'67 CJ-5A Basket Case

I just bought a CJ-5A Tuxedo Mark4 yard car. I have to admitt that I have almost no experience with anything earlier than a TJ. I do know that there is a wealth of experience on this forum so I thought I might throw it out for advice.

I have no (and I mean zero) intent to restore or make the CJ a rock crawler. I do want the CJ to be offroad capable with the stock components if possible.
If something breaks I want to replace or improve it. I will be doing all the work with limited tools and experience.

Here's what I have to work with... The jeep is stock as far as I know. The original V6, transmission, transfer case and diffs are installed. The tub is rusted and the floor boards are shot. Two body mounts are rusted away.

Here's what I'm curious:
1. Is it worth a new tub considering it has good frame with no patches or rust thru? I have time to do a frame off rebuilt but do not want to do a restore to original. I am inclined to patch panels or intall a replacement floor pan.

2. I'm thinking it has a Model 20 front end. Will there be a problem with 31" boggers?

3. I could go on and on with questions. Thanks for your patience and any comments appreciated.

Opps, it seems the forum won't let me post photos.
Regards,
Tony

 

Opinions will abound with questions like this one...

Since you are new to the EarlyCJ5 hobby, leave the tub alone for now. Run it for awhile and see if it is for you. That TJ is a totally different vehicle.

If the '67 has stock axles, the front is a Dana 27 closed knuckle (and the rear is a Dana 44). You should not install anything larger than a 31" tire on a Dana 27. Although I have been successful with 33's on my Dana 27, I drive very gently.

You will have to use another server (like Photobucket) and link to pictures that way on this site.

We would like to see pictures of your new purchase. The V6 is an excellent engine - perfectly sized to the small CJ5. The transmission is generally a good one. Both axles are fine if run with reasonable size tires.

Last but NOT LEAST: Use the search function; chances are it's already been posted.

 

I would like to say the front axle (D27) in that jeep is not a bad axle, it is extremely similar in strength to the D 30 you are used to in a TJ. You can find a D30 to swap out and get a few maintenance issues on the knuckles simplified, but it is not really a big issue. The guys here can teach you about keeping that D27 happy.
I would like to commend you on the purchase of the Jeep, the Tux park is a rare package.
A few things to remember out the CJ is first you do not wheel it the same style as your Coil spring TJ, it acts different on trail so give it a bit of time learning it. It is a fun item to run a classic Jeep
About the tub, if the body panels are in great shape I would look for an replacement floor pan, look around and find on with original gauge steel
and about the mods needed, I can only think of one big one you should do, and that is to upgrade the brakes, the year jeep you have only has a single stage master cylinder, and 9 inch drum brakes. There are a few companies with upgrade kits to larger drum, disc, and 2 stage MCs out there and it sure beats the press brakes and pray method of running around town.
Good Luck

 

I took a few photos yesterday and parked them in photobucket. Here's the link:

http://s476.photobucket.com/albums/rr127/rock18z/CJ-5A/

 

From the pictures, I think I see a centered pumpkin on the rear axle, but an offset pumpkin on the front?!

 

Judging from those photo's, my Jeep was in worse shape than yours is so don't feel bad. Go buy yourself four wire wheels, Two cans of PB Blaster to start with.

Then buy the original mechanics manual for it.







Todd :hurrican:

 

Curt in Canada, yes you are right. The rear is centered and the front has a passenger side pumpkin. I will look closer at it and see how they are marked. I hope to get the time to research all the drivetrain but for now that's all I know.

Todd, Roger the PB Blaster, wire wheels and manuals. I have been looking for manuals but my search has only gotten as far as willy's overland. Do you have a better/cheaper source?

I'm settling in for a long campaign on this critter. I've got a spot cleared out for it. I just need to put in a 220v drop for the compressor and move a few tool and I'll be close to waging war on it. I have just enough room to pull the tub but that is still very much undecided.

 

My front bumper says it all. Some things Kaiserwillys.com are cheaper than other places, and some parts are not cheaper. I bought my mechanics manual from them and it is the best 38.99 I have ever spent. I turned the Haynes manual I bought into fire starter material.




Todd :hurrican:

 

From those pictures I wonder how much of that jeep is original?
like said before the centered pumpkin of the rear diff brings up huge questions about originality of the drivetrain
front indicator lights are from a late modle
I am not sure but are there side light indents on those front fenders?
Single stick t case and floor shift
Steering column with a place for the ignition key

 

Get a old of lhyatt on this board, he lives in Jackson,Ohio and he has a new dash panel for sale for that Jeep.



His phone# is (740) 820-3735 and ask for Larry. Really good guy and that dash panel is in excellent shape. Plus he has other stuff to get rid of for the 225 motor.





Todd :hurrican:

 

I would say that many a Jeep has been bought and torn down before it is really known what shape the components are in. On that Jeep I would check out the wiring to make sure what worked and didn't, and then make sure the brakes are going to stop it. If the rear axle has been swapped, then you may already have better brakes then stock. Check out the condition of the gear lube in all the components. Not a bad idea to change the lube in the diffs, trans, transfer case, and outer knuckles on the front axle. Tune-up parts on the motor are always a good use of time also. The search function is your friend, as well as the tech section on this site. We do love pics on this site!

 

Baja Edition,
Those are all good points that I will check on. I'm afraid I am hampered by not being sure exactly what is stock for the '67 tuxedo. That's a reason why I'm on this forum... to gain info and advice from people who know. I'll research what is stock and try to post up the drivetrain configuration. One fender is fiberglass so it may turn out that the only remaining original part is the tuxedo hood.

Todd,
Good input on the manual... saved me time searching. Also, your buddy Larry seems close. He might be within a 20 minute drive. I'll give him a call.

 

I had a 65 and the list of chrome goodies is kinda long, front bumper, hub caps, gas tank fuel cap, stuff on dash. A 67 came with a D18 tcase and a rear offset D44 among other items. What engine does it have? A V6?
Anyway, we have a good page here on Tux's, give it a look over and see what you can glean. I long ago sold my spare chrome Tux stuff but I am sure you can get parts.
Good luck

 

Looks like you got some work ahead of you but it is not a total right off. I would say that is a reasonably solid candidate for a rebuild in the restification kind of category. It looks like you have some scary long shackles on those springs for the lift. I would suggest getting some new springs and normal shackles. Maybe upgrade to later CJ or YJ style springs. With the centered rear end that looks to be a flanged Dana 44 you likely have a Dana 20 transfer case (possible Dana 300). It is tough to tell from the picture but it almost looks like you have a open knuckle front end which is likely a Dana 30. That would be a nice axle combo for you. Get us some better pictures of the axles, tranny and transfer case and we will be able to tell you what you have. Some pictures of the engine would be good too. I am guessing a Dauntless/Buick V6. I find it nicer when people post the pictures direct to the thread page from photobucket. It is extremely easy to do. Just click on the IMG code and paste it here in your message and it will show up right in the post.











It looks like you should pull the tub get a welder and give classic enterprises a call for some replacement panels. I would also suggest like others to do a brake upgrade to probably disk front and rebuild what you have in the back as the centered axle likely has 11" drum brakes. Some new springs and a thorough chassis cleanup and paint would be good. I think it looks good with 33" tires. If it hasn't already been done a saginaw manual or power steering upgrade would be a good way to go as well. Many here suggest to get the Jeep running first and then tear into it later after you are more aware of what you would like and know what it needs. That is good advice but not always practical. Good luck on the project. You have found the right place to get all the info and support you need. The search function will do you well as anything you want to do is nearly guarantied to have been covered here before. I also suggest you post a buildup thread in the fabrication and builds section here with plenty of pictures. We all love to see the buildups and the support you can get from others when you are deep into a project can really help with the motivation factor. Looking forward to seeing more.
Greg

 

Here is a little inspiration that may get you going...it was my dad's first car he bought (1967), the one pic is from last year when I picked it up, sat in the barn for over 20yrs after I rolled it back in 1988, picked it last year from my parents and was just planning on a little bit of work, decided it would be easier to pull the body to do the brakes...and then the rest was history! I need to get some of my dad's pics from back in the late 60's/70's. It's not as hard as you may think...just depends how much money you want to spend!Check out my profile for more pics.

 

I have some photos of the engine, transmission, transfer case and rear end. I'll try to post them to photobucket first and then put them on the forum. The quality is not good because I wonder if they show enough to be decisive.

The short term plan is to drain all the fluids and start from scratch. It sat for at least 2 years without moving so I agree they need changed... especially the gas. It'll give me a chance to look closely at all the major system. After that I'd like to get it running. Once running, I'll work on improving what's broke or marginal.

I'll try tp get a picture of the wiring. Just about everywhere there should be a harness there is point to point wiring. Under the dash the wiring looks like a rats nest. Under the hood it is almost as bad. There will lots of work to do there but first I need to do the simple things... function check headlights, tail lights, turn signals, gages etc.

67 Kaiser... you are right ... great job and it'll give me something to shoot for in the long term.

Added more photos to photobucket. They give a bit more info. I'll try to add the best photos to this thread tomorrow night.

Wow you guys have a great site. I whined before about info and then I find the site has excellent info on the Tuxedo. Also I have to thank you guys for the excellent suggestions. I know ya'll must get tired of telling people where to get maintenance manuals or body parts but I really appreciate the suggestions.

 

May I suggest you grab that wire by the handfull with a pair of cutters and rip it out of there. Call EZ wire and order a 12 circuit wiring harness and be done with it. These old wiring harnesses that have been messed with for 40 years are not only a waist of time but are just crap. I would maybe just temporary get enough wiring working to run but if you are nut going to drive it on the road before the teardown for resto just leave the rest.

I don't want to hijack this thread but I have to comment. Holy cow 67KaiserCJ5 that Jeep of yours is sweet. I really love the orange and the wheels with tire size and lift. If I had a early CJ5 I would want it to look similar to yours. Nice job. Definitely something for Flint to aspire to.
Greg

 

Thanks...I agree with you on the EZ wiring harness...that's what I did, cost like $150 pending how many circuits you go...easy install, everything is labeled on the wires about every 8-10 inches, there is a few extra wires but you can use those for additional lights or whatever. EZ Wiring is the cheapest out there, go right to the website.