71 CJ5 and 69 CJ5 differences and similarities

I have access to a 69 CJ5 with 225 V6 engine. It appears to be very similiar to my 71 CJ5 with 225 V6 engine that I have
owned since new and continue to maintain in stock form. Are parts from the 69 directly interchangeable to the 71?

 

Early or late '71...? That was the year AMC took over, made a lot of changes to the '72 line. The biggest clue is an extra 3" length in the wheelbase and body, easily seen behind the front fender opening.

Otherwise '69 and '71 have a lot in common.

 

The wheelbase change happened in '72.
'69 & '71 are similar, but a few things changed. The gas tank moved from under the seat to the rear of the Jeep, and the rear axle changed to a 30 spline Dana 44 with 1 piece shafts. The radiator may be different, too.
Most of the other parts will interchange directly.

 

Yes, gas tank located to the rear. Stronger rear axle.

A T-14 equipped '71 also has a different bell housing, with no separate adapter - the '69 will have a GM bell and a plate adapter. The close-ratio T-18 was optional with the V6 in 1971, though these are very scarce. Clutch linkage and clutch cable is different, IIRC. The limited slip available in '69 is a Dana PowrLock and the '71 will have the Dana TracLock, if so equipped. The '71 will have a little AMC badge on the tailgate, '69 will not.

AMC took over in 1970. The gas tank change was required by the DOT, to move the gas tank out of the passenger compartment. The rest of the changes are presumably due to new management, and renewed motivation to change/upgrade to stimulate sales.

Emissions equipment will be different. A California '71 should have vapor recovery, IIRC - maybe 49 states too - the '71 tank provides for it. Air injection may or may not be present. You'd probably have to look at the Jeeps side by side, and know what to look for, to see the differences. Easy enough to look at the '71 TSM, but '69 probably does not have its own TSM, and you'd need the dealer parts supplements for '69 to determine that without the car in front of you.

 

1969 vintage will not have the side marker lights like the 1971's but a very few 1969's could possibly have marker reflectors.
I rather prefer the stock standard 1969 CJ-5 over all other stock standard CJ-5 vintages.

 

Windshields will be different. A '69 could have the rectangular glass and top mounted wipers, or rectangular glass with bottom mounted wipers. A '71 will have bottom mounted wipers and arch-top glass with larger area than the rectangular glass.

 

Tim,
I believe most if not all 1969 will have the curved upper glass and the bottom mounted 2 speed electric wipers.
1969 will have larger grill parking lamps.
The 1968 vintage have rectangle glass and if I recall correctly most if not all had single speed electric wipers.
1968 will have the smaller grill parking lamps.

 

Thanks Ken - you know these vintages better than I do. I had thought that '69 was the changeover for the windshield.

 

Well anyway Tim, AFAIK your first reply was dead on and very informative.
I find vintage comparisons to be fascinating.

If a person pays carefull attention to vintage details they can nearly find themselves the perfect jeep without need for modifications.

 

My 1969 has the rectangular windshield and bottom mount 2 speed wipers. I am pretty sure it was never removed or replaced.

 

Yeah that don't suprise me too much.
Probably getting rid of the old windshield stock.
Is this an early 1969 ?

 

I don't know when it was built... Can you tell from the serial number?

 

My Canadian built '69 has rectangular glass, bottom mount wipers, and the earlier style markers, but I think we determined that they were using up what they had on hand.

 

The bottom line is some parts will swap, some won't. Hard to narrow it down.

My question would be, can I find enough of value in the deal to justify the cost of the '69? If so, go for it, and don't sweat the small stuff.

 

And they would be hood mounted reflectors at that, if it has them. No cut out in the front fender.

 

The Daughter's late '69, titled as '70 has reflectors on the hood and the larger turn signals in the grill. It also has from the factory the wider radiator. The original fenders were long gone when we got it but the hood and grill are definitely original to the Jeep. It also has the arched glass windshield frame. Fwiw I've had two of the flat top glass bottom mount wiper windshields and both had two speed wiper motors. Maybe the first ones had single speed wiper motors? Don't know. One came off an original '68 and one came off a very late mfg dated '67 which would have been a '68 model year. Not doubting your info one bit Oldtime, just what I had in hand. All the paint, etc matched absolutely perfect on them and had not been repainted. The '68 model year (mfg '67) I think was an anomaly but I've seen one other that was most definitely factory. Only ones I've seen like that.



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71 has the larger tail lights that came on the 72-75 intermediates. The 71 has Jeep on the tailgate. If equipped with the larger radiator the support rods are different then the earlier models. The 71 has the heater plumbed different then the 69 and has the temp gauge in a different spot in the manifold. The rear of the frame is different due to the rear tank. Skid plate on fuel tank.

 

What I posted concerning various components of 1968 -1971 CJ's; merely represents the average that I've seen.
The late sixties and early 70's was a time when much of the old stock was being intermixed with the current stock.
Old stock apparently was used as it was being located from storage.
A lot was going on at the Toledo plant and Kaiser Jeep Incorporated was about to sell the Jeep.

AFAIK the single speed electric wipers was restricted to 1968 vintage.
I forget if they were bottom or top mounted.

Another atypical example...
The earliest known Renegade I's were built in September 1969 and they used the flanged Dana 44 axles.

I personally like late CJ hoods after the snorkle cut out was deleted and before the hood reflectors came about.
That occurrs around 1967 to 1969.
But I also prefer the arched windshield glass that was only available after 1968.
For those reasons a late 1969 CJ trips my trigger the best.

Bottom line is that one can readily interchange many of the CJ components if they aren't concerned with maintaining the vintage standards.
In fact Trans-Vintage interchange is rather common from 1941 through 1975.
The undisputable CENTRAL STANDARD TIME PROVEN CJ occurs in the form of the 1959 universal.
It's individual components and assemblies easily represents the most common parts meaning the greatest duration of production.
The 1959 universal will more readily interchange with both earlier and the later vintages than any other year of jeep.

 

I have both 1969 & 1971 CJ5 V6's in origional unrestored condition. The one item deference that was not mentioned is that the 1969 had an oil bath air cleaner and the 1971 has a air cleaner with a paper element. It also should be noted that after the AMC purchase minor parts changes were made.

 

Oil bath air filter was an option on the 71.
Another thing missing on the list is the safety latch for the hood and the centralized wiper squirter located on the cowl area. Also when did the windshield hold down latch disappear?