Jim Piatt's Former 1984 CJ-7
Note the position of the front swaybar. It's pointing down on the picture without the top and pointing up with the picture with the top. That is because the air suspension is raised in the first photo and at "road height" in the second. Looking closer you can see the difference in distance between the tires and flares. You do this adjustment easily from within the cab. You can easily take it even lower by just pressing the "down" button.
First Winner Four Wheeler Magazine's Top Truck Challenge
From the custom front bumper to the rear swing-away spare tire carrier, it's
hard to find a part of this Jeep that is still 1984. Still it retains the classic
CJ look, with it's distinctive and original chrome grill and sassy stance. The
Dodge Viper Red paint lights up like fire in the sun. This may be the best Jeep
you have ever seen! It is loaded with just about every improvement you can imagine
and is superior in power, handling and rock-crawling ability to any new or modified
Jeep that is still legal and a comfortable, safe daily driver.
I am only selling it because I purchased a new 2007 Rubicon Unlimited to do
product development on. I have owned this Jeep since 1992 and have seen it evolve
from bone stock to the awesome vehicle it is today. This is a real head-turner
that gets people rolling down their windows to say "Nice Jeep!" just
about every time I drive it. It's fun to put it in demo mode with the airbags
and see the people stare while it goes through its up and down and side to side
tilting while the airbags exercise themselves. (Only while parked!!)
The ride is phenomenal! Much smoother than the 2007 longer-wheel base Rubicon
Unlimited I just purchased. It goes down the road very straight and safely at
70 mph plus and rails the off ramps with stability of the two sway bars. Large motorhomes, Greyhound busses, Semis and Land Rovers all use airbags and have for years. These are the same type of tough GoodYear bags (they call them air springs) used on those rigs. I chose this because I believe it's the ultimate suspension system. I love how you can raise it to go over especially large rocks, tilt it away from rocks and things that might scrape up the body on a knarly trail and lower it for passengers getting in and out. It's fun to use it to connect to a trailer, since you just tilt it way back, lowering the ball under the hitch, then hit the button to go back to road height and it come up and engages the hitch. Slick!
However, there is a problem. If you are leading a bumpy trail, you have to keep stopping for those behind you to keep up. Your ride is so much smoother that you tend to go faster than those behind you that are bouncing their fillings out. No kidding!
It has been on the cover of Off Roader magazine, Europe's leading off-road magazine at the time.
It has also been in Four Wheeler at least 3 times, Peterson's Off Road and even Trailer Life magazine!
This is the only vehicle in the world that is the First Winner of Four Wheeler Magazine's famous Top Truck Challenge.
Let's just start with the bullet points:
350 Chev fuel-injected V-8 engine, new less than 5000 miles ago.
Four-core radiator for exceptional cooling
Big fan and shroud.
All Carb approved and California emissions legal
Beefed-up 700 R-4 transmission with overdrive
Atlas II transfer case, 3.8
Twin stick: you can choose front wheel or rear wheel drive or both and high
or low.
CV, heavy-duty driveshaft in rear. Heavy-duty front driveshaft (plus spares
for both…never needed them).
Dana 44 front and rear with 4:10 ratio and ARB Air Lockers
ARBs are operated with air switches instead of relying on electrical switches
and solenoids
You can choose which end to lock or lock both
Hi-Pinion Dana 44 in front.
Disc brakes on all four corners
Full-floater rear end with Warn 30-spline high-strength axles
Ability to install included unlocking hubs if you want to flat-tow unlocked.
This is no longer necessary since replacing the Dana 300 transfer case with
the Atlas.
Mounting points for shocks and arms moved up for clear path under axle tubes
(Take a look at the new Rubicons and many other vehicles. Rock-grabbing "stuff"
hangs below the axle tubes.)
Extra axle shafts for front and rear (In all the years I've wheeled it, I've
broken only one rear axle shaft…and that was because a locking rear hub
let go when I gassed it hard to climb Farmington New Mexico's famous "crap
shoot" in Choke Cherry Canyon. I don't use the locking hubs any more…just
the solid flanges. No more broken rear axles and I've never broken a front axle
on the Dana 44 front end. )
Modified Rubicon-Express long-arm kit with their big under-tranny skid plate.
20 gallon gas tank with gas-tank skid plate
Hydraulic ram steering
Custom steering box brace
Supremely strong tie rods and ends. Tie rod is actually 3 chrome-moly tubes
slipped inside each other for 3-ply strength.
Air Bag suspension system from Off Road Only with manual or automatic height
adjustments from inside the cab
In-cab ability to tilt side to side
In-cab ability to tilt front or back or corner to corner
Height and speed sensors tell the computer where to locate the Jeep…and
that is where you have programmed it to be!
Sway-Loc air-operated front sway bar which can be modified from high to low
stiffness from inside the cab
Rear sway bar from a BMW 500 series
Engine-driven air compressor
On-board hose reel for running air tools or inflating tires, air mattresses,
etc. Extra quick-disconnect air fittings.
Dual Optima batteries with in-cab selectable for both or either.
Warn 9500 winch with in-cab controls or optional controls from the front. Winch
can be disconnected and operated on the rear.
High-Lift jack mount on front with provisions for locking it on
Custom front bumper with tow bar mounts and folding tow bar.
Tow bar mounts can also be used for front shackles
Wired for towing.
Front radiator-protection loop bar.
Bobbed fenders with Warn fender flares
Recessed tail lights
HoodLift that lifts and holds the hood up without using the prop rod
35" Goodyear MT tires mounted on 15" beadlocked aluminum rims on 5x5
½ bolt pattern
Custom, extra-strong rocker guards
Roll bar ties directly to the frame
Full-custom roll bar protects front and rear passengers.
Custom leather seats with high bolsters and headrests for comfortable, safe
driving
Custom 3-piece dash, easily removable
All gauges are analog
Vintage Air heating and A/C system with in-dash outlets
In-dash air guage
AM/FM/CD radio
High-quality Single-Sideband CB radio like the truckers use
Extra-bright in-cab light, RV style
Leather-covered, tilt steering wheel (An original '84 Jeep Loredo part!).
Original, Loredo rear seat.
Large storage box under rear seat unobtrusively holds lots of spare parts and
tools. Tilts up with gas spring assist.
Lockable storage boxes on each side of rear seat.
Large, lockable deep center console.
Interior floor and boxes coated with Rhino-lining
Electronic intrusion alarm
Three extra 12V outlets…one in rear for refrigerator (not included) or
whatever
Golden-tan BestTop soft top with doors
This Jeep is ready to start up and drive through the Rubicon, run the Sierra trek and drive down and do the Duzy Ershiem. It's done them all more than once and once did them all in one trip. It is tight, clean and dependable. I left just a few tweaks on it so people wouldn't think it's a parking lot queen. It's the perfect combination of knarly and beautiful.
What do I have in it? Well I stopped counting somewhere around $50,000 THEN continued on to improve and upgrade many more components.
Now it is in its new home in Kansas. Frank, I know you are enjoying it!!
Jim