Build Thread My first CJ
JimyB
Jeeper
- Posts
- 90
- Thanks
- 0
- Location
- Rosedale, Canada
- Vehicle(s)
- 94 YJ bare bones stock.
Newest Addition 86 CJ7
Well I finally went out and bought a CJ7 . I've had a few YJ's and an XJ over the years but never a CJ. A friend is rebuilding one that he bought and has been telling me I should do the same.
I found one that had a solid body and frame with a running I6 in it. As she was going to be a project vehicle I wasn't worried about to much as long as there was very little body work and she ran well. The wiring looked like it needed to be gone over but she purred and appeared to be in fairly good shape. No leaks, front end was tight etc. I forked over $2500 and she became mine
. I had to drive four hours from where I live to pick her up but I thought the drive back would give me a good idea on any issues she might have. Oh yeah I had to sell it as a daily driver for myself to the wife as we already have a YJ and an XJ and an F250 sitting in the driveway LOL.
She had no upper doors and the back window on the hardtop was nonexistant. I had to drive over the Coquihalla. When I got to the top of the pass I started to feel a fairly good vibration,
was wondering what the heck when I realized it wasn't the jeep it was me shivering.Did I say it didn't have a heater....
She's got an I6 in her with the little 2bbl carb but she did well on the steep hills and didn't give me any problems. Her one headlight was out but I thought I'd get to that later as it was easy enough to change. Got her home. The PO had rigged up a toggle for the headlights when he put in the checkerplate dash. I thought I'd get to that later too as I wanted to put the original dash back in.
Went to put in a new headlight and the one that was good went down to a dull beam. aha a short somewhere. When I finally went out to work on the electrical I found a nightmare LOL but nothing a new harness won't fix. That was the plan anyways, just didn't realize how much of a mess it really was. The PO had tucked all the old wiring up under the dash so I still have the original dash light indicators and everything. I'll keep them there till I replace the dash. It's getting ready to go in the shop for the winter anyways. I'll do the electrical over the winter at the same time the original dash goes in.
I just have to hit ebay over the next few months and collect what I need. I went out and got an HEI distributor and bought another 2bbl original carb for it. One with an actual working choke, as the one in it doesn't have a working choke and every morning I need to play with it to get it going for the day.
I'll post along the way as I attempt to get her somewhat back to her original state.
I found one that had a solid body and frame with a running I6 in it. As she was going to be a project vehicle I wasn't worried about to much as long as there was very little body work and she ran well. The wiring looked like it needed to be gone over but she purred and appeared to be in fairly good shape. No leaks, front end was tight etc. I forked over $2500 and she became mine
. I had to drive four hours from where I live to pick her up but I thought the drive back would give me a good idea on any issues she might have. Oh yeah I had to sell it as a daily driver for myself to the wife as we already have a YJ and an XJ and an F250 sitting in the driveway LOL. She had no upper doors and the back window on the hardtop was nonexistant. I had to drive over the Coquihalla. When I got to the top of the pass I started to feel a fairly good vibration,
was wondering what the heck when I realized it wasn't the jeep it was me shivering.Did I say it didn't have a heater....She's got an I6 in her with the little 2bbl carb but she did well on the steep hills and didn't give me any problems. Her one headlight was out but I thought I'd get to that later as it was easy enough to change. Got her home. The PO had rigged up a toggle for the headlights when he put in the checkerplate dash. I thought I'd get to that later too as I wanted to put the original dash back in.
Went to put in a new headlight and the one that was good went down to a dull beam. aha a short somewhere. When I finally went out to work on the electrical I found a nightmare LOL but nothing a new harness won't fix. That was the plan anyways, just didn't realize how much of a mess it really was. The PO had tucked all the old wiring up under the dash so I still have the original dash light indicators and everything. I'll keep them there till I replace the dash. It's getting ready to go in the shop for the winter anyways. I'll do the electrical over the winter at the same time the original dash goes in.
I just have to hit ebay over the next few months and collect what I need. I went out and got an HEI distributor and bought another 2bbl original carb for it. One with an actual working choke, as the one in it doesn't have a working choke and every morning I need to play with it to get it going for the day.
I'll post along the way as I attempt to get her somewhat back to her original state.
