Page updated: 10/09/2001 12:00 PM
The CJ-7 Gets a Make-Over!Written 10/07/01
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When your tires kick up rocks, and
they hit you in the butt - it might be time to do some repair work! |
Steve McKay decided that it was finally time to repair the rusted-out tub on his 1979 CJ-7. Below is a pictorial overview of the process involved, including the other "extra" things that were taken care of along the way. I'm sure you'll rapidly notice that this turned into much more than just a tub repair job!
| Teardown |
 Icky rusted out bed gets removed! |
 The roll cage mounting area was really ugly. |
 Disassembly underway - these are good "before" shots. |
 Shots of the wheelwell and bed areas |
| Fixing It |
 Pics of the roll cage mounting area repairs and a new wheelwell side panel |
 New wheelwell top panel with rollcage mounting surface |
 New rear shock mount - this is an easy mod with the bed removed |
 Bed completely replaced with 14 gauge diamond plate steel |
 Disassembled "garage" shot |
 A few primer shots |
 I added a stiffener bar under the door jamb |
| New Cage - Family Style |
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| Putting It Together |
 New stainless dash with Autometer gauges - New Tuffy console |
 Sitting on the street for photo session |
 Comparison pictures...The shot on the right is how it looks today (08/03/01) |
Additional items added during project:
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New front fenders |
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New windshield frame |
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New windshield wiper hardware |
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160 ampere Premier Power Welder alternator |
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New power steering pump |
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New smog pump |
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New pulley/clutch assembly for the York OBA pump |
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22 gallon "Desert Steel" fuel tank |
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Herculined the tub |
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Bestop seat covers and Safari top |
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Wrangler half doors with stainless mirrors |
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TJ rear flares (lot's of cutting here) |
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Tuffy security stereo console |
Remaining items to finish the project are:
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Tire/can carrier (need 1.250" die set for bender) |
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Re-think the rocker protection (may get rid of the air-tank nerfs) |
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Get On-board air system operational again (easy one) |
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Install corner protection |
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Install air conditioning (I like A/C!) |
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Get some 35" tires on it! |
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Install removable jamboree rack to rollcage |
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Install some tunes (important!) |
Summary
This was a lot of work! The original intention was to restore the structural integrity of the tub, with special attention to the rollcage mounting area. As you can see it turned into almost a total rebuild. Total expenditure amounted to about $4k, which includes about $900 in a tube bender and a couple die sets. We replaced every piece we could with stainless steel since I absolutely HATE rust! I hope to replace the tired old 304 with a 360 next spring. For now, we are enjoying cruising....