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SPECIALIZING IN 76 TO 86 Jeep CJ5 Jeep CJ7 and Jeep SCRAMBLER CJ8 for 20 YEARS.

 

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614-203-1947

Rudy's Classic Jeeps LLC
19095 State Route 568
Findlay, OH 45840

ph: 614-203-1947
alt: HOURS: Call for Appt

  • Home
  • OEM USED PARTS 76-86 CJs
  • Jeeps For SaleClick to open the Jeeps For Sale menu
    • Please also look on the home page for Jeeps upcoming
    • Very Clean 35k Mile 1984 Jeep CJ7 for Sale $22k $20k or $18k Read Below
    • 1985 Jeep CJ7 Never Rusty w Rebuilt 258, EFI and T5 Manual Trans Only $15k
  • Original Jeep CJ7 tubs
  • Original Jeep CJ7 Frames
  • HARD DOORS & HARD TOPS FOR SALE
  • About Us / LocationClick to open the About Us / Location menu
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  • Referrals from past Customers
  • Extra special Jeep experiences for Rudy
  • Pictorial of work done. (examples)Click to open the Pictorial of work done. (examples) menu
    • New Builds & Photo Gallery
    • 1986 CJ7 Laredo Dana 44 Rot Free Rudy Build
    • 86 Jeep CJ7 Laredo New Build
    • 81 Jeep CJ8 Scrambler New Build
    • Off road CJ7 Build Jan 2012
    • Rot Free 1976 Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser build
    • 37k Mile 85 Automatic Scrambler
    • 1985 Jeep CJ7 Low Mileage One Owner Always Rot Free 6 Cyl
    • 84 CJ7 Frame off build 2/2011
    • How to convert a Manual Shift CJ to an Automatic (on the column)
  • CJ PHOTO GALLERY / Jeeps Sold since Oct/2010Click to open the CJ PHOTO GALLERY / Jeeps Sold since Oct/2010 menu
    • 1986 Jeep CJ7 Rot Free w only 44k Original Miles $27,500
    • 1984 Jeep Scrambler Clean West Coast CJ8 6 Cyl 4 speed
    • 1985 Jeep CJ7 Always Rot Free 6 Cly 4 Speed $25k
    • Unrestored 1986 Jeep CJ7 w 45k Original Miles 6 Cyl 5 Speed, Dana 44 & Window Sticker
    • 1978 Jeep CJ5 w New steel body and only 49k Original Miles
    • 1984 Jeep CJ7 Laredo Triple Black 76k Original Miles Unrestored
    • 1983 Jeep CJ7 Limited Rot Free Original Paint w AC 6 Cyl 5 Speed $22,500
    • 1984 Jeep Scrambler Same owner since 1985 Rot Free Unrestored CJ8
    • Beautiful rot free 1985 Jeep CJ7 6 Cyl 4 Speed
    • 1986 Jeep CJ7 Renegade w Dana 44 & only 60k Original Miles
    • Jeep Scrambler, Body Off, Rot Free, Low Mileage MPFI 6 Cyl $34,500
    • 1976 Jeep CJ7 Rot Free Original Paint w low miles 6 Cyl 4 Speed 13,500
    • Super cool utility / fun rot free 1986 Jeep CJ7 w Dana 44
    • 1982 Jeep Scrambler Rot Free Original Paint Laredo / SL Sport AC w Fuel Inj $17,500
    • 1983 Jeep CJ7 w Frame off restoration and only 63k Original Miles
    • 1986 Rot Free Jeep CJ7 Laredo w EFI and 5 speed
    • Rudy's own 1966 Kaiser Jeep Gladiator For Sale
    • 1985 Jeep CJ7 Renegade w Mopar port fuel injection kit coming soon
    • 1985 Rot Free Jeep CJ7 w MPFI 258 and 5 Speed. Only $12,500
    • 1976 Rot Free FJ40 Luxury Restomod $80k invested
    • 1983 Jeep CJ7 w 27k Original Miles in Rot free original Paint
    • Rare 2005 Jeep Wrangler LJ Unlimited Rubicon One Owner
    • 2nd Rare Unlimited Rubicon LJ Bargain Jeep w Good frame
    • Rot Free 1981 Jeep Scrambler 6cyl 4 Speed
    • 1986 CJ7 Rot Free 6 Cyl 5 Speed w Mopar EFI
    • 1984 Jeep CJ7 Rot Free w Fuel Injection AND only 27k Original Miles
    • 84 Jeep CJ7 Renegade from showroom of local Chrysler Jeep Dealer
    • 1982 Jeep CJ7 Laredo Automatic One Owner West Coast Clean CJ
    • 1983 Unrestored Rot Free CJ7 $13,000
    • 1986 CJ7 46k Miles w Dana 44 6 Cyl 5 Speed (2 Owner) $24,500k
    • 1985 Jeep CJ7 6 cyl 5 speed Desert body & Frame $13,500
    • 1984 Rot Free Desert CJ7
    • 1979 Rot Free Jeep CJ5 Renegade w Original Paint & dealer window sticker
    • Rot Free Arizona 79 Jeep CJ7 Golden Eagle Decaled w Only 94k Miles
    • 82 Jeep CJ7 Beautiful Black California CJ Rebuilt 6 Cyl 5 spd
    • 85 Jeep CJ7 From California Rot Free w Rebuilt Engine only $8500
    • 1986 Jeep CJ7 Laredo Automatic w only 47k Original Miles w Dana 44
    • Absurdly clean and classic Arizona 1983 Jeep CJ7 $11,000
    • 1982 Jeep Scrambler in 100% original rot free red paint
    • Coming Soon...82 Jeep CJ7 Laredo Rot Free Original Paint 6 cyl 5 speed
    • Clean Arizona Original Paint 1979 Jeep CJ7 Renegade 304 V8 3 Speed $10,500
    • 85 Jeep CJ7 Renegade Rot Free Original Paint Nevada Vehicle
    • 84 Renegade Original Rot Free Paint 97k Miles w Rebuilt 6 Cylinder w 4 Speed Manual Transmission $9500.00
    • 1983 Jeep CJ7 Rot Free Cali Low Mile Original Paint Automatic w AC
    • 85 Jeep CJ7 Laredo Automatic - Original Paint - Rot Free
    • Special 85 Jeep CJ7 Laredo Collectors Jeep only 85k Original Miles
    • Ultra Clean Desert 84 Jeep CJ7 Only 87k Original Miles & Mopar EFI
    • 82 One Family owned Jeep Scrambler w Warn dealer installed winch!
    • Rudy's personal 1985 Trail Jeep CJ7
    • 83 Rot Free Jeep Scrambler in original paint
    • 86 Jeep CJ7 Automatic Rot Free builder from California $6500.00
    • 83 Jeep CJ7 Renegade Original Paint 97k Miles $7500
    • 1985 Jeep CJ7 One Owner 12k Original Miles Gorgeous CJ $25k
    • Clean 84 Jeep CJ-7 Only 89k Original Miles. Original Paint Drive & Restore
    • 81 Desert Jeep Scrambler $5500
    • 86 CJ7 Laredo Dana 44 ROT FREE from Desert $7500
    • Best of the best, 83 Jeep CJ7 Laredo in original red paint w reliability & efficiency upgrades. 2 owners from CA $17,500
    • 36k Original Mile CJ7 Laredo Automatic Pristine family enjoyment and recoupable investment $16,500
    • 86 CJ7 Laredo Very Original builder from the desert. Ultra clean metal. $6500
    • 86 Rot Free CJ7 From Tucson. $10,000 (or less w-o top & Doors). New engine w $11,000 in receipts in last 4 years and 8,000 miles.
    • 84 CJ7 Laredo Very Nice CJ with Zero Rot! Only $10,000
    • 76 CJ5 Levi Edition Renegade w ONLY 53K Original Miles! Desert Jeep ONLY $8000.00
    • 84 Rot free desert Scrambler $7500
    • 2 Rot Free Desert Laredos $6500 Each
    • 82 Jeep CJ7 Laredo Seriously modified and upgraded rot free western Jeep! $20,000
    • 85 Jeep CJ7 Laredo From Texas $5750.00
    • Very Special 77 V8 CJ7 from Desert West 304 and 3 speed!
    • 85 CJ7 Rare Auto Trans! Loaded w Extras! A/C Hardtop, winch, Warn Tire carrier, Bumpers, Rear Locker + More
    • 83 Jeep CJ7 Laredo Original Paint and decals!
    • 1982 Scrambler builder project
    • 85 Rot Free Jeep CJ7 in red paint with only 69,000 miles $10,000
    • One Owner, Original Paint Scrambler from Vegas $15,000
    • Beautiful 82 CJ7 from California Rebuilt Engine, Trans w Fuel Inj $9000
    • 82 Scrambler in original paint. Very special CJ8 $13,500
    • 85 California CJ7 w New 258 Engine! $5500 Sold 5/9/11
    • 86 CJ7 Laredo $7250.00
    • 84 CJ7 Laredo Original Paint, No Rot, 258 5 speed
    • 79 Jeep CJ5 65k Original Miles! NO ROT! EFI Winch, Tera Lo, 4.0 Head Etc, Etc $14,500
    • 1983 Scrambler Laredo (Original Paint / No Rot) $7500.00
    • 82 Rot Free Arizona Scrambler Laredo in Original Red Paint!
    • 84 CJ7 Renegade Original Paint Desert Jeep w A/C & 5 Speed $9500.00
    • 85 CJ7 Desert Jeep in Original Red Paint! 89k Miles. New BDS Lift, 33" Tires and Wheels 1 Sweet CJ!
    • Rudy's Boat for Sale. 86 Formula 206 Spider $9500 260HP Mercruiser Open Bow
    • 82 Jeep Jamboree in Original Paint Dash Plaque # 18! No Rust from the desert
    • Two 1984 Jeep CJ7s just in as of 1/27/11
    • 85 Jeep Laredo 1 Family owned Sothern rot free CJ7 only 58k Miles! Gorgeous!
    • 82 Jeep CJ7 Rot Free desert Jeep w Rebuilt 6 Cyl. T18 4 speed w/ 300 Case! Weber, HT & Doors
    • 81 Rot Free CJ7 EFI Winch Lift Gorgeous Paint
    • 79 CJ7 Original Paint NO ROT Renegade w 304
    • Rust free 85 CJ7 Laredo Original Paint,One Family Owned $12,500
    • 86 Rot Free CJ7 $7500
    • 82 Scrambler Rot Free Project from Desert West $4000

81 Jeep CJ8 Scrambler New Build

This 81 Jeep Scrambler has been site seeing in the Arizona deserts and is now getting a career change to becoming a show quality driver! 

 11/5/12

In the coming weeks it will get a full teardown and rebuild for a family in Colorado.  It is getting a manual transmission to automatic conversion, widetrac axles, a new GM crate engine, 3 rows of seating and a custom sport bar! 

Please tune in to watch it come together!

11/14/12

A little behind on pictures but here is the teardown...

 

Super clean rot free frame....AND body! :)

 

Already back from sandblast.... This frame looks better than new!

 

Beautiful front floors....

 

The storage container is clear full of blasted small parts.

You'll notice the differentials looking new.  They are widetracs.  81 Scramblers and all CJs for that matter had narrower differentials than thier 82 to 86 counterparts and we are therefore going to the wider version.  Note, all CJ5s are narrow trac to the end of their production in 1983. 

12/1/12

WIDETRAC CONVERSION...

This frame is a 1981 and seemingly AMC was ready to make the switch but just didm't quite get it done.  I say this because this frame was already drilled for the 82-86 shock towers which we had scavenged from a newer CJ. 

 

The 76 to 81 shock mounts look like this....

 

These are welded on from the factory so a little careful cutting and they're gone. 

 

Now you can't just bolt the widetrac shock towers on as the frame will collapse as you tighten the bolts.  The factory resolution is bolt stand-offs or steel tubes inside the frame.  We can't get in the frame so the solution is to acquire tube that slides over the 3/8-16 bolts and cut them to length as shown.

 

 

Our solution is to enlarge the shock tower holes (one side only) to the OD of the tube and slide it in first and then tighten down the shock towers for a firm fit.

We also swapped out the flexible brake line brackets as the widetrac version is slightly shorter.  Again, the late 81 frame had these holes so all we had to do was tap them....  and we're done! :)

12-27-12

The body has gone to paint and we are working on the chassis.

Shown here are the HD spring hangers and short HD Shackles installed.  Also differentials in place with HD spring sliders for a super clean underside. 

 

Rear differential in place with a G2 brand one piece axle conversion.  We're running 3.31 gears in this Jeep which we took some grief from in selecting such a deep ratio.  Most people want to climb or crawl something.  This Jeep has far more HP than the common 304 and will be used up to 75 mph and won't be screaming at you and slurping fuel like a big rig.  With 4lo selected in 4wd it will do just fine and if the owner ever wants to crawl it harder, he can always do a 4:1 kit in the t-case. 

 

Steering and axles installed with all new USA made ball joints, tie rod ends and CVs.

 

 

1/5/13

New spindle bearing a good idea for a full restoration but for most rebuilds I'd say you usually won't need them.  These are difficult to remove without the right tool.  We use a pilot bushing removal tool as shown to the right...

 

We are using a cool old set of Warn chrome hubs I'd been hording for myself on this build.   We take them apart, degrease them and simply use a little gear oil inside.  I've read that grease is not the thing to use in your hubs.  Maybe some lithium grease but I like it this way and they are much easier to turn when it's cold out.

 

New ceramic pads and reman calipers.

 

 

We noticed the callper sliders weren't lubed well out of the box so we addressed that with some synthetic caliper grease.  This will aid in long life of these calipers without hanging up. 

 All installed with new slotted rotors, bearings, seals etc.  Extra time invested in blasting the steel bearing retainers and lug studs and painting them.  Note we also use loctite on the hub bolts.  It is less of an issue with these and more-so with the 6 bolt lock outs. 

1/8/13

Stainless brake and fuel lines and proportioning valve installed...

 

 

 

Rear brakes done...

 

 

Note it's a good idea to use antisieze on the self adjusters for long trouble free life...

 

 

Flexible front brake lines installed...

Rear flexible line installed (along with new brake drums)

 

1/11/13

Sway bar and poly bushings installed along with front differential cover including stainless steel flange head serrated hex bolts to show you care...

 

1-14-13

Some really cool 31x10.50r15 Tires and original 30 year old AMC Chrome CJ Wheels

Mounted, balanced, polished and installed with antisieze on the wheels studs for years of trouble free maintenance

 

 

It rolls!

 

 1/15/13

A plan fulfilled...

We made a promise to this gentleman that we could make his Jeep into an automatic and not use a floor shifter AND use a swapped in non-AMC crate engine.  I really dislike seeing B&M floor shifters and whater else conjured up on the floor of a CJ to shift a converted auto trans which is why we made our link on the left to show people how to make the swap from a stick to an auto using stock parts. 

 

Here's how it is coming to be.  I have a 999 auto transmission (the stock transmission in 1980 and newer CJs) in my trail Jeep with a small block Chevy and have abused it ruthlesly.  The 999 is based on the 727 Torqueflight which is a known solid transmission.  I know it can handle the V8 engine so it was our choice to adapt to.  This means the transmission goes in the stock location and you mount the engine wherever it lands once the trans is mounted.  This allows for stock linkage for shifting AND it saves the customer money using at least a stock front driveshaft.  It would also use a stock rear driveshaft except Scrambler auto transmission driveshafts are quite rare and with this Jeep being what it is, we will probably order new. 

 

We had waited for a snow melt to cut a template from one of our many rusty midwest parts Jeeps outside to build from as shown...

This was a 1980 Laredo auto 6 cylinder Jeep that has died so others may live...

 

That is an automatic CJ front clip sitting where the finished body will go.  It has the column and brake booster in place along with tunnel hole etc so we can be sure of interferences etc before mounting the engine mounts.

 

We chose to use a Novak kit for the adapting and have hit a snag with their torque converter but I am confident they will get it right. 

 

The customer wanted a new GM 290 hp Chevy crate engine for proven reliability, value, power, economical build options and of course that V8 sound!

Rebuilt 999 auto trans from the boys @ MD Transmission mocked up for placement of the engine mounts.  The adapter is installed and we are doing this without the torque converter until it is resolved.

Sitting in place.  Trans mounted in the crossmember stock location ;)

Firewall clearance for the new HEI distributor.  You always have to check this as these distributors are fat but work great and inexpensive.   It is far back to allow for adjustment of the timing but close enough to the firewall that it gives me confidence that we will have front clearance for accesories, thick aluminum radiator and fan etc...

Rebuilt t-case (Dana 300) from MD transmission

Mocked up for clearance testing

All CJ engines sit to the driver's side slightly to ensire the driveshaft has clearance when the Jeep is under compression...

Probably the hardest part is making clearance for custom headers on an engine swap...  Yeah, these are sweet headers :)

 

 

 

...and a detail from the folks at Novak (they have a lot of info on their site for swaps and have been doing it for a VERY long time).  They want 3 to 5 degrees of tip on an engine so we break out our little angle finder to make sure we have this....  I expect there are moany reasons for this including but not limited to oiling and thrust bearings on the crankshaft.

 

 

Engine removed for mount placement.  Mounts firmly clamped in place on bare steel frame for welding.

1/18/13

Robot type weld done by a local pro I brought in.  Really pretty welds.   

Also, primered and satin painted like stock. 

 

 

The customer wanted a black engine which I think is a great practical decision for use in a vehicle that gets used.  The engine came to us black but the paint didn't cover everywhere and I've seen the factory paint go thin after a few years of use so we high temperature reprimed it and repainted it.  It's a great time to do this with all the factory hole plugs still in place.

 

 We have things worked out with Novak regarding the torque converter with a little input from the guys @ MD transmission as well.  As with many things AMC, nothing is "always done".  They made lots of changes throughout the years.  For instance, the transmission we are using is from a later CJ and has a lock up torque converter and therefore different splines than the non lock up torque converter.  It is neat that the lock up is done without electronics.  Lock up converters stop slippage and save fuel.

Long story short, Novak is sending a new convertor and retrieving the old one.  This means work will be stopped for a bit on this project so you might flip the channel and check out the 86 CJ7 build for a little bit ;)

 1/23/13

Engine set and a bit of accesories going on...

 Novak came through with the correct torque converter on Thursday as expected ;)

 

3/5/13

Just about ready for paint...

Documentation takes time and eventually the customer build schedule and life required more of my time than was available.  The documentation on the site got cut short but the customer kept getting photos.

 Additional photos of this gorgeous finished product are HERE

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Rudy's Classic Jeeps LLC
19095 State Route 568
Findlay, OH 45840

ph: 614-203-1947
alt: HOURS: Call for Appt