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'86 CJ-7 - Rebuilding a Rust Bucket

Building Jeeps isn’t just a hobby for some people, it’s a passion. Such is the case of Bryson Serraon and his shiny yellow banana. Bryson is an automotive technician on the beautiful but humid island of Kauai, Hawaii, so rebuilding a rust bucket came naturally to him. Salvaging a stock ’86 CJ-7 that was rusted beyond repair, Bryson first ordered a fiberglass body to replace the rotten sheetmetal, rather than trying to weld Swiss cheese together. Even the engine and trans were tossed aside to make room for real Jeep components, namely an AMC 304 V-8 and Turbo 400 tranny.
With the body placed on the frame, the fenders, hood, and fiberglass windshield frame were next. Bryson and his dad then sprayed the beast in a bright-yellow polyurethane, hence the banana reference.
The whole project only took a couple of months to complete, even though he constantly makes upgrades and additions to his Jeep. For instance, after we shot these location photos, Bryson added a Skyjacker lift and 35-inch Baja Claws so he could tackle even tougher trails on the island.
Bryson noted that “if you take your time and do it right, you can build a great 4x4 you can enjoy for years to come.” From where we sit, his lightweight and bright project came out just that way. The next time we travel to Hawaii, we bet this Jeep will still be evolving and being used like it should be