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Build Thread ~1986 CJ7 modified re-build

Build Thread ~1986 CJ7 modified re-build
Bucks86Renegade

Bucks86Renegade

Jeeper
Posts
150
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Location
Middle TN
Vehicle(s)
Restoration in process:
4.0L I6, Aw4 tranny, D300 transfer case, Dana 44 rear axle, Dana 30 front axle, 4.09 gears;
Original color black with (soon to be) '86 blue decals (3 shades).
Using tub from an '89 Wrangler
I know this is a little late, but I wanted to post up some pics of my CJ7 since it's been in the process of being restored/built since October, 2010. She's almost done after about 15 months. (Note, I'm not the one doing the rebuild as I'm only home about 8 days a month and lack the ability anyway).

The guy doing the rebuild for me is a local body shop/repair shop owner in Decherd, TN. It's not a full scale restore- more of a modified rebuild. My goal was to build a reliable, daily driver for the least amount of money. It was agreed that the Jeep would be worked on in the shop owner's spare time. I'll post photos chronologically.

Here is what she looked like when I first got 'er off of ebay. By the way, I bought her based on the seller's description of the Jeep. His exact wording was that the Jeep had Limited rust. That was a flat out lie. The Jeep was from Maryland and was severely rusted. The seller's photos were deliberately made to not show rusted out sections and holes. Lesson learned. Anyway, life goes on and karma is a bitch.
 
So the Jeep originally came with a 4cy engine and 5 speed Transmission . The Jeep had a hard time going over 55 mph. After talking with Sam, the bodyshop owner, I decided to find a donor Jeep in order to get a stronger engine, better body and maybe an automatic tranny. My thinking was that this Jeep was going to be more of a cruiser and not specifically an offroad Jeep.

I found a soldier in Clarksville, TN, who was parting out an '89 Wrangler with a 4.0L I6 from a '96 Cherokee and an automatic (AW4) Transmission . It was a pretty good deal at $900 for the tub, engine and tranny. I was told that the engine and tranny had 30k miles on them.

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Here she is getting dismantled.

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Here is the frame getting patched up. There was some scaly rust inside the frame of the Jeep. The frame was in pretty good shape though- much better than the body. It was cheaper and quicker (for me) to use a donor Jeep. I really wanted to use the old tube to keep it original, but I had a budget.
 
Sam installed new brakes, bearings, tie rods, bushings, new BDS 2.5" lift and much more later on. Eventually she got SS brake lines, new body mounts, rear cross member, etc.

By the way, just to brag on the builder a bit. He does really good work and at a great price.

Ten years ago Sam (last pic, guy on the right) rebuilt an engine on a Ford F700 for me. One night the truck broke down. Sam and his son traveled 60 miles that night and fixed the truck on the side of the road for no charge. It wasn't even his fault that the truck broke down. Sam helped me out because I was a struggling small business owner. Good guy.
 
Looks good keep us updated. I can't wait to start working on mine.
 
Thanks, she's been a long time coming. My dad's pretty pumped, too. He's retired and I believe he'll be driving it more than I will. Here's a couple more.
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This is a Franklin Mint diecast model of what I hope she will return to.
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By the way, I've only seen one other CJ7 with this color combo. Is this a rare one?
I know that the '85-'86 Renegade graphics aren't the most popular. That's one reason why I want it to look like an '86.
 
Thanks, I'm hoping to have her back within the next couple of weeks. I will be applying new decals and trying to sort out some wiring for my gauges then.
 
Just thought I would update this thread- I've worked on my Jeep on the weekends since January and she's finally running.
Since my last post I installed another 4.0L engine from a donor Cherokee, along with the engine and under-dash wiring harnesses. Had a buddy help with rewiring some gauges, replaced the rear drive shaft after breaking a u-joint and having the old driveshaft beat a 2-in hole in my floorboard.
What else- it seems like I've installed a lot more of miscellaneous stuff . It's a never ending job, but at least now I get to drive and it's a blast.
 
Love the rebuild! Thanks for posting. I have been wanting to post my rebuild for some time, but need to get all the photos together and write-ups. I "started" mine in 1999 and it's still in progress. Since I have been deployed so much, I build it in my mind on duty then come back and build it for real! Mine is black also; what a great color for a CJ7 ! My other project is ole Yeller, my avatar.
 
Thanks fellas. By the way, for anyone looking to buy new gauges, you should check out the volt and oil pressure gauges by Crown. They're actually decent and they're made in USA. I got mine from Morris 4x4. I replaced my clock with a Crown and it isn't too bad either.

Yeah, Micrablue, I know what you mean by dreaming/building while on a deployment. I did the same for a motorcycle in '05. Kept me going.
 
Bucks86Renegade said:
Thanks fellas. By the way, for anyone looking to buy new gauges, you should check out the volt and oil pressure gauges by Crown. They're actually decent and they're made in USA. I got mine from Morris 4x4. I replaced my clock with a Crown and it isn't too bad either.

Yeah, Micrablue, I know what you mean by dreaming/building while on a deployment. I did the same for a motorcycle in '05. Kept me going.
Click to expand...

Oh man I totally hear ya there. Think I read more car magazines, drooled over 4wd catalogs, and wrote more dream lists on my deployment than anything. It does keep ya goin. Stay safe!
 
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