First, a little Background info...

This isn't your average monthly feature truck. No'sir. It's a "memorial" - of sorts. Owned by Joan Beck of Bullhead City AZ. This awesome CJ-7 was built to be more than a match for all those "fantasy trails" you read about. Well, that's if your idea of a fantasy is subjecting yourself and your equipment to the evils of Sledgehammer, the Rubicon, Chokecherry Canyon, and similar places of vehicular destruction.

We shot Joan's CJ just before we left for the 1997 Baja 1000, and as it was about to go into the shop for a major suspension overhaul. A brand-spanking' set of National Springs, some 8 inches over stock length and 4 inches over stock arch, were just itching to see active duty, but unfortunately, a series of delays pushed the completion date back to Dec 24'th. Hey, what better time to get a present like this, right? Wrong. Joan picked up her "new" toy at the shop in Farmington NM, and along with her boyfriend and fellow Bullhead 4 Wheeler Phil Strittmatter, began the long journey home. The Jeep never made it.

Disaster reared it's ugly head on I-40, when Joan and her Jeep hit a patch of black ice in the mountains outside Gallup NM. The result was anything but pretty. Rolling the Jeep several times, Joan received several serious injuries, escaping death thanks to the full roll cage, and a lot of luck. The Jeep fared far worse. What you see here is the "pre accident" Jeep Joan had named "Finally", as in "I Finally got the Jeep I always wanted". Who could blame her?

Powertrain - With the emphasis on "Power"

"Built" in this case, would be a gross understatement. When Joan and Phil went to work laying out the plans for this AZ rock monster, they carefully evaluated their needs.. "Finally" was being built for extreme 4 wheeling, not boulevard cursing. Every component had to be nearly bulletproof.

Rated at over 375 HP, "Finially's engine was a match for any terrain that mother nature cared to throw at it. The 4 bolt 350 Chevy block was stroked to 383 cubes, and built for plenty of torque. A Howell TBI fuel injection system feeds the engine through a Weiand dual plane manifold, and 2.02 valved heads. Spark from the HEI ignition fired gasses squeezed under the weight of a 10-1 compression ratio. On the out-side, "Block hugger" headers coated with Jet Coat performance coating dumped exhaust into a pair of glass pack mufflers, plumbed high for maximum ground clearance.

Cooling is a major concern in any rockcrawler, and in a vehicle that crawls in the heat of the Mojave desert, ample cooling is a must. To keep Finally's 383 from blowing it's top in the oppressive summer temps, Joan replaced the stock unit with an oversize 4 row - cross-flow radiator.

While the majority of rockcrawlers swear by ultra low geared standard tranny's, Joan prefers an auto, and the auto she prefers however, is well suited to the task. A GM TH700R4 has been reworked with a 9 band clutch pack, and a lowered 1'st gear. An "RV" torque converter replaced the stock unit, making better use of the 383's copious low end grunt.

Joan and Phil retained the Jeep's Dana 300 transfer case for it's gear driven toughness. While the ratios remain stock, a twin stick shifter allows any combination of range and drive axle. When you add in the Superwinch lock out hubs and ARB's, Joan can nearly select which wheel will drive as well!

The strength of any project relies on it's foundation, and here, a pair of 4.56 geared, ARB locked Dana axles (44 front and 60 rear) from Currie Enterprises, laid the groundwork for what Finally would become. Added driveline beef comes from gusseted axle housings, Currie Axle-shafts, thick wall drive shafts and 4 wheel disc brakes ensure that the power of the monster mill is put to the ground with reliability and efficiency. The superior braking power of disc brakes allows precise vehicle control in the most severe terrain.

Suspension

Finally was equipped with 2.5 inches of Rancho lift, complimented with an additional 2 inches of body lift. to clear 35x15.5x15 TSL Thornbirds mounted on 15x12 Alcoa aluminum rims. Joan chose the Alcoa rims for their great strength, and resistance to rock damage. The wide footprint and super-aggressive side lugs of the Thornbirds proved to be nearly unstoppable, often pulling the Jeep over unbelievably tough obstacles without locking the ARB's.

The spring under Rancho suspension achieved an incredible amount of articulation, thanks in part to Rancho RS-9000 shocks fitted with Rancho's on-board adjustment control and greaseable 2 in. shackles.A shackle reverse kit and Rancho RS 5000 steering stabilizer helped smooth out the rocks and provided more secure mounting for the Rancho springs. The benefits of shackle reversal are well known, and Joan was quick to incorporate the technology into her dream vehicle.

Sway bars? Not on this Jeep Bubba! While the Jeep saw highway mileage, It only did so between it's home and the trail. Besides, the suspension worked so well, sway wasn't a problem to begin with. Thus, there was little point in retaining the factory pieces.

Keeping It Out Of Harms Way

Additional suspension protection and beef came from U bolt skid plates, steering box bracing, and a full compliment of Grade-8 hardware. The twisting forces a rockcrawler experiences can quickly overwhelm stock hardware, and in the interest of reliability, it was abandoned in favor of the much stronger pieces.

Protection for the "oh-so-sensitive" powertrain comes from a custom fabricated 1/4 in. skid plate that can only be described as "massive". The words "full coverage" just don't seem to do it justice. Angled up at the edges (to avoid hang-ups on trail obstacles), the plate protected the undercarriage from anything Joan could ever encounter in the wilds. While adding considerably to the Jeep's weight (how does 5500 lbs. fully loaded grab you?), the protection and "slideability" over brutal terrain more than makes up for the additional poundage.

Due to it's increased capacity, the big tank hangs lower than normal, and required added protection. The 32 Gallon fuel tank got it's own 3/16 in steel skidplate that is an intrigal part (welded) of the tank itself.

Always looking to increase utility and self sufficiency, Joan & Phil installed an on board compressor, storage tank, and a 190 amp alternatorfrom Premiere Power Welder, along with a pair of "Optima" Red batteries.to feed "Finially's" air lockers, and Ramsey 8000 lb. winch. A 40,000lb. yank strap, receiver mounted clevis hooks, fully equipped recovery kit, and Currie "Rockcrawler II" receiver bumpers (front and rear) provided Finally with added versatility and protection

Safety Features

The fully welded Smittybuilt Roll Cage and 4 point competition harnesses were mandatory equipment. On-board fire extinguishers and a well stocked first aid kit provided an added margin of safety.

A 40 channel CB radio is standard equipment to many 4 wheelers, and Joan equipped her Jeep with a Hi-powered CB 5 Watts....or so...) and a steel whip antenna. The steel whip is highly flexible, and is aft mounted for maximum protection.

Storage - The Final Frontier

You would be amazes at what a little forethought can do for a CJ-7's storage capacity. A fully loaded CJ weighing in at over 5500 pounds is obviously packin'' a whole lot of something! Joan and Phil used a combination of aftermarket storage compartments, Ammo boxes, and good old American ingenuity to equip the jeep with a vast array of spare parts, tools, camping supplies, extra fuel, and water.

A Pull Pal, shovel, pry bar, High-Lift jack, tie downs, complete hand tool set, wood blocks, a dome tent, 2 sleeping bags, a Coleman stove,and hand held spotlight are just some of the goodies that call the CJ's rear area home. Joan did however, leave out the kitchen sink....but brought along several gallons of water. A wise move for any off-roader, but essential for a desert 'wheeler.

All The Extras - And Then Some!

Phil created several items to enhance Finally's functionality, some of which we will be featuring as a "how to" in an upcoming issue. Among these items is a portable electric fuel pump that can be used to transfer several types of fluids (fuel, water, anti-freeze), in an emergency. The unit includes fittings that allow it to replace the Howell unit on the Fuel Injection system, in the unlikely event it were to fail.

Resurrection!

While the thought of all that "good stuff" balled up into so much scrap metal would likely bring a tear to anyone's eye, there's a bright light at the end of the tunnel. While Joan recovers from her injuries, "Finially" is doing some recovering of it's own. Although the body and some accessories were utterly destroyed, all the "hard parts" remain intact!

Work has already begun on a total refitting & upgrade of Joan's pride and joy! Upgrade? Yes, Upgrade. Despite Finially's strong points, (and as you can see, it's got plenty of em') there's always room for improvement...

...and ORC will be bringing you continuing coverage of this mega-Jeep's R&R. After all, What's a good Jeep story without a happy ending?

Comments, condolences, and letters of encouragement
can be sent to Joan directly at fourby@ctaz.com.
Tell her Off-Road.com sent you!