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18 Year old and Two JEEPS!

66K views 486 replies 75 participants last post by  95riograndeman 
#1 · (Edited)
20 Year old and Two JEEPS! MY BUILD THREAD!!!!

This will be my build thread for both my CJ and TJ.

Well as you can tell from the title I am 20 and own a TJ and a CJ-7.
From working on these two jeeps for the last 4 years, I know alot about jeeps and has been the best experiences of my life!

Here are the specs:

1986 CJ-7 Laredo
Inline six 4.2L engine with 2150 Motorcraft Carb
Five speed transmission
Dana 300 Transfer Case
Dana 30 Front axle
Dana 44 Rear axle
2.5" ProComp Suspension Lift
3" Body Lift
33" King All Sports with jeep Wagon wheels
Custom 3.5" square tube bumper (rear)
Fog lights
Stainless Steel Brakeline kit
SkyJacker shocks
Cherry Bomb Exhaust
Custom Stainless Rocker guards
Custom Stainless rear corner wrap
Original Interior

When I first got it..........


TJ specs and pics coming soon!
 
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#45 ·
Shoot, I missed this question at the very beginning. No I didn't do a frame up resto on the CJ. I wanted to, but now I am realizing that if I did that, I wouldn't wheel it. This is no show jeep here, just a weekend wheeler and weekly driver as my TJ is too. The interior is show qaulity in the CJ but the frame and engine compartment need some work. ;)
 
#3 · (Edited)
The Tj!

Here are the TJ specs:

1998 TJ Wrangler Sahara
Inline six 4.0L engine
Five speed transmission
Np231 Transfer case
Dana 30 front axle
Dana 35 rear axle
3.5" Rubicon Express Suspension lift
33"x12.50 Mickey Thompson Tires MTZ Radials
Crager Beadlock Wheels
Cobra CB
Warn front bumper
2 Kc Daylighters
Soundbar

Pics from first getting the jeep:





Thanks for looking guys. Feel free to tell me what you think:2thumbsup:
 
#4 ·
No I didn't do a frame up restoration. I am going to soon though. The frame is coated with grease instead of undercoating. You guys may laugh at me but up here in Ohio where they use salt, I have found that smearing your frame with tube grease is ablsolutely the best thing ever to use. No more brushing on more undercoating every year or more paint. Do it once and your done!

The CJ has a Fiberglass body and front fenders. The rest is still steel. The interior needs no work at all, but I would like to restore it completely back to original condidtion, except still leave the lift and bigger tires on it.

Oh, and one more thing. You see the Laredo and jeep on the hood and door?? I didn't feel like paying 300+ dollars for the decals, so I cut out a stencil and painted those on!

AND, if you really want to get to know your Dad, get a jeep that needs some work, and spend time with him while you rebuild the jeep.
 
#6 ·
For the Tj I payed 6,750 for it. It had some steering problems. I fixed the pass. side front u-joint and it was fixed. I bought it from a local guy. The guages also did not work but I fixed those in about five minutes. It has 140,000 miles on it so the pinion seals are seaping fluid a little and it doesnt have the slip yoke eliminator, so I am wearing out rear u-joints like crazy.
 
#8 ·
awesome jeeps .especially that CJ looks awesome .
 
#9 · (Edited)
Thanks guys! redcj576, Nice CJ-5 to CJ-7 project. That color is amazing!
 
#10 ·
I have declared this my build thread and updated the original pictures. I will now begin posting more pics of the mods I have done. :D
 
#11 · (Edited)
So September 2008 I bought my first TJ. My first creek bed ride at my house:



After cleaning her up a bit I took her down to the WCSCC car show. I was interviewed by the "Handy Randy" show on the local TV station. Pretty cool.





Then I drove it like that a while until winter. Right before winter break I started collecting stuff from my regear from 3.07 to 4.10s.

Over winter break and all during Christmas I changed and installed the gears with the help of my dad. Great learning experience and I would do it again.

While apart I stuck a Aussie locer up front in the D30.



 
#12 · (Edited)
Some winter pics after changing the gearing.








Added a XRC8 winch up front, new light covers, 4X4 decal, homemade rear bumper, and upright hi-lift jack mount.











Hauling wood last winter.

 
#13 ·
First parking lot comparision. :rofl:

 
#17 ·
That has to bother you a little lol 4.5" lift and still barely taller than a stock JK...I took a pic next to a white JK as well and was sorta upset :rofl:
 
#15 ·
Which one the CJ or the TJ? I have never taken my jeeps out of state yet since I have owned them. :dunno:
 
#16 · (Edited)
Then I started my own collection of decals on the underside of the hood. Good for car shows and stuff.



Replaced the spark plugs. Here is an original with 140,000 miles on it! :laugh:



Another parking lot comparison:



And another



Just looking at the flare coverage here:



Made a overhead rack for the CB, compartment, and fire extinguisher. It just wraps around the rollbar with a cut piece of pipe and mounts with the two footman loop screws on the windshield frame.





 
#19 ·
So then I got tired of the vibration with the transfer case lowering kit, and broke down and bought a SYE kit and adj control arms. Not cheap but well worth the money!!! Also you can see the Super 44 flowmaster muffler. Sounds awesome!





Then I took those puck spacers from the t-case skid and used them under the seat for seat risers!!!! :woot: Helps alot on the trail and is an easy mod.



Added a few auxiliary switches. Rear light and dome light switch for when the doors are off.



Up close and personal with my tread pattern on the Mickey Thompson MTZs. They wear fast but are great dirt and street tires.



New walmart steering wheel cover. Way better. Also installed winch switch. Master on off switch and in out switch. LED light tells you when the winch is armed. I can still use the factory remote for the winch but the master switch has to be on. This way no evil minded people can just walk up and use my winch with their controller. :2thumbsup:

 
#35 ·
New walmart steering wheel cover. Way better. Also installed winch switch. Master on off switch and in out switch. LED light tells you when the winch is armed. I can still use the factory remote for the winch but the master switch has to be on. This way no evil minded people can just walk up and use my winch with their controller. :2thumbsup:

I had some switches mounted there in my first Jeep and would bump them regularly with my knee and would notice that I had done so. Melted some light covers because of that once.
 
#20 ·
Radio that was in it when I got the jeep. Sounds alright, I was missing the front dash speakers so I installed those.



Engine shot:



Close up of rear light that was just changed to a different one. Also shown the rear hi-lift jack mount and rear bumper that I made.



Another parking lot shot



New quadratech mats. I love these things in the winter and when muddy. No more rusty floorpans or wet carpet!!!!!!

 
#21 ·
Ladies and Gents, the big event!!!! BIGGER LIFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I swapped my 3.5" coils with another guy on here for his 4.5" coils straight up. I am very satisfied with the extra inch of lift. In the future I plan on a different rear axle and 35"s. :D

Coils out and ready for bigger lift:





After lift with 3/4 spacers in the front to level out the jeep with the winch.



 
#22 ·
So now for all the flex and purty pics:





Black headlight bezels and giving the winch the monthly check.





Wheeling at my place.















 
#23 ·
More wheeling at my place:





My power steering leak that I need to attend to soon.

 
#37 ·
Thankyou very much. I enjoy it so much working on these two jeeps. My dad has a 1978 CJ-7 that I work on also. Keeps me really busy and out of trouble.
 
#27 ·
My 5-16-09 Wellsville Ohio trip with some other guys I met here on the forum in the Wheelin in NE Ohio thread (Listed in my sig). I had alot of fun and we are planning another trip down there on June 20th. I can't wait.

Here is where we met. All the jeeps:









Entrance to the trails. 10 bucks to get in.







Famous "Powerline hill".

















 
#28 ·
The rest of Wellsville.



Me posing for the heck of it.















AND that brings me to now. I haven't done much to it since then. Just routine maintenance. I think skids and body armor are next. Maybe a lightbar and and some engine mods. We'll see.
 
#29 ·
Now for the CJ. I haven't done alot in the last year to it but I am starting to tear it back apart now since I have settled down on the TJ some. It all goes in cylces. :p

So after getting my CJ I fixed alot to get it driveable. It would barely run so I fixed the carb, but then later swapped it for a 2150 Motorcraft carb instead. Best thing I ever did to it besides lift. I did ALOT more stuff to it, but most you can figure out from the pics. I get tired of typing. :drool:

So I borrowed by dads 33"s after redoing the POs attempt of a 3" body lift.



Then my dad wanted his tires back right after I put the Pro Comp 2.5" kit on. What a bummer with lift and small tires. :rofl:



Then my dad felt bad so he let me borrow his 35"s for awhile. (2.5" suspension with 3" BL)











Then I bought my own 33" TSLs after putting some thought into which tires I wanted. My 31"s with aluminum wheels are for sale if you are interested. As well as my stainless steel mirrors on the CJ.









Interior:



 
#30 ·
So now I have updated you up till now. Here are some very recent pics:







Messing around with photochop:



 
#31 ·
And as she sits now. I am tearing the dash apart to repaint the dash panel the factory color, fix some wiring issues, new windsheld frame, twin stick the D300, Aussie locker in the D30, and I am repainting the jeep this summer pretty soon.





I had to figure out how to get this darn horn button off with your guys help. Just pulls off. :doh:



 
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