Description

It's official: the CJ7 is now a collectors' item worthy of top-flight restorations. While there are still a ton of decent CJs out there, if you're looking for the best, this 1979 Renegade might very well be it. Extensively rebuilt, restored, and upgraded, it's the vintage off-roader you've been waiting for.

Jeeps this nice don't exist in nature simply because the factory never built them this way. A brand new 4WD Hardware fiberglass body was dropped onto the CJ's frame, and that summarily eliminated all the rust issues that typically plague these beasts. A new windshield, steel tailgate and grille were installed, reworked to make sure they fit as well as possible, then doused with a few coats of Ford Mustang Rio Red paint. Special black and chrome "RENEGADE" graphics were brewed up just for this Jeep, and a set of Xenon poly urethane fender flares went on to cover those oversized off-road tires it's wearing. Tubular bumpers are from Smittybilt, and if you want a winch, there's a place for one up front. Lots of stainless, including the hinges and striker plates, plus a chrome grille and shiny taillight cages add a bit of sparkle to the red rock crawler, and the powerful front headlights are upgraded Hella Vision units for unbeatable views in the rough.

New Steelhorse seats, including black denim front buckets and a fold-and-tumble rear bench, have been installed in the totally new passenger compartment. A 1986 roll bar was installed for its superior fit, and there's a locking center console with an AM/FM/CD stereo head unit inside, which powers a cleverly hidden set of subwoofers in back. That Pioneer head unit in the dash is a clever ruse to prevent theft, a great idea in a vehicle without locking doors. New gauges, including Auto Meter auxiliary units, plus a big tach and functioning inclinometer help with reliability off-road. Black carpet is a nice feature in Jeep, where standard equipment is a rubber mat, and the JVC entertainment system also features Bluetooth connectivity, so you can talk hands-free thanks to a mic installed on the windshield frame. Try that in any other vintage Jeep!

The original AMC 304 is long gone, replaced by a stout 350 cubic inch Chevy V8 that's been dressed for show with lots of chrome. Everything under the hood is new and built for reliability, and the supporting cast of hardware is long and impressive. Check out the New Venture 4500 5-speed transmission, the Dana 300 transfer case with Currie Enterprises dual shift levers to channel power to the front, rear or both axles for maximum traction. Both axles are 1985 Wide Trac units for improved stability, and offer 3.73 gears inside and a Detroit soft locker out back (True Trac up front). All the bearings, seals, and U-joints are new, there's a Skyjacker 4-inch lift kit, and all-new steering and braking systems. Wide Mickey Thompson Classic II aluminum wheels measure 15x10 and wear giant 35x12.5-15 Mickey Thompson Baja Claw radials.

The list of upgrades is longer than we can cover here, but if you're an off-roading enthusiast, you'll immediately notice that this Jeep was built right. Quite likely the finest we've ever seen, it's impossible to duplicate at this price. Call today!