For Sale: 1986 Jeep CJ7 in Concord, North Carolina

Given how quickly they move through our showroom, Jeeps like this 1986 CJ7 are finally getting respect from collectors as well as from folks who still understand that there's no better off-road machine than this. Nicely refinished with a lot of new components, this is a trail-ready 4x4 with a lot to offer, including a reasonable price.

The dark charcoal paint is a lot nicer than what it was wearing originally, and the sinister metallic finish looks great on the upright Jeep bodywork. It's a few years old and this is a Jeep, after all, so it's not perfect, but for a vehicle ostensibly designed to chase through the mud, it's pretty darned nice. It's totally blacked out, so you can forget the chrome, and we like that even the marker lenses were tinted to make it look uniform. A heavy-duty front bumper with a winch gets you out of trouble, tubular rock rails double as steps to make it easier to climb aboard, and there's a giant tire carrier out back. You'll also note heavy-duty rubber fender flares to cover the oversized rubber and a minimum of frills; no cheesy graphics or '70s murals here. Few Jeeps are this nicely equipped, this well-finished, and this thoughtfully built.

The interior is the familiar low-maintenance Jeep stuff that you've come to expect. The high-back buckets wear black vinyl seat covers, a material that wears like iron and you can just hose it off after a day playing in the mud. The floors are covered with spray-on bedliner material with heavy-duty rubber mats, and the back seat looks like it's never been used. The dash features updated knobs and handles, a correct speedometer with built in temperature and fuel gauges, and a pair of auxiliary gauges for voltage and oil pressure. You'll also note that this Jeep sports factory A/C as well as an AM/FM/CD stereo for entertainment, and there's a locking center console for a bit of security. Overhead there's a robust 4-point roll cage as well as a new soft top and doors that were installed just last year.

Jeep's rugged and reliable 258 cubic inch inline-6 is the engine most CJs use and it's a great choice. Torquey and willing to just crawl along at little more than idle speed, it was built for situations just like this. It's mostly original and runs great, thanks to a correct 2-barrel carburetor and new ignition components. It's not pretty and showy, but it's highly functional and doesn't need any excuses. It has what looks like a newer high-power alternator and a custom Flowmaster exhaust system gives it a cool soundtrack. A freshly rebuilt 4-speed manual transmission feeds a 2-speed transfer case, and the suspension lift makes it a lot more capable in the rough. Custom black wheels look butch and carry oversized 35x12.50-15 Goodyear radials that look like they can handle anything.

The Jeep always looks like it's ready for an adventure and this one has a lot of money recently invested in keeping that spirit alive. These machines still represent a ton of fun for the money. Call today!