Hello to All and Jeep should I choose

[FiNorman]

Hello to all,
I just wanted to introduce my self to the forum and say hello from Orlando, Fl.
In the near future my ten year old son and I will go about our first build. Seeing as he has never been in a CJ I took him out to a local place that was selling a bunch of them to get an idea what he liked.... The good news is he eliminated the CJ5 (wheel base too short) and the CJ8 (my personal choice but he made my life easier as it looks like there are more bodies to choose from with the CJ7 ) and went with the CJ7 ..... the bad news is he picked a rust bucket that hadn't been driven since the Carter years and said "dad I want to make that into my car".
I guess the kid likes a challenge.
I have Limited mechanical experience, but lots of time and patience and some professional resources. We would like to do a complete off frame restoration, ideally of a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , 4 speed, so off we go to a great father son adventure.
My question to you all is there something in particular I should be looking for with the Jeep? I know I can get a frame if it's shot but at what point is fixing the frame not a possibility and should we think about buying another? Are there any problems with a title should we swap most things out?
is the AMC 304 the most desirable option? can things like power brakes/booster and AC be added if the vehicle does not have them? Is Craigs List the best place to look?
Any advice would be appreciated,
thanks

 

[CJ]

:ww: from an Orlando native now a GA transplant.

My advice is that you buy the best CJ you can afford. While it sounds nice that you would do a restore with your 10 year old because he 'likes that one' - you are really setting yourself up to have a very rough time. Very few 10 year olds (some do) have the attention span to watch Daddy spend four hours removing that darn rusted steering mount bracket bolt...

This may not be what you wanted to hear - but you asked...

And by getting a good starter project, you will be able to work on at the same time as you enjoy it, the repairs will be less time consuming but you will sill have the enjoyment of all the work that it will need (and it will need more then you think it will when you purchase it.)

Everything can be swapped from one CJ7 to another (some pieces are a little more difficult) and there are many parts that we adapt to our CJ's.

I personally like a v8 but I just recently purchased a CJ8 with a 6 and it has become a very good friend (please reconsider the CJ8 - they are great CJ's)...

 

[Old Dog]

At least make sure it has a good frame. Your going to be spending more time & money than you think, so the less problems you start with the better.

 

[FiNorman]

Actually that is great advice, I would definitely like something that is runny and safe in the "mechanically and structurally sound but aesthetically unpleasant category".

We just want to avoid any big mistakes to begin with that can't be fixed later or could have easily been avoided.

We just looked at one on CL that had a significant amount of frame rot, but looked like a good start.

thanks for the reply

 

[FiNorman]

I know what you mean about the frame, as a coincidence I happen to spend some time out in Salt Lake City and found a refurbished frame in the classifieds for $500. Is this a diamond in the rough or pretty common?
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=21102966&cat=&lpid=&search=cj7%20frame
any thoughts?

 

[coldair]

I would advise not to buy stuff from that guy I bought a "rebuilt" motor from him well let's say look at my AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l build thread. It was so worn out wasn't funny. I don't like talking bad about anyone but he isn't honest!

 

[FiNorman]

Thanks I appreciate your input. I know what you mean about trying to keep it positive, but if you have an experience it's always good to get input so everyone can be aware of what they are getting.

 

[coldair]

Yep any time I bought my T-18 through him also he told me it was rebuilt guess what it wasn't. I'm a slow learner lol I hate it when people think they can get ahead by being dishonest.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

We just want to avoid any big mistakes to begin with that can't be fixed later or could have easily been avoided.

I chuckle as with time and money most anything can be repaired or replaced on a jeep. The problem is sometimes that means “lots” of money.

I would give some thought to what the end use of the jeep is going to be. For example if this is something for your 10 year old to move up to as a daily driver to take to high school and impress the girls (yes girls love jeeps!) then it may be best to look for a jeep that has less of a lift with better street manors, but if the plan is to run the jeep at the mud drags on weekends then one already set up to do so (or closer to it) may be the better buy. Jeep parts are expensive unless you’re related to Bill Gates but when you sell a jeep the upgrades don’t often command full value and in fact sometimes its only $.10 on the $1.00 if that.

Also if you plan to let a 16 year old drive a CJ5 unsupervised I recommend that their life insurance be paid up so you have the funds to front the funeral expenses. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE CJs and cut my teeth on a 1972 with a AMC 304 but the fact is that they have a propensity to roll when not driven properly and most 16 year olds do not have the skills to keep out of trouble. This is the voice of experience speaking only my daughter lived after swerving to miss a dog. My two other friends that rolled their CJs on the road when we were teenagers also lived but one of them took the roll bar across the face leaving him messed up bad for life. Buy a Wrangler if this jeep is for a teenager to drive.

 

[FiNorman]

The vehicle is ultimately for him to use as a daily driver, not off road.

Thanks for the advice, We did give it some thought... out went the CJ5 . I was hoping for a Scrambler, but are settling on the CJ7 . To mitigate we are sticking to 31's, no lift and a 289.

Ultimately he has to make good choices, but your points are valid.

 

[mtnwhlr]

If you get an '80s CJ7 with the wide trac axels they drive as good as a Wrangler. But as said before if your plans are to have your son driving it to High school don't lift it. With the stock height you can run 31's and it will wheel good and look good but still be stable on the road. You said you do not have a lot of mechanical experience so try and find one that is running so you can drive it. It sould trac straight down the road and stop straight. what I'm saying is look for one you can take apart and clean up and paint that is not going to need a lot of welding and things that are over your head. But will still be a fun project for you and your son. You get on in very bad shape and it will just turn into a nightmare money pit.