This page is dedicated to the build up of my '71 EB.  I've had several EBs over the years, trying to do everything with one truck, but recently had an epiphany.  I decided to have one EB as a daily driver and another to be the rock beast.  This is the story of the rock beast...

OTHER PAGES:
    Main Page
    NP203 Doubler Page
    Scout II PS Setup and Tube Front Sub-frame 

Welded in Tool Box under passenger seat	Shelf under hood, used to be heater	Mock up of new cage, still needs finish welding.  Also, note color of rear panel.  This will be the new color.	Final mock up of cage, still needs finish welding, I ran out of gas!

Front 1/4 view of Scout box and tie rods	Side view of same

Side view, not a special camo job, just testing paint colors on the fender This is 4.5" suspension and 2" body lift	The welded in Rocker protection	Close up of front wheel opening, still needs triming to fit right	Close up of rear wheel opening, also needs triming

This body has been a bit of work to get fixed up and ready for installation, but it's in a LOT better shape than the old blue one was.  Where the floorboard to rocker panel seam was, there was no metal for 2" in any direction.  Since I'd undercoated both sides of the tub a couple of years ago when I first got it, there was no easy way to fix it.  I welded new metal in for both floorboards, made some additional metal reinforcing for the kick panel to floor seam, replaced the corroded drivers side body mount under the floor, cut off the offending sheetmatal and added the rocker protection.
 
 

Body tub with front cut off	Engine, bellhousing and tranny mocked up	Front view of engine in frame	NP203 Doubler on NP435
Full width axles installed	Frame with shock, coil, track bar and motor mounts removed	Front axle moved 6" forward	New mounts, coil and shock mounts installed
New mounts, coil and shock mounts installed	The rear axle moved 3" back	Close up of front mount	Close up of rear mount
Close up of engine mounts and notched crossmember	Engine in, note front clearance	Engine and C-6 mocked up	Mocked up with the C-6 and NP203
Mocked up with the C-6 and NP203	Mocked up with the C-6 and NP203	01 APRIL, Test fit the body!!!

The Build Up:

    I'd been driving and building this EB for about the last 3 years, but the body was never in good shape and me learning to drive the rocks really beat it up.  I picked up another EB fairly cheap and decided to make a daily driver and strictly trail EB from them.  By the time really got around to doing much with this one, I'd already finished stripping all the good stuff off it and building it up into the  white '74.  Now to do the trail rig with this one.   So here's how it went...

Day 1.
    Well, got the body off  the frame today and tried to put the engine in, no such luck.  The front crank pulley hits the frame crossmember and the motor mounts are too close together.  I'll try a smaller set of mounts before I hack the old ones off the frame.  I think I'm going to have to move the front crossmember forward an inch or two.  This may be good, since I wanted to move the front axle forward a bit as well.

Day 2.
    Cut the front off the body tub and pulled the last bit of stuff from the inside.

Feb 15
    I took a long break (2 weeks), I was burned out after getting the other one cleaned up and done.  So today I got my new engine hoist and put it together, then tried putting the engine in the frame to make good measurements for mods to make it fit.  Well, unlike last time, I had a little more patients putting it in.  Stock '90 E250 motor mounts in the stock '71 V-8 frame horns.  Woo Hooo!!  Doesn't look like I'll have any interference from the front crossmember as well.  Once the engine was in, I also bolted on the bellhousing and transmission to see how it'll look.  You can see in the pictures.

March 1
    Got the full width axles in.  Took the engine back out, I didn't like how high up it sat.  I knew that would move the Center of Gravity up MUCH higher than I wanted it.  The plan now is to fab up some engine mounts and then reinstall the engine.  I have the stock V-8 horns cut off the frame.  Front half of NP203 Doubler is solved, now I just need to do the back half.  I may have a line on a cheap Chevy D60, if so I'll be creating a hybrid front axle!!

March 10
    Decided I'm going to move the front axle forward.  Cut the coil towers, shock mounts and trackbar mount off the frame.  Also cut the radius arm mounts off the frame.  They were a MAJOR PIA since I had custom ones on there for the extended radius arms.  Spent about 5 hours getting all the old stuff off the frame.  It could have talken less time, but I needed to try and keep them in good shape so I can reuse them.

March 16-18
    Did move the front axle forward about 6".  Picked up a Scout II PS gearbox from the yard, I may use it depending on clearance issues once it's all set.  The pitman faces the opposite direction and it seems like a pretty good alternative to the old PS box.  I also moved the rear axle back about 3".  Overall the wheelbase should be about 100".  I wonder what the body will look like once it's all back together...

March 22-24
    Got the new engine mounts, and old coil towers and shock mounts welded back onto the frame.  Notched the front crossmember to allow clearance for the crank pulley.  Finish welded the rear axle brackets back on the frame.  All painted up and looking good.  Got the engine mounted and mocked up with a C-6 tranny from a '85 Bronco.  Painted all the old places where I had to cut/grind on the frame.  Now I need to make/mount the track bar bracket.

March 30-31
    Got a couple of little things done, nothing major since it's Easter weekend.  Welded on the inboard shock mounts in back, put the Leaf Reliefs in, all new bolts with nylock nuts in the rear springs, test fit the NP205 transfer case.

01 April
    Test fit the body today.  Pulled the doors, tailgate, seats, etc.. off it, made it as light as I could and had two neighbors help put it on there.  Not too bad, had to cut some of the firewall out, will have to cut out ALL the center section of the firewall above the tunnel cover.  It's close, but not quite on the frame mounts.  About 3/4" behind them now and the engine is hitting the firewall.

05 May
    Been working a little at a time over the last few weeks, mostly on the new body.  Had lots to replace, but I just didn't want to cut up my original, uncut '66 roadster tub to create a trail truck.  Most of the driveline is in and working, still need to do the wiring and install the driveshafts.  Got the new gears installed both front and rear.  Went with 4.88 gears, 31 spline mini-spool rear and ARB front.

02 June
    Got a few things done, cage is built and in, just needs finish welding.  Front and rear axles are ready to go, interior and body are about finished, now it's time to start on the wiring.