Off-Road Romance

by Debbie Murphy, photos by Steve Temple

Blinding snow fields, ragged sculptures of ice, mud pits with enough suction to engulf a small city: Maybe not what you think is typical in Southern California. But, a rig like Chris Boulais’ 1986 CJ-7 can locate this category of bad-butt terrain like a heat-seeking missile.

Boulais’ goal, when he bought the Jeep in late summer, 2005, was to build “a clean, reliable, go-anywhere vehicle.” The “anywhere” included all of the above, plus sand, rocks and plain old asphalt. A true 4x4 enthusiast, what he wanted most of all was for his flat-fender Jeep to get dirty, real dirty. The beauty of the finished project lies in its stripped down, well-thought-out efficiency. This isn’t one of those steroidal show-offs that sits in a driveway, flexing its Neanderthal muscles; Boulais’ CJ-7 is one lean, mean machine, equipped to seek out and prevail over all the surprises inherent in ice-snow-mud-sand-rocks.

The first clue that Boulais takes his off-roading seriously is the high-lift jack strapped to the six-point roll cage. The other clues are hidden away in two Tuffy lock boxes in the center and rear consoles. The boxes contain his emergency and recovery equipment, plus a full set of tools. They’re not just for looks. The tools and Boulais’ skill as a mechanic and an off-roader were both put to the test on a trip down the mountain in the Wrightwood area, east of Los Angeles. The Jeep’s driveshaft broke when Boulais downshifted into first gear while in four-wheel low. Out came the tools. He removed the drive shaft, continued his descent in twowheel drive and lived to tell the tale.

Getting back to the initial buildup though, the months following the purchase of Boulais’ project were spent meticulously fixing, upgrading and customizing it. As the Jeep grew, so did his relationship with girlfriend Autum. “Friday nights, I’d spend an hour doing my hair and make-up,” she says. “Then I’d spend another hour sitting in traffic so I could see him, only to find out we’d be spending a romantic evening sitting in the backyard while he worked on the Jeep.” Eventually, talk turned to marriage and an engagement ring — once the Jeep was finished. (Hey, an off-roader has to keep his priorities straight!)

Boulais spent his date time and money on the drivetrain and suspension, along with heavy-duty upgrades, like a Centerforce Dual Force clutch and pressure plate, and ready-for-anything storage systems. The previous owner had rebuilt the engine, but the chassis was basically stock. Boulais installed the front and rear Canyon Crawler drive shafts, custom-built by J.E. Reel in Pomona. The CJ got an extra 4-1/2-inches of clearance with a Rubicon Express extreme duty lift augmented by Pro Comp MX6 adjustable shocks and quick-disconnect sway bars. The lift made room for a set of 33” Pro Comp M/Ts on 15-inch Pro Comp black steel rims. To maintain true steering control, Boulais added a Pro Comp steering stabilizer with polyurethane bushings. Custom front and rear bumpers include receivers and a front winch guard for his Warn 9000. The six-point roll cage does double duty as both a safety feature and the mounting point for the jack and Power Tank CO2 air system. As further testament to the CJ’s ability to frolic in the dirt, Boulais installed racing seats and five-point harnesses. The interior has been stripped down and Herculined, then with a uniquely off-road fashion statement, the dash and door panels are protected with stainless steel and diamond plating. The look, inside and out, is both rugged, cool and totally practical. “Some day,” Boulais says, “I’d like to turn the CJ into a real rock crawler. But for now, I like it exactly the way it is.” By February, 2006, the CJ-7 was ready for Boulais’ favorite terrain — ice, snow and mud. Winter ’05-06 in Southern California was a snow-icemud lovers paradise with record rainfall and snow at elevations — enough moisture to challenge the area’s reputation as a desert. During a trek to the San Bernardino Mountain’s Azusa Canyon, Boulais wallowed in a particularly deep mud pit and damaged the CJ’s rear fender, further postponing Autum’s engagement ring. But, she’s philosophical, “I tell my girlfriends that the Jeep is the biggest, nicest engagement ring that I have ever seen.” Sounds like Boulais found the perfect wife.