Need Help buying a Cj5

thanks for all the interest.. people.. actually i am frmo a far far away place. i am sure none of you are close to where i live. i am from Peshawar Pakistan.

about the Jeep well i have to change the engine .. gas is expencive here. and the model that the pakistani army auctions every few months. came with a v6 pet engine . so i dont intend to offroad so i will go with a much much smaller engine.

oh they are army auctioned Jeeps alright. hehe no worries about that.

they are basically standin there in heaps.. loads of em cj5 and wheelys.
so i want to have some basic idea of wht i should look for. so i can get that and work from there.. about getting help . no worries ive got that covered. you can hire professional mechanics in pakistan it doesnt cost as much as it does in the states.

the Jeeps stand in the wear house fer ages so .. its best to know a little before buyin something that would cost loads to fix..

so now you know my background.. i guess more insight would be appreciated..

about getting a good read. could you guys recommend any cj5 bible type thing.. cauz i would have to get that book from the states or uk which would take time.. so i dont want to get something thats no good...

If you guys need more background or stuff that i should ask the owner of them Jeeps just let me know ..

thanks again for the help guys.

 

Get one that runs and stops, so even if if doesn't look good you can drive it in the woods or around the yard while you're working on it. Nothing worse than a basket case sitting in the yard waiting for parts , money and time. I bought one with a nice tub, but everything else was shot. Ended up selling it in parts and buying one that had more going for it. We'd love to see some pics.

Paul

 

There's a long-running thread on some forum, (I think it's at Pirate 4x4?), that's a running commentary from a member in Pakistan that shows some of the Jeeps they work on and some of the amazing work they do to them. And there were several photos on there of these military CJ5's Chills is talking about, all lined up and in piles. Pretty amazing work they do, considering where they are and what they have to work with. I thought I'd posted a link here to it, but I guess not. Can't find it now.

 

Perhaps
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=469544
Hmm?

 

The Jeep Cj Rebuilder's Manual, 1946-1971 by Moses Ludel is a really good one. Covers pretty much everything, with tons of pictures. Much better than the usual Chiltons/Haynes type manuals. Get a Factory Service Manual too...there are reprints available from a lot of places.

I've seen pictures of thoes surplus Jeeps over there...hasn't been anything like that here in many many years.

 

That's it Tim!!! I knew somebody here would come through! It's amazing what they do there, under conditions that most of us wouldn't even consider. Not to mention wheeling in possible land-mine country.

 

I wanted a jeep since before I was old enough to drive. Bought my first one when I was forty years old. I paid to much and it needed way to much work. Rusted body, nothing worked. It was overwhelming and I could not afford to work on it. Sold it and shopped more and bought my 1970. It needs work and always will but at least it was in decent shape and I could use it and fix it up as money allows. They are $ pits for sure. Dont let anybody tell you different. There will always be something you want to fix, replace, repair or upgrade. But, thats the fun in it too. Good luck

 

Hey Chills - welcome from Boston!

It may be difficult for us to give the kind of advice you want, since we don't know the market for Jeeps in Pakistan very well :?

Here in the USA, body and chassis repairs can be expensive if they must be done at a professional shop. Fixing dents and rust repair can be very expensive. However, most owners can do their own mechanical work, so mechanical problems (engine, transmission, transfer case, axles, brakes, etc) are more within the average owner's means.

If you were here, I'd suggest you first look for a solid frame and rust-free body. Jeeps often have frame cracks, especially in the frame rails around the spring hangers. Surface rust isn't so bad, but rusted-through panels (so-called cancer) is usually much more extensive than its outward signs, and can require expensive parts (body panels), skill, time and specialized tools to repair.

Second, if this were a project Jeep, I'd look for completeness. Here you can buy a complete vehicle for much less than you can buy the various pieces needed to finish an incomplete vehicle. In Pakistan, you may be able to buy more than one Jeep and put the parts together.

Do you have a good idea of what you want in a Jeep? If you want an automatic transmission, the wheelbase of early model Jeeps (203-214 cm WB) will be too short to easily accomodate an automatic. Also, inline 6 cylinder engines don't fit very well in the engine bays of Jeeps from before 1971 (maybe later for export models), so you may want to look for a later model (like a CJ-7) if you are thinking about an inline 6.

Are you thinking about diesel or petrol power? Many diesel engines, though strong and durable, can also be anchor heavy. The original 4-cylinder in early Jeeps probably weighs abut 250 kilos, which is heavy for a petrol-fueled 4 cylinder. The V6 from later years is around 170 kilos. Since you are concerned about fuel economy, I'd say that a small passenger car 4-cylinder diesel engine would be optimal. From what I've read, the Pakistani mechanics can adapt these engines to a Jeep chassis with great skill, and good results.

The most popular upgrades for early Jeeps, probably in this order, are 1) better brakes, 2) Saginaw steering, and 3) a new engine. The military Jeeps had a 5.38:1 final drive ratio, so top speed was limited to about 80 kph. Here in the USA, that's too slow for highway use, and the Warn overdrive and larger engines are popular. Also realize that the aerodynamics are terrible, and moving faster than that will require more power than most small (ie 2.0L or smaller) 4 cylinder engines can supply.

Maybe I should stop and let you ask some questions.

 

The best advice I can suggest is that you check for rust, signs of abuse, broken suspension components and signs of oil leakage. Whatever cj you get will need some attention. I've had my 80 cj5 now for about 3 years and got it from the son of the original owner. With 107,000 original miles I have replaced many parts, painted it and added a new BestTop softtop. just ordered a new Empi carb and a hedman header to help the old 258 six run a little better. It's been a fun project so far, and I doubt the original owner would even recognize it today. The best part of it all is getting compliments from people. Just remember, if your not buying a totally restored jeep, you will be under the hood, but that's what it's all about.

 

those jeeps on that link are just crazy. I almost dont believe it. How can they build such amazing vehicles and still not be able to fix up there home/shop that is in every shot? Very strange to me? Zach

 

I have restored about 5 jeeps. And one of the best resource books I would recommend is the "Jeep Owners Bible" by Moses Ludel. You can probably buy one on eBay or buy a new one online.

The previous posts have given you some good advise.

I would suggest, buy what you want, take your time on restoring it and have fun.

Try and get one with a clear title.

 

Well i am thinking of getting a 4 cyl diesel engine and probably 2200cc or 2400 . according to what i can find here. well thanks to you guys i have some little idea of what i should be looking for when i go there.. this sunday . i guess i should like make atleast 2 trips. before i commit to buying anything.

first i wil get a rough idea of what they have to offer. after a little more reasearch i guess i can make a final decision of what to buy hopefully it would be nice.. ive wanted 1 since grade 6....

well i can get teh body work done by some professional wont cost that much.
lets see i guess i should make a few trips to the market and see what parts they have on offer. cauz u cant order parts for jeeps and stuff ni pakistan.

one i get it running... i can add up on stuff..

thanks guys .. all your help is appreciated. if anyone would like to add something please do

and could someone explain to me or direct me to some read about how ic an tell the condition of the suspension like whats arching and stufff..

thank all