My lawn ornament...

[Scooter402]

Sorry about the dinky-sized photo here, but it's all I can do to get anything from photobucket on my computer at home...But I'm at somewhat of a crossroads here. I want to do something with my Jeep, but I'm not entirely sure what that something is. Here's the scene...

See, back in 2004 I bought my CJ7 after selling my YJ. After a while, I started basically rebuilding it with Chevy stuff -- I built a 383 stroker for it, ended up with a TH350 Transmission , and at one point I had 3/4 ton axles in it. If I can ever get photobucket to agree with me long enough to post up a build thread, I'll do that just so everyone can follow along. Anyway, in 2006, I found mud racing...and I was hooked. Long story short, my Jeep ended up in what you see in this dinky little photo below:



Dana 44 front, 12 bolt rear, 4.56 gears, SBC 402 with solid roller .670 lift cam and Holley 850 HP carb, TH350 with reverse manual valve body and 4000 stall torque converter, Dana 300 with twin sticks, 38.5x11 Boggers, the list goes on and on.

Anyway, I want to drive this on the street again...crazy, I know. But I'm at a crossroads as to how I want to do this. I either want to keep it 4x4 by narrowing the axles, getting some extra wide flares, and re-installing many of the components that I had removed and given most of them away. Basically, I'd have to spend a lot of money to get it there, but it's just been sitting in the driveway for the past 4 years since I left NC, and there's absolutely no mud racing around here.

My other idea is to build a pro-street style CJ7 . This would probably also cost me some money, but I think I've got quite a few things here I could sell/barter to get parts I want. Here's a pic for visual aid:

Either way, I think I'm going to lose the gonzo-sized hood scoop. It was cool while it lasted, but I think it's got to go.

So what do we think, people? Stick with most of the monster I have here, or transform it into something completely different?

 

[mtnwhlr]

I think Jeeps were made to go off road and have fun not to be made into 2wd pro street hot rods. I've had hot rods and got rid of them because I have way more fun off road with my Jeeps than I ever had with a hotrod. I mean after awhile car shows get pretty boring all it takes is getting on it one time on the street and have cop see you and you loose your license than where you at. Here are some pics of what a Jeep is for.

IMO

 

[gr8dain]

To each their own. But man that does look like fun on those trails!!!

 

[Scooter402]

Thanks for your input mtnwhlr. I do agree with you. The YJ I had, and my CJ both saw a substantial amount of trail time before I got into mud racing. I used to wheel them both like I stole them. Mud racing just kinda got me into the go-fast kind of life. But now it's just been sitting...

I'd have to look around, but I do have some old photos laying around SOMEWHERE of hitting trails with both (well, not at the same time ) my YJ and CJ. I do miss doing that...and on that note, Rausch Creek isn't really that far away... or the Pine Barrens.

 

[gr8dain]

Where are you at? I am in Northern VA and a lot of folks around here go to Rausch Creek.

 

[Scooter402]

I'm in PA about 40 miles west of Philly. If I remember correctly, I'm about an hour from RC. Ive only been there once. VA was where I bought both jeeps I've had, and did all my wheeling.

 

[Bowbender]

I'd say make it back into something you can take out on the trails.

 

[alpha6]

I say some kind of cross between the two pics. The street one is just a bit too tame.

 

[gert]

Since you asked for opinions, heres mine: leave the axles, tires, Transfer Case , and drive shafts alone, sell the solid cam, intake, carb and converter. Put a smaller cam, carb and dual plane intake on it with a low stall converter in the Transmission and go wheel it yjats what jeeps were built for

 

[Scooter402]

Thanks all for your opinions...keep them coming if y'all have more. The more I think about it, I'm not too sure I want to convert my CJ to 2wd...I ran the idea past a buddy at work, he looked at me like I had about 15 heads -- and he's not even a Jeep guy! I'd like to make it at least into a trail vehicle, but that would be fairly easy. I'd like to be able to drive it on the street again...that's the hard part. My coilovers in the front would be a limiting factor though -- they're only 9" travel.

 

[mtnwhlr]

Here's one we ran into out wheeling it has 1ton axles coilover front running 42s and sounded very healthy.

Just to help you with ideas

 

[Scooter402]

Wow, that's....nice!

I'm thinking I'm going to change my radius arms in the front to a 3 link... Meanwhile, I might have to start shopping for longer coilovers. Now I'm kinda mad at myself for getting rid of the 14 bolt I had in the rear...

 

[Old Dog]

I say leave it a 4x4 and go have some fun. The only thing I would do is tame the engine down some and get rid of the stall converter.

 

[Scooter402]

Thanks, Old Dog. I've been thinking about this all day today...more than I have in a long time to be completely honest. I do have a mild (well, mild to me, anyway ) camshaft I could put in it. I sold all my old lower stall torque converters, and I don't think I have any other intakes...but -- I think this might give me a good excuse to look into swapping some EFI onto it. Now I'm getting carried away! I'm sure that through the powers that be with the interweb, I could find some people to barter some things with.

The poor ol' jeep hasn't been down a trail in nearly a decade...Sad to say, but it's true. Highly doubtful I could make it happen again by next spring/summer, but I could always try.

 

[Old Dog]

It would be easy to go to the junk yard and grab a TBI set up, intake and all from another sb chevy. Way better than a carb for off roading.
A stock converter for a th350 might be a little harder to find nowdays.
I have a TCI converter that is a lower stall than stock in mine, but I mainly do rock crawling.

 

[Scooter402]

TBI has been floating around in the back of my mind for a while now. When I had a 383 stroker in the CJ, I swapped TPI on it at one point. Ran great, but when I got into mud racing, it didn't have anywhere near enough top end for me. Had GOBS of torque down low, though. I made quite a smoke show out of some 40" Ground Hawgs...

I was thinking either TBI for an easy swap, or modifying an LT1 intake to fit. Something about doing things the hard way always appealed to me.

You're not kidding about the stock torque converters, though...I don't think this 4000 stall would be very friendly at all on a trail....much less the street. I think the Transmission would want to kill me, if it didn't die first.