New Project 58 Cj5

Brought home a disassembled 58 CJ5 last weekend. Below is the chassis. I hooked up a battery and fuel source this morning and it started right up and ran like a new engine. I will be building a test drive platform and seat to drive it around some to check out the rest of the drive train in the next couple of days. It came with nice fenders and hood, all I need is a body tub to build a Jeep, if I decide to do that. Really too nice to part out.

 

Had an old CJ that was so rusted out that I put a couple of treated 2 x 8's across the door opening and bolted some old seats to that. Drove it around the grandparent's farm like that for a long time. Once, the foot fell off the fuel pump and it died near the pond. We drove it back to the house with an antifreeze jug full of gas tied to the windshield. The foot was in the bottom of the oil pan. Didn't hit anything.

Dave

 

I'm just having a fast forward vision to 2025 and a kid whacking on his cell phone trying to get AAA to come out and tow his Jeep to the nearest mechanic........
Ahhhhaaaaa the "can do" spirit.

Oldpappy, just out of curiosity, how much did you pay for that?

 

Very nice! Someone liked chrome too

 

Do you have the cover for the steering box?

 

"Do you have the cover for the steering box?"

It is laying on the floor in the picture. That steering box was jammed up, so I took another and swapped it so I could steer it up onto the trailer. Left that steering box and cover on his garage floor.

 

"Someone liked chrome too"

Yep, must have liked it. Rocker cover, tappet cover, cutlass hubs, and even the inspection cover for the bell housing have been chromed.

 

Very nice! I’m jealous. I want to start a new one for some reason. Love working on these.

 

Nice score!

When I was but a wee child, I distinctly remember my dad doing that with his GPW while he had the body off replacing floorboards. The Jeep was a tool he used all the time with a cherry picker and pushbar, and he didn't want it down for the month or so it took to patch up the body.

That's one advantage to chassis mounted pedals and steering column.

 

Show Jeep!! The right guy landed that one!

 

Did somebody say chrome ?

 

This stuff came with the 3A I purchased a couple decades back and is still hanging on the shop wall---

 

Im glad you were the one who bought this!

 

Those chrome hubs are so awesome

 

The hubs are early Cutlass, and they are as functional as they are shiny.

 

Back when chrome was a carcinogenic process that put a coating on the metal that would last the life of the car.....

 

Ran the engine about 30 minutes today. Idles good, a bit rough a little above idle, then smooths out with more RPM.

It sat for a few years, so not surprising it may need a little TLC. I will check the advance weights, timing and give it a tune up. I'll probably take a look into the carburetor to make sure it isn't varnished up, and check the float and metering rod for proper adjustment.

 

Still have a somewhat rusted IH 345 air cleaner from that time. Shiny and chrome, I wish I had bought the matching valve covers.

 

I did this after I sand blasted my A1 frame and started putting it back together. I couldn't wait to try it out and the tub took a couple years to finish working weekends on it. I took an old, small dining table and flipped it over and bolted it to the frame.

Looks like a score and way to nice to part out. Find the tub, take your time, replace hat channels if needed and put the best paint on it you can find. I had to fill dozens of holes and patch in sheet metal. Bodywork is very time consuming.

 

Broke my left shoulder a couple weeks ago so haven't been able to do much lately, but did clean some gunk out of the carburetor and have it running good.

Thinking of just buying a reproduction tub. Body work is very time consuming, and at my age the old phrase "Time is Money", means more than it used to.