Possible New to me CJ7

[jpeck71]

I've already got a 78 CJ5 , but I stumbled upon an opportunity that might come up later this week to obtain an 83 CJ7 . I've already got a list of things to check that I didn't do a very good job of checking when I bought my 78 but I'm wondering if there is anything else specific to 83 I'm not aware of.

Unfortunately I don't have any pics to post. I've seen a small number of pics and it looks pretty good. The only thing I'm aware of is rusty floors. It's a little bit of a story that I don't want to go into right now but I'm hoping to be able to see it later this week.

What I know about it is it should be a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l with a 4 speed I think it said. I'm hoping that means T-176 with a Dana 300 . 83 so it should be Wide track. I know I need to check gear ratio and presence of Limited slip. It has a hard top on it and its unknown if a soft top is included. Interior looks good from the small pic I saw.

I've done a lot of rebuilding on my 5 so I know all the basics. Anything else that was weird about 83 or a CJ7 ? Thanks.

Jeremy

 

[Petescj]

Good reading material:

http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f102/cj-buyers-guide-13328/

Look for a straight gearshift with no bends. That would be a T-176 /7

 

[gert]

mine came with the T-4 it had a bent shifter handle and the tranny has the ribs on it. I am not aware of any differences except that it will have the crappy BBD carb and the useless feedback computer which doubles the amount of wiring under the hood. It also has the full box frame and wide track as you mentioned I hope it works out for you keep us posted

 

[Petescj]

So where's the pics?

 

[jpeck71]

Wish I had them. The guy put the add up, then took it down the next day and texted me the day after that he had to go into the hospital for a few days. I'm waiting for him to get out. The anticipation is killing me. I'm hoping I hear from him today.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Petescj]

Oh wow that's a strange turn of events. Good luck to both of you.

 

[jpeck71]

I saw the Jeep. Since I was the most persistent I got first look after he got out of the hospital. It was not in bad condition but it was not what I was interested in. I did not see any frame rust and the floor was not that rusty. It had a few small holes in it that could be easily patched. Unfortunately it had an exhaust leak and while it did idle nicely in the driveway I had a hard time keeping it running on my test drive.

It's basically a project to get it running nicely and reliably. The engine was pretty complete but was dirty and hadn't been run in quite a while and the bottom was oily so it obviously leaks from somewhere. It did not have a T-176 . It had the shift mechanism at the rear of the case and a curved shift rod. I didn't bother to try and check the axle ratio since I already knew I didn't really want it.

I decided that had I found it 2 or 3 years ago it might have been mine, but it would not be a good replacement for my nicely running and strong CJ5 . Looks like I continue to rebuild my 5 and look for a good replacement body.

Here's the link. Semi Rare 1983 CJ7

 

[Petescj]

If it looks as good as it does in the pics I definitely would've grabbed it at that price. Can't get them that solid that cheap here.

 

[Petescj]

Somebody else felt the same. That quick the ad is gone

 

[jpeck71]

That was why I was so interested in it. It looked really nice from the pics. The pics make it look much nicer than it was, but it was really pretty solid. I just am not looking for another project right now. If it was running as good as my 5 is now I would have taken it in a heart beat and swapped out the Transmission and re geared it.

Perhaps I made a mistake. I don't know. Anyway, I passed on it.

 

[Petescj]

That was why I was so interested in it. It looked really nice from the pics. The pics make it look much nicer than it was, but it was really pretty solid. I just am not looking for another project right now. If it was running as good as my 5 is now I would have taken it in a heart beat and swapped out the Transmission and re geared it.

Perhaps I made a mistake. I don't know. Anyway, I passed on it.

No no , I wasn't criticizing you for not buying it at all. Different strokes for different folks. My current project has me really appreciating a solid frame and good body.

 

[jpeck71]

I didn't think you were criticizing. I've just been second guessing myself, thinking perhaps even if I didn't keep it myself I could have turned it around with a little bit of work on the engine and perhaps patching the exhaust.

I guess I'm still trying to figure out what I'm looking for and am still unsure of myself in the automotive realm.

I'll just go back to watching craigslist in my area.

 

[Peanut Butter]

We have quite a few listings in the San Antonio area and we will be making a trip to Decatur in November. Just trying to help you spend your money!