Build Thread How much does a $1500 Cj really cost?

[Petescj]

So I changed the name of the thread and Ill keep a running list of parts and prices as I go along. The initial list is pretty straight forward. All nlew front and rear brakes , drums , shoes, spring kit, wheel cylinders , drilled and slotted rotors , pads , calipers , inner and outer wheel bearings , air filter , fuel filter , radiator hoses, thermostat , radiator cap and new plugs.

Thats in addition to the 4 new tires and a prebent stainless steel line from tank to carb. All totalled up thats an additional $1200. Still need all new fluids a few gaskets and some split loom for the wiring harness before we move on to the bodywork side of things. Plenty of other things on the list but all in due time.

 

[KRUPP]

As with all Jeep work, double the estimated budget for all the things that you uncover along the way. Fun though!

 

[Belizean]

As with all Jeep work, double the estimated budget for all the things that you uncover along the way. Fun though!

These days maybe quadruple.

 

[Petescj]

As with all Jeep work, double the estimated budget for all the things that you uncover along the way. Fun though!

Ah yes the glory of the unforeseen

 

[Petescj]

These days maybe quadruple.

Im really hoping Bidenomics comes to an end shortly.

 

[Petescj]

Shout out to Manic Mechanic. My stainless fuel lines from inline tube showed up today. Still have some shipping bends in the large tank to pump line but these look great. Add another $155.

 

[Petescj]

Well I have to admit I was a bit unhappy with this project lately. My brother in law misidentifying the fuel line , the whole low hanging fuel tank had me take some time away from this in general. That doesn't mean I lost interest or wasnt doing anything with it. Exactly the opposite.

Grabbed a good 40 year old fender in really nice condition for $80. Thats a win.



Also got some steel corner armor for $100. No pics cause I had to have my brother in law grab them for me. That worked out great though considering he was less than 10 minutes away from the seller and Im 2 hours out. They're some pretty nice steel that go from tailgate opening to door. Ill use a rust encapsulater before I put them on. I know Ill be doing a tub swap on it but thats later down the road. Need to have some fun with it first.

 

[Petescj]

And I am getting back to work on it tomorrow. Time to start cleaning up the frame and putting in some of those nice brake parts I bought. Hard to see in this pic but it has some adjustable Rancho 9000s on it.

 

[Petescj]

Wow got a 8 hr work day for once. Decided on some garage time. Better pics of the ugly but functional Rancho 9000s. Ill pull them and clean them up good. Jeez $465 for 4 of those.


Cleaned up and painted the front of the frame. Lot of time with the wire wheel. Looks a lot better.



Much better. Very time consuming this rust bucket is.

 

[Petescj]

Got a little more time on the frame. Couple hours. Not perfect but definitely looks better and will be better protected.

Before:



After:



While the shocks still function great they look horrible. The bushing on this one just crumbled when I took it apart. The shock boots have some holes as well. Two cans of rustoleum for almost $16. Joe Bidens America.

Anyhow I'll clean repaint and then replace the bushings and boots. Even found some decals for them as well. Got my new pressure washer hose so shooting for that and all the new brake parts installed this weekend.

 

[Petescj]

Didn't have enough time with my work schedule to start the front end. 12 days on and 2 off with 10 days being 12 hours is good for buying parts , just not installing them. Oh well life goes in cycles. When I get the time Ill have a nice pile of new parts to keep me busy.

I did knock all the loose paint off my new fender , paint the inner black and used the rubberized stuff in the wheel well ithe rest in primer. I saw someone mentioned a place that will match your paint color and put it in a rattle can , just have to remember where.

 

[KRUPP]

Looks great, all things rusty-considering.

Man, I can’t say it enough how fortunate I am to work on vehicles from the arid west.
As much as I detest our Commie march to wreckdum, Colorado is still a great place to find and work on older vehicles.

 

[Petescj]

Looks great, all things rusty-considering.

Man, I can’t say it enough how fortunate I am to work on vehicles from the arid west.
As much as I detest our Commie march to wreckdum, Colorado is still a great place to find and work on older vehicles.

With all the snow you guys get I never thought of Colorado as a place to find rust free Jeeps. Nothing really to report with all the Holiday festivities going on but I got to pick up my body armor from the Brother in laws.



Not sure when Im going to get to really start working on this. Working 12 days on and 2 days off with 10 of those days being 12 hour days doesn't leave alot of time. I'll just keep stockpiling parts till time allows.

 

[Petescj]

Haven't had much to add to this. This Jeep went to my sister in laws place till I could get to it. I kept Vader here for some work that needed done. This made me realize how dark my garage was. Originally I got 3 4 ft led lights to hang but I ended up grabbing two more. Now I'm probably gonna grab two more for the door area yet. We're on strike at my work so I had a little time.

Dingy and dark even withthe door open :



New led lights door closed :



So much better. It'll be nice to see alot better in the garage especially since this this project has now become a complete frame off. The original tub was too far gone to patch up cost effectively.

 

[Petescj]

I ended up grabbing a Yj tub that needs a little love but is pretty solid overall.



Unfortunately being on strike has put a freeze on my bank account for now. Hopefully it's resolved soon and I can get the Jeep down here and tear into it.

 

[Belizean]

Lights really help. Yours now is good. Your problem is your garage is way too big. My garage only has 2 nice fixtures. My garage is pretty small, so actually I envy you for that space.

 

[Petescj]

Well 5 months have gone by since my last update. Fortunately I have been able to get a few things done. Originally I believed I'd be able to salvage the tub but as I said above I ended up grabbing a Yj tub. So down the rabbit hole we go.



It took longer to get the Cj to my welder and get it back than anything else. After dumping the rusted tub and pulling the gas tank I found two soft spots on the frame.



Along with that a few body mounts needed attention.

 

[Petescj]

As you can see by the pics it still needs plenty of attention. Major cleaning, preparing and painting looks to be my next step. This is my favorite part.



Finally I have the T-18 that has eluded me for so many years.


Vacation is coming up first week of September so I'll be working a bunch till then. After that I should be giving much more timely updates. It'll also give the garage time to cool down.

 

[CJ]

Glad to see you working on this again.

 

[OldSeaDog]

Love the build! Hoping to see some updates in 2026.