[bbusch]

And the new badge is installed...








I couldn't get the 12v and the cig lighter out without tearing up the dash piece, was a pita to get those out.




Things are slowly coming along. I got new sun visors on and a seatbelt piece on as well. I have to replace the door seals and the exterior door handles at some point. I think for the center console I'm going to put the old one out of my rig in for the time being. While it doesn't match the interior color it will be nice to have an arm rest until I figure out what I want to do in that spot.

 

[BLACK RUBI]

Agreed. I'm thinking a letter from a lawyer would be the best scare however I don't think that alone will send him to the bank.

Sure worth a try.

 

[bbusch]

It was Danielle's birthday so perfect excuse to get her some Jeep gifts. :wink2:


I ordered some Springtail products to get her jeep organized. Everything turned out quite nice.















And it looks like I am purchasing a 5.7 Hemi with a 545 RFE transmission. Driving to Vegas this weekend to pick it up.

 

[FLLJ]

And it looks like I am purchasing a 5.7 Hemi with a 545 RFE transmission. Driving to Vegas this weekend to pick it up.

What's the back story on this?

 

[bbusch]

^^^^ Out of an 08 Grand with 700 miles on it. Placed in a JK by AEV in 09 and currently has 33 K on it.

 

[Mouse]

^^^^ Out of an 08 Grand with 700 miles on it. Placed in a JK by AEV in 09 and currently has 33 K on it.

Are you buying the jeep too?

 

[Steve578]

Are you buying the jeep too?

If it's the same Jeep I saw, the owner is replacing the Hemi with an LS.

 

[bbusch]

If it's the same Jeep I saw, the owner is replacing the Hemi with an LS.

That is correct, owner wanted more power. For what I want out of the LJ this engine and tranny should work out fine. I picked up the engine and transmission this morning at Motech. Walking through that shop was like walking through Jeep Heaven, so many badass rigs. There was a LJ there getting the same 6.2 LS3 I'm installing in my rig, it was a beaut. I'm not sure when we are going to do this swap but it will likely be some time next year.

 

[inline6]

Nice

 

[BLACK RUBI]

It was Danielle's birthday so perfect excuse to get her some Jeep gifts. :wink2:


I ordered some Springtail products to get her jeep organized. Everything turned out quite nice.






http://s238.photobucket.com/user/bmbusch/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_1340_zpslefazyck.jpg.html









I sure like my Springtail door pouches. IIRC you're the one that turned me onto them.

 

[mariodesmo]

With a new engine in your garage, it looks like Christmas came early at your place.
Is that Santa's boots behind the TJ's door???
>

 

[bbusch]

With a new engine in your garage, it looks like Christmas came early at your place.
Is that Santa's boots behind the TJ's door???
>

That would be the mrs. claus. And it's her sleigh getting the upgrade. :wink2:

 

[DLampe]

I have #942 in my garage. I hate to hear about all you've been through. It will be worth it in the end. You are doing a great job on yours. Can't wait to see the engine swap. Do you keep the transfer case or does it need to go as well?

 

[bbusch]

I have #942 in my garage. I hate to hear about all you've been through. It will be worth it in the end. You are doing a great job on yours. Can't wait to see the engine swap. Do you keep the transfer case or does it need to go as well?

#942.. Nice.

I agree that as things come along I will forget all the frustrations I have been having with the condition of the vehicle. As far as the transfer case goes I will be removing the 231j t-case and installing the 241OR t-case from my 03 TJR. I am installing an Atlas II in my 03. I have heard the 241 holds up fine to a 5.7 L and it bolts right in.

On another note I was concerned a few weeks ago while driving home from Truckee and we were getting some pretty heavy ran which is not common for this area. When we were headed home from dinner the Jeep hydroplaned several times to a point I was down right concerned we could have an accident. While we made it home safe I have since ordered a new set of 315 75 R16 GoodYear Duratracs and recently purchased a set of Rubicon Moab TJR wheels. I am now gathering the Nth Degree parts so I can lift the vehicle and get everything installed before this winter hits hard. I am not going to risk our lives or the vehicle for that matter with the current setup so I am having to prioritize this right during my LS swap which is not awesome. They are Firestone Destination AT tires 33 X 12.5 on 15 X 10 wheels and they are a complete disaster. I highly recommend anyone stay away from this setup. I am now running the GY Duratracs on my F350 and have no mileage feedback yet but they look great on there and I have had good experiences with the tires in the past on my TJR so I am confident I will be happy with them on the LJ. I will also likely have to space out the wheels slightly which will be fine because I don't plan to wheel this Jeep hard at all until I get the Dynatrac axles installed in which I will have to replace the wheels. As far as the lift goes everything will be complete however I will not be installing the long arms and the LA subframes until next year due to the timing of having to get it up high enough to fit the 315s (funds are competing with my LS swap). The plan is to install everything like the stinger w/slider, coils w/relocators, shock shifters and run SA's for now.

I'll get some photos up once the rig is lifted and the new tires and wheels have been installed. I like the look of the Moab wheels and can't wait to see them on the LJ.

 

[johncanfield]

Nothing like hydroplaning to get your knickers in a twist. I've had good luck with All Terrain TAs on my truck and the now sold Jeep Liberty. It's a good tire for a daily driver with the occasional wheeling.

 

[bbusch]

Installed!














Getting an alignment first thing. Drove it home from Danielle's father's house and it drove great, by far the best it has driven to date. The passenger side Firestone tire had some bad wear from being out of alignment. I believe the alignment had that tire pulling out to the side causing the two front tires to compete. I really like the look of the factory wheels and these tires have proven to perform well in winter weather so I feel good about putting D behind the wheel. My confidence level in this rig just shot up tremendously. I have suspension parts trickling in but the good news is I can just hold on to them for now until the Spring when I get the subframes and lower control arms. By next year this rig will have the suspension installed and sporting a Hemi.. can't wait. :lildevil:

 

[johncanfield]

Wow - so clean and tidy looking!

 

[BillGOTD]

I came across this thread doing a search for some info on the Khaki LJ Rubi I just bought. This is my 3rd Jeep build and once I decided what I wanted, I thought I would have to buy one from another state like you did. I got lucky and found one soon after looking that was less than an hour away. I am trying to find out if its one of the 1000 Rubicon Sahara's that were made. Its missing the number plaque etc. so I will find have to do some checking around.

It really sucks that you bought your jeep after the D44 and 241 TC were removed. Did you ever find out anymore about it?

It sounds like you moved on and your Jeep is going to be awesome, I like the look of the Moab's on 35s and plan to stay that route myself. Did you use wheel spacers with the Moab's?

 

[bbusch]

I came across this thread doing a search for some info on the Khaki LJ Rubi I just bought. This is my 3rd Jeep build and once I decided what I wanted, I thought I would have to buy one from another state like you did. I got lucky and found one soon after looking that was less than an hour away. I am trying to find out if its one of the 1000 Rubicon Sahara's that were made. Its missing the number plaque etc. so I will find have to do some checking around.

It really sucks that you bought your jeep after the D44 and 241 TC were removed. Did you ever find out anymore about it?

It sounds like you moved on and your Jeep is going to be awesome, I like the look of the Moab's on 35s and plan to stay that route myself. Did you use wheel spacers with the Moab's?

Hello Bill congrats on the purchase and welcome to the Forum. Glad you stumbled across my thread, hope it's been helpful. As for your rig being a Rubicon Sahara there are some clues if the badges are missing. Do you have a chrome grille on the front? If the Jeep still has the stock wheels do they have the darker slate grey between the spokes? Also check the flares, are they painted a different color than typical Rubicon models (a khaki color)? Note mine are not standard, they were painted the same color as the body. Also the front grille on mine is no longer chrome and has been painted. If you post up some pictures I can likely tell you however the vin can be the end all to verification. Good news is if you find you do have a RS you can order your numbered badge as each vehicle had 1 additional badge made and they are currently being held with Trish at Imperial Marketing. You will have to go through a Jeep Dealership and they will have to verify your vin of course.

As for my purchase and the major drivetrain components being replaced with inferior parts I am not getting any responses from the previous owner. Funny you ask because while I have, for the most part, moved on I recently acquired (two nights ago) some additional phone numbers for Craig and may try to contact him through those numbers. I have also pulled up Nassau County Police Department's phone numbers and I'm still considering calling his superior and relaying what has happened. I really don't want to do that however it is something I am still considering. I support law enforcement and certainly our military (I am not sure if he has served but I think his father has) and the last thing I want to do is start a fight with a potential veteran however he has shown in this instance he is a coward by not communicating with me. I don't think he is the one that changed the parts but the fact he will not communicate with me is infuriating.

To answer your final question.. yes I had to use wheel spacers. The wheels with rub with larger tires due to the backspacing of the wheels. For extreme wheeling this might not be recommended but for most this should not present any issue.

 

[BillGOTD]

Thanks for the welcome! Yeah, I have 2 toned Moab rims, the chrome grill, the grey fenders & matching hard top, but I don't have the dash plaque the tire cover or the Sahara stickers. I called Trish the other day and she is gone for the weekend. I should know something next week.

The fact that the guy wont get back to you is not cool at all, but as you mentioned he may not have known the items had been changed. At the end of the day its up to us as the buyer to confirm these things. I know in your case it was tough because you bought out of state. I crawled underneath the one I bought right away to check for any rust, leaks, damage and of course to see if the 241 TC and D44s were in tact. When I test drove it and put it in 4 wheel drive the light didn't come on and I think because of that I cant get the lockers to light up or engage. I am headed to see my friend at Savvy tomorrow and see if we can track down the problem.

I will keep an eye on your build, its looks like it will be really nice! Mine wont officially start until I sell my JK!