ok, my former roomate bought this 79 cj7 renegade for $600 a few summers ago. He wanted to restore it in a storage unit until he got laid off, and in exchange for his storage unit bill of almost $300, I now own the cj. it has a 327 chevy in it that ran flawlessly when it was driven around town. the problem is, its a rust bucket. not good when you can see the road beneath you in like 6 different spots. so now its my turn. I already have the body ready for removal, but in planning for the future, I do have a lot of questions. i have a TPI system from a 1992 firebird(free) that i think would work here. from what i see, it is totally stock. i would like 35" tires, mild off-road cababilities, a fiberglass body, and the TPI system. any suggestions? sorry for being new but the people here seem to know what they're talking about more then other forum that I've read.

That's a lot of questions. Also, we need to know what you want it for...mall crawler, dunes, rocks, what? What about budget?

Where do you live? And where/how are you going to use the Jeep? From your description I'm assuming that you live in one of the many 'rust belt' states. Or the Jeep spent most of it's previous life there. Does it look like mine did?

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=244135&d=1147186790

Before you begin accumulating a bunch of parts, thoroughly inspect the frame for damage and rust through. Very common, especially in the rear portions. If the frame is shot, then you've got a bunch of rusted sheet metal perched on top of a pricey dilemma: Either to Rebuild or Replace the frame. I don't know of anyone that will tell you that the frame isn't important. A good frame makes for a good Jeep. Speaking of bodies: I went all steel. It was pricey. Steel has it's drawbacks (as does 'glass).

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=244143&d=1147188213

If you're set on running 35's on a stock body/frame, you'll need a 4" lift. Probably need a 2" body lift also. But tire size is freaky: Advertised size is not always mounted size. And it also depends on the width of rim you are using. My 32x11.50 Swamper TSX are closer to 30 1/2" when mounted on 15X8 alloy rims. I've got a 2 1/2" BDS lift with 3/4" ConFer shackles. I believe I can squeeze a set of 34" Swampers under it when the time comes. Remember also that your 1979 is a 'narrow track' design. So even though it's a CJ7, you get it lifted too high in the air, it's going to get unstable on side hills. And make for some real terror on streets and highways.

If you're gonna wheel this thing really hard, the stock Dana 30 / AMC 20 combo is going to cause problems with 35's. At the very least you should upgrade to the 1 piece axle shafts for the rear. Might as well go with either 11" drums or a disc upgrade while you're at it. And don't forget some sort of locker. I've got ARB's front and rear, but I could have went Detroit Locker in the rear and ARB front. The Dana 30 can be beefed up with better u-joints and axles, but in the end you probably should go with the Dana 44. I'm going to use the Dana 30 because I'm not going to beat the vehicle on extreme trails. As far a gears, with the 35's you need to be in the 4.11 (as a minimum) or higher range. I've got 4.56 sets in my CJ because I wanted a lower crawl ratio.

Which is the next thing: If you're thinking about going slow on the trails not hammering the dunes or the mud pits, low is where you need to be. Especially with 35's. Depending on the present transmission, you might consider going with a Muncie SM465 with the Pontiac TPI motor you got. Bolt that to the stock Dana 20 T-case with an adapter from AA or Novak. The stock low ratio in the Dana 20 is a meager 2.03 so you could go with the Bronco/Dana 18 gear swap at 2.46 (I think) or TeraLow with 3.15. I've got a Ford T18 with the TeraLow 20. Running the 4.56 gears I'll get a 90:1 crawl. No doubt it's low enough to eventually break something if I get on it hard.

Don't even think about fuel economy. If I can eventually get 12 mpg outta my Jeep, I'll be happy. It definitely can't be a commuter vehicle.