cj7 worth draggin' home??

There is a dead late 70's? cj7 just a mile down the road from me, the owner told me I could have it if there was anything I could use on it. Was a daily driver six or eight years ago until he realized the frame was almost rusted in half. I don't know anything about a 7. The body and interior are junk, been sitting outside, one of his "pals" stole the motor, but the rest of the chassis is all there, axles, steering, it has an aluminum trans with the "Ford" script on top and a 300(??) T/C. Is any of it any good for upgrading an early cj5 when the time comes or will it just be more useless trash in my "salvage facility"?

 

The disc brakes off the Dana 30 can be handy, especially if it is a narrow track-pre 82. If it has a 300 transfer case then that alone is worth dragging home. If it comes with a title then it is easy to get rid of once you pull anything useful. Not a lot of parts on a 7 are direct bolt-ons for an early 5, but many things can be retrofitted in with a little fab work.

 

No such thing as free! That being said, if you have room to store it, I would take him up on it. It has the potential to help him out and help yourself out down the road as your project comes along. You never know what you might be able to use.

 

Like was said the 30 front is a good upgrade. The AMC 20 unless it has been upgraded is worth scrap unless someone happens to need parts. The 300 transfer case is a good find but is centered rear output. Best transfer case Jeep ever used and in demand. The transmission if a 4 speed could be a T-176 or T-4. T-176 has some value depending on condition but T-4 not so much. If a 5 speed then it would be a T-5 and parts are getting harder to find for these so there can be value there. The swinging pedals can be retrofitted to an early CJ and the heater has possibilities. The seat brackets seem in demand around here, especially if they tip the seat forward. Lots of little parts like speedo, heater controls, etc. etc. that can be good trade fodder, sell, etc.

 

Okay. This was probably one of the owner's first Jeeps, he has at least eight others and he likes them super-nice. He's a two Dana 60, v-8, long travel, hydraulic steer kind of guy, so the bones of this one don't mean much to him. Not a junky kind of guy either, I'm a little surprised it hasn't been thrown away already. Can you use a centered rear drive T/C with the appropriate rear axle and under seat tank in a cj5? Not like I need to, just curious. Thanks

 

Very common to go to a centered Dana 44 and a 20 tc as the transfer case is much quieter and the rear axles easier to find or build. Slight gearing difference between a 18 and a 20 tc but pretty much just worried about by benchtop racers that don't need to worry about gearing anyways.

 

If you have room . free is free . parts down the road

 

You can, but the D300 has the round NP (New Process) pattern, and does not bolt up to the Borg-Warner 3-speeds. The Jeep Dana 20 does though.