Enthusiasts of classic SUVs understand that the allure of a vehicle like the Jeep Islander goes beyond mere transportation; it’s about a lifestyle. The 1991 Jeep Islander, in particular, represents an iconic era of off-road adventures and open-air driving. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the reasons why the Jeep Islander is a cherished…
Author: ratchet

Out with the old…
I moved and so the old project was sold to make the transition easier unfortunately. With the work put in I was able to make a profit off the vehicle which is a first for me. That being said, now that I’m in my new location the itch for a new “old” Jeep just won’t…

Day 29: Stripping Paint
Today we’re stripping paint. Yep, good old-fashioned manual labor. I tried to strip the paint with a chemical stripper, but I either bought the wrong kind or it wasn’t very good. Either way that left me with chasing alternatives and everyone loves to “do it the hard way” so that’s where we landed. The results…

Day 28: Fixing it with Bondo
In this episode we do some body shaping using our old friend Bondo. Bondo requires a hardener to be mixed with the core body filler in order to make the repair solid and long lasting. Today we’ll look at fixing the rear panel and both rocker panels on our Jeep YJ where we did a…

Day 27: Dealing with Dents
Today we start the extended process of handling a dent in the read passenger’s side tail panel. It’s a long process that starts with a failure on paint stripping. Regardless, we power through and ultimately get the job done. This is my very first time stripping paint and adding body filler. Post your comments on…

Day 26: Retesting & Failure
Yep, it’s what it sounds like. Today we have another look at the YJ’s engine and see if we can learn more to provide a diagnosis. Hope you enjoy!

Day 25: Will it Run?
Today we try to get the YJ running… which is always a treat. Apologies but my video skills need some work. Hope you enjoy!

Day 24: Testing the Weld
Today I’m back out in the garage with a few house keeping items to attend to (pun intended). The biggest question we need to answer is “Will the welded captured nut actually hold?”. Let’s find out.

Day 23: YJ Project Update
It’s been a long time since I made progress on my 1995 Jeep Wrangler YJ project, but I’m back out in the shop finally thanks to COVID-19 quarantine. Since it has been a while I thought I’d share a quick update on where we stand and what’s left to do (and there are lots). Apologies…