85 cj-7

[jmking9]

I dont see too many Jeep projects going in here, so I thought I would post some pictures of mine. Its an 85 cj7. It originally had a 4.2L I6 with a T-4 and a Dana 300 Transfer case. The PO swapped out the 4.2 and put a SBC in it using Novak adapters and mounts. They actually did a very good job on the conversion. The first thing I did after driving it for a couple days was put in a T-176 4 speed that I had bought for a previous CJ. I had to have new drive shafts due to the difference in length from the t4 to the t176. After pricing some Tom Woods units, I got some shafts out of a Cherokee that have the double cardan joint from the factory and had them cut and lengthened. Made a huge difference. I had a noticeable vibration due to angle at the trans case. (Spring over lift) After that, I did nothing but drive the crap out of it all summer. Anyway here are the pics from when I brought it home.

[jmking9]

And a couple with the top and doors

[jmking9]

This is the cleanest CJ I've seen in this area. There were two rusty spots on the rocker that were about the size of a half dollar. I cut those out and patched them up. In late November I started tearing it down for a paint job and general refurbishment. This thing is so clean and solid underneath, I decided to just do a basic frame on paint job. I still plan on using it and driving it regularly, so a total frame off would have been a waste off time/money. It will be solid white when finished. More pics.

[Willowrun]

I'll follow along as I have an 86 CJ7 in about the same state as yours (too many projects....). How was the windshield frame? Are you going to single stage paint it? CJ's are great to paint as the factory waves on the tubs are a badge of honor.

[jmking9]

A few more random pictures from paint.

[jmking9]

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[jmking9]

And here is some color on the hood, tailgate, and full doors. PPG single stage white.

[jmking9]

Originally Posted by Willowrun

I'll follow along as I have an 86 CJ7 in about the same state as yours (too many projects....). How was the windshield frame? Are you going to single stage paint it? CJ's are great to paint as the factory waves on the tubs are a badge of honor.

Thanks. Yeah I'm using PPG single stage white. The windshield frame was in great condition. I only had to cut out, and patch about a 2" section of the pinch weld where the glass sits. And yes, these things don't have a truely flat panel anywhere. They were wavy, and you can see every spot weld on the entire jeep. I blocked about 90% of the imperfections out, but it still wont be perfect. But hey, its a Jeep!

I plan on shooting the rest of the white this weekend. I'll post up some pictures if I get it done.

[Willowrun]

Looks great so far man. What did you do with the dash/gages? I'd like to do a color change on mine (it's red currently just like almost every other CJ) but I don't want to mess with pulling all of the gages.

[jmking9]

My original plan was to pull the gauges, take the dash out and paint it. After realizing how big of a pain that was going to be, I decided to pull what I could and mask the rest. It actually came out very nice. I did it before I started on the rest of the tub and body. This one was never going to be a show piece. I am building it to be my (mostly) daily driver. I will get some pictures of it when I break the paper off after paint.

[jmking9]

I finished painting last weekend. Now I just need to cut and buff it and put it back together. Hoping to be back on the road in 3-4 weeks. Just in time for some warmer spring weather (I hope). More pics

[jmking9]

Got the wheel and tires bolted on and rolled it outside.

[jmking9]

Got the tailgate on.

[jmking9]

Not much progress to report. Thanks mostly to recent back troubles. I did manage to get the hood, full doors, and half doors cut and buffed and assembled. Also got the dash back together. My front seats came in a few dags ago. I'll get some pictures when I get them out of the boxes.

[Willowrun]

Seems to be begging for some orange or blue Renegade decals.

[jmking9]

Originally Posted by Willowrun

Seems to be begging for some orange or blue Renegade decals.

Believe me, it has crossed my mind.

[jmking9]

I got the rest of the Jeep cut and buffed today. Also put the hood on and the front seats in. Im going to have to figure out a way to get more leg room on the drivers seat. Im not sure if a slider will take it back far enough or not. After putting on the fender flares and some other pieces, I drove it out of the shop into the rain for some pictures. Once I get the seat problem solved and the roll bar back in, it will be driveable.

[jmking9]

..........

[jmking9]

I've made a little progress on the jeep since my last update. I built a bracket that moved the drivers seat back to where it needed to be, and finished installing the seats. Mounted the center console, got the rollbar in, and buttoned up a few other small things. The only thing I still need to do is sand down the bumpers and side steps and shoot them with some black paint. It may be a few weeks before that happens due to the fact that I just had back surgery, and they are very heavy. I will post more pictures once they are all on. But, as of now it is driveable, and here's a few pics.

[jmking9]

And a couple of inside...

[jmking9]

Heres an updated picture of my jeep. I put a new crate 350 in it along with a th350 auto. I also changed out the wheels and put on some new 35s. And finially added the Renegade decals. Enjoy