'66 Military Jeep vs. '80 CJ5

Wish I went to your college

 

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Unless you are a military vehicle buff, stay with the CJ. The M series Jeeps are a different breed and unless you want to swap out all the 24 volt, canvas and other military specific hardware and butcher a classic M38A1, then its cheaper to go with a CJ. The CJ5 was the best civilian Jeep ever produced (my opinion) and has classic lines that aalways look good no matter what modifications are done to the vehicle. My advice is get the CJ, de bling it to your liking and enjoy! If later in life, you decide to go "military", reserch the M serious Jeeps and look for a nice one.

 

$4k for an incomplete military is way overpriced. The advice you are getting about 'get one you can drive' is spot on.

Besides, are you sure its really a 66 M38A1? By the '60's the military was buying the M151. the M38A1 was still being built but there just were not many made in those late years and many went out of the country. Be sure its not just a jeep salad with a military grill.

Keep looking and look at a lot of jeeps before you pull the trigger. You will eventually find one that is the right jeep at the right price. When that happens, you will know it immediately.

Tom

 

Don't believe he mentioned it being an M38A1, just military.

And you do need to look around more.

Even out here where you can wheel all year long, the CJ5's aren't that expensive. A fancy dress ball one will tap you for 6500 maybe.

One that you run to work, school and down to the motion picture hall can run you between 2500 and 5000. I paid just under 2k for mine, and now that I am back in town can use it for a daily driver for anything that I don't have to run faster that 50 to get to. It's a '60 Willys CJ5 with the stock running gear and engine in it. The 66 you are looking at may be like mine and have really high gear numbers that make highway driving at over 50 very difficult.

 

Hey everybody. I haven't been on here since I asked the original question, but just wanted to come back and say thanks for all the input. I ended up buying the 1980 CJ5. I know there are hundreds or thousands of Jeeps out there, but when I went and drove it I knew it was the one and I've been more than happy! I've had it several months now and have already had to fix lots of things, but that's good because it's taught me a lot about cars. I enjoy building and fixing things, so this was the perfect choice...drivable but never short on things to do!

Here's a pic I snapped this morning before leaving for work of the Jeep as it is right now. There were side mirrors until yesterday, because one of them was weak and the wind driving down the highway snapped it off at the pinch! I took both off for aesthetic symmetry, but they'll be back on once I weld it back or get a new one.

Thanks again for your help and input!

 

That's a fine lookin punkin ya got there

 

I think you made the right choice, nice Jeep!!!!

 

I'll tell you what it was like having a CJ in college......the apartments I was living at back then put a huge sticker on the hood that said they would tow away abandoned vehicles if this one wasn't moved! I know it was rough looking back then, but I was a little offended..., lol