Cool Fact: By most accounts...
Cool Fact:
By most accounts the m38 is known to be the last real flatfender of its time.
Some of the greatest and strangest things that happen in life are a stroke of luck. A perfect example of this is our buddy and wheeling enthusiast, rand ridges. In the spring of 2000, ridges just happened onto an estate sale of a lifetime, the kind where you buy the hammer in the garage you're stuck with the rest of the garage contents as well. For most of us this means old baby toys, a few rusty wrenches, and about a day's worth of hassle, but when the garage is filled with six '44-'68 jeeps and flatfenders, well, then you're one lucky guy.
Ridges dedicated five years of hard work and jeep know-how into removing the body off of one of the crown jewels of the collection, a '52 willys m38 so he could fit atop a '68 cj-5 frame that was also part of the collection. Having always said that flatfenders are to jeeping what the rolling stones are to rock music. Years and years have gone by and they're still there," it was no surprise when ridges opted to keep the old rig as stock-looking as possible, but outfit it with a few modern accessories to help it survive the trail. Built for the warm orange utah sandstone, the jeep was outfitted with a unique fiber-flex spring setup that would allow ridges to keep flattie low and stable for those off-camber climbs and obstacles. Even with the stance the flatfender maintains 6-7 inches of wheel travel to keep the 35-inch mt/ firmly planted on the terra firma for when he's ready to tackle the twisty stuff.
Although a mix of old and new, one thing's for sure: this little rig is all willys at heart. We're still not sure how he lucked out with so many cool rigs, but we're sure glad he did.
Drivetrain
Engine: '68 Buick V-6 225ci odd fire
Transmission: T-98A
Transfer Case: Dana 18
Front Axle: '74 Dana 44 narrowed to 54 inches, ArB Air locker, 4.88 gears
Rear Axle: TeraFlex Adventure Series 44 full-float, Dutchman motorsports custom 33- to 35-spline 1.5-inch alloy shafts, Detroit locker, 4.88 gears
Suspension
Springs & Such: Spring-over with TeraFlex Fiberflex Springs, custom perch mounts
Tires & Wheels: 35x12.50 mT/rs on 15x7s
Other Stuff: CJ-5 frame, custom bumpers, ramsey 9,000-pound winch, griffi n aluminum radiator, military dash plates, trimmed and plated rear fenders, custom cage
 A '68 Buick V-6 gives the...  A '68 Buick V-6 gives the flattie a little rumble under the hood, while a Ford 2V carburetor keeps the air and fuel mix in check. Check out the tow-bar stinger. We guess that's so that when he rolls it on the trail somebody can still drag him home. |  No crazy tube frames here,...  No crazy tube frames here, just a set of simple C-channel CJ-5 rails that give the little flatfender all the support it needs. And when its time to rock, the four-speed T-98A mated to the Dana 18 transfer case allows ridges to crawl over the sticky sandstone without so much as a slip of the clutch. |  Usually we just crawl underneath...  Usually we just crawl underneath to get the great tech shots of the rig, but when Dr. rick pw (Flatfender Specialist) comes by to do a checkup, the rigs seem to get nervous and flop right over. We suppose this is a good time to check for leaks. Didn't ridges mention something about an odd fire? Using a set of TeraFlex FiberFlex leaf springs and custom perches, ridges is able to keep the '74 Wagoneer Dana 44 and custom full-float rear axle tracking right and flexing great. With a Detroit locker in the rear and an ARB Air locker up front, he has no trouble maneuvering the 83-inch wheelbase all over the trail. And in anticipation for all those tight squeezes, ridges narrowed both axles to 54 inches for an end package that is claimed to have the effective equivalent of a stretched TJ with 40-inch tires. |