My family’s 1982 CJ7 was originally rebuilt with the intention of being a parade and ice cream jeep for the family.  That limited use lasted about three months before Covid hit and it was put into trail duty with the Fox River Jeep Club with some upgrades.  

 

The rebuild started with a Sherwood Green Metallic, 160,000 mile, base 4-cyl CJ7 that was rescued from the back corner of a barn, a few miles East of Rockford.   It sat in the same spot for 19 years and needed significant repair after a long useful life of year-round daily commuting to Chicago.  Unloading it at home from the trailer and cleaning it out the first time is an experience my 15-year-old son and family will never forget.   

 

Full-size Dana 44 axles were recycled from a parted out 1977 Jeep J-10 pickup and a 1978 Ford F150. Their 10 inches extra width provides stability for the 5 inches of lift and does a great job of protecting the body and paint work from all of the trail obstacles.  The 3,900 lb. curb weight rolls on 15x8 wheels and 35x12.5-inch-wide tires allow running 8-10psi air pressure.   ARB compressor and air lockers were paired with the original 3.55 gears.   

 

As expected, the original 2.5 liter “Iron Duke” 4-cyl still ran with a little work, but all the miles and minimal maintenance left it too weak for trail service.  Once again, recycled parts were put into service.   This time in the form of a low mileage Throttle Body Injected (TBI) 1984 5-liter Chevrolet small block and a rebuilt SM465 4-speed manual trans with the 6.55:1 granny low first gear.  Advanced Adapters output shaft and adapter mated up the new engine and transmission with existing twin-sticked Dana 300 transfer case.

 

My favorite off-roading so far has been at Southern Missouri Offroad Ranch (SMORR) with the club. The coolest on-road adventure with the CJ7 was being on display at the 2023 Chicago Auto Show at the Jeeps on the Run booth.

 

I hope you enjoy looking at the blend of original and custom parts on our family’s garage painted PL4 Crush Orange CJ inspired by Jeep’s CJ66 concept vehicle.