The Silver Fox LJ Build
- Thread starter JMT
- Start date
I’m very thankful Blaine called to help me along with the vocabulary related to all things tool and fastener.
I admit I am ignorant in this area. I require the same level of “communication” and “word usage” in my areas of expertise. I consider it of the finest nobility to care about language.
I am fluent in multiple languages and involved in an Urdu translation currently. I have taught Greek and Spanish, so I care deeply about words. I study and teach hermeneutics and etymology is a part of hermeneutics. I just don’t know shit about fastener terminology!
Blaine explained how it can become a very costly endeavor. 
Blaine was patient and explained a number of terms and how they’ve been diluted. This is definitely an area I can improve in. I just don’t know what I don’t know.
Thank you for your patience.
I admit I am ignorant in this area. I require the same level of “communication” and “word usage” in my areas of expertise. I consider it of the finest nobility to care about language.
I am fluent in multiple languages and involved in an Urdu translation currently. I have taught Greek and Spanish, so I care deeply about words. I study and teach hermeneutics and etymology is a part of hermeneutics. I just don’t know shit about fastener terminology!
Blaine explained how it can become a very costly endeavor. Blaine was patient and explained a number of terms and how they’ve been diluted. This is definitely an area I can improve in. I just don’t know what I don’t know.
Thank you for your patience.
Last edited:
I’m very thankful Blaine called to help me along with the vocabulary related to all things tool and fastener.
I admit I am ignorant in this area. I require the same level of “communication” and “word usage” in my areas of expertise. I consider it of the finest nobility to care about language.
I am fluent in multiple languages and involved in an Urdu translation currently. I have taught Greek and Spanish, so I care deeply about words. I study and teach hermeneutics and etymology is a part of hermeneutics. I just don’t know shit about fastener terminology!
Blaine was patient and explained a number of terms and how they’ve been diluted. This is definitely an area I can improve in. I just don’t know what I don’t know.
Thank you for your patience.
Its pretty interesting the huge variety of fasteners designed for specific applications. Not like I know all that many of them either
Yeah. I’ve looked at charts to try to find something that works, but I don’t pay a lot of attention to the names. I find the one that looks like it will work, read the description of application, and if it seems like it will work for mine I go search for it. I really have no idea. Blaine probably has more knowledge of fasteners than anyone on earth. I learned that when you speak about these things there’s a specificity that’s required to not miscommunicate and potentially spend money on things you don’t need. We fool around in here, but should probably up our game in terms of education and specificity. What I’m doing is the best I can where I am now, but my slogan in my signature has been there quite awhile. I haven’t seen a need to change it.
Several pages dedicated to battery tray design, damn. I guess I should go check my welded bottom rectangle with all-thread sticks that hook under the tray.
Knowing terms in order to talk in specifics with someone else that also knows the terms is very valuable, no matter the domain.
Knowing terms in order to talk in specifics with someone else that also knows the terms is very valuable, no matter the domain.
Something like this...
https://www.trimlok.com/plastic-ext...1227=2035&1237=2046&1262=2110&1323=2384&1327=
https://www.trimlok.com/plastic-ext...1227=2035&1237=2046&1262=2110&1323=2384&1327=
Get close to the final cut line with a fine grit disc. Then hand file to the line. Then paint.
I have used several over the years having cut many hoods for high lined fenders. The good stuff like the TrimLok products are better quality, but they are bulky and aesthetically unpleasant. The more pleasant looking products are door edge trim but they depend on a sticky adhesive that never dries to stay in place which heat affects and then they start sagging and falling off. In short, I am not happy with any of them and the only saving grace they have is hiding your shitty cut line. Due to my general disgust with those type solutions, I tend to favor an actual high line hood which makes me a dumbass because they have never taken less than 10 hours of work to make them look like they belong there.
How good are your sheet metal welding skills? I always thought going an extra half inch in the cut, then welding the bottom of the hood back on would be a nice solution...Lots of Time involved, but would keep the original stiffness of the hood and is permanent. If you gotta spend 10 hours of fitting time on a new hood, I would think welding the steel back on wouldn't be more than that.
Having not cut a hood for highlines though, I might be missing something about how the hood is bent and shaped that would make this solution not possible.
Having not cut a hood for highlines though, I might be missing something about how the hood is bent and shaped that would make this solution not possible.
I'm better than most at doing shit like that and I've seen one done that way and was impressed enough to take a look at doing it. The cut off flange is very differently shaped and the work to try and use it would make a new flange a wash.
The hood springs open after the flange is cut off. The cut off flange is nowhere near the same shape, or length, or bend at the flange. If you had some skills and a set of sheetmetal shrinkers, you could do it. If it is your first one, my 10-20 hours of time will seem mild.
Out of the box-
Note rear corner curvature doesn't match shape of cowl. We glassed in bent pieces of SS flat bar we used to correct the shape to push the sides of the hood out. We corrected the lower flange as well.
All of which is the only way you can arrive at this.
Given a choice, I'd find someone who could do the work on a steel hood for under 1500 bucks and never touch another glass hood ever again and the ones that GR used to sell make this one look almost perfect. For reference, a buddy bought one, it fit very poorly, he called GR, they said bring it back. When he got there, they had him offload it into the dumpster before they would give him a new one.
That’s really a shame that they got so poorly, and yet cost so much money. I really like that style of hood, but the price, and hearing you talk about the fitment issues keeps me from pulling the trigger.
Your work is impeccable, as always
I wasn't clear that is not a GR hood. It is done by a local trailer supply as a sideline. 50% of them fit out of the box, the rest are lots of work to get acceptable. The last 3 we bought were 450 each so they are okay for the price, not okay if you are picky.
This is what I’m going to do. File it nice and even and then paint and clear.
I’m very close to finishing. I need to fix some vacuum lines. I need to finish painting the slider and re-painting the torque box and making sure all the nutserts are good before installing it. I need to install the hood pins. I remember a good tip @tworley mentioned about getting the hood pin location correct. I think that’s it. Oh, and the ARB single compressor reservoir is leaking so I need to solve that. I’m excited how it’s turning out. I’m sure it’s nowhere near Blaine’s level of excellence, but I haven’t cut corners that I know of, and I’ve done my best on each problem-solution. I may enlarge the air intake over the headlight to 2.5” in the future, but I’m going to play that one by ear.
Once the pins were where I wanted them in the grill, I took something of similar width, dabbed grease on them, placed them where the pins were located and shut the hood. The left over grease on the hood was my drill location.
Theyre might be better ways, but that's what I did.
Didn’t you also say that after you have the grease mark on the hood move forward a little to account for the hood being closed all the way?
HiLines are a lot of work but very rewarding as things fall into place.
Left space for PSC Hydro Assist. New windshield washer reservoir. Splice one wire into factory harness and ground the other. Works great. New vacuum tubing on the cruise control module. It was brittle and breaking. You can see the ARB compressor, which has been relocated here onto a bracket that I fabbed. I have some O-rings on order because it’s leaking at one end of the air reservoir. Adel clamps securing the harness which is all cleaned up and re-loomed.
Fabbed up a bracket for the TCM. Horn just barely fits, but it’s there and pointing forward. I rotated the bracket so that it’s underneath the horn rather than sticking out to the side.
Here’s a better view of the ARB compressor and the space for the PSC Hydro assist.
I routed the air Chuck out here and intend to make a little bracket to attach under one of the bolts on the Fluxor bumper.
Full picture of the engine bay. The fan shroud was completely cracked and I was not even able to remove the coolant overflow tank. So, I fixed it with an aluminum piece and bolted it through the shroud and the fan clears by miles.
Spectra air intake with an oiled filter. 2” cold air intake above the headlight that quickly opens up to 3”. I shortened the silicone tube to make everything look nicer since the last time I posted about this. Thanks to @mrblaine for this idea though mine is not as nice as his. Did the best I could! Bulletpoint auxiliary fuse box needed rewiring and new location. Everything works.
All new battery cables and military terminals. @Wildman was right about turning the battery around so the terminals were farther away from the fenders. Super clean and I’m really happy how it turned out. Thanks to @Lou. I left one bolt on the + terminal a bit long so I can add an amp later. Then I’ll cut it and tuck it in.
Battery tray is braced and bolted to the inner fender with a 1 1/4” block of aluminum. Thanks to @mrblaine for the heads up and insistence I brace it somehow. This turned out to be my best solution. Thanks to @jjvw for insisting on this too. I had no idea going in I would need to do this.
Custom battery tie down bracket welded to the tray with an aluminum strap. PCM is raised and flush on the firewall thanks to @Lou and @jjvw.
Just a glimpse inside the inner passenger fender.
The sliders have to minimally be cut, but for these GR mini boat sides I cut off the DOM steps and followed @mrblaine design which @jjvw, @hosejockey61, and @rasband have done. Mike has a good how to video on BFH Garage YouTube channel. This modification is a lot of work but very rewarding. Got lots of time behind the mig gun and that’s lots of fun!
All the bolt heads are out so the inner fender well is clean. Painted the mesh panels black for some contrast with the silver. All the aluminum panels and fenders have Shark Hyde applied to them to protect from corrosion.
I used a 3/4” amber for the turn signal and the GR stealth side marker. I had all of them in the attic in a box from several years ago so just used them and did them my way. Not trying to spend lots of money. Not overly excited about the side marker but it’s easy enough to move.
The fan shroud was completely broken in half on top so a piece of 3/16” aluminum bent to shape and four bolts and nuts solved that. Solid as a rock now.
Cleaned up the torque boxes, self-etching primed and painted. New nutserts will be going in. Then the last slider will be mounted.
Pic of the engine bay. Hood is cut but needs more trimming and hood pins.
Along the way I had to replace the cats. It needed new exhaust manifold clips and bolts. The ones that were there were just a bolt and a nut which makes them a PITA to remove or install. It can be really messy, so be patient!
A pic of the Jeep but without the slider.
Halfway done!!!
Left space for PSC Hydro Assist. New windshield washer reservoir. Splice one wire into factory harness and ground the other. Works great. New vacuum tubing on the cruise control module. It was brittle and breaking. You can see the ARB compressor, which has been relocated here onto a bracket that I fabbed. I have some O-rings on order because it’s leaking at one end of the air reservoir. Adel clamps securing the harness which is all cleaned up and re-loomed.
Fabbed up a bracket for the TCM. Horn just barely fits, but it’s there and pointing forward. I rotated the bracket so that it’s underneath the horn rather than sticking out to the side.
Here’s a better view of the ARB compressor and the space for the PSC Hydro assist.
I routed the air Chuck out here and intend to make a little bracket to attach under one of the bolts on the Fluxor bumper.
Full picture of the engine bay. The fan shroud was completely cracked and I was not even able to remove the coolant overflow tank. So, I fixed it with an aluminum piece and bolted it through the shroud and the fan clears by miles.
Spectra air intake with an oiled filter. 2” cold air intake above the headlight that quickly opens up to 3”. I shortened the silicone tube to make everything look nicer since the last time I posted about this. Thanks to @mrblaine for this idea though mine is not as nice as his. Did the best I could! Bulletpoint auxiliary fuse box needed rewiring and new location. Everything works.
All new battery cables and military terminals. @Wildman was right about turning the battery around so the terminals were farther away from the fenders. Super clean and I’m really happy how it turned out. Thanks to @Lou. I left one bolt on the + terminal a bit long so I can add an amp later. Then I’ll cut it and tuck it in.
Battery tray is braced and bolted to the inner fender with a 1 1/4” block of aluminum. Thanks to @mrblaine for the heads up and insistence I brace it somehow. This turned out to be my best solution. Thanks to @jjvw for insisting on this too. I had no idea going in I would need to do this.
Custom battery tie down bracket welded to the tray with an aluminum strap. PCM is raised and flush on the firewall thanks to @Lou and @jjvw.
Just a glimpse inside the inner passenger fender.
The sliders have to minimally be cut, but for these GR mini boat sides I cut off the DOM steps and followed @mrblaine design which @jjvw, @hosejockey61, and @rasband have done. Mike has a good how to video on BFH Garage YouTube channel. This modification is a lot of work but very rewarding. Got lots of time behind the mig gun and that’s lots of fun!
All the bolt heads are out so the inner fender well is clean. Painted the mesh panels black for some contrast with the silver. All the aluminum panels and fenders have Shark Hyde applied to them to protect from corrosion.
I used a 3/4” amber for the turn signal and the GR stealth side marker. I had all of them in the attic in a box from several years ago so just used them and did them my way. Not trying to spend lots of money. Not overly excited about the side marker but it’s easy enough to move.
The fan shroud was completely broken in half on top so a piece of 3/16” aluminum bent to shape and four bolts and nuts solved that. Solid as a rock now.
Cleaned up the torque boxes, self-etching primed and painted. New nutserts will be going in. Then the last slider will be mounted.
Pic of the engine bay. Hood is cut but needs more trimming and hood pins.
Along the way I had to replace the cats. It needed new exhaust manifold clips and bolts. The ones that were there were just a bolt and a nut which makes them a PITA to remove or install. It can be really messy, so be patient!
A pic of the Jeep but without the slider.
Halfway done!!!
Last edited:
Wow, that's a ton of work - nice job. It really does look great.
Similar threads
