CJ-5 Daily driver?

Hippo: Was mine really that hard to get in and out of when you were here?

Get a cage!

 

I think it depends alot on where you live and the volume of traffic. I live in the car congested San Francisco/San Jose bay area. Think 6 lane freeways(6 lanes each direction in some areas) bumper to bumper parking lots twice a day during weekdays.
Daily severe injury/fatal accidents within a 40 mile radius of my place.
Three were killed a few days ago on hwy 280 for example.
I dont drive my jeep on the freeway period. I think of it more as a recreational vehicle.
Air bags, nader bars in the doors, abs disc brakes, toasty heater, cool ac etc are more suitable for the freeways around here.
I do drive the jeep on visits and errands and side trips that I can do on the street and side roads.
I think its all about where you live. When the word "Highway or Freeway" is mentioned, it means different things to different people based on their location.

 

The highways around where I live are only 2 lanes, 3 at the most each way. I am a safe driver compared to many other classmates I know. It annoys me how they think drivinng recklessly and going down the highway at 130mph in the morning is fun and safe. I would prefer to drive the speed limit or maybe a few mph under, its just the type I am. Im only 16 but I feel safer if I feel that im doing a good job driving. I might look into a rollbar just because I would like to have all my limbs in 40 year.s Thanks for the advice.

 

I drive my 63 everyday and love it. The motor needs a rebuild and the hard top doors rattle like crazy but I absolutely love it. I went from a 02 Excursion with every amenity known to man to my beat up 63 but I am happier for it.
I don't do much highway driving for sure but what I have done wasn't fast so be prepared to get there a bit slower and yes, you do have to work a bit when driving. I will admit that I have a second vehicle that I use on long road trips though. I love my jeeps but I don't like to punish myself too much on the long trips.

 

i drove one for like 2 years.. rain sleet snow.. you can do it...

my ranger is a nicer daily and can haul parts too.....

 

All this cage talk has me wanting to go pick up my new CJ5, or at least parts from it, from my dads place. Will it fit with my hard top, or am I gonna have to convince my wife to let me buy a soft top for safety reasons ? My "sport bar" does not interfere with the hard top.

 

I don't worry about driving on the freeway. I live in Los Angeles. The traffic's so bad you can't go fast enough to get hurt

Seriously, I wouldn't go anywhere without a cage. Especially offroad, mostly cause of the special cargo in the back sitting the carseats with big smiles on their faces.

 

you paint smilie faces on the beverages??

j/k i drove mine around for a couple of hours in atl traffic the other day. it didn't do too bad, but the average speed was around 60-65 on a 45 mph road and the little guy didn't like that too much. i've also began to notice that as i begin to trust it a little bit more and take it out for longer trips that some people like to mess with me, others get blinded by the side mounted spare going mach 2 down the road (it sure feels like mach 2 with the xfer case screaming down the road), and other just drive too close to my lane for my comfort. that's why i asked to see other people's cages... it's starting to worry me and my pops said he would fund it (after getting in behind me one day and seeing something he didn't like). other than that go for it. the rides a little tough but it'll get you there....even when the daily driver refuses to leave the driveway. it's odd but the 35 year old cj almost seems more reliable than an 8 year old cherokee.

 

tuxman. at 16 years old you seem to have a good driving head on your shoulders. that will go a long way to keeping that head and appendages intact.

i second or third or whatever the cage. as well as lap and shoulder belts.

all the things in driver's ed for regular cars apply here as well, anticipation, defensive driving, getting to know the characteristics of the cj, etc. i have a feeling that you will start out driving at a very controlled and comfortable speed until you learn how it will handle and increase it gradually as your skills or situation warrant up to your own limits and those of the cj then back off some. you don't seem to be the type to let peer drivers goade you into going beyond the limits of the cj.

most of the tj's and yj's i see in the salvage yard have more to do with drinking and young male "prowess proving" than anything else.

 

Roll cage - all the way. Sounds like your right attitude has gotten you 90% there. I hope my new driver has a similar attitude. So far so good. She just finished drivers-ed last night.

 

ditto above
I'm on the seat belt and roll bar wagon
if you don't want a front cage, at the very least have a roll bar in the rear

 

Ok guys, thanks for the advice. I think I will deffinately be looking into a full cage. The CJ5 I have already has a "sportbar" on it so I might just work off of that. Again I appreciate the good advice from this seemingly unending pit of knowledge about Jeep CJ's.

 

I've been using my '71 as a dd but only for about a month so I dont know what kinda tricks may be waiting up her sleeve. Before that I was driving a rickety stripped out 89 YJ with nothing but a bikini top since early May rain or shine. I do about 40 miles round trip a day about half city half highway but the CJ does fine. Not having power brakes in the city causes you to need to anticipate cars and stop lights alot more to save your legs and brakes but I love it. I'm going to have about 4 more cold doorless weeks before I get my top in, but a loss of creature comforts is the price you pay to be able to drive a Jeep and it just depends on what thats worth to you! As for this winter I'm buying a little electric heater and a cheap timer and running a extension chord into the Jeep so before the morning commute I'll have a nice a toasty cj to get into.

 

Heck - you might want to check Cabela's or Wal-Mart for the newest tent heaters. They run off the small 1lb propane cylinders and are safe to use in confined spaces. You'd just need to come up with a mounting method that wouldn't allow it to turn over.

 

Yeah looking for the preheat. But the tent heater idea may work to help take some of the chill off. I'll just have to see how bads its gonna get.