Some questions on purchasing an early cj5

Hi fellas,

I am not new to the world of jeeping, as I own an 84cj7. However, early 5's are a little new to me. I am looking to purchase one and had a couple questions.....

V6 or I4? Should I stick with the 4cyl for reliability and other reasons too (ie. twin sticks, accessiblity to parts, fuel tanks, gearing options, etc)

Any thing else you guys can think of to look for from experience would help, like frame cracks, etc, that are unique to the early 5.

Thanks for your time guys,

Brendon[/i]

 

first off welcome from central VA. where ya from? we usually like to know just in case one of us is right around the corner from you. second got pics. we like pics.

frame cracks... IIRC you should look around the front bumper and at the suspention mounting points. others will point out other areas that crack. i would keep the 4 cyl if it is a running motor. but thats just my opinion.

 

If you plan on driving it on the street alot I would recommend a v6, the 4's are little slow and rev a little high without a warn overdrive, both of these engines have good parts availability, you just have to know where to look. The frame is prone to cracks around the suspension mounting points and the bumper areas, twin sticks can be put on the v6, but are factory on the 4's. Underseat fuel tanks were factory until the mid year 70's and then were placed in the rear, any model can have the rear tank with minimum mods. Stock gearing for the v6 was ether 3.73 or optional 4.88, 4 cylinders were factory with 4.27 or optional 5.38, alot of them had power locks you will just have to look thru the axle cover plate. All dana's if they have not been removed will have a tag on the pan cover telling the axle ratio. They came factory with an offset to the pass side dana spicer 18 transfer case that can have a PTO or a Warn/Husky overdrive bolted onto it at the point straight behind the transmission. There were 3 slightly different versions of this transfer case, the main difference being the intermediate shaft size, 1", 1 1/8" or 1 1/4", the larger being the last ones made. They will have dana 25 or 27 up front with sealed (yea right) axle u joints, the later dana 30 from 72 on had open u joints. The early model 55-68 had 2 piece axles in the rear dana 44's the 70-71 models had 1 piece flanged axles (better). The early ones had 9x2 brakes instead of the later 10x2 brakes, the 10's are alot better than the 9's but even these should be replaced with the later 11" brakes if it is going to be driven alot, as it is a big improvement. The frame on these models is a large part of the suspension as it is designed to flex very heavily, and actually provides better articulation then Any Jeep that came after it even the modern coil sprung ones. This is not all of what to look for but it is a good start, I'm sure others will chime in here with other facts!!

 

Brendon: First of all, welcome to the board from Havasu. Second, fill out your profile so we know where you are located. Might be someone just around the corner.

As far as V6 vs. I4, they are both very reliable. Many here have over 200,000 on the V6. Your optons are just as open with a V6 as with a I4, maybe more since you have over twice the power and torque.

I'm sure others will chime in here, so get ready! R)

 

Hey guys,

Thanks for the quick replys. Actually until last week, I lived in Atlanta, Ga. I now am living in Mountain View, CA just outside palo alto. I drove my cj7 all the way from Ga, it was alot of fun!

If I were to buy an early fiver, I would be parting with one of best buddies, my 84 cj7. Thus the little 5 would become my DD, for a little while at least. However, most of the trips I do anyways are local, less than 30min drives. No more driving cross country! At least not for now....

 

Bmahoney: Hey, one of our members, Timgr, might be moving to Palo Alto. He was asking about prices ($$ yea right) in that area. See if you can send him a PM and get together with him.

 

Hi - I'm here. Actually I'd be working out of Menlo Park, but nothing is cast in stone yet. I might end up in San Diego, or here in Boston if things don't work out.

If you consider an F4, realize the power-to-weight ratio is higher than 20:1. Fine for what they were built for, though much less performance than modern drivers are used to. Even with 4.88s, you can daily-drive a V6 if you stay within legal speeds.

Never sell a Jeep (ask me how I know!) - you will regret it someday!

 

Hello from Menlo Park. There are alot of ECJ5ers around here. Several in San Jose, one in Palo Alto and I know several who live in San Mateo/Belmont.
Not an expert here, but am comfortable working on my 1966 V6. Send an email if you have a question or need help.

 

Thanks for the advice Tim. I am torn on selling the CJ7. Why would I sell it? Well, money is tight right now. I could get a decent amount for my jeep. With that decent amount I could buy an ECJ5 and pay some bills. I've always loved the short fender fives, so buying one would ease my conscience if I sold my 7.......just a little....... :?

 

Good choice to sell the 7. They are at their peak of value as of a few months ago, and since the introduction of the "unlimited", lots and lots of old jeep fans will be lining up to buy them. Air bags, power steering, carpet, ABS brakes, auto trans, cd player, AC, etc.
Decent 5s in rebuildable condition will be worth much more in a few years for no other reason than they just aint gonna make them anymore and they are perhaps the best of the last.
We are collectively in the golden age of jeeps. The parts are still out there. Cheap in a relative sense. But in 5 years, or ten, it will be all over. Hulls with a mish mash of running gear that reflect the disposable income, cheap opportunity and eclectic tastes of the previous owners.
fiberglass front clip with two electric fans and whiz bang $200 battery.
An engine out of a 5.0 mustang with a rear end out of an Astro Van that nobody, including the original transplanter can diagnose and fix.
sorry for the rant. just my 2 cents.

 

ecj5

Why would you be willing to give up a perfectly good jeep to buy an 'ol classic short hood 5? One that will whine and ride rough and give you lots more road noise and headaches. Trust me on this- do it now and never look back!! Just watch out you don't get hooked as bad as us 'cause there ain't no cure for a case of early jeepitis!!
Howdy from Texas!! :hurrican:

 

Oh, I don't know... a CJ-7 is a good compromise if you want a Jeep for your only car. Especially in California, where there are lots of great places to go within 200, 300 or 400 miles. You may be less willing to pick up and go if your only car is an ECJ5.

After owning it for a few years, I sold my soft top CJ5 and bought my hard top CJ6 because I wanted more of an expedition vehicle, with more security and storage. The CJ7 works pretty well off-road (ask Beth!) and is sufficiently car-like (at least for me) for long trips. A CJ-8 would be better still, or maybe a bullnose, or an XJ.

Nothing against the '5 - maybe I'm getting old - but driving an ECJ5 to the Sierras and back in a weekend doesn't really appeal.

 

best choice would be a 70-75.