Do I need these parts?

[Sufferinsuccotash]

So I recently acquired a '77 CJ7 Heep, 304, auto, quadra, fair cond, etc. for $500 to learn about jeeps and off-roading. Motor turns over is all I know about the mechanical cond of my jeep. During my search for a few parts I came across this ad...now I don't know what to do :???: I'm curious to know what an avid Jeepster would do here.

i have a 1977 cj-7 factory v-8(304cid) 3 speed manual trans.I bought it with the intent to restore it. it is in decent condition for the year but need's work.It's been siting for 5 years i ran it 2 years ago until the fuel pump went.over the last 4 years i have been colecting parts,they inc-motor(new longblock)4"superlift(suspention lift including shocks)4 brand newHankook mud tires 33"x12.5"(never mounted) 1"body lift and a used steering collum out of a mid 80's truck.The jeep would need some front end work,battery and a fuel pump to drive daily but would be a fun project or bush wagon i am fairly firm on the price as there is a great deal of value in the part's alone. Asking $3200

 

[TerryMason]

What's your long term plan? Are you trying to fix up the one you bought for $500, and if so, do you want a restored Jeep to drive around town, or do you want a rock crawler with a bunch of after market parts?

When it comes to CJs, the biggest thing you need to worry about is rust. In Virginia, I'd be nervous about a Jeep that sat outside behind someone's house for 5 years, chances are it would be rusted through, but if you live in Arizona, that's probably not the case.

 

[Sufferinsuccotash]

Thanks for your reply Terry.

Short term, I just want something that is road worthy and capable of getting me around in the back country without too many mods. My current jeep has a good frame and less rust than this one so I'd purchase this for parts only, but $3200 seems expensive to me.

I'm going to need new tires, suspension and maybe an engine rebuild which is why I'm interested...and I'm sure there's parts on that jeep that I could use or part out. Its difficult for a newbie to make decisions long term...having never offroaded b4.

 

[TerryMason]

1. Are these tires any good (from what I've heard, tires tend to have a shelf life, but I'll let someone smarter than me comment on that)
2. If the parts jeep is pretty rusty, I'd hesitate to reuse the suspension. You could get a new lifted suspension setup for several hundred dollars, or transplant a YJ suspension onto it - ending up with a better ride than the stock CJ
3. If you aren't trying to keep this Jeep original, you may look into swapping in a newer engine, preferably something with fuel injection. This may be better than rebuilding what you have.

Right now, I'd just work on getting what you have on the road.

 

[Sufferinsuccotash]

Good advice. Thanks Terry