$120 1980 CJ7 build

daddyusmaximus

New member
Ever see a $120 Jeep CJ7?

DlokCMq.jpg


Well, you have now.

Of course, a couple of years, and thousands of dollars from now, she'll be looking way better, oh and running too.

Here's the story. I picked up a 1980 Jeep CJ7 this week that I intend to build as an adventure/overland rig. My skills are limited, so I will have to hire some of the work done, but I want to do as much of it as I can myself. As we all know, there is great satisfaction in standing back and looking at something you built with your own hands. A thing America is losing these days, as is so accurately reported by public figure Mike Rowe. I like him... he's cool in my book.

Anyway, She isn't running now, but she is complete, and near as I can tell, almost 100% stock, (except added fog lights) so that gives me a known starting point. That itself is something lacking in so many old Jeeps, including my current CJ5. The "new": CJ7 has a 258 I-6 and the auto trans. The shifter is on the tilt column with a very nice Lecarra wheel. The dash, seats, everything about the interior and hardtop is complete and in nice shape. The hardtop even has a defroster in the back glass and a rear wiper. The doors are great and the roll up windows work perfectly. The windshield is a goner, and there are some panels on the tub that will require attention.

So I met a fellow combat vet at a 4x4 meet. He also has 3 tours. He also drives a '79 CJ5. (way nicer than mine) He's trying to get out of paying storage on two old Jeeps he was going to build, and he sells me one, and a buddy one. I got mine for $120. Yeah, that's right. $120. I didn't miss a zero. He just wanted me to cover the last months storage fee. He's younger, still in, and single. I'm old, fat, crippled, retired, wife is a teachers aid that has no paychecks in the summer, and we have two kids in college, but man he hooked me up!

Now the CJ5 I already have just happens to have a very strong powertrain from a Dodge truck. It has a built Dodge 360 (Holley 4V, headers, cam, MSD ignition...) , a TF 727 and full width Dana 44 front, and Chrysler 9.25 rear axles with 4 wheel discs. This is on a spring over axle lift that allows for a 35" or 37" tires on the CJ5 tub.

Do I really need to go that high? No.

Is it a bit of a pain to climb in and out of with my injuries? Yes.

Is it fun, and cool? Yes.


The CJ7 has a much more sensible straight six that would be plenty for adventuring around this beautiful nation of ours and I do like how easy it is to climb into and out of as it sits now in stock form. However, she isn't running at the moment and who knows what it would take to get it that way... Besides, I may be old enough to complain about stuff, but I'm still young enough to enjoy the roar of a good old American V-8. That Mopar 360 sounds awesome.

I'll be using the power train from the CJ5. I'll duplicate the spring over setup on the CJ7 as well, but go with YJ springs that are known to soften up the ride and allow for more flex. The Hardtop will give me a more secure vehicle in bad weather travels. It still allows for the normal door off Jeep driving on nice days. I have found Jeep facebook pages in my area that will make it easy to sell off remaining parts from either vehicle I don't use. Of course, I also love Jeep forums like this, and have learned a lot from these places. I hope to learn (and share) more as I go. I will probably need to ask questions when I get stuck on something. Thanks in advance people.

I started today with cleaning out the garage a bit getting ready for teardown of the CJ5. Still have to make some room in the shed, get rid of some stuff. I picked up a couple commercial grade steel shelving units from a college that went under. With my injuries, and inability to handle much heat, I have to do my work in short spurts in cool evenings right now. I'm also under the typical buy a part or two each month budget of a retired disabled soldier. This will be a 2 year project (or more) as I'm taking two vehicles down to the frames.. to build one back up.

I will build the inside up to be user friendly as an adventure/overland vehicle with stuff I've learned traveling on my own, in groups, with the Army, and on sites like this. The outside of the Jeep will be a tribute to my time in the military. (and to my brothers and sisters who serve now) I will do it up in desert sand much like the trucks we had on my last tour in Iraq, but with the bumper numbers from my first tank I had in West Germany back in 1981.

Wish me luck...
 
First of all thank you for your service. And I do wish you the best of luck on your project cj. Its cool to see some cj projects on here. I will be checking out what you do as well.

Sent from my SM-G920V using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
Now that's what I call a hell of a buy!! Can't wait to see you bring it back to life :thumb:
 
Way cool

You will love this endeavor! I too have a 1980 CJ7 and over the past few years fixed it up a bit. What I love about it, is the simplicity that the older rigs have, no computers, limited amounts of plastic and parts are still available. Be careful when ordering after market parts, as some are year specific. Not all CJ's are created equal. The valve cover for example is 1980 only, 76-79 are the same, 81-83, 84-86. Sounds crazy but when I bought a valve cover gasket I found it to be slightly different and realized it was for an 81. Have fun, take your time and check out Eddies 74 CJ5 build!

Ken
 
By the way I'm calling her "Two Seven."

She will be done up to resemble a military vehicle. As a tribute to the guy who most influenced me in my 28 years in the U.S. Army, I'm using the bumper number of the first tank I was ever assigned. In 1981, after I left basic training for West Germany, I ended up assigned to 2nd plt L troop 3/2 ACR in Amberg.

I was on SFC Gary (Lucifer) Anderson's tank. He was our Plt Sgt. His tank number... L-27. He was a Nam vet, the cold war was still on, we were on the Czech border, and were taking the soviet threat very seriously. I learned a lot from that guy in those first two years that served me well in the 26 after I left that unit. Other units never measured up to L Trp. Those guys took their job seriously. Oh we cut up and screwed around, but when we were on mission, we kicked butt like no other unit. For the rest of my career I was searching for more of this. I missed Desert Storm because I was a Drill Sgt at the time, and I did not see actual combat until 2000 in Macedonia, but it was those first two that had prepared me the most.

I was also inspired by the very last unit I ever deployed with the 1438th Trans Co. We were attached to 1st Coscom. and were a unit made up of volunteers from other units. I had come from the 1638th. This unit did not in any way work together well. There was always petty infighting, the head shed had a few favorite pets, and the rest of us were cannon fodder, but we somehow managed to function and get the job done. This, was my 3rd deployment, and the one that ended my career, but I was gonna call it quits at 30 anyway. So instead of old school OD green or cammo, the CJ7 will be desert sand like the vehicles we had in Iraq, and like those my brothers and sisters are using in the Stan today...

I've seen the best the Army had to offer and the worst. In both cases the job got done, and America had the might to change the world... as long as our leaders had the political will.
 
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