Build Thread 79 CJ7 Mild Build
mtnbiker4evr13
Jeeper
- Posts
- 52
- Thanks
- 7
- Location
- Asheville North Carolina
- Vehicle(s)
- 79 CJ7 232, 2 Barrel Motorcraft 2100, Factory T18, D20, WT D30/AMC20FF, 33x10.50 KM3s, Warn 8274, 6 Point Cage
79 CJ7 I picked up in the fall of 2017
How it is spec'd now
Engine- 76 232 I6 with team rush ignition and 1.01 Autolite 2100 carb
Trans- Factory T-18 6.32:1
Tcase- Stock Dana 20
Axles- 84 Widetrack Dana 30/AMC20. Front 6 bolt hubs, lockright locker and 3.73 gears. Rear Auburn LS diff, Warn full float conversion, OX Cover and 3.73 gears
Suspension- BDS 4in CJ lift
Tires- 33x10.50 BFG KM3s on stock 15x6 steelies
Other- Warn 8274 winch, 06 TJ seats, PSC full rollcage, dual diaphragm brake booster, added power steering, PSC rocker protection
Background
I have been 4wheeling since I was 15, started with Samurai’s (10 or more) and Toyota’s (4 or so) for rock crawling/trails for quite a few years. Did the FJ40 thing but finding the price and scarcity of parts a bit daunting I sold it.
Wanting some more vintage easier trail rig to just enjoy I started looking at CJ’s. I grew up in the back of an 84 CJ7 my dad picked up to get back into wheeling. He had quite a few CJ5s before having kids, one on 40in Gumbo Monster Mudders. The 84 we used as a family wheeler and got setup on 38.5 boggers since mud is the obstacle of choice in the Midwest.
I was set on a CJ3b or early CJ5 but one day my dad sent a craigslist link to a CJ7 he wanted to look at because it had a T18 transmission. Looking at it, it was an Ohio Jeep but very original. 1979 Stock skinny steel wheels, indeed a factory T18, vinyl lowback seats and manual brakes/steering. Dad wasn’t too interested to pick it up after seeing the rust and manual controls, he’s had plenty of manual brake/steering CJ’s but wanted a cushier ride to follow the trail rides around in.
I ended up buying it for myself to possibly flip the T18 and try to make some money (THE HORROR!) but after driving it I just had too much fun.
The day it came home:
So light duty wheeler it was destined to become. The idea was to basically do the same stuff that’s common on FJs. Small lift, little bigger mud terrains and period correct upgrades. Intent is to keep it as “Jeep” as possible, though Toyota axles and 37s were considered for a slight moment. But blasphemy was not meant to be. So the general fixup was started. My 79 per OEM build was a 258 2 barrel, factory T18 base model with hard top, spare tire, rear seat and no options past that. It was a Narrow Track Dana 30/AMC20 with 3.55 gears and a Limited slip in the rear. Odometer said 70k miles… and after looking in the diffs that might be true. By the time I got it had been repainted once before and a 76 232 1 barrel engine put in. I did undo one of the greatest sin's of all. looks like a front rocker panel hit had pushed the "Jeep" script in some so the PO bondo'd over it. I only had one Jeep stamp until going on an archaeological dig.
The YFA carb was able to get it running but not well so I rebuilt it and did a “Team Rush” ignition upgrade using Ford large cap parts. Our club Novice run was coming up so I went ahead and went through the brakes and tossed on a new fender to replace the mangled one. It still had the original 78 series spare tire but some 30x9.50 tires on the ground. After going through things it ran really well, drove nice and went on its first off road trip.
I found the torque of the little 232 to be great on the stock CJ. The carb was not too pleased with inclines but it got everywhere it needed to and was a blast. Wheeling stock rigs on novice runs has always been fun to increase the difficulty of the easy trails. At the end of the day I did break away to head home early but took a short cut across a trail. Ended up flexed out across a washout with a rock hung on the back side of my T-case skid. Knowing it had a factory Limited slip I tried the ol’ brake and gas maneuver to try to engage the stopped wheel until the little torque monster twisted the front driveshaft in the center. That was the first I had seen that happen.
Back home I re-tubed the driveshaft thinking it may have been bent. Only to find on the next trail ride the exact same thing happened again. So I sleeved the remaining stubs with the next size up of DOM tubing and that has held for many trips.
I have been carting around an 80s era Warn 8274 waiting for the perfect rig to put it on and the CJ seemed to fit the bill. It came with a full size winch mount so I cut it down as close to OE CJ Warn mounts used to be and attached it to the front.
About this time we moved our family to NC and the CJ was picked as my extra vehicle while we rented a house. A “vintage Jeep” was more palatable than “mangled Toyota crawler” for whatever reason. In NC I happened across a pair of wide track axles that were supposedly locked and came with lift springs of some sort. I had planned Old Man Emu 2.5s but I liked the idea of wider axles. They ended up being pretty nice, front was re-geared to 3.73 and had a lockright, rear had a Warn Full Float conversion with an Auburn Limited slip and matching 3.73s. The springs I swore off but found the paint markings identifying them as 4in BDS springs. I also snagged the power brake booster and power steering setup off the jeep they were parting out.
For steering I used an aftermarket steering box mount in factory location and did some measuring for a brake booster once I figured out the stock one was blown. I was able to find a small diameter dual diaphragm booster on Summit that needed slight filing to fit on the factory booster mount. It also cleared the 1 barrel air cleaner by not even half a Hotwheels car tire height.
Mid build I saw the “Prepping for the 8th annual CJ Ouray Colorado Trip” and with a dream of going out west made the decision I was going. 5 months of planning time was sure to be enough… not so much.
Fueling was going to be an issue, 1000ft cliffs were scary and Dad was joining in on the fun so some level of comfort should be maintained. First step was a Motorcraft 2100 carb, I opted for a smaller venturi than the usual 1.08 used on 258s to try to keep my low RPM throttle sensitivity. I found a 1.01 venturi carb off of a 64 Ford Falcon on Ebay and rebuilt it. Used a later 2 barrel 258 intake and exhaust manifolds and the nice aluminum adapter from the Ebay guy.
Also needed to get my new axles/suspension under it. 4in seemed like way to much but it has grown on me with the room for articulation with bigger tires. Springs got all new bushings and brakes were gone though again. I later pulled the 6 bolt hubs off my NT axles and swapped them over.
And for tires I went with BFG KM3s in a 33x10.50x15 to keep the amazing patina'd rims. The build basically was planned around them, since they are unique.
Since the possibility of death seemed uncomfortable I decided to put a roll cage in. Being an Ohio rig I'd be attaching it to rust so that needed addressed. New Classic Enterprises floor pans and cowl braces were put in to have solid mounting.
Decidedly not a body guy but function is good enough for me. I picked up a Poison Spyder pre-bent and notched cage that just needed to be glued together, it was really easy and looks pretty good. To protect the rockers I stumbled on some Poison Spyder blank rocker armor on amazon for cheap and added my own steps. For comfort some 06 TJ seats were swapped in as well.
The windshield was cracked and replacement uncovered more rust.
After finishing up a whirlwind of upgrades and tuning on the carb (whole other story) it was time to load up to go out west. Dad and I met up with the CJ group in Ouray for a few days of running the various passes and on the last 2 days snuck over to Moab since that was on my bucket list to run trails as well.
The ol' girl did amazing everywhere we went and only had rich carb problems at 13-14k feet. Back home it was taken to Hollerwood Offroad Park outside Slade KY for some more difficult trails and ran Potts Mountain Jeep Trail in VA. After we bought our farm this fall it is also my run around work rig clearing trails, pulling trailers etc.
How it is spec'd now
Engine- 76 232 I6 with team rush ignition and 1.01 Autolite 2100 carb
Trans- Factory T-18 6.32:1
Tcase- Stock Dana 20
Axles- 84 Widetrack Dana 30/AMC20. Front 6 bolt hubs, lockright locker and 3.73 gears. Rear Auburn LS diff, Warn full float conversion, OX Cover and 3.73 gears
Suspension- BDS 4in CJ lift
Tires- 33x10.50 BFG KM3s on stock 15x6 steelies
Other- Warn 8274 winch, 06 TJ seats, PSC full rollcage, dual diaphragm brake booster, added power steering, PSC rocker protection
Background
I have been 4wheeling since I was 15, started with Samurai’s (10 or more) and Toyota’s (4 or so) for rock crawling/trails for quite a few years. Did the FJ40 thing but finding the price and scarcity of parts a bit daunting I sold it.
Wanting some more vintage easier trail rig to just enjoy I started looking at CJ’s. I grew up in the back of an 84 CJ7 my dad picked up to get back into wheeling. He had quite a few CJ5s before having kids, one on 40in Gumbo Monster Mudders. The 84 we used as a family wheeler and got setup on 38.5 boggers since mud is the obstacle of choice in the Midwest.
I was set on a CJ3b or early CJ5 but one day my dad sent a craigslist link to a CJ7 he wanted to look at because it had a T18 transmission. Looking at it, it was an Ohio Jeep but very original. 1979 Stock skinny steel wheels, indeed a factory T18, vinyl lowback seats and manual brakes/steering. Dad wasn’t too interested to pick it up after seeing the rust and manual controls, he’s had plenty of manual brake/steering CJ’s but wanted a cushier ride to follow the trail rides around in.
I ended up buying it for myself to possibly flip the T18 and try to make some money (THE HORROR!) but after driving it I just had too much fun.
The day it came home:
So light duty wheeler it was destined to become. The idea was to basically do the same stuff that’s common on FJs. Small lift, little bigger mud terrains and period correct upgrades. Intent is to keep it as “Jeep” as possible, though Toyota axles and 37s were considered for a slight moment. But blasphemy was not meant to be. So the general fixup was started. My 79 per OEM build was a 258 2 barrel, factory T18 base model with hard top, spare tire, rear seat and no options past that. It was a Narrow Track Dana 30/AMC20 with 3.55 gears and a Limited slip in the rear. Odometer said 70k miles… and after looking in the diffs that might be true. By the time I got it had been repainted once before and a 76 232 1 barrel engine put in. I did undo one of the greatest sin's of all. looks like a front rocker panel hit had pushed the "Jeep" script in some so the PO bondo'd over it. I only had one Jeep stamp until going on an archaeological dig.
The YFA carb was able to get it running but not well so I rebuilt it and did a “Team Rush” ignition upgrade using Ford large cap parts. Our club Novice run was coming up so I went ahead and went through the brakes and tossed on a new fender to replace the mangled one. It still had the original 78 series spare tire but some 30x9.50 tires on the ground. After going through things it ran really well, drove nice and went on its first off road trip.
I found the torque of the little 232 to be great on the stock CJ. The carb was not too pleased with inclines but it got everywhere it needed to and was a blast. Wheeling stock rigs on novice runs has always been fun to increase the difficulty of the easy trails. At the end of the day I did break away to head home early but took a short cut across a trail. Ended up flexed out across a washout with a rock hung on the back side of my T-case skid. Knowing it had a factory Limited slip I tried the ol’ brake and gas maneuver to try to engage the stopped wheel until the little torque monster twisted the front driveshaft in the center. That was the first I had seen that happen.
Back home I re-tubed the driveshaft thinking it may have been bent. Only to find on the next trail ride the exact same thing happened again. So I sleeved the remaining stubs with the next size up of DOM tubing and that has held for many trips.
I have been carting around an 80s era Warn 8274 waiting for the perfect rig to put it on and the CJ seemed to fit the bill. It came with a full size winch mount so I cut it down as close to OE CJ Warn mounts used to be and attached it to the front.
About this time we moved our family to NC and the CJ was picked as my extra vehicle while we rented a house. A “vintage Jeep” was more palatable than “mangled Toyota crawler” for whatever reason. In NC I happened across a pair of wide track axles that were supposedly locked and came with lift springs of some sort. I had planned Old Man Emu 2.5s but I liked the idea of wider axles. They ended up being pretty nice, front was re-geared to 3.73 and had a lockright, rear had a Warn Full Float conversion with an Auburn Limited slip and matching 3.73s. The springs I swore off but found the paint markings identifying them as 4in BDS springs. I also snagged the power brake booster and power steering setup off the jeep they were parting out.
For steering I used an aftermarket steering box mount in factory location and did some measuring for a brake booster once I figured out the stock one was blown. I was able to find a small diameter dual diaphragm booster on Summit that needed slight filing to fit on the factory booster mount. It also cleared the 1 barrel air cleaner by not even half a Hotwheels car tire height.
Mid build I saw the “Prepping for the 8th annual CJ Ouray Colorado Trip” and with a dream of going out west made the decision I was going. 5 months of planning time was sure to be enough… not so much.
Fueling was going to be an issue, 1000ft cliffs were scary and Dad was joining in on the fun so some level of comfort should be maintained. First step was a Motorcraft 2100 carb, I opted for a smaller venturi than the usual 1.08 used on 258s to try to keep my low RPM throttle sensitivity. I found a 1.01 venturi carb off of a 64 Ford Falcon on Ebay and rebuilt it. Used a later 2 barrel 258 intake and exhaust manifolds and the nice aluminum adapter from the Ebay guy.
Also needed to get my new axles/suspension under it. 4in seemed like way to much but it has grown on me with the room for articulation with bigger tires. Springs got all new bushings and brakes were gone though again. I later pulled the 6 bolt hubs off my NT axles and swapped them over.
And for tires I went with BFG KM3s in a 33x10.50x15 to keep the amazing patina'd rims. The build basically was planned around them, since they are unique.
Since the possibility of death seemed uncomfortable I decided to put a roll cage in. Being an Ohio rig I'd be attaching it to rust so that needed addressed. New Classic Enterprises floor pans and cowl braces were put in to have solid mounting.
Decidedly not a body guy but function is good enough for me. I picked up a Poison Spyder pre-bent and notched cage that just needed to be glued together, it was really easy and looks pretty good. To protect the rockers I stumbled on some Poison Spyder blank rocker armor on amazon for cheap and added my own steps. For comfort some 06 TJ seats were swapped in as well.
The windshield was cracked and replacement uncovered more rust.
After finishing up a whirlwind of upgrades and tuning on the carb (whole other story) it was time to load up to go out west. Dad and I met up with the CJ group in Ouray for a few days of running the various passes and on the last 2 days snuck over to Moab since that was on my bucket list to run trails as well.
The ol' girl did amazing everywhere we went and only had rich carb problems at 13-14k feet. Back home it was taken to Hollerwood Offroad Park outside Slade KY for some more difficult trails and ran Potts Mountain Jeep Trail in VA. After we bought our farm this fall it is also my run around work rig clearing trails, pulling trailers etc.
