1982 CJ7 Build Thread - update 5/17

Painter sent some pics of the Raptor lined interior today.... exterior should see sealer and primer tomorrow. Paint will be Friday or Monday. I’m excited!!!

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That's going to turn out sweet!
 
Spoke with the painter yesterday... Things are getting delayed at his side for painting the Jeep. He’s hoping to shoot this afternoon, but I don’t think I’ll be able to go get it due to the Stay orders as Uhaul likely going to be closed too based on my conversation I had with them Wednesday.

However, he has access to a rollback driver who will deliver it to my house for a reasonable fee... Even if we weren’t dealing with the COVID-19 virus, I’d still probably go this route as it’s fresh paint and pristine. Using a pro adds to the assurance that it’ll arrive to my garage in the same way it leaves his shop!

Stay tuned as I hope to have it in my garage TOMORROW with color! That’ll give a distraction now that my shed build is nearing completion!
 
Spoke with the painter yesterday... Things are getting delayed at his side for painting the Jeep. He’s hoping to shoot this afternoon, but I don’t think I’ll be able to go get it due to the Stay orders as Uhaul likely going to be closed too based on my conversation I had with them Wednesday.

However, he has access to a rollback driver who will deliver it to my house for a reasonable fee... Even if we weren’t dealing with the COVID-19 virus, I’d still probably go this route as it’s fresh paint and pristine. Using a pro adds to the assurance that it’ll arrive to my garage in the same way it leaves his shop!

Stay tuned as I hope to have it in my garage TOMORROW with color! That’ll give a distraction now that my shed build is nearing completion!
If it’s not convenient, there’s an advantage to having it sit in his shop a while. A lot of paints are still fingernail soft from a week up to a month. You’ll have less sand,pebble, bug impact dings the longer it sits.
 
If it’s not convenient, there’s an advantage to having it sit in his shop a while. A lot of paints are still fingernail soft from a week up to a month. You’ll have less sand,pebble, bug impact dings the longer it sits.


Absolutely true!! Unfortunately he has a small shop and can’t store it long term if this situation continues for too long.

If he delivers it to me, I’m just going to sit in the garage and stare at it for a week or 2. Wife may wonder WTH I am...
 
She’s coming home today...
 
She’s home... just got delivered right before the rain started. I’m very happy with the quality of the paint work.

I’ll post his business card later tonight. He’s a good dude with great attention to details.

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She’s home... just got delivered right before the rain started. I’m very happy with the quality of the paint work.

I’ll post his business card later tonight. He’s a good dude with great attention to details.

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Beautiful! Im jealous!
 
This is the shop that shot my Jeep. I can’t enough good things about him. Great guy, excellent attention the details, goes the extra mile to make the job the way is should be...

https://www.autoartcollisionnc.com/
 
Starting to put it back together...still a few items to install, but made great progress today!

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Punch list includes:
Headlight trim rings
Heater box
Replace rear axles
Brake job at all 4 corners
Install seats
Build front bumper
Build rear bumper and tire carrier

Drive it around
 
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Thanks to all for the encouragement. I’m a bit of a focused madman when I’m building. I zero in on the project and invest hours like they’re minutes. I truly love building things and making things look like the should...

My second career will scratch that itch on someone else’s dime.
 
This will likely be my final post in this thread. I still have work to do, but it’s officially on the road!

I took my middle son for a ride to tank it up at the local gas station. It ran great! I still have a list of things that I’d like to do, but they’ll get boring in contrast to the body work conversion from rusted, under coated steel to a finished product. I’m proud of the finished Jeep.

I’m going to do a complete brake replacement front and back, swap out the 2 piece axles for 1 piece axles and likely do some some engine mechanical work (water pump and similar). I may rebuild the engine, trans and transfer case in the future.

Jeep = Just Empty Every Pocket

Love it!
 
I need the regular updates to keep me motivated to work on mine. I almost have the other projects around the house complete that were in front of the Jeep. Hopefully by this weekend I will be ready.
 
Another vote for keeping this thread going.

I had an 85 cj7, sold it a few years ago and regret it every time I see any jeep online or driving down the road.
I have no interest in getting involved in doing bodywork again but if I find the right pig, ain't nothing mechanical gonna scare me away.
 
As a heads up... I’ll be pulling axles and rebuilding the brakes at all 4 corners this weekend. I have new calipers and pads for the front, new shoes, hardware and wheel cylinders for the rear. I replaced all of the flex lines with a Rugged Ridge stainless steel lines earlier this year as the rubber ones were leaking... now it’s time to get the brakes safe for routine driving duties ahead of inspection next week.

While Quadratec sells all of the parts and offers free shipping for orders over $50, the local parts place had everything available for a lot less money.

while I have the back brakes apart, those axles are going in too. Hoping they’re ready to run as the P.O. claims they are.... bearing spun tight, but smoothly. I threw in some extra bearing grease for the fun of it while I was painting the backing plates. Stay tuned for a pics and cussing this weekend.
 
Took a nice drive with middle son... we went all over the place today, enjoying the sun and comfortable temps. Got home and parked... went to start it to pull it back into the garage and the carb started acting funny... Unknowingly, starter got stuck engaged to the flywheel... the starter gear grenaded when I tried to start the Jeep! I have a new starter ordered for pickup tomorrow. Decided to also replace the water pump so I ordered one of them, a thermostat and the gaskets. Here’s a picture of the starter gear and the recovered parts (got the out by taking off the inspection plate).

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I started the process of doing the front brakes and ran into some deputed challenges and some unexpected ones.

Last year, I found 2 damaged 4x4 hub threaded holes. At $100/side to replace, I was holding off as long as I could. My dad suggested drilling, tapping and using helicoils in each of the damaged holes. Worked perfectly!!!

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I had to clearance one brake pad using my bench grinder, but otherwise the front brakes went together very easily... with one other unexpected bump in the road. The shop sold me 2 identical calipers. Sometimes that’s expected and the design, not here... I installed the second caliper and something was bugging me about the drivers side. It hit me when I saw the bleeder valve was at the BOTTOM of the caliber. I’d never be able to bleed it successfully. The shop will have the correct one for me later today.

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As part of the back brake job, I’m also replacing the 2 piece axles with a 1 piece axle (stronger, safer). Just to scope out the job, I pulled the rear tires and brake drums. Both sides have been apart and the driver side is missing the cotter pin that helps secure the castle nut! I’m really that I looked!

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So what axles are you looking at going too now that the stock ones are for sale?


I have a lead on a matched set of diffs from a local guy that had his Jeep burn out.

Front:
Dana 30 with a True Trac and 3.73 gears

Rear:
Dana 44 with same as above

These are about half the price of installing new guys into my existing differentials.
 
I have a lead on a matched set of diffs from a local guy that had his Jeep burn out.

Front:
Dana 30 with a True Trac and 3.73 gears

Rear:
Dana 44 with same as above

These are about half the price of installing new guys into my existing differentials.

That would definitely be a very nice upgrade.
 
Front:
Dana 30 with a True Trac and 3.73 gears

Rear:
Dana 44 with same as above
That was the first setup in my ‘01 TJ. It came with those axles and gears, and I had the TrueTracs installed.

Eventually went to HP30 in the front, and swapped to 4.56 and ARB air lockers. Also upgraded to chromoly shafts. :D
 
That was the first setup in my ‘01 TJ. It came with those axles and gears, and I had the TrueTracs installed.

Eventually went to HP30 in the front, and swapped to 4.56 and ARB air lockers. Also upgraded to chromoly shafts. :D

you’ll laugh at this, but my current R+P ratio is... get this... a 2.70:1 with 33s. I can barely make it up the hill heading towards town when starting at the bottom running 45mph...
 
you’ll laugh at this, but my current R+P ratio is... get this... a 2.70:1 with 33s. I can barely make it up the hill heading towards town when starting at the bottom running 45mph...

Jebus, I had the 2.70 with 31s for a while and it was intolerable.
 
Don't feel like the Lone Ranger there, I've had a J10 thread floating around here for a few years lol.

CJ is looking good!

I’m going to revive that thread and expect you to finish it. ;) John and I say hey by the way, haven’t seen you since the last CPA g2g.
 
Rear axle housing is out... Normally a 2 man job...but I didn’t have that option so I found a solution (homemade dollies that mount onto the lug nuts and clearances for the front 4x4 hubs). New housing should be here next weekend... reverse of the removal process except I have to burn in new spring perches.

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Once the rear is in, I’ll move to the front. I’ll have to also add spring perches and shock mounts.
 
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It took some work tonight, but I installed the rear axle tonight.

I had to set the pinion angle and burn in new spring perches. Here are some pics.

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Front axle is a direct exchange, but I’ll have to move some brake parts over to the other housing (dust shields, change the caliper brackets).

From there I’ll replace all of the rear brake components and install the new front brake parts. After a brake bleeding, I hope to be back driving it again next week.
 
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