Friday, February 18, 2011

Update #9 - Safari Snorkel Install

Time to Snorkelize the Jeep with a Safari Snorkel from ARB.

For those who want quality and durability in protecting their engines from what mother nature has to throw at it, Safari Snorkel is the one to go with.
First things first, we make a few measurements with templates that are provided in the kit. This is going to help insure us in drilling holes in the right place.

Now we mark the holes and drill them out.

The last hole to drill out we need to use a 76mm holesaw. This is where check and recheck yourself comes into the equation. You got only one shot with this.


Now that the hole is drilled out in the body, we can line up the snorkel to the windshield, mark out for the upper mount and install it.



As for the intake box, we remove the intake horn and seal it up a plate that’s provided. Make sure to use ample amount of silicone for a good seal.


Next we use a template to mark out the side of the intake box to cut out for snorkel tube attachment.

I used a 1¼” holesaw to get a cleaner cut around the corners.  

Once again be generous with the silicone and install the intake plate with pop rivets supplied.


Here we install the airbox back on the fender. As you can see the block off and intake plates now installed.

Now we hook up the intake hose and apply a bit of silicone on the ends for a water tight seal.

When then attach the hose to the intake pipe by crawling under the Jeep to access the area that’s below the battery tray.

We now install the intake grille to complete our install of the Safari Snorkel.

The finished look.



Here’s a few video’s on what Safari Snorkels are all about.


LINKS

Stay tuned as we tackle more accessories

Monday, February 7, 2011

Phase VIII - Install a Customer Headliner and Repainting the Hardtop

So the past couple of weeks we’ve made some really good progress on coming close to getting our Jeep on the road. We’ve repainted the Hardtop and Carpet Lined the inside to get rid of the factory white interior roof.

Here’s what the inside of a Jeep Hardtop looks like.  It’s plain, white & boring looking. Just about every Jeep out there with a Hardtop looks like this and when we’re finished carpeting this, you’d wonder why Jeep didn’t offer this as a standard option. Especially with the ever so popular Jeep JK’s now.

To do this we took the rear glass off, removed any hinges and interior lighting to make the job easier. Then flipped it upside down on some moving blankets to not scratch it up.
The style of headliner we’re using is called Foss Lining in Charcoal color. It’s a material that is marine grade that doesn’t collect water and create mildew. In our industry its widely used in the Leer Canopy’s to cut down moisture. So this is really going to help in regards to fogging of windows, help with insulation and also cut down on interior noise.

If you’ve never done upholstery work of any sort, leave this job to the Cap-it guys. It takes a lot of experience to make this job look like it was done at the factory.
First we mask off all the area’s we don’t want to have glue sprayed on, then we start from the middle and work our way out. The glue we’re using is moisture resistant and will ensure that the liner stays up for many years.


Then carefully wrap it up the side and contour it to the groves in the fiberglass.

Once both sides are done, I then go with a new blade and carefully trim off the access material.

Then we start re-installing all the hardware/wiring plugs and the window rubber.




Here’s the finished look on our Hardtop Interior. As you can see this really cleans up the inside.


To make this job look like a million bucks you have to take your time and be patient. For having over 15 years of experience, this job took me around 4 hours from prep work to reinstalling the hardware. Call your local Cap-it Store to get a quote on getting your Hardtop carpeted, as this adds a great look and cleans up the interior to a factory finish.



Now for the repainting the exterior.


The top has a textured finish that I wanted to keep sanding it down is out of the question. So I gave it a very good wash and towel dried it to make sure I removed all the dirt and grime. I then turned up the heat in the shop to get the hard top nice and warm. As for prepping, the only thing to do is to mask off the windows and door openings for over spray not to ruin the carpet.

I used about 2½ cans of Duplicolor semi gloss black and gave it about 4 coats of paint. I was a little surprised how much the hardtop absorb the paint.


Now that the Hardtop is looking like brand new, its time to put it back on the Jeep and take it outside and have a look.


Check back shortly as we’re on a mission to finish up the Project

Some of the items to finish up our Cap-it/ARB Project are: