Jeep: The Legend of Adventure

Today I want to discuss something special to me: My Jeep. A love for Jeeps runs deep in my family, starting with my dad. He owned a 1980 CJ-5 Renegade and put quite a bit of work into it with my grandpa. He loved that Jeep. Unfortunately, there came a time in which he had to let it go. Later on he was able to get a hold of a beautiful 84′ CJ-7, although she needed a decent amount of work. At first she ran and drove decently but just needed some tuning up and cleaning. Working on that Jeep with my dad not only sparked my love for the vehicle, but inspired me to acquire my own.

After the experiences I had with my dad’s Jeep, it took four years to find my own. I found the ad around spring time of 2014 and had to buy her from out of state. I knew though, that she was supposed to be mine! I made a few calls and was able to get some family to go inspect her from the owner. Everything was perfect. 86′ CJ-7, manual transmission, spare tire carrier (with spare wheel and tire!), soft top, and best of all: not chopped or modded for crawling. I have nothing against Jeepers who like to crawl, but to me, being a CJ, it had to be classic and as original as possible. Now she wasn’t perfect. In fact, the laundry list was quite long. Over time though, I was able to start the rebuild process getting her new tires, new top, new carb and rebuilt the transmission and the 258 cubic inch inline six cylinder engine just to name a few things. She has quite a bit of work left, but the best part is that I get to see her sitting in the garage every day coming home from work. Thankfully with the rebuilt motor and trans it doesn’t take a whole lot to get her running, so I occasionally start her up and drive around the block just to keep the juices flowing and to stretch her legs.

Some might ask, “Why choose a CJ-7?” or “What’s so special about it being an 86′?” Here’s why: it was the end of an era. I am a huge history buff (so much so I got a degree in it…) and the history of vehicles is one of my passions. That is part of why I started this blog, to bring up and discuss the history of vehicles, their owners and their place in time. I love the CJ-7 because it has a longer wheel base than the CJ-5. In 1972 the CJ-5 was extended to have an 83.5 inch wheelbase, while the CJ-7 was a whopping 93 inch wheelbase. What does this mean for the driver? Practicality and safety. By having a longer wheelbase, the CJ-7 was able to mitigate potential roll-over issues, as long as the driver wasn’t turning erratically. Practically speaking and maybe more importantly, the longer wheelbase gave for a longer body. So what? MORE “TRUNK” SPACE. Have you ever seen the amount of space behind the back seat of a CJ-5? You could probably fit a large cutting board if you’re lucky. Now why is the 86′ so special to me? Quite simply, she is the last of her kind. In 1986, AMC was struggling financially and eventually ended up getting bought out by Chrysler by the end of the year. Prior to the buyout, AMC released the next generation two-door utility vehicle: the iconic Wrangler. This was the first of the square headlight jeep models that ran until 1995. As a lover of originality and history, the 1986 Jeep CJ-7 in my personal opinion is the Last. “True”. Jeep.

The greatest memories I have had with her happened shortly after finishing the engine and transmission rebuild. Spring of 2015 I was able to get her all buttoned up and go on a two week, 4,000 mile road trip through 5 states. I got to see a lot of friends and family and had some wonderful driving experiences on our adventure. We went about 95% of the trip with the top down as well! I think the greatest moment during the whole journey was the final two days of driving. I was heading up from Valencia, CA to Oregon and decided I had to take the 101 and the 1 all the way up the coast. As a lover of not only my Jeep and classic vehicles but of the excitement of driving, that day was one of the best I have ever had in a vehicle. The smell of the sea, the wind rushing through my hair, the winding of that wonderful coastal highway. To my readers I urge you, if you ever get a chance to take your classic vehicle on a trip, go to the California coastal highway. Southbound will give you the closest views of the ocean, however either way you go it is a driving experience that every gearhead must have (preferably with a convertible)! I added a picture of my Jeep from that trip for you all to enjoy! If any of you have a classic Jeep as well, feel free to send me a message and we can talk about it. Until next time, stay classic.