Will,
I had an '84 CJ7 from 1984 to 1994, put 100k miles on it. I loved
it, miss it and would love to have another. I kept mine bone stock for a
few years, then bought a Bestop soft top for it. Bestop makes tops that
work much like the wrangler tops do - rails instead of snaps, for example,
and zip out windows. After a few summers of using the soft top ( I would
put the hardtop back on in winter) I bought a bikini top and used it in
summer instead. The softop is nice, however it is noisy at highway speeds,
and a real chore to put up and down. The top on my MKII Spit was a breeze
compared to the Jeep's. Through ten years of ownership the Jeep gave me
little trouble - occasional hard starting due to the carburettor (consider
buying the factory designed fuel injection kit - increases HP by 50%!),
replaced the waterpump, battery, rear axle seals, brakes. Just routine
maintenance stuff, That's it.
Toward the end of its time with me I hit a deer with it and subsequently
rebuilt it ( the jeep that is, the deer was totaled). New lights, fenders,
fender flares, nerf bars, etc. Bought all the stuff locally or through a
mail order house called "Acme". Parts are fairly inexpensive. The only
part I wasn't happy with were the aftermarket mirrors. These were flimsy
when compared to the originals.
Waaaay back in 1986 or so I was the 'minister of the exchequer' of
the Rocky Mountain Triumph Club. One snowy January evening we had an
officer's meeting at the prime minister's house and because of the snow, no
one drove their TRs. What everyone drove to the meeting were their CJs.
Five TR club officers, five CJs. I guess Triumph owners are drawn to the
simplicity and honesty of CJs too.
Karl Theis
'67, '68 GT6s
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