Looking at a 79 CJ7 w/ 33s, EZ Lockers,4:10's, 258, and a 4 speed. I have a few concerns:
#1. I will drive this around on weekends and want to drive it to the mountains. The 258 has CA smog. Is this Jeep going to be a dog? Should I wait and find a V8?
#2. It has new gears and lockers but drum brakes. What does it take to add disk?
I guess I have my heart set on a V8 because I don't want it to be a dog driving up to the mountains. Should I consider a straight 6? Anything else I should be aware of?

Thanks.

I love the jeep straight 6, but I like tooling around not laying a roost at every red light. I think you will be fine with it. with the price of gas right now, especially in california, there is no way I would pass that 6 for an 8. Don't get me wrong, the 6 is less powerful, and not the greatest milage, but it is fine in a jeep, especially if it's been regeared which it seem to be. I would look into the drum brake thing though, are you sure it doesn't have disks in the front? I think it's probably only drums in the rear, and if so I wouldn't worry about that at all either. In fact the only thing I would want to change eventually would be the tranny for an overdrive 5-speed like the nv4500.

I say buy it and go wheeling. V-8's are just gas hungry beasts for folks that have somethin to proove to themselves (but yes they are a lot of fun)

but if you really want to know, go test drive it in up some hills, it may be a dog just from being so old.