Muscle shirts, tube socks and boom boxes were all the rage in 1985. The year our new project Jeep rolled off the assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio. Since then it has seen its fair share of use as a daily driver and a weekend adventure vehicle. Time and mother nature have not been kind to this CJ, but there is a great truck here that just needs some attention.
We could replace it with a newer Jeep, but there is something about those old CJ’s that just invoke a feeling of being a “Real Jeep.” So we decided to breath some new life into this classic rig. Just about every nut, bolt and washer is available for these old Jeeps from the aftermarket. So we are going to use readily available parts, no custom fabrication, no expensive tools required, and no special skills. Just the basic understanding of vehicle maintenance and the average driveway set of tools. Hence the title, “CJ in the Driveway.”
We start with this 1985 CJ7 that is bone stock and unmodified.
The current plan for the jeep is: Full interior restore (seats, carpet, console, visors, etc…, YJ suspension conversion, wheels, tires,bumpers, sliders, winch, refrigeration and storage. New top and top doors. We will also do a Fuel injection conversion and a power brake conversion to bring it up to a more modern standard. We will also ad low range transfer case gears, new axle gears and lockers with alloy shafts. Along the way there may be some changes to the build plan, so stay tuned.
When finished, our goal is to have a Jeep that is up to the challenge of moderate off-roading, as well as retaining good street manners. We are going for reliable and comfortable (well, as comfortable as a CJ can get). Stay tuned for more to come on the CJ in future issues of JPFreek Adventure Magazine.