Good Deal Or Run The Other Way??

[b1gbee]

looking at a 1979 cj7 renegade has hard top 304 v8 auto. everything on it is factory and has the air cond. he says motor runs and tranny is in good shape. both floor pans are rusted in spots and the rear bed is rusted but the frame is solid. says the brakes and hoses need replacing. i have not seen yet but he is asking $1400 and im going to offer 1200. seem like something i should go look at for my first build?

[kyle_bob]

depends on how much time and money your are planning on dumping into it if its something that you want go for it...when you do repairs on it make sure you do it right i still havent got all the bugs worked outta mine..the P.O. of mine apparently liked to take short cuts and do things half a** but anyways welcome to the forum and good luck with the jeep

[neals80]

try to post pics that will get you a real close idea to buy or not from this group....$1200 sounds great but this is a jeep and jeeps need to be looked at differently than other vehicles....the frame just below where your feet rest on both sides could be cracked....none the less repairable but helps with lower the asking price if the owner sees a cracked frame...get under it with a flashlight and look over the frame, look for any leaks of fluids, jeeps do leak...but too much leaking and no new fluid leads to worse things....do a compression test on the V8..( wish I had that moter) brakes are cheap and a fun project....thats all I have....good luck

[b1gbee]

here some of the pics he sent me!! thanx

[valkadesh]

Personally, if the frame isn't completely rusted out, it's WELL worth $1400. Heck it's even got a hard top which will fetch $500 easy. I'd buy it if i were you. Honestly, if it looks like it's going to be too much to deal with, the parts alone are easily worth more than that. You won't lose money on the deal and could end up with a nice jeep with some work! Just my 2 cents!

[certifiablejeep]

It is hard to tell with the pics you sent, but there are probably usable parts on there, but $1400, I think in this economy and if he is looking to get rid of it, I would offer $750, the worse he can say is no...

cb

[HackFabrication]

Looks like a good candidate for a resto, not a 'build'.

Some reading:

NT Dana 30 front: http://www.jeeptech.com/axle/d30.html
NT AMC 20 rear: http://www.jeeptech.com/axle/amc20.html
GM TH400 trans: http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/th400.htm
BW Quadratrac transfer case: http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/quadratrac.htm

If you just can't stand the idea of an automatic trans in a Jeep, walk away from this one. In order to convert it to a manual trans you will need to swap out the rear axle (QT models had a passenger side offset), new driveshafts, pedal assembly, steering column (unless you want it to look funky), skidplate/crossmember, and a bunch of 'little things'. IMO, you'd be better off looking for one with either the T150 or T18 manual trans stock.

However the QT isn't a 'bad thing'. Most problems are due to chain issues, and you can convert them to part time operation with: http://www.milemarker.com/4x2conversion.html and a set of hub lockouts. Toss a 360 into the engine bay and you've got a decent 'cruiser'/mild trail rig.

As far as pricing, in my 'hood any running vehicle that can pass a basic safety check (starts, stops, steers, lights work, and doesn't shake/shimmy or otherwise scare the crap outta ya while driving above 40mph) is worth $1500. The CJ you're looking at is 30+ years old. They didn't use the corrosion resistent steel that is now standard in the auto industry, so there is going to be rust. Lots of rust that you can't even see without removing parts. The only way to repair it correctly is to cut it out, weld in new steel patches, and protect with one of the many top grade coatings/paints available.

It's a Jeep (CJ) thing... We on this forum understand...

[b1gbee]

Hey guys thanx for all the help!!! i think i will buy if anything for the parts. Maybe i will have a nice jeep out of it.

[243]

^^^ I agree with Hack on this one and well worth 1400.00 from what I can see.