Any Jeep CJ guys around?

[Gasser64]

I recently inherited a Jeep CJ7 husk. Well, it might be more than a husk, but that sure is what it looks like. The interior is mostly gone, no seats, no doors, no tailgate, no roof, no engine. Anyway I find its a bit more efficient to number my questions, so here they are: (keep in mind I'm a complete jeep noob)


1. How much should I expect to pay, to have the body and frame sand blasted, then sealed? This project is going to span probably 5 years (or more) so I'd like to have all the surface rust blasted off and have a good strong coating put on the whole thing, that I can still work with later when its time to paint. Sent a lot of stuff off to the body shop before, but never to have that type of stuff done.

2. How much should I pay for a windshield glass, replacement metal doors, and a tailgate? Is there anything special I should know about these items?

3. Is there any reason I shouldn't use a 5.3L GM engine in the jeep? I was also hoping to put a 4L60e, or a 4L80e behind it, so that I could have the overdrive gear. That way I can comfortably drive the thing (at reasonably low RPM) on the highway, to get to the offroad parks and trails. I'm not real well versed on all the offroad and big tire stuff, so I assume you need to run at least 4:10 gears, but maybe more like 4:56's.

4. May not ever do this one, but I'm just curious. But then again, I might. Will a newer dash fit in the old CJ7? Something out of a 2010 or newer jeep. And if not, what is the newest dash that will go in there? I like the restomod thing. I'd of course keep the old metal dash for originality purposes, just in case it was ever beneficial to switch it back.


5. If not a 5.3L, which engine is best for the job?

[S_K]

1. First of all don't sandblast it will ruin your metal on a Jeep. Use a finer media. Two ways to go after this. Epoxy primer or bed liner. I personally would bed liner everything but outside paint at a minimum.

2. If this is going to be a toy, i would go with soft top and soft doors.

3. Swap out those old Dana axles for Ford Explorer ones.

5. Biggest mistake I see people do to old jeeps is put in too big of an engine. Jeeps are meant to be light and nimble. Big heavy engines make them nose heavy and handle like a pig. Don't put in a low RPM engine. With large tires and highway driving you need and engine made to run at higher RPMs. It is MUCH easier to gear down than it is to gear up.

Balance your horsepower and torque with your drive train. Too much and you will just snap axles and tear up shit in some very remote places. Good luck getting a tow from AAA.

[Gasser64]

Thanks for the reply.


So you'd be against the 5.3L? Other than that engine, I was thinking of a 2008+ buick V6. 275hp/250tq. But if you're saying engine weight savings is kind of a big deal, I'm not real sure if there would be a whole lot of weight difference between that v6, and a 5.3L chevy. I'd have to look into that more.


Which engine would you recommend?

Its usage will be only light mudding, and light trails. And probably crawling over a ledge or two on those light trails, but from what I've seen, those trails would still be called "light". Lastly, driving the thing to the trails. I definitely don't want have to trailer it anywhere. So some semblance of road manners would be appreciated.

[CJ]

A V8 is completely unnecessary in that thing unless it's going to have Dana 60's and 40's. Not to say you can't do it, but it's unnecessary. My concern would be cooling. It's going to be under heavy loads with almost no air moving except for fans. On the trails, I have seen issues with cooling LS motors in small body vehicles like jeeps. The I6 4.0L motor is absolutely perfect. It produces great torque when crawling. I've gone over boulders at 500rpm, great, great motor for off-roading. Another population option is a 4BT, but they're heavy and vibrate like a SOB, but still a very interesting option.

As for ford explorer axles, the 8.8 is an offset diff, so you're going to have a cockeyed driveshaft. They're also wider than a D30, 35, and 44. It looks a little funky if you pay attention. The 8.8 is a good, cheap option if you're stuck with a D35 in the rear. If it's a D44 it's totally unecessary. As for the front axle, a good option is a D44 from a 76-79 F150. It's on the proper side, and is a pretty easy conversion. The only caveat is the 77-79 axles do not have the axle tube running through the radius arm mounts so they will have to be retubed (about $300-500). D44's front axles out of TJ Rubicons and JK's are suspect, however. They are not a true D44, and require several upgrades to get to where you would expect them to be.

If you really want to do an LS conversion, you might be at a crossroads with where you should go. If you go LS, you might as well go big because it's going to be a little easier on you (in my opinion). Pick up a set of Dana 60's, match them to that LS, and toss on some 40"+ tires on it and make it into a crawler.

Tailgate, windshields, etc. what to know. Wrangler parts are expensive as shit for no good reason. You'll never see one in a junkyard, and it's very hard to get deals on parts. I'm not sure about the older CJ's as far as aftermarket metal, but overall the body parts tend to be expensive unless you can find someone local parting out a wrangler. I parted out my wrangler for twice what I paid for it, and I sold every. single. piece. in one month.

[Gasser64]

Thanks for the help, it is much appreciated.

From that reply though, it sounds like the 4.0L is probably what I want. I certainly don't want heat issues to deal with. Also if I understand you right, it sounds like the 5.3L is overkill for light trails.

I noticed you mentioned wrangler parts, and since I'm pretty much a Jeep noob (never was really into the offroad scene) I have to ask if the 90's model wranglers, share a lot of parts with the CJ jeeps. Is that a common theme for these old jeeps, putting Wrangler parts on them?


Lastly, here are a few pics. She's a basket case, but honestly if its something I'm going to keep, that's the way I like 'em. I'll take pleasure in sanding it down, or blasting it off, doing the bodywork, and getting it painted or painting it myself. Also buying new parts, installing them, and upgrading the thing in general. Where others only see a POS, I see a good time.

http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/waycooltvrepairman/media/Resized_Resized_20161025_171458_001.jpg.html?o=1

[Gasser64]

Here are some of the parts that I was asking about, but due to the price, I'm assuming they're just chinese knock offs and may very well have some type of fitment issues.

https://www.carid.com/omix-ada/tailgate.html?relationshipId=513974070&childId=4650229&gclid=CjwKEAjw19vABRCY2YmkpO2OzTsSJAAzEt8skWfTlooJTztjVpXdp24xkb1GKMz3r3spu5CEkXDmhBoC0czw_wcB

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jeep-CJ-CJ-7-NOS-Full-Steel-Replacement-Door-Shells-PAIR-LEFT-RIGHT-/250881188489?hash=item3a69af2289:g:UC4AAOSwyZ5UpvbI&vxp=mtr

The NOS of course wouldn't be chinese, and at 237 per door, well at least I can afford it. It really sucks someone snuck on their property and stole the doors, the tailgate, and the hard top.

[S_K]

Eewww that body is rough. Ryno-line that bitch. Honestly I would buy a soft top before I would a hard top. For trail riding, I prefer half doors and no top. I made a set from aluminum diamond plate.

[Gasser64]

I'm kind of enjoying bodywork right now, so I'll probably get it all straight and put a good paint job on it. Plus it was free! Good floors, solid frame with no cracks... I see it as a blank canvas.

[CJ]

Thanks for the help, it is much appreciated.

From that reply though, it sounds like the 4.0L is probably what I want. I certainly don't want heat issues to deal with. Also if I understand you right, it sounds like the 5.3L is overkill for light trails.

I noticed you mentioned wrangler parts, and since I'm pretty much a Jeep noob (never was really into the offroad scene) I have to ask if the 90's model wranglers, share a lot of parts with the CJ jeeps. Is that a common theme for these old jeeps, putting Wrangler parts on them?


Lastly, here are a few pics. She's a basket case, but honestly if its something I'm going to keep, that's the way I like 'em. I'll take pleasure in sanding it down, or blasting it off, doing the bodywork, and getting it painted or painting it myself. Also buying new parts, installing them, and upgrading the thing in general. Where others only see a POS, I see a good time.

The parts are very close, but most of the time they do not interchange. Over time the wranglers got bigger. My MB is tiny compared to even a CJ. CJ parts do not fit YJ, and YJ parts do not fit TJ's. There are a few exceptions such as some of the tailgates do in fact dimensionally fit, but you have to weld up mounting holes and drill new ones for the hinges. Mounting the dished CJ tailgate on a YJ or TJ is popular.

I would agree with you that tub needs to be completely disassembled and blasted. That's the only way to go. If you surface sand that and try to hit it with a rust inhibitor or preventative, it's going to rot from the panel gaps. The seam between the cowl and the tub, for instance, is a common source for rust if it isn't properly done. I would definitely go for a full disassemble and blasting. It looks like relatively shallow surface rust on the tub itself. Nothing a decent primer can't fix (assuming you even care). If cheap is what you want, I'd just shoot it yourself with a cheap single stage that you can touch up. If it's going to be for trails I wouldn't bother with much else. I would, however, avoid matte or flat colors because branches will scuff it up and it will look like shit after a while. Bed lining would avoid that, but unless you're doing it yourself or value it's appearance highly, I think it's prohibitively expensive. I shot mine the factory green after I raised the front clip to clear 35's.

Here was my $4000 TJ project:











I gave it a good life for 21 months.

Wranglers are super fun and easy to work on. Out of all my hot rods and sports cars, my Jeeps were easily the most fun to wrench on.

[CJ]

Here are some of the parts that I was asking about, but due to the price, I'm assuming they're just chinese knock offs and may very well have some type of fitment issues.

https://www.carid.com/omix-ada/tailgate.html?relationshipId=513974070&childId=4650229&gclid=CjwKEAjw19vABRCY2YmkpO2OzTsSJAAzEt8skWfTlooJTztjVpXdp24xkb1GKMz3r3spu5CEkXDmhBoC0czw_wcB

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jeep-CJ-CJ-7-NOS-Full-Steel-Replacement-Door-Shells-PAIR-LEFT-RIGHT-/250881188489?hash=item3a69af2289:g:UC4AAOSwyZ5UpvbI&vxp=mtr

The NOS of course wouldn't be chinese, and at 237 per door, well at least I can afford it. It really sucks someone snuck on their property and stole the doors, the tailgate, and the hard top.

As long as they are CAPA approved, they should be good enough. I had a chinese windshield frame on my jeep and I was able to get it to fit alright.

[jw33]

I swapped a 4.0L engine out of a '91 XJ into my '77 CJ5 and it had plenty of power. It was a very simple/cheap swap and it has been done a thousand times.

[Gasser64]

I would agree with you that tub needs to be completely disassembled and blasted. That's the only way to go. If you surface sand that and try to hit it with a rust inhibitor or preventative, it's going to rot from the panel gaps. The seam between the cowl and the tub, for instance, is a common source for rust if it isn't properly done. I would definitely go for a full disassemble and blasting. It looks like relatively shallow surface rust on the tub itself. Nothing a decent primer can't fix (assuming you even care). If cheap is what you want, I'd just shoot it yourself with a cheap single stage that you can touch up. If it's going to be for trails I wouldn't bother with much else. I would, however, avoid matte or flat colors because branches will scuff it up and it will look like shit after a while. Bed lining would avoid that, but unless you're doing it yourself or value it's appearance highly, I think it's prohibitively expensive. I shot mine the factory green after I raised the front clip to clear 35's.

I would like to avoid lifting the tub off the frame if I could, but I'll do it if its necessary. Do you think its necessary in this instance?

[TX_Snake]

Welcome to the addiction. I have had 8 of the things, trying to collect the whole set really, Jeeps are just about the best vehicle on the road as far as versatility and usability go.

It is really easy to pull the tub. No drive train, you are half way there. Should be 6 body mounts and it will come off, unless that aftermarket cage was welded to the frame.

Look into a chevy 4.3L V6.

Looks like your CJ already has 33 or 35" tires which means it has a 4-5" lift in most cases. Tire size drives your lift requirements. In Texas, high ground clearance, low center of gravity and big tires will win the day. Look into a tummy tuck and high clearance fenders to get more wheel travel with more tire and less lift.

As far as CJ Jeep experts go, check out Collins Bros in Wylie (www.jeepcj.com)
Also, check out http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f8/ for good information and answers to your questions.

If you are in Collin County, and on Facebook, check out Collin County Jeeps. We are always out doing stuff or going somewhere.

[Gasser64]

Need to find a good place that sells replacement interior parts

[snacksnack]

https://www.quadratec.com

https://www.4wd.com

http://www.allthingsjeep.com/for-your-jeep.html

Those should keep you busy for shopping, get the catalogs sent to you from the first 2 if they still do them.