McDougal Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 Hi Everyone, so not a commanche but I passed by this ad for an old 76 wrangler and I'm thinking I should pick it up. He wants to trade for a dirt bike for his son so I sent him a few options and he is happy with one of my bikes. I was wondering, is this thing with a rotten frame still worth atleast $1000? I could trailer this and bring it to my friends farm and have some fun with it but I don't think it would be roadworthy without building a new frame and dropping the Jeep back on. Let me know your thoughts and if I am getting into something crazy it has a running 304 V8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 Can't you just buy new frames for CJs? If the tub is good it's not a bad deal at all. Even if the tub has some rot it's not a bad deal since it runs and drives. The way I see it, if you see yourself doing more or having more fun with this than the dirt bike, then get it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derf Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 I wouldn't take a Jeep with a rotten frame. You may get your money back if you part it out but is it worth the work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMO413 Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 A frame change is definitely a huge job but a 304 CJ is a fun ride. At a grand it could be worth it. https://www.quadratec.com/products/56011_02D_T.htm You can buy a frame but they aren't cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 As stated, it’s a CJ5... no such thing as a Wrangler until ‘87. Depending on where you’re located, there’s salvage yards that only deal with Jeeps. Good used frames are out there and really aren’t that bad to swap if the hardware comes apart. 304 in a CJ is a fun little ride. They make a nice noise but really aren’t that much more power than the 258. If you do pick it up and the engine gives up the ghost, consider a 360. They’s tons of Wagoneer donors out there. Good looking rig!... not sure it’s worth $1000 though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 the frame is made of steel, right? just keep adding more until you're comfortable with the safety level and go have fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeatCJ Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 Or just build a new frame out a of 2 x 3 0.188 wall tubing. Relatively speaking, pretty simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCO6 Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 11 hours ago, neohic said: As stated, it’s a CJ5... no such thing as a Wrangler until ‘87. It was even later for Canadian Jeeps. Up until when the JK's came out in 2007 they were sold here as simply YJ's and TJ's. GM had the rights to the Wrangler name for one of its pick up trucks. I think it's what you guys would have known as a Sierra during that approximate time frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokeyyank Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 Pass, unless you wanted to use the the tub and build a tube frame to wheel it or do something weird like this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75sv1 Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 I'd say it could be worth that in parts. What's a running 304 worth? Also, the other stuff? A Dana 300 TC about $200-300. Also, I know a few people who have come up with good used frames for under a $1000, I think. To that end, it would look like some work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derf Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 1 hour ago, 75sv1 said: I'd say it could be worth that in parts. What's a running 304 worth? Also, the other stuff? A Dana 300 TC about $200-300. Also, I know a few people who have come up with good used frames for under a $1000, I think. To that end, it would look like some work. It'll have a Dana 20. The Dana 300 didn't come out until 1980. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryptronic Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 FYI: Jeep didn't start making the Wrangler until 1987 when it introduced the YJ to replace the CJ-7. The CJ-7 you're looking at there is definitely worth $1000 in parts. It's probably worth $3000-4000 in parts. The front-end sheet metal, wheels and tires, seats, dash, rollbar, bumpers, etc. if all good will fetch good money. The drivetrain is antiquated and underpowered, but you could still make some money selling that too. A frame replacement is a major job. For the CJ-7, you can try to source an original rust free CJ-7 frame either by finding a frame, or finding a whole CJ-7 with a good frame under it, or I'm pretty sure you can use a YJ frame (1987-1995) with little modification. You can put a YJ tub on a CJ-7 frame, so I don't see why the inverse wouldn't be possible - and that would give you a wider track. You're going to have more than $1000 into getting a good frame or good donor with a frame. Then you've got to do the replacement. This doesn't look like a candidate for a frame replacement to me. It looks like the tub is shot. You basically have three major components to a Jeep of this type. You have the tub, the frame and the drivetrain. If one is bad, it's worth replacing. If two are bad, and the thing means nothing to you, it's worth is in it's parts. Check my YJ build in my signature (still ongoing) to see what a frame replacement job looks like. I decided to do a frame replacement on my YJ because the tub was otherwise perfect, and the drivetrain only has 35k miles on it. It only needed a frame replacement. Of course, I went down the rabbit hole of upgrading everything while I was at it, but that's another story. I'd say if you have time and need cash, buy it to part it. If there is something truly special about the Jeep and you must save it, it's a long hard road, but you can do it with a ton time and tools. It just doesn't sound to me like this particular CJ-7 is worth saving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87MJTIM Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 It’s a 5. So a YJ frame and tub wouldn’t fit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryptronic Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 On 2/5/2021 at 8:21 PM, 87MJTIM said: It’s a 5. So a YJ frame and tub wouldn’t fit Somehow I missed that. I didn't realize the CJ-5 ran until 1983. The rear end of the tub is clearly CJ-5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yxmj Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 First it would be easier to answer if you were more specific as to what is rotted out. I would guess it is in the rear from the shock towers back? As above a YJ frame will not fit..... but (because the YJ frames were bad for rotting out) there is a Large after market of ready to use frame splices and re-enforcing pieces. https://www.amazon.com/jeep-yj-frame-repair-kit/s?k=jeep+yj+frame+repair+kit A little time and effort and you would easily have a ride worth more than $1000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Big question I haven't seen answered yet, how rotten is the frame? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now