Dirt Everyday (aka the Jeep show - with an occasional pickup)

[SuperBuickGuy]

With a cameo by Freiburger...

[Dan Barlow]

Was a good one. I think I enjoy the dirt every days best. Originally these were once a year trips for Dave and Rick Pewe . And we're covered in the editorials columns of one or the others magazine . Usually fixing a none running flat fender good enough to hopefully drive back home.

[LORENSWIFE]

Looks like fun!!!!

[SuperBuickGuy]

Was a good one. I think I enjoy the dirt every days best. Originally these were once a year trips for Dave and Rick Pewe . And we're covered in the editorials columns of one or the others magazine . Usually fixing a none running flat fender good enough to hopefully drive back home.

Rick Pewe once said in an editorial that there was nothing he didn't know in four wheeling... I stopped reading/watching him then because anyone stupid enough to say that will only bring you to tears if you do, actually, take his advice.

I'm still laughing, though, at Freiburger's plan to get it back...

[JOES66FURY]

one of the guys involved with the Dirt Everyday was building a CUTV....I only saw one or two episodes then it kind of vanished...Bummer because I liked that build.

[Deaf Bob]

Hmmm? " Nothing he didn't know about wheeling"?
Wow! True amateur speaking.. At least from our areas of mud..
There is never "all there is to know" about situations..
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't..

[Barry Donovan]

I am reviving many miles in the woods, 25 year gap. IH scout with a 304. Nowadays thats like seeing a lamborghini. That was a great show.
the comment about needing one of a manual, horn or brakes, does hold true...and ends of the chassis to thump.

I was just outside sizing up energy suspension cab mounts.. I forgot the most important of all, seeming to be the most innocent.. way up front.
Glad I got all eight of them.
I hope they keep the shows coming.

..and he is stuck about engine sizing, calling 4.8 "small". that 4.8LS is bigger than the ford big block they plucked out of it. I had to learn all these things..and those guys are my age.

[Dan Barlow]

I'd give Pewe a pass. Even I will say something stupid every once in a while.......and I try really hard to hold it back. :-)

[Stewzer55]

I love Dirt Everyday, I wonder if positioning had more to do with needing to cut up the firewall to put in the 4.8 in place of the FE that was in there before. I bet a 4.8 like that can be had for really cheap too, PCM wiring and all.

[STINEY]

That's somewhat normal with 4x4 swaps. The owner will not want to buy new driveshafts, so instead of putting the engine/trans/tcase where it should be and building shafts to match, the firewall gets hacked. It's usually cheaper in the long run to do the new shaft thing instead.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I love Dirt Everyday, I wonder if positioning had more to do with needing to cut up the firewall to put in the 4.8 in place of the FE that was in there before. I bet a 4.8 like that can be had for really cheap too, PCM wiring and all.

I'll bet that swap was every bit of $3,000 and likely closer to $5000. While the motor would be "cheap" relatively speaking, all the conversion bits are not - Advanced Adapters has never been shy about charging what the market will bear. That bellhousing? $400. The adapter from the bellhousing to the transmission, another $400. Motor mounts $400. Radiator, minimum $200, since it's a name brand - probably closer to $1000. the motor, all prepped from that company is at least $1200... plus shipping on all of that... then there was exhaust, another 400-600

not fixing the brakes - priceless... after all, a few seals and a master cylinder would be $100.

that said, with shopping and some fab, you could probably do the entire swap with the transmission (leaving that transmission is a scary choice) for less than 3k. But here's how I'd do that

I'd spend the $1200 for the motor - it saves you so much in the end to get the harness, accessories, oil pan and such from them. I'd swap to a NP435 and dana 300 transfer case (call it $500 for those). driveshafts would be relatively the same.

I'd buy the $100 radiator and make it fit (they don't fit, they sort-of-fit).

by using the NP/Dana, you would save a bunch... if I was really feeling cheap, I'd save the Dana 20 transfer case and find a later NP 435 jeep transmission... cut advanced adapters completely out of the picture. The rest... I'd buy an exhaust in a box and save $400 in installation cost...

oh wait, I'd never build a Jeep... what I'd do, hypothetically, is trade a bicycle for a FJ40
swap the axles for some $300 axles I got online
use a transmission that was in my rafters
use a gen 1 Vortec motor and save about 1/2 the cost.
then I'd blow the entire rest of the budget x5 by fabbing up a custom linked suspension...
hypothetically speaking, that is... Jeeps are sometimes good for parts.


With all of that said, I totally dig what he did with that wagon - what a great rust-free rig... kind of roadkill meets sanity.

[Dan Barlow]

Yeah, we are all about speed. Eh, then maybe some brakes !