Builds 68' M715, AKA "Smokey" (Can I post this Jeep on MUD?) (2 Viewers)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Got the rear bumper caps/extensions tacked in place

0ABE9F92-6FA1-4F8F-9A79-6F326FBC6C29.jpeg


81CD3597-B50E-4A91-8C0E-1ACEBB54E011.jpeg


FE1FFB79-266F-4AF0-8AB1-98944ACA8B95.jpeg


Using these sealed LED’s

DB98A2D2-A4EC-4CC0-9025-509C681CF22B.jpeg
 
So the PSC box is in.

I thought I had the steering mount all done. Wrong

The PSC box is a larger casting with a larger end cap. Fought me every inch of the way fitting it. I pity the next 715 owner that wants to modify for power steering. UGH

Had to make some inner box spacers out of some 1018 solid bar which then got drilled out

1642212358185.png


It simply WOULD NOT fit up against the backside of the frame and the end cap on the box. So away it went…

1642212432596.png


1642212461580.png


Made two 3/16” plates and welded it back up

1642212498584.png


Here you can see the notch the box required

1642212531167.png
 
It’s in. Spacers are just tacked for now. I’ll fully weld everything when the box comes back out. TIGHT fit

1642212595177.png


1642212628917.png


1642212648900.png
 
A little bit bit of body work today, filled in all the holes related to the old fuel filler neck.

1642469969686.png


Also managed to get a big crease fairly flat

1642470016549.png


1642470038297.png


Skim coat of Bondo and sanded. Probably somewhere in the region of flat/straight now

1642470067099.png
 
The body work continues….

These are the hammered to piss stake side pockets. In addition to the mangled upper metal, all the internal supports are blown out.

1642470121947.png


1642470154760.png


1642470172746.png


1642470194597.png
 
Cut up some 6”x2” 1/8” thick plates with the plasma to cap things off and reinforce the damaged rails

1642470238218.png


1642470250456.png


1642470269367.png


Currently in the process of filling in all the old holes in the floor of the bed. Round caps were used on 4 old bed mounts that are no longer used

1642470303371.png


1642470320128.png
 
Your skills and ability is inspiring. Dont comment a whole lot on here but this build deserves it. Awesome to watch...
Thanks!!! It can be tough to stay with it because it can be a real slog at times. Much appreciated
 
Finished out the driver side bed mounts today.

This mount is inside the enclosed under bed box which housed military tent poles. The hole both in the bed and frame are all hogged out

2FE1C30C-1A8D-4819-882C-E8CBD77AFB64.jpeg


Made a reinforcement tab out of 1/8” plate

CBE70B70-E57B-41E1-B56E-450AFF3541E5.jpeg


Cut this terrible bugger weld off. This used to be part of the latch for the door, I’m going to use Destaco’s instead

BAAD357F-C61A-417E-9A8B-13CBA3FF29AA.jpeg


1/2”-13 welded nut on the frame side

40CE0B9C-95BD-4767-87EB-2DC2CF4D986A.jpeg


Rearmost driver side bed mount. This also needed a reinforcement plate and I added another 1/2”-13 weld nut on the frame

0F0B7F12-E7FB-49B3-B28E-7C0B47F5E667.jpeg


Finished front mount

F4FBD1EA-082E-4304-AF52-6AC83E8DE67C.jpeg
 
The poor hammered bed…

Finished the bed mount repairs on the passenger side today so the bed is fully bolted up now

Addressed the 4 lift points on the upper rail of the bed. I believe they were in place to assist with lifting the truck into a cargo ship for transport. Every one of them was pretty bent and banged up

EEF43677-D1A0-44A9-BE1E-902EAD118284.jpeg


Cut out some 1/8” plate supports

59E92A51-36FC-4219-8036-0200A5A65985.jpeg


Hammered the stock supports back to vertical and welded them in. Done

Should add a fair bit of rigidity

0207D66C-B7CA-4FBB-8C65-57E8232670F3.jpeg
 
Fixed a few more issues in the bed

One was a large jagged hole in the bottom of the bed and the other was two torch cut holes in the upper rail behind the cab

6E749D4A-AFC9-408E-BFD9-AA0B2CB9DF2B.jpeg


D917ACD5-FC63-4A48-B400-FADC584D2F63.jpeg


Pulled out the old chunk of bed material left over from shortening it and cut a piece out with the correct contour

95F32C13-3338-47BE-A85D-03434550C1F7.jpeg


B8BA6BA0-0C6C-4173-8135-497F0665C85F.jpeg


Both issues got patched and sanded

FB23A232-6BE9-4D8D-859C-835365010A5D.jpeg


A00F6BE8-0014-4AAD-9A88-80B19CA8C74D.jpeg
 
Nearly done with the bed repair. Both front corners near the cab had cracked apart and split.

You can see the large vertical crack in the background. Pulled it back together with a strap, added a reinforcement plate and welded it up

0C93C396-1803-4704-B882-D48E1FB6B0B7.jpeg


432A1EAF-AE5F-4441-A9B4-89DCD049E5CD.jpeg


56350E0F-F0BC-4C4F-99EE-9847296AA978.jpeg


Finished off the last rear fender brace. This is the rear passenger corner

E9C49450-D967-481E-BF7F-EBD29526DFDE.jpeg


54E370C5-E271-4822-8EE4-0B95C2235977.jpeg


F01BDC6E-A1CC-4E62-906D-1A87CA6F7952.jpeg
 
Got the passenger rear limit strap in. Lower mount is just tacked for now as I want to cycle it

3F1ED22B-7EBD-43A4-8727-E571FF77B7D4.jpeg


6B27C798-42E6-4BCC-909B-2F25E228F15C.jpeg


It should tuck nicely out of the way and not interfere with the bump or coil over

FA2FF416-8BF2-4257-9FE8-73EB19E91E2D.jpeg
 
Welded and sanded on the bed just about all day, also finished out the driver side rear limit strap

Lower limit strap tab, added 1/2-13 weld nuts to each, makes assembly/disassembly much easier when you don’t need a backup wrench

291BC60C-C52D-4F10-9D16-A77BA298850E.jpeg


Started welding in all the factory bed seams. I want to seal them up once and for all so grit and water doesn’t work it’s way in

38644D7B-570E-45E2-BACB-61C740FBD21C.jpeg


Decided to fill in the raised corrugated bed slots.

27F53BD9-49D4-47BD-9188-5CDE404EA157.jpeg



There are 12 total. Plasma cut some filler bits out and got to work


C91FCA2B-7824-419D-B232-E673F1FCB34E.jpeg
 
All filled in.

Did 3 rounds of rough sanding with a flap wheel then going back over and filling any low spots with silicone bronze

6DFD278B-DF16-424C-9A7C-BC5EA28B3823.jpeg


Once everything was level, hit it with the DA

5A8122C2-1D51-487E-BE97-11E4DD11AD6B.jpeg


E3E7BE92-B0E5-4A6B-B339-A4A29ADC4950.jpeg


4E694E11-C6A7-4416-94D4-DF914A9C313D.jpeg
 
Fun with seats…

These are PRP with installed seat heaters

Mounted the rails…

My buddy Ethan was over to do the tube bending work

1643080898274.png


On blocks for setup. Front floor bar has been added here

1643080936349.png


Rear cross bar. Bent to clear the rear of the transmission hump

1643080976510.png


Main seat hoop tacked in…

1643081048746.png


And the passenger side had major clearance issues which we saw coming.

Out came the plasma…

1643081078481.png


To make room for the main hoop. I’ll box the floor back in this week

1643081120111.png
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom