When you first lay eyes on this dusty Jeep CJ7 “Golden Eagle” edition, it seems modestly hopeful. It’s just dust, you tell yourself, nothing more than what you’d expect for anything labeled as a barn find. Unfortunately, the damage is more than skin deep here, and this desirable Golden Eagle may be a parts Jeep at best. The seller notes rust in the floors and the frame, so plan on some welding if you wish to bring it back. Find the CJ7 here on eBay with bidding at $1,300. 

The current bid amount actually shocks me, as I thought the prevalence of not-insignificant rust would deter even the most devout Jeep enthusiast. This is one of those moments where I have to acknowledge I get excited about a lot of stuff nobody cares about, so the fact that bidders are hungry for what amounts to a cosmetic dress-up kit and bigger tires should come as no surprise.

The Jeep’s grill panel is inside the cabin, perhaps an indication that restoration has started and stopped throughout the years, or stopped permanently once the owner realized how pervasive the rust was. No matter what, the Golden Eagle branding is well-known among Jeep enthusiasts, and that notoriety could be driving the strong price so far. Or perhaps it’s because Catherine Bach drove a Golden Eagle in the Dukes of Hazzard?

The interior looks like it might yield some good parts, and the Jeep truthfully doesn’t look all that trashed despite the seemingly rough condition underneath. Perhaps the Levi’s soft-top is driving the bidding as well. Whatever it is, this auction should return a fair price for a rough CJ7 in need of rust repair, or perhaps an enterprising owner will just swap the frames. Which path would you take?