You know what sucks? Bodywork. Dents, rust, paint? BAH. You now what’s not too bad? Nuts-and-bolts drivetrain and suspension work. Then again, as I advised you all long ago, starting with a non-runner really hurts the probability your project car will ever amount to anything. With all that in mind, let’s take a minute to ponder what looks like a perfect skeleton upon which to build a meaty rock crawler. Despite the TJ front clip and YJ tub, its ’65 CJ6 origin mean it’s smog exempt and sports a slightly-more-useful 109″ wheelbase. The body and frame are in perfect shape. It’s fully caged. In contrast to most “build a rockcrawler from it” donor nuclei, the title and registration are squeaky clean. Atop the $4,000 asking price, you’ll need to add a complete drivetrain and interior at a minimum. Wiring? Fuel tank? Top? Doors? We’re left to wonder. Were this a typical magazine build we’d be looking at a mid-teens to mid-20s pricetag (ignoring the fact they get most of the parts for free). Personally, I’d skip well past the top few obvious drivetrain choices (LS, 350, 5.0, 4.3, 4.0, 4BT) in favor of something more asinine, like a 2-barrel 390 with a retrofit TBI EFI system. In fact, the whole drivetrain out of an early-70s F250 would do the job nicely. Then again, we could go more lightweight and grab an all-aluminum Buick 215. Honestly, almost anything can make a mid-sized Wrangler(ish) move just fine. How would you complete this in typical Hooniverse stingy-ass fashion? 1965 CJ6 Wrangler hybrid shell for sale – SFBay Craigslist
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