).
Solid HP D60 in the back with an ARB air locker and 35 spline Chromalloy axles. The lockers will eventually be around the other way but this will do for now.
It has a custom long arm lift using Chromalloy control arms and Nissan bushes.
The Jeep currently has approx 4.5" lift with another 1.5" body lift and 37" Krawlers on 17" rims. I'm going to take the body lift out and fit brand new 35x14.5" Super Swamper Boggers on 15x10" rims (I already have the tyres but not the rims yet). I also have 35x12.5” MTZ’s which I’ll use as road wheels and for engineering.
Below are some pics of the Jeep as it sits now (I couldn't figure out how to put them throughout the thread) SwampDonkey did an awesome job with this thing)...
I'll replace the front guards with standard ones (anyone have some?).
Engine and transmission
LS1+ out of an '04 Monaro with 70,000 on the clock. It has 270kw of power and 500nm of torque standard (will be a bit more with a bigger exhaust)... Twice the power of the 4L!!!!
4L65E four-speed auto out of the same car and B&M Megashifter bolted onto the NV231 transfer case with an SYE kit using Novak adaptors. pic below
I already have everything (I think) for the complete running gear swap.
BIG Alloy radiator and Thermo fan from Novak - this thing will keep 600hp cool in all conditions. pic below
Bolt on engine mounts, custom fuel adaptor kit, block hugger extractors, Holden transmission to Jeep transfer case adaptor plate, transfer case mount, transmission cooling lines and more - all from Novak Adaptors in the States.
I have also sent my complete Monaro wiring loom and Jeep dash to Novak which has now been returned with a brand new custom programmed ECM so that it will all bolt together and work together.
My plan all along has been to buy as much bolt on stuff as possible so that when I go to do the engine swap I won't find myself spending days on customizing everything.
I have spoken to the engineer that I'm going to use.
My (first) exhaust system will have standard Holden cats as far forward as possible and a quiet muffler.
Brakes won't be an issue as I have big disk brakes front and back.
I'll keep the standard Holden pollution gear which, as long as the Jeep is lighter than the Monaro (which it is) will be fine.
I will have to do a swerve test which should be fine with some good stiff shockers.
I've got an ARB front bar and standard rear bar with mud flaps which will go on for engineering.
The one thing I'm not sure about is the roll cage has a cross member which goes across the bottom of the windscreen (against the dash) – any thoughts on whether this will pass VIC rules?
I’ve taken a week off to work on this thing full time at the end of Feb. I expect to have the engine in and running with tail shafts (will have to lengthen the rear and shorten the front). I’ll then send it to Al’s custom exhaust in Dandenong (he did a great job on my CJ5) for an exhaust system. The system will have a flange after the cats up the front – I will have two exhaust systems in the end (a legal one and a loud one).
I hope to have it fully built, engineered and ready for fun in VIC by end March.
I welcome any queries, questions or comments – have I forgotten anything!!??
Oh... And I have the number plate's "CAMBO-8"
TJ: Cambo-8 (LS1)
