Jeep CJ's

[SShepherd]

anyone know anything about them ?

I'm thinkin of buyin one, and I know not what to look out for

 

[Cowboy]

anyone know anything about them ?

I'm thinkin of buyin one, and I know not what to look out for

What year are you thinking about getting ? I had several of the older 60's models CJ-5's & a few earlly 70's CJ-7's & loved all of them but only as play toys & not for hiway driving. So I cant say much for anything newer other then I heard they went to crap when Chrysler bought out AMC.

They have allways been known for rusting out badly & the frames being tweaked from abuse & not being properly cleaned after 4 wheeling , but theres tons of aftermarket parts to reinforce the frames weak points as well as doing major upgrades to them perty reasonable .

There just a toy IHMO & no matter what anyone says It has been in the mud and abused & not just drove by granny to and from church . My brother still has 5 or 6 of the older ones as well, its allways good to have a few parts rigs around . Heres a forum he belongs to that all about the CJ models , Might have a look around .


Oh Yea they are perty easy to roll .
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f8/

 

[Av8r3400]

So I cant say much for anything newer other then I heard they went to crap when Chrysler bought out AMC.

If by gong to crap you mean they actually drove well and were reliable runners, you are exactly right.

The YJs were a little rough riding, but still heads and shoulders better than the CJs. When the TJ came out with their coil spring suspension, that made these vehicles amazing. Long travel, excellent articulation, a truly usable vehicle.

 

[SShepherd]

I'm lookin at late 70's, early 80's for a summer driver.

I had a wrangler with a 4banger back in 92'

I found a few i like with 350's in em.

 

[Cowboy]

If by gong to crap you mean they actually drove well and were reliable runners, you are exactly right.

The YJs were a little rough riding, but still heads and shoulders better than the CJs. When the TJ came out with their coil spring suspension, that made these vehicles amazing. Long travel, excellent articulation, a truly usable vehicle.

Yep that is kinda what I meant , Even when they changed to the CJ-7 with the longer wheelbase & more interior room it did improve the driving to a certain extent but also took away from the off road abilitys too , Just my opinion from having both . But I only used them for hunting & offroading so I didn't care how ruff they rode or steered as long as I could keep the tires on the ground most of the time .

 

[Doc]

I had a 75 CJ5 long ago and currently have a ex mak mobile a 2000 TJ Wrangler. I love it. The TJ does not have the little rounded thing by the door that used to play hell on my belt loops and pants in general when getting in and out of the CJ. Rides like a Jeep for sure but I wouldn't want it any other way.

Are you really after an old CJ or were you using it generically for all the CJ style jeeps? What year range are you looking in?

They have those 4 door versions now but I don't care for them. Besides being expensive (30k) they are ugly. JMHO.

 

[SShepherd]

I had a 75 CJ5 long ago and currently have a ex mak mobile a 2000 TJ Wrangler. I love it. The TJ does not have the little rounded thing by the door that used to play hell on my belt loops and pants in general when getting in and out of the CJ. Rides like a Jeep for sure but I wouldn't want it any other way.

Are you really after an old CJ or were you using it generically for all the CJ style jeeps? What year range are you looking in?

They have those 4 door versions now but I don't care for them. Besides being expensive (30k) they are ugly. JMHO.

looked at the new ones and I'm not impressed

I'm thinkin what ever looks nice, clean, and fun-- no darn wrangler

here's a few I'm lookin at;

http://clients.automanager.com/003938/VD.html?VID=1075b0692ceee14d994865257ddcf522#Features

http://www.autotraderclassics.com/classic-car/1974-Jeep-CJ_5-424211.xhtml?conversationId=80323

http://www.thejeeptrader.com/details.php?id=22588

http://www.thejeeptrader.com/details.php?id=19075

 

[Doc]

I like the red 85 CJ with the 350 engine.
The first link looks nice but is a 4 cyl. I've jeep'd in 6 cyl and 8 cyl jeeps. No way I would go for a 4 cyl. if I was planning to do real jeeping ...and from the models you are considering you are going to do some JEEPING!!!!!

 

[SShepherd]

I actually called on the 1st one

it has a fuel injected 327 in it..but it appears to have a ripped top, one in the seat, and wires hangin out under the dash

oh, and the salesman didn't know squat about it !

 

[Dargo]

looked at the new ones and I'm not impressed

I'm thinkin what ever looks nice, clean, and fun-- no darn wrangler

here's a few I'm lookin at;

http://clients.automanager.com/003938/VD.html?VID=1075b0692ceee14d994865257ddcf522#Features

http://www.autotraderclassics.com/classic-car/1974-Jeep-CJ_5-424211.xhtml?conversationId=80323

http://www.thejeeptrader.com/details.php?id=22588

http://www.thejeeptrader.com/details.php?id=19075

Holy cripes!!!!! At those prices, forget the Jeep and look for a mid 70's Land Cruiser. I've probably had 10 or 15 CJ series Jeeps and 4 or 5 of the older Land Cruisers. Most of the older Land Cruisers have had 350ci Chevy transplants and are 10X the vehicle the old CJ's ever were. This is from the standpoint of offroad ability, structural integrity and flat out quality and strength of construction based on restoring them. At those prices, either they will keep the those CJ's until the next millennium, or they'll start negotiating by taking between 35% to 50% off.

I flipped my first one 5 days after I got my driver's license. Trust me, I know them inside and out. The frames are not even half as strong as the Land Cruisers and my Land Cruisers generally pulled out my similar setup Jeep CJ's from mud holes and then went through them like they were nothing. I literally laughed out loud at those prices! Unless you have a few hundred pictures and several 3 ring binders with all the receipts for a frame off restoration, they seriously are not worth half those asking prices.

 

[SShepherd]

Holy cripes!!!!! At those prices, forget the Jeep and look for a mid 70's Land Cruiser. I've probably had 10 or 15 CJ series Jeeps and 4 or 5 of the older Land Cruisers. Most of the older Land Cruisers have had 350ci Chevy transplants and are 10X the vehicle the old CJ's ever were. This is from the standpoint of offroad ability, structural integrity and flat out quality and strength of construction based on restoring them. At those prices, either they will keep the those CJ's until the next millennium, or they'll start negotiating by taking between 35% to 50% off.

I flipped my first one 5 days after I got my driver's license. Trust me, I know them inside and out. The frames are not even half as strong as the Land Cruisers and my Land Cruisers generally pulled out my similar setup Jeep CJ's from mud holes and then went through them like they were nothing. I literally laughed out loud at those prices! Unless you have a few hundred pictures and several 3 ring binders with all the receipts for a frame off restoration, they seriously are not worth half those asking prices.

to get a no rust, 99% reliable one with new parts and no leaks, thats the going prices- upper teens to low 20's

 

[Dargo]

to get a no rust, 99% reliable one with new parts and no leaks, thats the going prices- upper teens to low 20's

I've been restoring vehicles since the mid 70's. If you don't get at least 50 to 100 pictures of the restoration process and binders with all the new part receipts in it, you aren't getting a properly restored machine. Without that documentation, all the restoration shops call those "bondo buggies". Believe me, without documentation, you are NOT getting a properly restored Jeep. If they cannot provide you with that info, I cannot stress how fast I'd pass. I can make one look nice and purty with no leaks with 10% of the price and effort of what it takes to do it right and have it last.

For that price, you should have receipts where every piece of the frame has been media blasted and powder coated along with every piece of the suspension, axles and all. Then, probably only 1 in 1000 of those old Jeeps haven't been rusted out. A high quality floor pan and body panels cost about 5X what the cheapo (read: rusts out in 3 or 4 years) Chinese made counterfeit body part costs. Without receipts, I guarantee you which body parts you will get. There is a very valid and good reason there is a load of pictures taken and complete binder(s) of receipts of parts used when one is properly restored.

Give me 2 months and I'll have one for you for half that price that looks and drives the same ready for you. It will start coming apart in about 3 years, but it will look really nice when you pick it up and turn heads....for a short while. For that money, don't accept a 'quickie' money maker. I can have one looking like that for less than 10k going the cheap route. It took over 5 years to do my '62 Biscayne. Attached are just 2 or 3 pics out of 100 taken during the process. I also have three 3 ring binders with receipts for all the parts.

 

[SShepherd]

This jeep looks pretty spiffy !

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1983...2861328?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item415836cf90

I know alot of this is fluf, and a small block 5liter can either be a pig or a high reving decent motor.

opinions on this ?

This Jeep also runs and sounds as good as it looks with a strong running 304 V-8 under the hood and show quality under the hood as well. The motor was professionally built at a local speed shop with all the good stuff including a hot 492/492 cam. The 304 is decked out with an Edelbrock Performer AMC aluminum intake with a Holley carburetor, Hedman ceramic coated headers, Taylor Pro wires with aluminum wire guides, chrome valve covers, chrome Holley breather, new stainless 7 blade fan, aluminum hood kick stand, chrome radiator support rods, chrome fender well supports, chrome battery tray, and painted firewall and fender wells. The motor is tuned perfect and it has a great sounding lope with the side pipes.

 

[Cowboy]

Darn sure looks like a show type jeep Shep , Paint & detail all look great allthough with that much chrome I would have to question the quality of it .

All the pieces that I see chromed can be bought after market & the quality I have seen in the past of the plating process is perty crappy . The pics say to me they are the aftermarket chrome pieces & not done by a high quality chrome shop , but I could be wrong . BUT if I'm not they wont last a few rain or snow storms before they rust and the chrome starts flaking . FYI , The cheap chrome often leave out several different processes that any quality chrome shop uses such as copper & nickle plating before the chrome .

I might have missed it but I didn't notice as well wether any of the gear boxes had been gone through & freshened up with new bearings & seals at least . Those can be the hidden can of worms on a vehicle that is known for abuse such as mudding & running through deep water . They also will be the first cause of failure if any water had ever gotten inside & let sit for any length of time .

But all in all it looks to be a very nice quality jeep . Not much done in beefing up known weak spots in the frame or suspension but if your just wanting a driver it would probally be fine for you . Still over priced IMO though .

As Dargo said The other ones are really overpriced & I agree with his opinion and the part of lots of documentation & progress pics are what backs up the big prices . But the cause these days it seems is that most guys pay to have all the work done & a restoration can cost easilly 20 grand just for labor by a good reputable resto shop . Then theres those do it yourselfers that see those prices & do there weekend wonders making an old rusty abused jeep look like a fully restored vehicle in a few months in their garage at home .

When I built my jeeps for offroad use , I played hard on the weekends & completly tore down all of the gearboxes & freshened them up during the week so they would be ready for the next time . The plus side to the CJ type vehicles is they are perty simple to work on , parts are reasonable & highly available & once you have tore them completly apart a few times there a piece of cake to work on .

All this is just my opinion but I have also restored several vehicles (8 years as a buisness) of all types over the years . We closed our shop in 2000 because everyone else was offering less quality of work for far less money and most customers wated to spend the extra money on wheels, tires, sound systems & hydraulics, they didn,t seem to care how they looked or how long they lasted anymore . Sorry for the long post .

 

[Av8r3400]

Holy crap.

For $16k you can get a low mileage, well equipped, late model Jeep Wrangler with coil suspension, a fuel injected 4.0 inline six motor that is reliable (304s are not - especially a hopped up one) and which probably puts out more usable hp, is comfortable to sit in and drive, has a dash that is readable, w/s wipers that work, etc, etc...

Example.

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

a jeep lesson in 72 or there abouts amc bought out jeep lengthond the hood and front fenders to accomodate the 258 amc 6 in 1976 the year of mine the frames were boxed in and some windshield changes were made in the 80s smog control got out of hand the plastic valvecover was added as was the bbd carbmid 80's saw the advent of wide trac axles which made flares necessary for stock tires looked kind of funny to me i have a 76 cj5 with the 258 6 power brakes but the tilt steering and ps box were removed for reliability i have a total of 4 inches of lift to clear 33x1250 tores the combo works well on trails and i will normaly flat tow to a trail head but i do drive it around town in most cases the small block v8 is too much motor especialy for a jeeps fuel capicity but a 350 does weigh less than a 258 i have found keeping mine light and simple has made it fun and reliable if you are plannning on mud racing or rock crawling than you may want a different build i personaly would stay away from anything that has too manny weekend modds as you will find gauges that dont work and modds done half asse so it could be driven to work the next dayinspect pre 75 frames for cracks aound the spring hangers and post 75 frames for rust though also plan on a youkon 1 piece axle upgrade to the rea axle shafts on the model 20 amc rearend

 

[SShepherd]

. The plus side to the CJ type vehicles is they are perty simple to work on , parts are reasonable & highly available & once you have tore them completly apart a few times there a piece of cake to work on .

That's why i'm interested in a CJ, Cowboy. Plus, I want a ragtop with an interior I can power wash out or don't have to scramble to put the top on during a sudden downpour.