TheCook's trucks: Draco - A neverending Jeep WIP

Draco Draco III - 1984 Jeep CJ-7, YJ Tub with 1979 narrow-track axles & AMC 358 I6 (2009-)
Draco II - 1979 Jeep CJ-7 with original narrow-track axles & AMC 358 I6 (2007-2008)
Draco I - 1989 Jeep YJ Sahara with 1995 4.0 and CJ grille (2000-2007)
My daughter & I couldn't agree on a name for a while, but I finally named it after the DragonHeart character.
Draco III 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007
Draco II 2007 2007 2007
Draco I 2007 2007 2007 2002 2006 2006 2003 2002
Draco as bought 2001 2001 2001
Draco III - Project History
  • [Fall/Winter 2011] Charging problems. Electronics 85% functional. I need a &%$&/$%/* heated garage!!!
  • [Summer 2011] redid all wiring: Painless 10106 kit for OEM harness, then two full weeks worth of full time (I'm talking 16~20h vacations days here) custom re-wiring and relay junction boxes. New Pro-Comp 15x8 chromed mags.
  • [Spring 2011] *finally* got it painted good old khaki!!!
    • 5 days dissassembly, Strippped/sanded/grinded entire body, hard doors and hard top.
    • 2 days day masking , Skinned + painted winter wheels and full hard doors. Added door 1/8" diamond plate inners.
    • 1/2 day of actual gun painting.
    • 5 days re-assembly, POR-15's / khaki (re)painted parts + , Kentrol thingies (used and new), seals and flares re-tinted and refinished.
  • [2010] Designed new dash, bought all sitches, leds, trail/driving lights, HellRoaring dual battery isolator switch. Got new dash cutout made from aluminium plate. It's still fugly yellow.
  • [Spring/summer 2009] Cleaned and POR-15'ed interior, refitted all gizmos: racing seats, bumpers, tire carier, winch, Kentrol hinges and stuff, dual battery tray and all. Still effin' yellow.
  • [Fall 2009] Got the entire driveline + bumpers/tire carrier from my 79 fitted. Scrapped the old trans, engine, axles and all. Kept the Dana 300 as spare. It's still effin' Yellow.
  • Got the truck [Summer 2009] a 1984 CJ with a YJ tub. 4sp T18 trans and small block 304ci engine. I hated the trans: It felt like a BlueBird school bus trans and the 304 seemed less powered than my old i6 with more gas consumption. Plus it was fugly yellow.

Draco II - Project History
  • Complete rebuild of both axles & brakes anew with 4:10 gears and rear AMC 20 Detroit locker [Fall 2008]
  • Refitted Bestop soft-top and ordered soft door paddle/latch assemblies [Summer 2008]. The darn things wouldn't clip to the body.
  • Refitted Custom bumpers, YJ brake booster and added a Warn 8500 winch [Spring 2008]
  • Refitted all the YJ's recyclable parts: Kentrol accessoires, 95 YJ Rollbar & seatbelts, rear fold'n'tumble seat & front racing seats, fenderwell NATO grenade cans. Also redid the floors with POR15 and Tomken diamondplate driver and passenger floorpieces [Fall 2007]
  • Got the truck [Fall 2007] it has a fairly fresh paint job and it IS a 1979 CJ!!!

Draco I - Project History
  • Ran into multiple electrical problems [summer 2007] with the 4.0 setup so I kept all the custom stuff: Kentrol accessories, racing seats, bumpers, etc. and decided to part with the carcass.
  • Bought 2nd body to strip [fall 2006] but never got the dough nor the time to do the swap.
  • Bestop Supertop & Full Soft Doors [summer 2006]
  • Kentrol Door Hinges [summer 2006]
  • OEM/Delco alternator & Optima Red Top battery [summer 2006]
  • 120A MSD alternator [spring 2006]. Was later removed: MSD don't know the first thing about Jeeps. A "Chrysler Generic Application" just won't do!)
  • Flex-a-lite 16" Electric Radiator Fan [spring 2006]
  • Engine & drivetrain Swap [fall 2005 & winter 2006]
  • custom front bumper, winch plate [summer 2005]
  • custom rear bumper, tire & hi-lift carrier [summer 2005]
  • 33"x12.5x15 Hancook tires [fall 2004]
  • Molded racing seats [spring 2004]
  • Swapped the old Khaki stock soft top for a (very crappy, but at liquidation price) gray Steel Horse replacement [summer 2004]
  • 120A Powermaster alternator [dec 2003]
  • Exide Orbital Battery [sept 2003]
  • 33" Hankook AT's (matched a used 33x12.5 BFG AT but had to position the sidewall's nooks p-r-e-c-i-s-e-l-y near the tailgate handle!) [aug 2003]
  • Xenon XN8200 Extended Flares [aug 2003]
  • Offroad-core rad rebuilt (large chnnel interweave, easier to clean up mud splashes) [aug 2003]
  • CJ Fan Shroud [jul 2003]
  • Changed steering column [june 2003]
  • Speedometer cable [june 2003]
  • Installed 2.5" BDS lift kit [may 2003]
  • Repainted & lined fenderwell boxes (NATO grenade cans) [Feb 2003]
  • Coil/Gel Orbital (Chrysler's Optima) battery [jan 2003]
  • Swapped in 4.11 axles from a 2.5 YJ [nov 2002]
  • Full door locks, Tailgate lock [Nov 2002]
  • Custom Hard Top Rack + paint touchups [Nov 2002]
  • Floor: patches, drain plugs & Hippo Liner [Oct 2002]
  • Hard top carpet lining [Oct 2002]
  • Hood & CJ grille paint job [Apr 2001]
  • Rear brakes linings & cylinders [Apr 2001]
  • Stock carpets cleanup [May 2001] Never reinstalled... What's the point?
  • Spare 31x10.5x15LT BFG Radial T/A KO [May 2001]
  • High beams circuitry [August 2001]
  • Hard top [Oct 2001]
  • Front brake calipers [Apr 2002]
  • High beams adjustment [Apr 2002]
  • 31"x10.5 Mud Kings [May 2002]
  • Heavy-duty shackles, 1 3/4" lift [May 2002]
  • Kentrol Mirrors/Windshield Hinges [June 2002]
  • Diamond plate rocker panels [June 2002]
  • Clutch [June 2002]
  • Interior lights [June 2002]
Trail kit
  • Looped 2"x25' Tow Strap
  • Hooked 2"x25' Tow Strap
  • Flashlight & first aid kit
  • Army type woolen blankets
  • Safety matches & candles
  • Survival shovel
  • Battery Booster Pack
  • 12V air compressor
  • JobMate ToolBox
  • Heavy duty Traction Aids
  • Class 5 tow hooks, tow ball & shackles assortment
  • 5 gal. Water Blitz jerrycan
  • 5 gal. Gas Blitz jerrycan
  • Spare parts
    • Serpentine belt
    • Radiator & Power Steering hoses
    • Various hose clamps & tie wraps
    • Battery cables/teminals
    • Axle & driveshaft U-Bolts
    • Duct Tape
    • More small miscelaneous hardware & parts... :)
Shopping list & ToDo - Quadratec Wish List
  1. Exterior stuff
    1. ✓ Kentrol stainless Hood Kit (latches, vent, hinges, ties$)
    2. ✓ Kentrol stainless Tailgate hinges
    3. ✓ Kentrol reinforced short corners
    4. ✓ Kentrol stainless Gas Filler Neck
    5. Kentrol stainless Hard top Liftgate Hinges
    6. ✓ H4 Headlight kit
    7. ✓ Headlight stainless mesh guards
    8. ✓ Grille guard to fit...
      1. ✓ Rock Lights (4x under wheel wells)
      2. ✓ Driving Lights (on front bumper)
      3. ✓ Trail Lights
      4. ✓ Rallye Lights
    9. ✓ Stickers: Draco icons on "Joop" sides and hood
    10. CB antenna Firestik (±30$) w/ 8' coax cable
    11. ✓ 5x AR 707 (±300$) ....4 on 4.5" bolt patterns, 4" backspacing
    12. 5x 33" TrXus M/T (±800$)
    13. Major rust treatment, (Done every other year now!)
  2. ✓ Custom sound bar / overhead console
  3. ✓ Custom diamond plate aluminium dash
    1. ✓ Rugged Laptop GoBook XR-1 with RAM mount
      1. ✓ WiFi, EDGE/GPRS access
      2. multimedia playback
      3. ✓ GPS
    2. CB
    3. ✓ Marine speakers
    4. ✓ T-amp
    5. ✓ Dome light
  4. Rear bumper stuff...
    1. ✓ Backup Camera
    2. ✓ Backup light
    3. Stainless Pick, Spade & Axe
  5. Interior stuff
    1. ✓ Complete hand throttle install (mountain bike speed lever & tandem cables)
    2. ✓ Line both hard top doors with 1/16" diamond plate sheeting
    3. Prototype: custom diamond plate aluminium rear seat trunk box/seat with removeable back support.
      1. 1 Pull-pals
      2. Winch kit
    4. Prototype: custom trailer side panels
  6. $$$$
    1. On-board Air / Welder
      1. ✓ Custom dual battery tray, Optima Red Tops with HellRoaring Isolator + Wiring
      2. 22"x6" Air tank (±60$)
      3. York air compressor (±190$)
      4. Helia arc/ mig 24V on-board welder with control box & 115V power outlet
    2. Engine / Drivetrain
      1. Snorkle! snorkle! snorkle!
      2. ✓ Winch! Winch! Winch!s>
      3. ✓ OEM CJ Hood lock (±22$)
      4. 4.5 EFI Stroker engine mod
      5. ✓ Header Hedman (±160$), Flowmaster cat/muffler, Induced air system.