1979 Jeep CJ7

Description

It's official: the CJ7 is now a collectors' item worthy of top-flight restorations. While there are still a ton of beat-up CJs out there, if you're looking for a super clean one that you can use right away, this 1979 CJ7 is a great choice. Extensively rebuilt, restored, and upgraded, it's the old-school off-roader you've been waiting for.

Jeeps this nice don't exist in nature simply because the factory never built them this way. A brand new fiberglass body was dropped onto the CJ's frame, and that summarily eliminated all the rust issues that typically plague these beasts. A steel tailgate and windshield, plus original-style hood and grille were installed, reworked to make sure they fit as well as possible, then doused with a few coats of shiny black paint. They skipped the graphics and stripes to keep the look strong and pure, and a set of heavy-duty rubber fender flares went on to cover those oversized off-road tires it's wearing. Tubular chrome bumpers look fantastic and if you want a winch, there's a place for one up front. Lots of other shiny stuff, including the hinges and striker plates, plus bright trim on the rockers and on top of the rear tub add some great contrast to the shiny black paint. A heavy-duty spare tire carrier doesn't mind the oversized rolling stock and gives it a very heavy-duty, functional look that's a bit part of the CJ's appeal.

New black bucket seats provide comfortable off-roading and there's a correct rear bench so you can bring a few friends along for the fun. A 4-point roll bar was installed for its superior fit and provides the right kind of protection when you're out in the rough. The bare-bones look of the bare fiberglass floors adds to the Jeep's no-nonsense appeal and with a few well-chosen pieces of diamond-plate it looks well finished. New gauges, including Sunpro auxiliary units, all arrayed in a shiny stainless instrument panel, retain the old-school look and help with reliability off-road. Entertainment comes via an AM/FM/CD stereo head unit with speakers stashed in the dash, but to be honest, you'll probably be having too much fun to worry about picking just the right music. It also includes fabric half-doors and a bikini top for additional shelter, but only just barely.

The original six cylinder engine is long gone, replaced by a stout 360 cubic inch V8 that's been dressed to look quite stock. Everything under the hood is upgraded and built for reliability, and the supporting cast of hardware is long and impressive. The 4-barrel carburetor and long-tube headers make plenty of torque for off-roading and there's a big aluminum radiator up front. Power steering and front disc brakes were added during the build, so it's easy to drive and pretty friendly on-road, too. The transmission is a factory 4-speed driving a 2-speed transfer case and heavy-duty axles at both ends. All the bearings, seals, and U-joints are new, there's a heavy-duty lift kit with urethane bushings throughout, and the side-exit exhaust makes fantastic sounds. Polished aluminum wheels wear giant 32x11.50-15 off-road radials for the perfect go-anywhere look.

The list of upgrades is longer than we can cover here, but if you're an off-roading enthusiast, you'll immediately notice that this Jeep was built right. Basic but beautifully built, it's impossible to duplicate at this price. Call today!