Body Let me hear the bad news

[bennylava]

I can already hear it... "Get a new body".

This thread is to help me answer the question "How much will it cost if I don't get a new body"?

This CJ7 belongs to my wife, and it holds sentimental value to her. Her dad used to take her off-roading in it back in the late 1980s when she was a kid. So getting a new body would sort of defeat the purpose. If it were mine, I would probably just buy a whole different jeep and put this thing on craigslist.

But instead, it's up to me to fix it up. So I'm hoping you guys would be able to tell me how much money I'm looking at, to get a good paint job on this thing, with all bodywork finished out. $10,000 right? LOL

 

[bennylava]

Here's the pics:

 

[bennylava]

There's no major dents anywhere, but the whole thing is like that. Except for the interior, which does look like it's from the late 70s. So please consider the interior to only need standard paint refurbishment. With no surface rust.

 

[CJ]

I have seen much worse. It doesn't look rotted.
Almost every replacement body part is available if needed.
What work will you be doing? Sanding? Stripping? Welding? Body filler? Primer? Paint?

 

[bennylava]

I have seen much worse. It doesn't look rotted.
Almost every replacement body part is available if needed.
What work will you be doing? Sanding? Stripping? Welding? Body filler? Primer? Paint?

Oh yes I should have been more specific. I don't want to lift a finger on the bodywork. I want the autobody pros to do everything. So I'll be doing nothing.

 

[TSB8C]

Oh yes I should have been more specific. I don't want to lift a finger on the bodywork. I want the autobody pros to do everything. So I'll be doing nothing.

You'll spend more than a new body would cost. And how's the frame under all that?

 

[jzak]

Not a huge number of pics to make a decision, but as long as you can't stick your feet through the floor pan or rocker panel, I would say the tub is worth saving. Bought a Barnfind CJ5 when I was living in Seattle. It was as rust bucket, but the body was solid, so no patching in new metal. I think I spent like $2000 getting Macco to do the body and paint work, but that was 2007 money.

 

[bennylava]

Not a huge number of pics to make a decision, but as long as you can't stick your feet through the floor pan or rocker panel, I would say the tub is worth saving. Bought a Barnfind CJ5 when I was living in Seattle. It was as rust bucket, but the body was solid, so no patching in new metal. I think I spent like $2000 getting Macco to do the body and paint work, but that was 2007 money.

Yeah it was hard to take pics, but those pics represent the state of the whole thing. There's no holes, and everything is solid. It's just all that surface rust. I've inspected the frame thoroughly and it has no problems. Well, none that I can see with the body still on it anyway.

Maybe I could take the body off the frame, and rent one of those big water/soda blasters that you always used to see on those "Trucks!" and "My Classic Car" shows. Although I'm not sure if that would save me much money since it's pretty easy work to blast all that old rust off.

 

[jzak]

Yeah it was hard to take pics, but those pics represent the state of the whole thing. There's no holes, and everything is solid. It's just all that surface rust. I've inspected the frame thoroughly and it has no problems. Well, none that I can see with the body still on it anyway.

Maybe I could take the body off the frame, and rent one of those big water/soda blasters that you always used to see on those "Trucks!" and "My Classic Car" shows. Although I'm not sure if that would save me much money since it's pretty easy work to blast all that old rust off.

Trying to get those body mount bolts off is a world of pain. If it was my CJ, I would first go at it with a pressure washer to get the loose paint, rust, and mold off. That mold is a pain in the $$S to get off. It took me a couple rounds at the self-serve car wash. Maybe buy one at HomeDepot. Then sand it down, and give it a redneck paint job with a couple cans of Rust Oleum. Also, Eastwood makes an internal frame encapsulator that comes with an extended nozzle so you can coat the inside of the frame. Those later year box frames are notorious for rusting from the inside out.
Its not going to look at good at a $10,000 paint job, but you can put that money into more important stuff like the engine, tranny, electrical, suspension, diff, etc...

 

[bennylava]

Trying to get those body mount bolts off is a world of pain. If it was my CJ, I would first go at it with a pressure washer to get the loose paint, rust, and mold off. That mold is a pain in the $$S to get off. It took me a couple rounds at the self-serve car wash. Maybe buy one at HomeDepot. Then sand it down, and give it a redneck paint job with a couple cans of Rust Oleum. Also, Eastwood makes an internal frame encapsulator that comes with an extended nozzle so you can coat the inside of the frame. Those later year box frames are notorious for rusting from the inside out.
Its not going to look at good at a $10,000 paint job, but you can put that money into more important stuff like the engine, tranny, electrical, suspension, diff, etc...

Sounds like the power washer is turned way up if it can knock surface rust off!

But I may as well ask, is there a better frame for the CJ7 ? In case this one is completely over with.

I've heard of people being able to use frames from different vehicles sometimes. But not on jeeps, on other stuff. So I thought I would ask if there's a known better one out there.

 

[j6824]

Sounds like the power washer is turned way up if it can knock surface rust off!

But I may as well ask, is there a better frame for the CJ7 ? In case this one is completely over with.

I've heard of people being able to use frames from different vehicles sometimes. But not on jeeps, on other stuff. So I thought I would ask if there's a known better one out there.

1976-1986 CJ7 Jeep Frame - Throttle Down Kustoms

1976-1986 CJ7 Jeep Frame from ThrottleDownKustoms. Every product we make is hand fabricated in Moore, Montana, USA.

throttledownkustoms.com

 

[bennylava]

1976-1986 CJ7 Jeep Frame - Throttle Down Kustoms

1976-1986 CJ7 Jeep Frame from ThrottleDownKustoms. Every product we make is hand fabricated in Moore, Montana, USA.

throttledownkustoms.com

Know of anybody who used one of those? I wouldn't be opposed to buying one. But if there's nothing wrong with the original frame, it might be hard to justify it.

Unless there are some wonderful advantages to it.

I'm guessing the disadvantage is that it makes an already rough riding vehicle, ride notably rougher lol

 

[CJ]

IMHO, inspect! Stop speculating.
Drag that great looking Jeep out an assess it's potential.

 

[jzak]

From my experience there's two types of new CJ owners. The ones who just want to get it on the road again, and the ones who want a turnkey frame up restoration. Nothing personal but I'd rather have a rusted beatup CJ that drives, than a dismantled skeleton sitting in my garage for 5 years.

 

[bennylava]

Yeah this is going to be a frame up restoration. That's why I'm asking about a frame!

Guess I watched too many episodes of overhaulin where they would drag something like this out of a field and fix it anyway. Even though it would be cheaper to buy a better one.


Can't get rid of this other green emoji

 

[Belizean]

Overhauling was a pretty good show. The main thing I learned was I didn’t have 20 others doing the work

 

[CJ]

You said "a frame up restoration" but is that what you actually want?
Do you mean a great looking practical driver? A frame up is not worth anything but a showing.

 

[bennylava]

Overhauling was a pretty good show. The main thing I learned was I didn’t have 20 others doing the work

Haha yeah, if only! That's why I was asking how much to have a good body shop just do everything. I got my answer though, "More than a new jeep".

Eh, it's fine, this one will be saved from certain doom at my expense. Just like "They can't all be winners", they can't all get crushed.

You said "a frame up restoration" but is that what you actually want?
Do you mean a great looking practical driver? A frame up is not worth anything but a showing.

Yes I thought about that later. You're right it will be a resto-mod. Not an accurate restoration back to factory. Also I have to keep in mind that it belongs to a woman who wants to drive it occasionally.

So I'm thinking I'll make as nice as I can. And by "nice", I mean easier to drive. To the extent that's possible on a 70's jeep...

So if you guys were going to do something like that, what would be on the list? Long arm suspension, to gain the slightly smoother ride that it gives? Maybe sound sound deadening in the engine bay to absorb some of the engine noise?

I know improving drivability/luxury isn't something that's normally considered on an old jeep, but I would appreciate any ideas you might have in that regard. Thanks!

 

[24North]

My tub looks worse than that as far as rust through (though it does look better overall) and I’m planning to save it. Going to cost way more than $10k though in my case, body work is $$$$$$ and you want to find someone that knows these things.

I’m in a similar sentimentality situation in that this was my first Jeep, bought when I got out of high school back in 1996. I’m doing all the mechanical work myself and leaving the body to a pro since I have no idea how to do that stuff (yet). If it wasn’t my first Jeep and wasn’t a Laredo I would not be sinking this kind of money into it. It’s a fun and rewarding project though and they’re a piece of cake to work on if you’re at all handy. I’d buy a borescope and check inside that frame though, I’d be shocked if it isn’t rusted out sitting like that.

 

[KRUPP]

Yup. I’d also guess that poor frame has internal cancer, unfortunately.

It’s tough when there’s an emotional attachment to a vehicle.

A trusted and crusty old body guy we used (R.I.P. Nick Buss) said that if you have to replace 50% of the body, then it’s not worth the bodywork and you should look for another body. My .02