THE STORY: I bought this Jeep in December of 2017 from a close friend of the prior owner/builder. The owner/builder was a car enthusiast and hobbyist that did the majority of the work on this frame-off resto-mod. (He died of cancer before he fully finished the project.) He was said to have had over $20,000 into it, and I have put in significantly more. When I bought the Jeep, it had 4,000 miles on it since most of the build was done. Many/most of the components were new/near-new at that time. Since my ownership, I put in a new motor, radiator, bumpers, tires, winch, and shocks. Despite owning the vehicle for 7 years, it still only has less than 6,000 miles on it since the original build, and little more than 1,700 miles since I put the new motor in. (That is why I refer to many of the improvements as 'newer'....Some are only a couple years old; some are more than 7 years old, but they all have little wear or use because the vehicle has been driven so little. I have never even engaged the 4-wheel drive.)
THE GOOD: For any Jeep enthusiast that loves classics like the CJ7, and wants to find one that is nice now, but also has tremendous potential, this is it. There are other CJ7s out there, but most have questionable frames, bodies that have rust or rust starting, and engines with lots of miles on them. THIS JEEP has a great frame, a brand new engine, and a fiberglass tub/body...It also has lots of new/newer parts. It's very nice and lots of fun now (the look and the great sound really draw attention), but for someone who wants to continue to tinker and improve, this has the 'great bones' that are worth continuing to improve into the showstopper it can be. (Why spend a bunch of money on a different CJ7 that has a frame, body, and engine that are already deteriorated and are only going to get worse?)
THE NOT-SO-GOOD: As you can see from the pictures, this Jeep looks great as it goes by, but it is not mint or blemish-free. (If it were a mint resto-mod, it would likely be worth around $35,000.) There are scratches and blemishes in the paint and some minor blemishes in the fiberglass. (I have tried to show the majority of these in the pictures.) It is also still a very 'mechanical' vehicle....The gauges are analog and, frankly, I don't fully trust them. The emergency brake could use some work; I currently leave the car in gear when parked. The soft top is newer, the soft doors are vintage. - They either need to be replaced or reskinned. There is a slight leak at the transfer case. There are numerous other small things, but that gives you an idea of what needs worked on.
I love this Jeep, and it's a blast to drive (...it REALLY gets up and goes!), but I'm not a 'car guy' and I've come to realize I don't have the skills, time, or interest in making this Jeep what it can be. Beyond that, I originally bought it to take to FL as the car for a small getaway place down there, but the FL place has been sold.
Following are many of the features and upgrades:
- Clean/clear title
- Brand new AMC 360 crate motor. (5.9L, I believe) - Runs and sounds great.
- New radiator
- Newer Edelbrock carb and intake
- Electronic ignition
- Custom full length dual exhaust with flow master mufflers
- Frame is in great condition; no patches
- New front and rear bumpers
- Newer BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires, including spare
- New Smittybilt X20 winch (never used)
- Newer Bilstein shocks
- Newer steel windshield frame
- Newer windshiled glass
- Mastercraft suspension seats
- 5 point harnesses
- 3 speed standard transmission
- Power disc brakes
- Newer painless wiring harness
- 4 inch lift; 32 inch tires
- Newer 20 gallon gas tank
- New battery
- Newer brakes and brake lines
- Newer master cylinder
- Newer soft top
- New fuel lines
- In-dash USB port for phone charger