Vehicle Description
Look through our inventory, and you will see a lot of Jeeps, but
this freshly restored 1983 Jeep CJ-7 Laredo might be the coolest we
have, and that's not faint praise. It looks amazing with a
spectacular Destroyer Gray paint job and a host of rugged
accessories. Thanks to a stout 350 cubic inch V8 and 4-speed manual
gearbox, it has performance that'll deliver shock and awe. For pure
off-roading fun, there's still only one Jeep, and they don't get
much better than this industrial-strength CJ-7.
The bottom line of this beauty is that the builders took a nice
original Jeep and gave it a quality restoration. No AMC product
ever fit together this well or had paint that was this deep and
glossy, and we rarely see them restored to this level. Finding an
all-steel CJ that hasn't been bashed to death on the rocks or eaten
alive by the tinworm is no easy task, yet this heavy-duty Jeep
shows off clean bodywork with pride. Covered in gorgeous Destroyer
Gray paint, its days spent playing in the dirt are probably behind
it (although it's still capable of tearing up the trails). It's a
unique color perfect for the eclectic Jeep crowd that loves both
vintage and modern rigs - not at all bland and nowhere close to
outlandish or obnoxious. 'Smoky Mountain' hood decals, red 'Jeep'
fender emblems, and blacked-out accessories like the hood hardware,
side mirrors, and door hinges/handles add just enough contrast and
seem to make the gray finish glow, genuinely giving this CJ the
one-of-a-kind curb appeal. Rugged add-ons were fitted to cut
through obstacles on the trail, including a heavy-duty Badland
front bumper complete with D-rings and a mounted winch, custom side
steps, black fender flares, and a matching blacked-out rear bumper
with another set of D-rings. The removable hard-top was neatly
sprayed with gray bedliner material that's scratch resistance and
provides the perfect complement to the slick gray paint, while the
full hard doors, mesh half-doors, and accessory bikini top give
this CJ-7 a variety of realistic, rough-and-tumble looks. It sits
up high off the ground to clear most obstacles, and in the rare
instance that you might need it, a matching spare tire-and-rim set
was mounted on the swing-away rack out back.
Inside, this CJ-7 is almost too nice to take in the dirt, with
brand-new gray Bestop buckets up front and a matching Bestop rear
bench, all of which look like they've seen nothing scarier than a
dusty pair of jeans in the 780 miles since this rig was built.
Matching gray carpets insulate the tub - an elegant rarity against
the usual bedlined floors found in most CJs - and a custom center
console was fitted to add storage space and cup holders. The gray
steel dash was reworked to accommodate the Jeep's attached roll
cage. It features an engine-turned steel bezel that protrudes in
the center and houses a complete set of AutoMeter gauges and a
Pioneer multi-media touchscreen equipped with Bluetooth capability
and an accessory backup camera. All the remaining switches and
dials are pure CJ-spec, as is the 3-spoke steering wheel stitched
with a new leather rim and mounted atop a tilt column. A/C is a
rare sight inside a vintage Jeep. Still, a Vintage Air unit was
discreetly installed and blows cold, the shifters for the 4-speed
gearbox and twin-stick transfer case were topped with custom knobs,
and the aforementioned multi-point rolls cage adds safety, stiffens
the body, and even includes a mounted soundbar. New vinyl/hardware
on the steel doors and matching carpets in the rear storage area
prove that nothing was overlooked in this build, while shoulder
belts, fore, and aft, show that safety was a priority.
The swapped-in 350 V8 is a neat fit in the CJ's engine bay, almost
as if the same guys designed them both. It's clear that the goal
was a performance look, and you can see an investment was spent
here to get everything dialed in and show-off ready. The engine bay
was gutted, cleaned, smoothed, and painted to match the exterior
before the engine went in. The engine is beautiful, with a set of
polished aluminum valve covers, a chrome Moroso air cleaner, and
new components and accessories everywhere you look. An Edelbrock
4-barrel carburetor atop an Edelbrock aluminum intake feeds the
powerful small block, and with less than 1K miles on the build,
it's running great. With the addition of the big 350 V8, there's
now an awesome power-to-weight ratio that genuinely transforms this
CJ into an everyday driver, and with power steering and power
4-wheel disc brakes, you're going to want to take it out a lot.
Performance is awe-inspiring, while the soundtrack provided by the
long-tube headers that feed into the Flowmaster dual exhaust system
(heat-wrapped from the engine to the tips to protect it from the
elements) is worth the price of admission by itself. An erstwhile
4-speed manual transmission is the 350's perfect dance partner and
spins the virtually indestructible Dana 60 differentials found fore
and aft - including the Detroit locker out back that was purposely
installed for the rough stuff. If you want to go nuts off-road,
there are special vents in the transmission case and rear end just
in case they get submerged in water. A giant aluminum radiator with
dual fans keeps temperatures at bay, and you'll note that the
undercarriage is incredibly detailed and super-clean, with fresh
components everywhere you look. Tough Black Rock wheels look great,
especially wrapped in fat 35x12.5-15 Mickey Thompsons that finish
the look perfectly.
If you're looking for adventure or a vintage Jeep that's
essentially new in every way, this is the CJ7 for you. Call
today!
