Every restoration project has a special story. This 1982 Jeep CJ7 restoration started one day at my office at Palm Beach Customs. 

Chris came there with his family and described to me his dream about owning a CJ7 JEEP convertible.

As a first step I located one beautiful, rust-free 1982 CJ7 Jeep in New Mexico. Almost forgotten, this CJ7 spent the better part of a decade chillin in a barn. We literally had to pull it out with a horse. Man it was quite an experience. Like rescuing a fallen hero. It was so ready to get going it seemed relieved to get pulled up my truck and hit the road to the PBC workshop.

When we arrived, it was pressure-washer time. We could not believe how clean it was.  It looked like there’s been no work done on this Jeep at all. Yes, the paint was peeling off on many places, but the metal was in excellent condition under it. And we were pleased about it.

Bare-metal cleanup for lasting shiny paint job

I knew what Chris wanted. So, we immediately started with the 1982 Jeep CJ7 restoration.

First, we took the engine out. We usually replace engines with new or refurbished ones. Then we took the transmission out to check and refill the oil level.

After stripping everything out to bare metal, we started with chassis and body restoration work. The sandblasting was the first step. We removed everything to the core of the body metal. As we already knew, we didn’t have big problems with rust. But still, we did our job with no hurry trying to achieve perfection.

We carefully controlled the situation and reviewed the condition of all metal parts. We were satisfied, so we put an epoxy primer on the chassis and body to seal the metal completely.

Chriss previously chose the 1967 Camaro blue color for his CJ7 final color. It was a great choice. We did one Bronco with the same color in one of our previous restorations. It looked awesome, and the customers were more than satisfied.

So we put the CJ7 in the paint booth and shot the coats of base code blue color. After we had the paint done, we started to clear it with high-grade urethane, ultrafine it, and buff it until a shiny finish.

New parts. New parts everywhere!

Once we finished the paint, the engine bay was ready, and we could put in the new 6 cylinders 258 engine.

Under the hood, we checked and changed many parts. Overall, in this 1982 Jeep CJ7 restoration, we changed many important engine and mechanical parts and put new ones:

• battery,
• radiator
• all brakes
• all rotors
• all hubs
• all assemblies
• all springs
• shackle kit
• steering stabilizer
• all the trimmings
• stainless steel exhaust

The entire mechanical sub assembly looked really nice and sounded fantastic when we gave it a test rev.

Aint a Jeep until it gets bedliner treatment

Then, back on the body work, we applied a Reflex Bedliner on the whole bottom side, wheel archers, and inside, on the floor, tub and tailgate. The Reflex Bedliner is in my book the best protective and durable solution that looks rigid and refined at the same time. In the next picture, you can see the new tailgate look connected with the new tailgate straps.

For the whole bottom side, wheel archers, and inside, on the floor, tub, and tailgate, we used the Reflex Spray-on bedliner. It is our regular solution for ultimate durability and longevity. The interior bedliner color perfectly matched the new black denim back soft top and the brand new front and back seats.

The elegance and sophistication that the seats provided were beyond awesome. Chris and his family loved them. In the next photo, you can see the new back seats’ look—their color, texture, and how Chris’ dogs were enjoying them.

But we did a way more than that.

We completely changed the wiring everywhere. At the free space between backseats and the two front seats, we installed two fine-fit speakers. Their 6′ x 9 ‘ wedge boxes fitted precisely into small available gaps back there.

Also, we placed the new Tuffy lock box with a killer stereo system between the front seats. We were always using it in all of our 1982 Jeep CJ7 restorations unless a customer wanted something different.

It’s always the best-pick solution for us because it fits perfectly with the interior, while the locking system protects everything inside when you are out of the jeep.

But in this 1982 Jeep CJ7 restoration, we put another extra Taffy lock box in the trunk. It looks so great!

Also, we put new three-point lap belts for people’s protection.

We’ve done quite a detailed job around the dash area too. We put a lot of new stuff there:

• steering wheel,
• windshield,
• cal rubber,
• heater core,
• control cables for temperature, air vents, etc.,
• and all dash gadgets.

Doing so, we transformed the interior into the timeless look it had on Day 1 when it rolled off the production line. But we did modernize everything so that functionality and comfort didn’t suffer while preserving the original CJ7 style.

Bolting on the goodies on this CJ7 Restoration Project

We know that the external appearance of a restored jeep is always important for our customers.

On the front side of the CJ7, we did our favorite headlight and fog light bezels. Also, we put a factory-new chrome front bumper and stainless mirrors.  Doing so, we added charm and sophistication to the CJ7 front visual appearance. It looks awesome!

The tires are always crucial for car safety, but they are also improving the car’s style, appearance, and functionality.

In this 1982 Jeep CJ7 restoration, we used a brand new 33’ BFG. Riding with them was so nice, and they still got some bump in height. They came with new rims made by US Wheels. I personally – love those – factory JEEP style rims, made in the USA. Look at this classic badass rims, made in USA.

On the backside of the CJ7, we changed the soft back top. We also put a new back spare wheel with a new cover. The CJ7 was fantastic, and Chris and his family loved it. In the next picture, you can see Chris’s daughter loving the Jeep.  Seeing happy clients is priceless for me!

We shouldn’t forget to outline the new, completely stainless steel exhaust. It was a quality solution that will never rust out. It was something that we had to add to this quality 1982 Jeep CJ7 restoration.

We’ve made that 1982 Jeep CJ7 restoration with the same details that  Chris wanted. We’ve made it to last for many years and bring joy and happiness to Chris and his family.

Are you interested in having a restored Jeep CJ7? Or you have some questions before you make a decision?

Since 1980, we at Palm Beach Customs have completed over 1000 projects all across the US.

Don’t hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to help you.

And do not forget to watch the video that I filmed especially for this 1982 Jeep CJ7 restoration.