Last week on Members’ Rides, we looked at a fantastic collection of vehicles including a Honda Monkey, which is probably my favorite motorcycle on the market right now. This week, we are going back to Chicago to check out an incredible truck, a motorcycle that it took decades to obtain, and a project that may have gotten a bit out of hand.
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The notoriousDUG is a construction equipment mechanic who also works at one of those shops where you can rent a lift to work on your car in a nice garage instead of freezing in your driveway. The shop sounds like a great place to hang out, and they have a few shop projects that are too much fun.
What’s currently in the garage?
- 1986 K30 M1028 Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle with a utility bed
- 1949 Jeep CJ2a. Slated to receive a 2.5/NV-3550/D300 swap
- 2015 Tacoma
- 1976 KZ900
What is the story with the shop?
We are a DIY shop where people can rent space to do their own work. We also offer storage and space for longer-term projects. Currently, we have a member restoring a VW beetle. Earlier this year, we transitioned to an NFP to try and start offering more classes, youth programs, and community outreach work.
I would like to be a real force in empowering people to either do their own repair work or, at the very least, have a better understanding of the work they are doing and also do outreach to the younger people in the motorsports community and take their enthusiasm for making trouble on the streets and aim it at sanctioned fun.
I help people with not getting in over their heads, teach the classes, and work on the shop’s projects.
And what are the current shop projects?
- 1995 Acura Integra
- Porsche Cayman LS
How did you get into cars?
Just always liked cars and turning wrenches. I find there is something wildly enjoyable about improving or repairing anything mechanical.
What is the story behind the K30?
After looking for one for 6 or 7 months, I found this one on E-bay about 5 years ago. Several years back I had owned a CUCV, and I am a big fan of the squarebody pickup. I picked it up and drove it home from Kansas City. It was in much worse shape than I had been led to believe. The PO did not even have it completely put back together when I got there. The seat was not even bolted in, nor were the seat belts!
Did it make it home alright? Any major issues since?
It required 7 fuel filter changes to make it back to Chicago from KC. The rear brakes failed because they were serviced improperly. It does start every time I want it to and after the new fuel system was in has been trouble-free other than the brakes. And those are less an issue with the truck and more the previous owner’s work.
Oh man, I’ll be that was an adventure. What work have you needed to do on it?
I have had to undo a lot of very questionable electrical. Then I had to put in a new fuel tank which required removing the bed. I also discovered the bed was poorly attached and had to deal with that. Beyond that, I also had to redo some work the PO had done to the transmission that was causing unreasonably hard shifts and no kick down.
It is currently a stationary art installation in my back patio. The previous owner messed up EVERYTHING they touched, and I have trouble staying motivated to work on it because it is upsetting to have to do so much work because of them. I had to redo the brakes (rear disc conversion now) and the fuel system because of their shoddy work. The next step after that is the addition of overdrive to make it a viable tow rig.
What do you plan to tow with it?
Whatever I want. Just slowly… It has 4.56 gears and a 3SPD transmission so max speed is only 55-60 but it will pull almost anything. I mostly want to be able to pick up projects and drag stuff to and from the track if I ever finish a race car.
What do you love about this beast?
I just like the idea of a big, massive, almost unbreakable squarebody. I specifically wanted a truck with a service body and the ability to go anywhere and pull whatever I wanted.
How did you wind up with the 49 Jeep?
I had always wanted a flat fender but never had the money, time, and space all together for one, and finally did. I found this one in Iowa near my partner’s parents. It broke less than a quarter mile after purchase and had to be towed home. I make terrible choices.
Have you done many Jeep projects like this?
So many… I have had 3 or 4 XJs, one of which was powered by a 350 Chevy with a granny gear 4spd. Then I had a MJ with the engine and trans from my V8 XJ that I converted to run on propane and ran a flipped Dana 300 in. I also wheeled the heck out of a mostly stock ’80 CJ with open diffs and 32″ ATs to prove a point.
What are all the plans for this one?
Swap to an AMC 2.5L with MPFI, NV3550 or AX15 transmission, shortened Dana 300. Stretch the wheelbase 5-6″ and run more modern narrow track axles with about 2″ overstock and a 34″ super skinny tire.
What happened to get it to the point it needs so much work?
The poor thing is 75 years old!
It also had the engine improperly mated to the transmission causing significant damage to both. The cost and effort to repair them is just not worth it to me. For not much more I can double the HP and have a more reliable and enjoyable Jeep.
Think you’ll be keeping it after you do all the work or is it getting sold once complete?
Oh yeah, this is lifetime vehicle. I have been in love with flat fenders since seeing Pewe’s GPW and Ned Bacon’s Killer Bee in magazines way back in the day.
How did you get the stripped out Taco?
I had to replace my old F350 in the middle of the pandemic and became fixated on base-model small trucks. I put a lot of time into finding the most basic truck I could. It is the lowest option Tacoma available that year and a terrible mistake; it has no cruise or intermittent wipers.
Is this your daily or how does it get used?
Daily driver. I do nothing but maintain it. I have a rule that I always have on modern, lower mileage truck that I do not mess with. Its job is to be reliable and not require work. When it starts to need a lot of work, it gets replaced. That is why the F350 left; it was coming due for tons of work.
What do you love and hate about this one?
I love the reliability and dislike that it is cursed to a life of being struck while parked. It has been hit while parked in the two years I have owned it, more than I have had a vehicle hit while parked in over 20 years of street parking in Chicago. It was hit in the parking lot at work two DAYS after I got it! Never serious damage, just weird little dings and scratches. In hindsight, I should have looked for 4wd as it is TERRIBLE in the snow and wet. I will probably run this for another 4 years or so. It’s a very boring truck but it does the job. I do wish it had cruise control who even knew they made stuff without it!?
Ok, what’s the background on the KZ that you tried to buy 15 years ago?
My dad has a friend who bought it and rode it for a couple of years. He did all the mods; cams, jets, pipes, case guards, cone filters, oil cooler… It sat for years and I always wanted to buy it. Eventually, he told my dad to let me know it was for sale. My dad, who had not had a motorbike since the ’60s, bought it! I was so mad! Tank cleaning and some carb work and it was riding great. My dad recently crested 80 and decided he wasn’t getting enough use out of it because of back issues and passed it on to me.
How good of shape is it in?
Very mint, one of the better survivors out there. 14k miles and looks almost new. There is a starting/charging issue that needs to be resolved. I have not been able to look at it yet this year.
Do you get to ride it much?
Not yet, I just got it late this summer and need to get the starting issue resolved. Honestly, my partner will likely ride it much more than I do. She likes motorbikes a lot more than I do. I am borderline not responsible enough to ride anything that dangerous.
Any plans for it now that it’s finally yours?
Keep it the perfect time capsule survivor that it is. It really does look like it just came here from 1979…
Now how’s the Integra?
It is a mix of rough and surprisingly nice. It is a very rust-free Texas car that sat in somebody’s yard for 10 or 12 years with a blown head gasket. Having sat that long, it has minor cosmetic rust and is filthy, but it is an amazingly solid foundation for its age.
What work does it need?
It is getting an engine refresh due to the head gasket. It needs brakes and soft lines due to sitting. We are deleting the AC and ABS and converting to manual steering. It is also getting a lot of work cleaning and making nice. This spring, it should be a viable autocross car. After that, we move on to proper race seats, a roll cage, and the rest of the work to make it LeMons/ ChampCar legal.
Was this something you were looking for or just sort of stumbled across and then jumped on?
We had wanted to do some form of racing as a program at the shop. Being a Not For Profit we have a very small budget. This popped up as a possible donation and while not an ideal starting point, we decided to go with it. A slow race car is still more fun than no race car!
Ok, now you’re attempting to LS swap a Cayman?!
The engine blew from oil starvation on track from a known oiling issue in turns on that generation of Cayman engines.
How hard is the swap?
Very, it is a massive undertaking. It requires some of the car’s chassis to be cut away and then reinforce what is left. There is also the issue of integrating the engine management for the GM engine with the factory control on the Porsche.
How far along is the project?
The engine is adapted to the Porsche transmission and ready to mount to figure out the reinforcement of the car’s structure. After that it needs the electronics sorted. It is set up with a Holley EFI harness and control that needs to be integrated into the car. The project is for sale at this point; time, money and complexity have gotten in the way…
That’s awesome. Thanks, notorious DUG!
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Can’t stop doffing my imaginary hat at your absolutely inspirational car-nuttery, NotoriousDUG!
Great writeup and projects! That jeep looks great and will be so fun when it’s finished!
Gearhead Workspace is great! Everyone’s so nice there!
Fun collection, and a great write-up!
This is so rad, I feel famous! Thank you, Brandon and The Autopian, for making me feel special.
While this is current and active on the site, I would like to mention that Gearhead Wokrspace is a 501c3 nonprofit. You can make a fully deductible donation to us and help support our educational and youth programming.
IJS…
Do you accept sperm donations?
How would that be deductible though?
It’s been a dream of mine to open a shop like that (only partially due to my own selfish desire for a real lift). I always imagined the startup costs and insurance have got to be pretty scary though.
I want a lift so bad! I am working towards building an epic garage that will enable me to have a lift, but it’ll be years before I can actually get the lift in there. Oh well, just having a functional garage will be nice.
QuickJacks are a pretty decent in-between. Unfortunately when I bought mine I never thought I’d have a car as big as the Q7, so my QJ’s aren’t long enough longitudinally or horizontally without the $400 extension set, and even if they did fit they have a max capacity of 5,000lb and the car weighs exactly 5,000lb, which is something you think about constantly when you’re fully underneath it. But for doing brakes, rotations, suspension work…they’re awesome and can be had for a good price on FB marketplace.
I need to look at those again once I get the garage. The current shack I occasionally park in doesn’t have power or anything so I don’t do a whole lot in it. Plus the concrete foundation is cracked and uneven and I don’t think it would be safe to try to use them without a solid surface underneath.
Long before I was involved in this shop, like when I was in my 20s, I was involved in a shared space.
Basically, five of us rented a corner of a much larger industrial space and shared the cost of the rent and buying used shop equipment.
I had always wanted to do it again over the years but could never get the people together.
Very cool, both the shop and the vehicle assortment!
Fantastic writeup and great story about your passion, DUG! I especially like the pictures of the shop; classic Chicago in so many ways.
Where I went to night school to learn to car repair, during the day, it’s a career academy. Sometimes, some of the students would still be hanging around, talking with the instructor (named Doug, interestingly enough) when we arrived for our classes. It was always interesting getting in on those conversations.
You could always tell the younger ones were the sort you describe, <this> close to a brush with the law, but it was always fascinating to me seeing how different the older students could be – they’d started at a similar point I’m sure, but they’d been taking the classes long enough to have absorbed the ethos of being a mechanic. They were obsessive about making sure the tools all went back exactly where they belonged, that spills were fully cleaned up, that sort of thing. It’s been years, but I sometimes wonder how many of those guys now have a solid career somewhere. A fair amount, I bet.
Agreed. That shop is awesome! That’s an awesome story too. I always wished I had taken some actual classes for car repair. I do alright just learning via hard knocks, but probably could have saved a lot of time learning to do things the right way instead of making it up as I go.
I have a secret for you:
Most professionals are making it up as they go.
None of it is really that hard; everything works the same, be it Cars, bicycles, jets, bulldozers, or rocket ships. They all have to follow the same rules.
Learn to read schematics.
Learn the basics of how systems work.
Be willing to do it wrong and have to do it again.
Go do it.
That is really all it takes.
haha I’m aware, but having spent 5 hours wrestling with a bolt on a catalytic converter one time to have a real mechanic walk up, look at it, walk away, then come back with a crazy combination of extensions and wobbly sockets, then take 30 seconds and have it out, I learned how much real training is worth. That guy nearly always worked at double flat rate time, and made it look insanely easy.
OMG, DUG, this was an awesome read. I didn’t know you were involved with a shop like that, and your vast knowledge now makes much more sense. Thanks for sharing!!!!!
Thank you!
Although I think you are confusing ‘vast knowledge’ with ‘old enough to have learned the hard way.’
😀