Jeep CJ-7
AMC added the CJ-7 for 1976 on a wheelbase about 10 inches longer than the CJ-5, with a frame widened at the rear and a floor reshaped to make room for an automatic. It was the first CJ offered with an automatic and with Quadra-Trac full-time four-wheel drive, and the first with squared-off door openings for optional steel doors and a moulded hardtop. Engines ran from GM and AMC fours to AMC sixes and, through 1981, a 304 V8. Wider axles came for 1982, and the last ones were built for 1986 before the Wrangler took over.
Engines
| Engine | Power | Torque | Fuel | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8 L (232 cu in) AMC I6 Net rating. Standard until the 258 took over for 1979. |
100 hp (75 kW) | 185 lb-ft (251 N·m) | Gasoline | 1976 to 1978 |
| 4.2 L (258 cu in) AMC I6 Net rating per JeepTech; optional at first, standard from 1979. |
110 hp (82 kW) | 195 lb-ft (264 N·m) | Gasoline | 1976 to 1981 |
| 4.2 L (258 cu in) AMC I6, computer-controlled 2-barrel Net rating per JeepTech. Eightiescars gives 102 hp for 1986. |
115 hp (86 kW) | 210 lb-ft (285 N·m) | Gasoline | 1982 to 1986 |
| 5.0 L (304 cu in) AMC V8 Net rating for 1976 to 1978; 130 hp in 1979 and 125 hp with 220 lb-ft in 1980 and 1981 (JeepTech). One source says the V8 was gone for 1981. |
150 hp (112 kW) | 245 lb-ft (332 N·m) | Gasoline | 1976 to 1981 |
| 2.5 L (151 cu in) GM Iron Duke I4 Net rating. Standard engine in these years. |
82 hp (61 kW) | 125 lb-ft (169 N·m) | Gasoline | 1980 to 1983 |
| 2.5 L (150 cu in) AMC I4 JeepTech lists a 1-barrel carburetor and 105 hp; eightiescars lists 86 hp with fuel injection for 1986. |
105 hp (78 kW) | 132 lb-ft (179 N·m) | Gasoline | 1984 to 1986 |
| 2.4 L Isuzu C240 diesel I4 Export only (Wikipedia). |
— | — | Diesel | 1980 to 1982 |
Transmissions
- Tremec T-150 3-speed manual (1976 to 1979)
- Warner T-18 4-speed manual (low first gear) (1976 to 1979)
- GM Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 3-speed automatic (with Quadra-Trac) (1976 to 1979)
- Warner SR-4 and Tremec T-176 4-speed manuals (1980 to 1986)
- Borg-Warner T-4 4-speed and T-5 5-speed manuals (1982 to 1986)
- Chrysler TorqueFlite 999 (six and V8) and 904 (four) 3-speed automatics (1980 to 1986)
Sizes and weights
| Measure | Size |
|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 93.5 in2,375 mm |
| Fuel tank | 15–20 US gal57–76 L |
A range covers the body styles and trims of this generation.
Trims and editions
- Base
- Renegade
- Golden Eagle (1977 to 1980)
- Golden Hawk (1980)
- Laredo (1980 to 1986)
- Limited (1982 to 1983)
- Jamboree (1982)
Worth knowing
- First CJ with an automatic and full-time 4WD, and the first with an optional factory hardtop and steel doors.
- In 1978 a 13-person team drove CJ-7s 21,000 miles from Tierra del Fuego to Prudhoe Bay in 122 days.
- The 1982 Jamboree edition of 630 marked the Rubicon Trail's 30th anniversary and was the only numbered AMC Jeep.
- Late 1986 models carried a dash plaque calling them the last of a great breed.
- Front axle was a Dana 30 and rear an AMC 20, narrow-track to 1981 and wide-track from 1982.
Year by year, newest first
- Final year; 25,929 built.
- Some late trucks got a Dana 44 rear axle.
- Replaced by the Wrangler (YJ) for 1987.
- 43,315 built.
- AMC's own 2.5 L four replaced the GM-built 151 four.
- 42,644 built.
- The CJ-5 ended, leaving the CJ-7 as the shortest CJ.
- 37,673 built.
- Wide-track axles and an optional five-speed manual.
- Limited luxury model and the 630-unit Jamboree edition added.
- 23,820 built.
- Last year for the 304 V8 (per JeepTech).
- 17-character VINs began; AM/FM radio optional.
- 27,767 built.
- GM's 151 four became standard; new four-speed manuals and the Dana 300 transfer case.
- Quadra-Trac and the GM automatic dropped; Chrysler automatics took over.
- Laredo and Golden Hawk packages added; 38,183 built.
- 258 six became the standard engine.
- Best year of the run, with 55,264 built.
- Roll bar mounting changed to a slanted design.
- 38,274 built.
- Golden Eagle package added.
- Power front disc brakes and air conditioning offered.
- 25,414 built.
- Launched on a longer wheelbase with squared-off door openings, an optional hardtop and steel doors, and the first CJ automatic with Quadra-Trac.
- 232 six standard, 258 six and 304 V8 optional; front anti-roll bar and AMC 20 rear axle.
- 21,016 built.
Notes
Code and slug: the CJ-7 has one generation, so the slug is 'first' and the code is the model name. Wheelbase is 93.5 in per Jeep's own history page and most listings; JeepTech says 91 in, a Jeep database page 93.3 in, and another listing 93.4 in. Length, width, and curb weight vary widely between sources (for example 148 to 153.5 in long), so they are left null. Yearly production figures come from an enthusiast spreadsheet linked from jeepfan.com, which says its accuracy is unverified; its total matches Wikipedia's 379,299, and a forum post gives 379,659. Disc brakes: jeepfan.com says they became available for 1976, Wikipedia says power disc brakes became optional for 1977. Golden Eagle years are 1977 to 1980 on Wikipedia's CJ-7 list but 1977 to 1983 elsewhere. The Limited (1982 to 1983, about 2,500 built per Wikipedia) was not confirmed by a second source. Engine ratings for the 1980s fours and sixes differ between JeepTech and eightiescars.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Jeep_CJ
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/models/cj-7
- jeep.com.au /history/1970s.html
- jeepfan.com /blog/cool-little-jeep-cj-facts-mini-spotters-guide
- jeepfan.com /tech/prod-numbers.htm
- docs.google.com /spreadsheets/d/14nWifEb393mD3_TGOSVLgAFt3trz6jNcwSuGJcpWB-k
- eightiescars.com /2025/12/01/1986-jeep-cj-7-suv/
- jeepdatabase.squarespace.com /cj7
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/engine/factory/amc258
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/engine/factory/amc304
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/engine/factory/amc232
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/engine/factory/gm151
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/engine/factory/amc150