Judesign
Caught the Bug
Really like the classic look of the gauge cluster and badges.
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EMMA in all her ELEGANCE - TOTAL MAKEOVER of a 1969 Jeepster Commando
- Thread starter wayoflife
- Start date
JKbrick
Active Member
Eddie, all I can say is WOW, such good work. Looks fantastic
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Thanks! I was hoping to get her done by today or at least to the point where she looks complete but I think I'll still be needing at least another day or two.
Totally agree about the fastback design. I don't think there was any other Jeep that had it other than the Jeepster.
LOL!! Jane was a more thoroughly documented build but I've been having more fun with Emma.
LOL!! No kidding. I've already been thinking about how I could at least double stack vehicles for now if needed but there might be a day when more room is needed :crazyeyes:
It's tedious and time consuming but nice to try and bring a little shine to the original emblems rather than buy new ones. :yup:
Thank you
For things like the gauges, I just try to use water, a microfiber cloth and a q-tip. I have found that soaps or any kind of cleaner can cause the paint to lift and make things worse. Whatever I can't clean just stays stained. The chrome stuff, I use a combination of steel wool and chrome polish for most of the stuff and the hard to get places, I use CLR and a tooth brush. :yup:
I know, I so miss the look of them too.
I've been using a flat black vinyl and fabric paint made by Duplicolor. You can get it from Autozone and I have found it to work wonders. I've used it on several projects in the past and have been real happy with the results. You don't even need to use an adhesion promoter and it can be cleaned/shined in the future with Armorall or the like.
So, I took out the leaky heater box today to try and fix/clean it up. Here's a shot of what it looked like.
Initially, I thought the leak was just coming from a loose inlet fitting.
But, after taking things apart, I found that the heater core was leaking from just about everywhere.
Fortunately, my local Napa had a replacement. I should note however that they showed no part for a Jeepster Commando. Fortunately, I knew a heater core from a 74 CJ5 would work and they had one for that.
You can't see much but here's a shot of the heater box reinstalled along with a new firewall insulator.
Initially, I thought the leak was just coming from a loose inlet fitting.
But, after taking things apart, I found that the heater core was leaking from just about everywhere.
Fortunately, my local Napa had a replacement. I should note however that they showed no part for a Jeepster Commando. Fortunately, I knew a heater core from a 74 CJ5 would work and they had one for that.
You can't see much but here's a shot of the heater box reinstalled along with a new firewall insulator.
WJCO
Meme King
Thanks. I'll look into it. I have some wear on a couple of panels.
rumblebee3
Caught the Bug
A while back, piginajeep hooked me up with an awesome factory radio that I was hoping to install on Emma and in place of the more modern 1980's Pioneer head unit that the previous owner had installed.
Unfortunately, in order for the previous owner to install that Pioneer complete with cassette tape deck, he had to butcher the dash and drill a new hole.
While I would have been able to fill in the hole, repairing the larger opening would have been very difficult or at least, for me to do well and if I couldn't do it right, I would have wanted the option to install a modern radio that is wider. Fortunately, I found a company called Retro Sound and they specialize in making modern head units that come with AM/FM, Sirius/XM and aux inputs but have an old school look. They have all kinds of styles that you can customize, are made to be adjustable to fit just about any opening you have and they make a myriad of knobs and bezels and face plates to complete the look you want or, in my case, hide mistakes. Here's a shot of the actual head-unit I chose to go with.
Here's a shot of the face place I chose along with the dials installed. Of all the options out there, this one was big enough to hide mistakes while still offering a classic look.
And finally, here's a shot of what it looks like installed complete with metal chrome knobs.
As luck would have it, they also sell old school 4x10 dash speakers too and I installed one as well. Fortunately, you can't see it behind the dash.
Unfortunately, in order for the previous owner to install that Pioneer complete with cassette tape deck, he had to butcher the dash and drill a new hole.
While I would have been able to fill in the hole, repairing the larger opening would have been very difficult or at least, for me to do well and if I couldn't do it right, I would have wanted the option to install a modern radio that is wider. Fortunately, I found a company called Retro Sound and they specialize in making modern head units that come with AM/FM, Sirius/XM and aux inputs but have an old school look. They have all kinds of styles that you can customize, are made to be adjustable to fit just about any opening you have and they make a myriad of knobs and bezels and face plates to complete the look you want or, in my case, hide mistakes. Here's a shot of the actual head-unit I chose to go with.
Here's a shot of the face place I chose along with the dials installed. Of all the options out there, this one was big enough to hide mistakes while still offering a classic look.
And finally, here's a shot of what it looks like installed complete with metal chrome knobs.
As luck would have it, they also sell old school 4x10 dash speakers too and I installed one as well. Fortunately, you can't see it behind the dash.
BamBamDeer
New member
Thanks! I was stoked to find Retro Sound and love that they do what they do.
It literally wore my finger tips to a nub but I spend a lot of time cleaning up the old control panel so that I could help make it look a bit newer again. Here's a shot of what it looked like right out of the dash.
And, here's what it looks like now with a new decal to replace the old painted face.
And, here's what it looks like now with a new decal to replace the old painted face.
longarmwj
New member
It literally wore my finger tips to a nub but I spend a lot of time cleaning up the old control panel so that I could help make it look a bit newer again. Here's a shot of what it looked like right out of the dash.
And, here's what it looks like now with a new decal to replace the old painted face.
Very nice work!!!
Good deal on finding Retro Sound. A restoration shop out here uses them, and it honestly is hard to tell sometimes what is factory, and what is Retro Sound :thumb:
I don't doubt it. I know they make screens that have the old school frequency bands printed on them and with that on, they really look like the factory radios. They actually make one that says Jeep on it too but the font isn't the right period so I just left it off.
notnalc68
That dude from Mississippi
QuicksilverJK
Caught the Bug
How is the sound quality? I have been considering one for a while to put in an old chevy that I have. I really don't want to cut the dash up for a modern radio.
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Brute
Hooked
A while back, piginajeep hooked me up with an awesome factory radio that I was hoping to install on Emma and in place of the more modern 1980's Pioneer head unit that the previous owner had installed.
Unfortunately, in order for the previous owner to install that Pioneer complete with cassette tape deck, he had to butcher the dash and drill a new hole.
While I would have been able to fill in the hole, repairing the larger opening would have been very difficult or at least, for me to do well and if I couldn't do it right, I would have wanted the option to install a modern radio that is wider. Fortunately, I found a company called Retro Sound and they specialize in making modern head units that come with AM/FM, Sirius/XM and aux inputs but have an old school look. They have all kinds of styles that you can customize, are made to be adjustable to fit just about any opening you have and they make a myriad of knobs and bezels and face plates to complete the look you want or, in my case, hide mistakes. Here's a shot of the actual head-unit I chose to go with.
Here's a shot of the face place I chose along with the dials installed. Of all the options out there, this one was big enough to hide mistakes while still offering a classic look.
And finally, here's a shot of what it looks like installed complete with metal chrome knobs.
As luck would have it, they also sell old school 4x10 dash speakers too and I installed one as well. Fortunately, you can't see it behind the dash.
Big chrome knobs & big chrome push buttons...go big or go home...very cool
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