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

"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.