Lots of old Jeeps run and run and run. They just keep on serving their owners and taking them places off the beaten path. The 1984 CJ-7 on these pages had done just that, but it was starting to feel worse for wear when owner Frank DeSomma decided the old iron needed a refresh. The 35-year-old body had seen a lot of desert and had taken some rock beatings.
The original plan was to install a new aluminum body and a few upgrades, but the project expanded well beyond that, and the results came out well. Frank is the president of Patriot Ordnance Factory, a premium firearms manufacturer in Glendale, Arizona. He wanted a vehicle with a striking personality, but one he could use on weekends to take out to explore desert trails and carry him to his favorite hunting and sport shooting spots.
For the build, Frank called on the fabrication expertise of Ian Liljeblad and his crew at Random Precision Mfg. (www.rpmfab.com) in Phoenix. They took the Jeep into the shop, scuttled the trail-worn sheetmetal and went about reworking the old 4x4 to make it better than ever. In the end, the Jeep got a new Aqualu body, for sure, but it also got a whole lot more.
The front of the Jeep is a...
The front of the Jeep is a tasteful blend of classic CJ, desert race tube, and custom metal work rolled into one. A venerable Warn 8274 sits up front. It's a unit that was rebuilt and freshly powder-coated, then upgraded to modern winch rope fed through an aluminum Hawse fairlead from Driven Auto Parts.
Random Precision Mfg. (RPM)...
Random Precision Mfg. (RPM) went to its tube bender to turn out a forward cage portion. Here is where the tops of the Bilstein 9100 remote reservoir shocks mount. This cage portion also provides further strength to the front winch area and provides supports for the front cowl, 4 Wheelers Supply one-piece fiberglass hood/fenders, and radiator.
A Chevy Saginaw power box...
A Chevy Saginaw power box handles the steering duties when combined with a crossover steering setup. The front Dana 44 was torn down, rebuilt, and upgraded with 4.88 gears and an ARB Air Locker. A reverse shackle leaf suspension puts the Jeep about 6 inches over stock to increase ground clearance and make room for the bigger tires.
The Jeep had a rather nice...
The Jeep had a rather nice engine in it, so the powerplant remained mostly unchanged in the remake. Under the hood resides a fuel-injected Chevy LT1 that's backed with a TH350 auto tranny. Behind that sits a Dana 300 transfer case that's been modified with a twin-stick kit. Cooling comes from a Ron Davis double-pass aluminum radiator with a shrouded Spal electric fan.
The front frame rails were...
The front frame rails were boxed and gusseted to improve strength for the lift spring hangers, and the winch mount and Hawse fairlead plate were all integrated together. A pair of D-rings provides recovery points at each corner.
The rear axle is another Dana...
The rear axle is another Dana 44 that's been rebuilt with the addition of 4.88 gears and a spool. Rancho springs and Bilstein shocks provide the lift and dampening. Both axles spin disc brakes, and front and rear driveshafts were built in-house at RPM.
An Optima Red Top battery...
An Optima Red Top battery supplies all the starting juice and it's tucked up cleanly in front of the passenger side firewall. The attention to detail is evident in the electrical wiring, often a neglected area or after-thought on custom builds.
Since the old '84 body had...
Since the old '84 body had been beaten hard on the rocks, it was cast off into a corner of the shop. In its place sits a new Aqualu Industries aluminum CJ-7 tub. A stock steel Jeep windshield frame was used and RPM fabricated a custom aluminum half-roof to keep the sun off driver and passenger. The striking canteen-green, black, and tan paint scheme was laid on by Airea 5150 Inc. in Phoenix.
Voting for the clean look,...
Voting for the clean look, Frank had RPM recess LED tail/stop and backup lights into the rear of the tub. However, one hole was spared in the exterior body and a flip-up gas filler was mounted on the top of the passenger rear fender well instead of on the side of the tub. The steel work continues here with a powder-coated rear tube bumper with integrated hitch receiver.
The stock dash wouldn't do,...
The stock dash wouldn't do, so a race-inspired aluminum one was custom fabricated. A Flaming River tilt steering column and wheel combo juts through the brushed metal. A full complement of Autometer gauges meets the driver's eyes to help monitor engine vital signs. More of the dash is populated with a large screen Garmin GPS unit for navigating in the backcountry and the Kenwood CD/DVD player provides video and tunes.
The custom rear bumper has...
The custom rear bumper has some trick looking corners that are functional as well. The dimple dies worked up some holes for slip-free steps and additional D-ring tubes lie on each corner as well.
The fabrication details abound...
The fabrication details abound on this rig.