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Fully Restored 1986 Jeep Cj7 - Fuel Injected V8, Fiberglass Body, 33" Swampers on 2040-cars

Year:1986 Mileage:5747 Color: was looking good
Location:

Wethersfield, Connecticut, United States

Wethersfield, Connecticut, United States

"THE ULTIMATE BEACH/LAKE CRUISER"

1986 Jeep CJ-7


I purchased this CJ-7 in March of 2002.  At that time, there were 99k miles on the factory installed 4.2 V6.  My goal for this vehicle was simple....to build the ultimate beach cruiser.  There were tons of Jeeps out there that had diamond plated panels covering body rot, or tired engines/transmissions from being beat on during off road driving.  My decision to purchase this CJ was based on its low "on road" miles for its age, and its use as a daily driver as opposed to a weekend mud hog.  The complete fiberglass body (tub, hood, fenders, windshield framed) permanently fixed all the body rot issues.  Fender flares from a '97 Wrangler Sahara were then added to give this CJ a bit of a restomod look.  The body was then coated in PPG Patriot Blue metallic paint and clear coat.  The frame got a 3" Skyjacker Suspension lift, to go with the 33"x 12.50" Trxus Super Swamper Tires, mounted on Micky Thompson Classic II polished rims.  I had both front and rear bumpers powder coated black, along with all seat brackets, glove box grab bar, and 4x4 shift lever. 

Now that the exterior was looking good, it was time to do something about the old carbureted drivetrain.  This Jeep came factory equipped with the Dana 300 transfer case, Dana 44 Rear Axle, and Dana 30 Front Axle.  Anyone who knows Jeeps, knows that these driveline components were essentialy bullet proof, and desired by those in the off road community.  Although these components are impressive, I was still focused on building a show stopper for the beach.  Both axles came equipped from the factory with a 2.73 gear ratio, which I had swapped out with 4.10 gears, to get those 33" Super Swampers spinning quicker off the line.  The tired 4.2 In Line V6 Jeep Motor was the next to go.  I contacted the folks at Advanced Adapters and got the necessary parts to swap in a Chevy 350 Small Block and 700R4 Automatic 4 Speed Overdrive Transmission.  An ECM from an 87 K5 Blazer, Painless Wiring Harness (Including Check Engine Light & OBD1 Code Reader Port), and a new Holly Throttle Body added TBI fuel injection to crate motor.  A 4 core Be Cool Aluminum radiator was installed to keep the new motor cool on those hot summer days.  The 3 speed factory Jeep automatic transmission was swapped out with a rebuilt 4 speed 700R4 with overdrive. A '91 GMC tilt steering column was also installed to allow gear selection of the 4 new tranny gears (OD, D, 2, 1).

The interior is finished in tan Bestop front and rear seats, new carpet, and a killer audio system.  The soft top is made by Bestop and was ordered with the tinted rear windows option.  There is a Kenwood AM/FM/CD/Ipod receiver w/wireless remote, which streams your favorite tunes to dual 10" Rockford Fosgate subs, located in a carpeted box behind the rear seat.  There are Infinity 6x9's in the backseat, and 100w 4.25" speakers in the front dash.  These speakers are driven by two 500w Rockford Fosgate amps, discretely installed under the rear seat. 

I'm sure I have forgotten something, so feel free to email me any questions.  This Jeep has been my summer toy for the past 12 years.  Always garaged with a car cover, and only driven on sunny days.  I have over $25,000 invested into this restoration and hate to see it go.....but the growing family requires me to clean out the toy box.




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Auto blog

Lexus gets top brand marks from Consumer Reports; Ford, Jeep hit hard

Tue, 25 Feb 2014

Consumer Reports has released its 2014 Car Brand Report Cards, with Lexus again reigning at the top and doing so with the same industry-topping score of 79 that it registered in last year's Report Cards. This year, the institute credited its lineup for being "usually quiet, comfortable, and fuel-efficient," noting it's the only brand on the list "to achieve an excellent average overall reliability score." The Car Brand Report Cars list is meant to rank the best all-around vehicles based on CR testing and reliability results tallied by subscribers it surveyed. Each brand included must have sufficient test and reliability data for at least three models, a standard which left out 11 marques including Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover and Porsche.
This 2014 Brand Report Cars edition is the first of a new format in which sub-brands have been broken out from their parent brands, with Acura using this year to move up the leaderboard into second place with a score of 75 for its "reliable, well-finished and somewhat sporty models." The top three was rounded out by Audi, climbing from eighth to third by scoring a 74 for "well-crafted interiors, nice handling and good gas mileage." Audi scored highest in the road-test portion, its improved reliability aiding its rise. The top nine was completed by Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz.
Ford and Jeep weighed in at the other end of the rankings, Jeep taking the lowest overall score in the road tests and hampered by "a mix of spotty reliability." Ford was sunk by reliability issues with its MyFord Touch infotainment system which consumers found troublesome enough to negate its cars earning "solid test scores" for being "very nice to drive." Perhaps the rumored switch from Microsoft to Blackberry's QNX for the next generation SYNC will help them out. Cadillac's score also took a hit for infotainment reasons after it was the leading US brand last year, the CUE system in the XTS dragging Cadillac to the bottom of all General Motors brands.

Radical 2016 Jeep Wrangler suggested by job listings?

Fri, 31 May 2013

With most inside the industry expecting the next-generation Jeep Wrangler to arrive for the 2016 model year, it makes sense that the automaker would be looking for some choice candidates to to fill program openings as the off-roader goes through its development. A recent ad on Chryslercareers.com suggests to some that the lightweight Wrangler Stitch Concept, revealed just two months ago and shown above, provides some clues about the off-road icon's next iteration.
According to Automotive News, the job descriptions - which don't name the model specifically - hint that the next-generation Wrangler will benefit from a serious diet. The ads appear to seek those familiar with advanced high-strength steels, hinting that lightweight aluminum body panels may appear on the 4x4. In addition, there are suggestions that Jeep may fit the Wrangler replacement with air suspension, as seen on the Ram and Grand Cherokee, to retain ample off-road clearance yet lower that chassis to improve aerodynamics at highway speeds. The job postings reportedly also lend credence to the idea of a diesel Wrangler.
It seems every bit of the next-generation Wrangler is up for review, as it will be the first time this iconic model is redesigned under Fiat ownership. Questions remain whether or not the Jeep will retain its clip-down hood, easy-to-remove door pins and folding front windshield - loyalists expect them, but fuel economy and safety standards may crimp their cases for survival.

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Mon, Oct 24 2016

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.