1983 Jeep CJ-7 Limited, extremly rare, rebuilt engine, needs restoration

1983 Jeep CJ Limited

If you're looking for a CJ to resto-mod or build into a trail rig, there are lots of others on Ebay to chose from. I'm hoping to find someone who truly appreciates the significance of this ultra rare piece of CJ history to restore it to it's original glory. I have been a lover of CJ's since I was a teenager in the late 70's. I bought my first CJ in the early 80's and have owned 7 or 8 of them over the years. I still have 3, including this one, but this one is the first Limited that I can remember ever seeing in person. The Limited was Jeep's attempt to upscale the CJ into something that would appeal to non tradition Jeep buyers. The interior was fancier than any other CJ with color matched dash, steering column, steering wheel, grab bar, and roll bar pad. Carpeting covered the kick panel areas that weren't covered in other CJ's. Limited's were the only CJ's, that I know about, that ever had a leather seat option. Standard seat material was a tweed like cloth weave but this Limited does have the optional leather seats. The Limited's differ from other CJ's in the suspension area also. They come with the softest riding springs. Having owned and driven CJ's with standard and heavy duty springs from the factory, I can tell you first hand that they do ride significantly smoother.
I bought this Limited 5 years ago and drove over 100 miles to tow it back home. It has been stored inside my garage since then. It does run and drive. It has an aftermarket rebuilt engine. The warranty paperwork for the engine was in the glove box when I brought it home but I have misplaced it now. One of the photos shows the rebuilder's tag on the engine. It doesn't leak and has 20lbs. of oil pressure at idle and 60 at 1800 rpm. The T5 5 spd. transmission shifts well with no unusual noises. A previous owner removed the original air cleaner and emission equipment and put on a manual choke. They also installed an aftermarket set of gauges, which do work, but I do not know about the factory ones as they are probably disconnected. The speedo does work and shows 77466 miles. Probably original miles but the title has the mileage exempted so I can't be 100% sure. It does have the factory 20 gal fuel tank which I drained when I stored it. That's why I'm running it on the gas can under the hood. Would someone be able to drive it home? I don't think I would drive it cross country but I think it would be okay to drive a couple hundred miles.
The body.... well, the tub is gone. You'll need a replacement there as it is just eaten up. The hood is good and the windshield frame has been replaced. I think the doors could be saved too with some effort. The frame looks pretty solid but there is some rust back by the cross member. I've seen 100 times worse. The top is a Bestop and is in good shape with soft, clear windows.
When I bought this Limited, it was going to be a future restoration project. As a CJ guy, I couldn't pass it up. But I have two Scramblers sitting in the garage waiting on me and I've spent the last five winters working on motorcycle projects, which are my first love. This Limited would be five or six projects down the line and I know I'll never get the time. Better to let someone else enjoy owning and restoring it and free up some garage space too. I do have a clear title in my name. Check out the photos and feel free to ask questions or inspect it in person.

• Condition: Used
• Make: Jeep
• Model: CJ
• Trim: Limited
• Year: 1983
• Mileage: 77,466
• VIN: 1JCCN87E0DT009511
• Engine size: 4.2 258
• Number of cylinders: 6
• Transmission: Manual
• Drive type: 4WD
• Vehicle Title: Clear
Want to buy? Contact seller!