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Willys Jeep: Operation Porkchop

In Jeep by J Michel Metz1 Comment

You ever see those makeover shows where a team of highly capable people come and work on a project that turn out to be real before-and-after showstoppers? Shows like Overhaulin’, and such. This past weekend, I had my own version of the “A-Team” show up and put Porkchop into working order. And it was jaw-dropping – not to mention humbling …

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Synology Hybrid Backup, Part 3

In Storage, Technology by J Michel Metz3 Comments

This is the third installment of the 3-2-1 backup workflow that I have established using Synology’s DSM 5.2 software. My goal is to illustrate a multi-tiered backup plan using my Synology equipment and the built-in tools to establish a resilient method for surviving data loss. In the first post, I discussed some of the considerations of backups and a provided …

Willys Jeep: One Tough S.O.B. (Steering On Badger)

In Jeep by J Michel Metz1 Comment

Today was the first day in a long time that I’ve 1) been home and 2) the weather has been nice enough to actually get some work done on Honey Badger. Over the New Year break I had managed to get some new parts and tools to help get some work done on the civilian Jeep and I’ve been itching …

Willys Jeep: Axle and Frame Reassembly

In Jeep by J Michel Metz2 Comments

For much of this project there has been a lot of “one step forward, two steps back,” especially when it comes to things like brakes and suspension for Porkchop. My exasperation was mitigated a bit, however, when I made some excellent progress within a two weeks time with the help of my wife and a friend. In the short video …

Willys Jeep: Porkchop’s Clutch Arm Problem

In Jeep by J Michel Metz6 Comments

This is a quick and dirty post to describe a particular problem that I’m having. Part of what I have to do when replacing the master cylinder (that is, converting it to a dual master cylinder (MC) from the original single reservoir, making it safer) on the M38A1 (affectionately named Porkchop) is disassemble the pedal assembly bracket and modify it …

Willys Jeep: Ballad of Porkchop’s Brakes

In Jeep by J Michel Metz12 Comments

Not surprisingly, Porkchop needs new brakes. All of them. Front brakes, rear brakes, parking brake, brake lines, master cylinder, everything. So, I went ahead and bought everything I needed for a complete rip-and-replacement of all the brake parts I need. With that, I got ready to get to work.

Willys Jeep: The Frame, Before & After (Photos)

In Jeep by J Michel Metz2 Comments

As promised in my earlier post, here are the before and after photos. I tried to figure out a way to do this so that the comparison was easy to see, but I didn’t have the time to do anything too special. Thankfully there are online animated gif programs. I hope this works the way I wanted it to. This …

Willys Jeep: The Long and Painful (Frame) Journey is Over

In Jeep by J Michel Metz3 Comments

8 months. It’s been 8 months since I took the frame, completely free from other parts of the Jeep, to get the front crossmember to get welded. It’s been 7 months since I was able to bring the sandblasted frame home and deal with the reality of not being anywhere near completed. It’s been a very long road since then. …

Willys Jeep: Porkchop’s Brakes

In Jeep by J Michel Metz3 Comments

After bringing Porkchop home last Monday (you know, the name has grown on me, it just… fits) today was the first day that I was able to really get in and around it to find out what “the sitch” is, and I’m happy to report that the situation is pretty much what I thought it was. In other words, unlike …

Willys Jeep: Went to See a Man About a Jeep

In Jeep by J Michel Metz1 Comment

Yesterday I drove 7 hours (round trip) to take a look at a Jeep just north of Sacramento. The seller had advertised it for $1500, but didn’t know exactly what kind of Jeep it was – just that it was a 1949. It had an overdrive and a Saginaw steering system, as well as a V8 (which I would sell) …

Willys Jeep: We Missed a Bolt!?

In Jeep by J Michel Metz1 Comment

If you’ve been following along the trials and tribulations of the Willys Jeep saga, you’ve probably read (with some amusement) about some of the things that have made this project interesting – including my ongoing exploration of the depths of my automotive ignorance as well as the discovery of the addiction to tools. This past weekend I hit a major …