Build Thread $600 Salvage Cj-7

[Petescj]

You guys are gonna be lit with a bunch of little kernel shells stuck in your teeth by the time this ones done.

Hey there IO grab me another cold one while your up.

Shiner bocks all arround!!
Pete, we feel your pain.
If it was easy, anybody could do it.:rock:

Like IO stated , you have your good days and your bad working on these Cjs. The next weekend I was all smiles again. Why? Well I found a complete windshield set up ( glass ,frame ,windshield wipers the works) for $85. A guy from our local Jeep club saw an ad I posted and told me to come pick this flawless Jem up. The guys name is Seth and hes into the earlier style Cj-5s and doesnt have much use for 80s Cjs. I take the 30 min. jaunt to his place or as I like to call it " shangri la " . Up on the hill past his garage are 4 Cj5s in various states of disrepair. Off to the side in a stone parking lot so to speak are 2 more with trenchers on the rear. We head to the garage where there is a rust free desert tan CJ5 . Beautiful.

So a parts run that shouldve taken me 1.5 hrs turns into 4 hrs. and I wouldnt have had it any other way. He shows me his little orange trail rider , a CJ2a on 32s. I say I even have the Jeep affliction bad enough I dig Fcs. He busts out laughing and we take a walk to the back of the property. There sits a running FC-170. I state that I would some day love to have a Scrambler. We walk a little more and Im sure hes about to show me his CJ8 but no , its not to be. Instead he shows me his " pride and joy " a rusted out tub and repaired CJ6 frame. You can see the pride he feels and the wheels turning as he explains to me what Im looking at. Hey ,I knew it was a CJ6 but hes having fun too so let him go.

I havent seen Seth in awhile , but after taking this little trip down memory lane Im gonna have to see how hes doing. I know the Tan CJ5 was sold but dont know how far the CJ6 has come. Anyway I get myself a real nice frame and windshield for a mere $85 , but if Id have left empty handed Id still have a good story to tell and a nice memory to boot. It was a pleasure meeting Seth , and I havent seen the last of him.

More to come..

 

[LongHorn]

$600 bucks for a running 4X4 anything is a pretty good deal I would say.
I paid $800 for mine I took $250 more in parts to drive it home.
I was lucky to get 75 miles to my drive, before the one bolt holding the
passenger side caliper to shear & lock up the wheel.
So figure your still beating the odds.

 

[Petescj]

$600 bucks for a running 4X4 anything is a pretty good deal I would say.
I paid $800 for mine I took $250 more in parts to drive it home.
I was lucky to get 75 miles to my drive, before the one bolt holding the
passenger side caliper to shear & lock up the wheel.
So figure your still beating the odds.

I read that story in a post awile back. At the time these things happen they may not be funny but these old Jeeps sure can make a good story cant they? Luckily it waited till the driveway. I also forgot to mention that it was the $600 Cj that got me there to grab its replacement windshield. Its by no means a daily driver but ran enough to get me there and back.

So its the day after my windshield purchase and I head out to work on the Jeep. Ahh the beauty of Torx bolts. Using the hammer /socket method I get them all out. Installation is a bit more difficult. I had to remove the parking brake to get my arm into the cowl so I could hold the nuts in place to get them started. A little cussing and fussin and were in!

I never painted the windshield due to impending rain in the area. I put that on the lengthy "Things needing to be done on the CJ" list. It gets longer and longer everytime I even sneak a peak at this Cj. The Bestop Supertop goes on perfect after a little shimming of the windshield frame. Heres a pic from the end of that day:

 

[Petescj]

Well that will be the last ride I take in the C7 for awhile. Im saving cash up for my upcoming vacation so the Cj is suffering. I cant waste the good warm weather thats going on at the time so what to do? Even though I cant buy things to make the pig run better I can try and make it look a little better. So begins the task of sanding her down ,filling some holes and banging out some dents.

The rocker area has some booger welded patches already so my grinder makes quick work of flattening them out. The rear has out and out holes that I tried to patch with some chicken wire and 3M filler stating it "dries and is strong as metal". Its held up so far but has been covered since this pic.The large green piece clamped in the rocker area is some diamond plate I got from work. I was going to fab up some protection but it just seemed too heavy for my taste. Also my picture taking skills are getting a little better.

 

[Petescj]

After a few days I feel pretty good about the body of the Jeep. Im not trying for a mirror like finish. I want something that looks 1/2 descent from 50 ft. Anyway Im still strapped for cash and vacation is 2 wks away. How can I spend some money without hearing the " we could use that on vacation" rant?

Ok its time for sacrifice. I religously chug down 3 cups of coffee every workday. Life just doesnt seem right without it. I decide to keep my large morning cup and pocket the other $2 a day. Now at 6 days a week thats $12. Whats $12 worth? If you shop at the dollar store its worth about 10 cans of spray bomb. I do this for the next 2 weeks before vacation and it pretty much pays for my "paint job" for lack of a better term.

So while I didnt have to sacrifice any spending money for vacation and I still get to keep doing something to the Jeep , everyone remains happy. The coffee ordeal did kinda suck a little , but to this day I only have that morning cup instead of three.

This brings me to choosing the color. I already have pictured the Cj red and Im ready to go with it. My girls are excited when I say Im painting it and they want to be involved. Now Im a pretty smart guy ( sarcasm ) and already have a plan to get what I want ( red ) and involve the kids right off the bat. I tell them they can pick the colors. My ace in the hole? My youngest Cassie's favorite color is red. I say she can pick first. " Daddy how about a shiney BLACK ? " she says. Oh no!! Foiled by a 9 yr. old.

Now if you knew my oldest ,Chelsea, you would understand why I want to just run and hide now. I cannot take back what I said and I know whats coming. I sneak a peak at her and I see her big toothy smile already. Im screwed. See Chelseas favorite color is Yellow. If Cassie wouldve picked red ( like she was supposed to ) I could have easily told Chelsea no , red and yellow dont go together. Needless to say heres the first nites paint job. It looks like some kinda Swamp Monster in this pic.

 

[Old Dog]

Now I know where the yellow trim came from.

 

[Petescj]

Yup. Im a Steelers fan but I just wouldnt do that on my own. I really had pictured a red or a maroon but, oops. The funny thing was I was so confident when I decided to ask the kids about colors I never wouldve pictured what happened in the end. There is a little more to the story of how so many things ended up yellow , but thats for another time.

Now I know where the yellow trim came from.

 

[edo]

i love this , you need to wright a book i cant move lol

 

[Petescj]

It takes me long enough to write a post every once in awhile , more or less a book. Glad your enjoying it.

i love this , you need to wright a book i cant move lol

 

[Petescj]

Well for the next week or so I work on painting the Jeep. Using Dollar store paint has its disadvantages. Some cans seem to last longer and some nozzles leak and make a real mess. Overall it works pretty well once I get used to the little quirks. The yellow isnt sold at the Dollar store and is $3 a can at True Value.

So here we are with the yellow again. Ok I made a mistake and was underminded by preteen girls. Id learned my lesson right? Im a smart guy (more sarcasm ) and wont let it happen again. If you note from the first pic theres quite a bit of yellow there. While explaining how the paint is gonna go I spit out another Fopah. Chelsea isnt happy about how I explain whats going to be black and whats going to be yellow. The Jeep is going to be MAINLY black with just some yellow accents. She bugs and pests like kids do while Im painting the grill.

Here comes my intelligence again. During her pesting I blurt out the response " If I take it off we can paint it yellow". Holy I need a lip filter. This phrase comes back to haunt me. Im so stupid considering Im painting the grill. The headlight bezels are off as well as the turn signals and I cant really remember why the bumper was off. I misspoke the other post. The yellow wasnt the first nite but was the next day. I used coat hangers and a washline to hang things and paint. The bumper was done on some cardboard I brought home from work. Here are the pics of my progress before going on Vacation.

 

[Petescj]

Well I havent added anything in awhile so here goes. Im now back from a week on the beach in Maryland. Of course the family has drained every cent Ive made over the year but hey , its great to get away and recharge a bit. My work is always happy to throw money my way over the Summer. O.T. runs rampant for the next couple months and soon boxes start arriving.

My willing to work nets me quite a few parts. I'll start by saying the most annoying problem is the whining Transmission and bad throwout bearing. To me it didnt really make sense to just change out the throwout bearing and not buy a new clutch also. Im gonna have the Transmission out and Im not believing the previous owners story of it having a new clutch anyway. Not the way this puppy chatters.

I finally get some time to work on the Jeep and start tearing away at the Transmission . The skid comes down relatively easily as do the driveshafts. My trusty floor jack goes underneath and Im ready to loosen those last four bolts holding it to the bellhousing. Heck the first one is loose already.
Its loose alright. Its been stripped in the bellhousing for who knows how long. The rest of the three arent as tight as they should be either. quickly turns to . I pull the bellhousing down and inspect. 2 of the 4 holes are stripped out. Since that whine was in 1st through 3rd gear only , I summarize the demise of my T-176 .

Some Wahoo cross threaded the mounting hole in the bellhousing. The bolt came loose and let the tranny move around a bit under acceleration and shifting and down shifting etc... This ended up putting wieght and stress on the main shaft wearing out the bearings. 1st through 3rd gear are on the mainshaft in a T-176 so theres why it was whiney till 4th gear. I didnt anticipate needing a bellhousing , so since all I have is a new clutch and such Im stuck here.

So now what? Rebuild the Transmission and repair the bell? I post what I need or would like to have on our local Jeep club board. Who will end up rescuing me from this dilemma? A while back I shared the story of my windshield frame with you. Seth comes to my rescue again and helps fund the salvage CJ7 unknowingly...

 

[IOPort51]

I had stripped bolts in the bell on the J-10, I think its from the PO trying to put the trans and TC on in one unit, getting in a bind and cross threading the bolts in so it won't fall and crush him. This is Just a guess. :dunno:
I used and recommend using Helicoils to repair the damage, you need to have the bell down and re drill with a drill press so you get things square and straight and then put the tap in the drill press to line it up straight. I lift the belt cover and turn the pulley by hand, it makes it a lot easier to tap straight.
The helicoils are hardened steel so they are a lot harder than the aluminum alloy of the bell, you will have a hard time damaging them.
Helicoil kits are pretty easy to find on flea bay at a reasonable price. IMHO this would make a real improvement to the machine.

 

[Petescj]

I used and recommend using Helicoils to repair the damage, you need to have the bell down and re drill with a drill press so you get things square and straight and then put the tap in the drill press to line it up straight.

I had thought of using heli coils but opted not to. I was worried about the stress that would be put on them by the torque transferred through the Transmission . I used them succsessfully to repair some stripped holes for my water pump but didnt trust them for this application.

So almost immediately after I post my wants and needs on our local club board I get an e-mail from Seth letting me know hes got what I need. Bellhousing : $75 T-176 : $100. Im back at his place that weekend. After a little b.s.ing he takes me to the garage and I start checking over parts. I take a gander at the T-176 and although someone sawed off the shifter handle for some reason it looks to be in good shape as does the bell. I pay for the parts and carry them off to the minivan. Seth shocks me and says to take the Transfer Case with also. A free Dana 300 ? Im all over it. I already have it planned in my head to use it behind a T-18 in my CJ5 before it hits the back of the mini van.

Later on I end up selling it for $200. I also sell my bellhousing for $40 and the Transmission for $75. I have the parts I need and Im up $140. The Jeep gods are smiling on me this day for sure. Re-selling alot of my parts that I wanted to replace helps me keep the cost of the salvage Cj down. After building this Jeep I recommend keeping everything you take off your Jeep. The old saying "one mans garbage is another mans gold" mustve been coined by a Jeeper.

By this time Im pretty much done with my painting and like I stated before am getting into the mechanicals. At one point I have the flares off and am mocking up some Tj flares I got. Who walks out by my Yellow loving daughter. I forgo my Tj flares for the fact I refuse to paint them yellow. This is what I end up with. My yellow loving daughter is in the pic.

 

[IOPort51]

You know, I hate to say it but the yellow flares on black works pretty good.
The kid may have something here.

 

[Petescj]

I'll give you that. Its not that it looks bad , she just keeps catching me with parts off and BAM they gotta be yellow. If you look in some of the pics she gaught me with the taillights off so , they had to be taped off and painted also.

On the good news front while checking our local club board I found a nice additon to the Cj. There were a set of 15 x 10 chrome Cj wheels with surface rust and dry rotted 32s on 3 of them for my favorite price : FREE !! Another club member had passed them to this one for the same price and wanted to do the same. Awesome! an hour and a half round trip but it was a nice ride anyway.

This also did two things for me. It got me a usable set of wheels for the Cj. The white ones that are on it have a really bad rust spot on each one. I think it sat for quite awhile. More than one winter without being moved, definately to pit the rims as much as they are. The other bonus is to see how a little larger tire will fit. The Bfg all terrains are 30 in. tires.

You know, I hate to say it but the yellow flares on black works pretty good.
The kid may have something here.

 

[LongHorn]

I'll give you that. Its not that it looks bad , she just keeps catching me with parts off and BAM they gotta be yellow. If you look in some of the pics she gaught me with the taillights off so , they had to be taped off and painted also.

On the good news front while checking our local club board I found a nice additon to the Cj. There were a set of 15 x 10 chrome Cj wheels with surface rust and dry rotted 32s on 3 of them for my favorite price : FREE !! Another club member had passed them to this one for the same price and wanted to do the same. Awesome! an hour and a half round trip but it was a nice ride anyway.

This also did two things for me. It got me a usable set of wheels for the Cj. The white ones that are on it have a really bad rust spot on each one. I think it sat for quite awhile. More than one winter without being moved, definately to pit the rims as much as they are. The other bonus is to see how a little larger tire will fit. The Bfg all terrains are 30 in. tires.

I'm surprised you haven't sand blasted those wagon wheels & painted them yellow & black in a spiral pattern!

 

[edo]

how much do you have in it now ???

 

[Petescj]

All in do time my friend , all in due time.

I'm surprised you haven't sand blasted those wagon wheels & painted them yellow & black in a spiral pattern!

 

[Petescj]

At this point in it? Hmm. Tell Ya what my next update will give a breakdown of what I spent . I have to make certain.

how much do you have in it now ???

 

[Petescj]

Ok some more nice weather and a weekend off. Time to bust out the wrenches. I live in Pa. and Quadratec has a store about an hr. and 1/2 away. I work so much I still get most of my stuff Ups. A nice box has arrived and I rip into it like a kid at X-mas. The clutch is here and the Jeep will be moving under its own power again by Sunday nite. Yeah sure it will.

I have bellhousing and clutch now so its time to tear into it. One quick stop at Auto Zone nets me the pilot bushing puller I'll need to get started. That quick Im under the Jeep with my trusty rented tool giving it hell. I crank the bolt on the puller down and "bang" the whole puller flies back at me hitting me square in the right eye. Way to put a damper on a project huh?

Now let me say before that day I was never a real big fan of eye protection. Hate safety glasses. They make you sweat , get knocked off ,and are generally annoying. Thankfully I was wearing them anyway. If you remember back earlier I stated this Jeep had mud everywhere ,and it turned up even after I cleaned it and drove around for a week. I was so sick of getting dirt in my eyes under this pig I caved and started wearing them. Im pretty glad this thing was as muddy as it was on this day.

Anyway I spend all Sat. afternoon trying to pull this pilot bushing with my rental puller to no avail. I keep praying "this is the time its gonna come out". God was busy with more important things than my pilot bushing I imagine and left me to fend for myself. When the Transmission loosened up it allowed the shaft to move up and down inside the brass pilot bushing. A hole that shouldve been the size of a No. 2 pencil reverted back to Kindergarden when they give you that red log to write with. Heck it was bigger.

Suday afternoon I had finally had enough and went to Advance to grab another puller. Theres is better for my application. The "feet" on the Auto Zone one were tapered. The advance ones feet dont taper down on the end. Back under the Jeep and in seconds (literally) the bushing is dispatched. So there is how I wasted a weekend pulling a pilot bushing.

Someone on here stated " It's just a machine, it can't hate you and it can't intentionally piss you off". On this day Id have to beg to differ!