Got my CJ5

Well the transport went without a problem. I ended up flat towing the CJ with a tow bar from Harbor Freight, which I will say was a good buy at $49.99, installed easy and worked like a charm. The Durango, ya it has a Hemi, pulled the little Jeep easily and we purred right up I70 to Leadville without a sweat. Definately the only time in this Jeep's life that it has ever done 65 mph down the highway, and probably the last.

Affter I got the Jeep ready for it's voyage I decided to replace the tires on the front for safety. The Jeep had been a plow rig with a heavy hydralic 6' plow on th front which put a toll on the front suspension not to mention the steering. The tie rods had taken a beating and also had worn down the front tires till the were showing some belts. So rather than take the chance of getting a flat in the middle of Wyoming or worse I got some new rubber. The only problem, but not really, was that my Brother-in-law, had seen a set of Swampers at the local 4X4 shop and talked me into looking. So instead of wasting money on some used tires to get home I went ahead and got a good deal on some Truxus MT's, so my wife did not like that to much but as I figure I was gonna buy them someday, and it was a good deal. Like I told her, I bought a set of tires and got a "Free Jeep", what a great deal. Thanks to all those who answered my ?'s on flat towing and if anyone is looking for a tow bar get a Harbor Freight one, it worked great.

 

congrads on your cj hey I used to live in Leadville on 6th I know the drive very well glad to hear you made it with no problems. Im moving to Park County soon and I have to haul my 1960 cj out. Coming from the East coast im gonna have to invest in a trailer unfortunatly a tow bow wont cut it for 2000 miles. If you ever want to take a trail ride email me cmw0267@aol.com maybe we can head up over hagerman pass .

 

Heck I only towed it about 450 miles and I could have towed it another 1600 if I had too, nice and smooth. But of course my tranny, transfercase, and drive shafts were in the back of the Jeep. I have left a few more pictures.

 

is that a 55? love that speedo.

 

Wow, I really like that jeep. Do you have anymore pics?

 

So, what's the story on the Jeep? Did I miss a thread on it before?

 

To answer a few of the other questions first, it is a '55 and the speedo is original with the "willys" logo on it which is totally cool. Rondog to answer your question, in brief. My brother-in-law found this on a ranch by Laramie Wy. about a year ago. The owner was using it as a plow rig ans had a monster hydralic plow on it, about a 300+ lbs setup. So my BIL traded him an old suburban for it and trailered it home. Before he tore into it it ran really good but needed a new clutch. Well my BIL is notorious for buying a project, tearing it apart and loosing interest. He and my sister are moving back to Albuquerque this week and he called me a few weeks ago and asked me if I wanted the Jeep.....Hell yeah. So I bought a tow bar and drove up there last firday and worked on it till almost midnight getting it back together to tow home. After I got it ready to go I could not take my mind off the front tire which were bald because of the plowing abuse took toll on the steering, right tie rod had about a 3 inch bend in it. So my BIL told me that the local 4x4 shop had some tire for sale that a coustomer did not like and they were a set of Truxus MT on 16" wheels, perfect one less thing on list taken care off, wife was not too happy about the 700 dollar expense but what the heck it is a free Jeep. So I towed the little guy back to Leadville yesterday. The first picture behingd the Durango is at trips end with about 500 lbs of stuff in the back. The next few are after I unloaded it, with the new rubber on the front and I raised the bdy/frame up two inches I put some jackstands under to see what he will look like with a two or so inch lift. But at one point in this Jeeps life someone swapped in a 231 oddfire from a '76 buick with a the HEI ignition, already adapted the T90 to it and other than an odd exhaust setup it has an actually really tight exhaust install all the way back to the rear on both sides. My BIL when taking the tranny out let it role on its side with the top off and a bunch of bearing fell out, so I will be rebuilding the tranny, and I will be completely be rewiring the the Jeep. It will be a fun project, I am like a kid in a candy store. When I get the chance I will get a few more pictures.

 

Great find, and you are $700.00 ahead if not more so tell the wife not to sweat it.R)

 

Fortunately for me she is very understanding, she knew that the tires were on the list but after a few other things but as I see it I could not pass up a good deal. I will have a ton of questions about hting in days to come I am sure glad that there is a great site like this.

 

Right on! Another Willys CJ5 comes home to Colorado! There's gonna be a whole herd of us here.

 

Hey Ron what part of Parker are you in. I grew up in Parker, my parents moved there in '73, we lived about 8 miles east of town in unincorporated D.C. Honestly I hate going back there because it has grown sooooo much. I was back there for a meet and greet a few years ago at the Sonic on Lincoln and it just blew me away how much it has grown.

 

Clarke Farms, just south of that Sonic down Jordan to the 1st light, and left on N. Clarke Farms Dr., across from Cherokee Trail Elementary. And yeah, it hasn't stopped growing! If it's been a few years since you were here, you wouldn't believe what it's like now. They're building a 70,000 acre-foot reservoir just SW of town, near Hess Rd. and Jordan, and just a little west. Douglas County was the fastest growing county in the U.S. for 2 or 3 years in a row.

 

Parker is just too crazy for me. I remember when we had to drive to the King Soopers at Parker Rd and I225 to go to the store. Too much growth, a few years ago we were driving through Highlands Ranch and they had "Celebrating 25 years" banners on street lights, I was like 25 years....man things change. Of course things change up here. I am building a bank in Carbondale and it takes me 20-25 minutes to go from Glennwood to Carbondale in the morning. Who would have thought there would be rush hour in Paradise?

 

Is that a power brake diaphram?

 

I was checking that out yesterdy and i believe it is.

 

A few more pictures opps they did not upload

 

yeah Ron im bringin the willys and a few others too good thing I got acreage in Park County im gonna need it. Do you think if I get 3 tow bars I could drag them all out at once.!!!!!!!!!!!

 

New Jersey to Colorado? At the price of gas, you might want to re-evaluate the value of each vehicle and consider thinning the herd a little. I know it's hard to let 'em go, but the cost of transporting a car across country is a real issue nowadays. Especially if you have to move 'em one at a time! JMHO.

 

yeah tell me about it Ive been going back and forth now for 12 years, I remember when just over a hundred bucks would get me there. NOw its close to 400 sad part is 2 of the jeeps came from there im just bringing them back , Live and Learn I guess, they are making a one way trip this time for sure. Theres no way I can part with them now. Ill just have to bite the bullet and do a little overtime before I come back out!!!!