Pros and cons of Early vs Intermediate CJ5?

It's all a matter of taste and pocket book. Personally I think the 60's with the Dauntless odd fire V6 is a real blast to drive and I haven't found anywhere I wanted to go that wouldn't go! Maintenance may be a little more than the newer ones, but that just means you get to play with it when it's bad weather!!

 

Most folks end up doing that stuff to early CJ5's anyhow, may as well start with an Intermediate and skip all the work.

But I like the idea of having something that ain't seen much around anymore. The short nose CJ5's are a classic.

 

1965

 

I must put my 0.20 in.
I got a 1970 CJ5 (made in OCT 69) in 1976, blew the engine in 1980 and it was slow work, wife, kid, work. It is running again as of 18 months ago.
I love the fact that is the last real jeep ever made. AMC, Chrysler, Daimler and now Jeep?, car companies. Willys (pronounced Will is), and Kaiser kept the original toughness of owning and driving a JEEP. The others, SUVs, suburban commuter vehicles (stay away from or modify the heck out of the square light CJ7s, they were bad). All my opinion, and we know what that is worth.
I have a friend at work that is a 4WD freak. Late CJ5s and CJ7s, by the way, the only parts that are stock are the tranfer cases. Ford engines and cut down axels, T18s, power steering custom bumpers that double as air tanks. Would not want to own one but would go any where with him.
All I ask, if you want to modify, get a really bad early or a later one. do not get a nice 71 Renegade and hack it up. That would make me cry.
Jim

PS -- I was sitting at the Coney Flats creek crossing last summer, boy was it crowded. A guy in a 4 door $30K+ Rubicon pulled up next to my 42 year old, original paint, slightly rusty with a drop cloth for seat covers and was all but drooling over my CJ5. Said he always wanted one of those. I thought to my self ... for what that cost you could have 8 or 10 of these in this shape.
The older the cooler.

 

i have been toying with selling my 57 m38a1 and 69 cj5 134 and buying a wrangler but after driving my 69 to work for 2weeks i am going to sell my m38a1 to someone who will restore it with the respect it deserves and send the 69 to the bodyshop to make it my 3 season driver its cool to drive a piece of american history and the respect you get from other jeepers. even my wife calls it her cute little jeep but i've never let him heard that. it is a jeep thing drive one to understand
.

 

I have two generations, the '71 Ren II CJ5, and a built '95 Wrangler. Wife and I are discovering our new place, the Prescott, AZ area, and usually take the Wrangler out for one reason. It's longer wheel base is much more comfortable in the back country, and the Jeep is inherently, more reliable. At least in my mind of course! The CJ5 as-is, is bullet-proof, but you pay a price in the seat cushion, my own, on these forest service trails. The coolness factor of the CJ is off the charts though, I get lots of looks when I take it to 'town'. Have a guy coming over with cash to look at it this morning.

 

Love this forum and love this thread! The resto of my early 60s CJ5 is at the stage where it's in pieces in the garage and about to start the reassembly. This discussion has been just the boost I needed!

Can't wait to have it back on the road.

Cheers,

Gordon. : )

 

Right now I have a '57, a '67 and a '97. I can't comment on the dauntless motor right now, unless we were talking about how fast I thought the engine block could take me to the bottom of a lake, but the f-4 has tons of character. I don't drive it often due to a lack of ability to keep up with traffic on my main road/rural highway, but I enjoy driving it much more than the TJ. I think with a few of the upgrades that were done in the intermediates, my early could be just as capable as any newer model Jeep. More than likely though, it will never be as comfortable. But, I like it that way!

 

Personally, I think finding either an early or an intermediate with a nice tub would trump all other factors. I do like the D18 a lot better than the D20, both for the OD option and driveshaft angles, and if you build the D18 with a later D20 case, I really don't think there is any notable difference in strength.

As noted, the axles, brakes, and steering are all better with the intermediates. The wheelbases are close enough that I never really noticed much difference with respect to climbing over rocks on the trail.

The 225 versus the I6/304 is a toss-up in my book, but if you want it for anything close to a DD, I would steer clear of the F head in the early.

I never got much real enjoyment from the 134's, just too doggy but with 5.38's, they do work off-road. Just don't go wheeling with the v6/v8 crowd. And there is a readily available power upgrade for them: the small block Chevy

 

My F134 IS my daily driver.

And if you wheel the 4, you don't worry about the idiots in the v6/v8 class. I have no urge to ruin my equipment by doing some of the things they think is cool. When it is not.

Slow down, leave earlier, live longer and enjoy the scenery!

 

My jeep is a :v6: but I agree with this sentiment 100%

 

hey thats not nice just cause we like to get to point b same day as we leave point a

 

Yeah, I did not buy my Willys to go fast in.

Plus I don't need air conditioning with all the open space behind the windshield. Not to mention No Blind Spots! (excepting maybe where the top mounted windshield wipers are)

 

60 maybe 65 is my top speed, an thats on I80, the backroads get 55 if it was good enough for the 70's its good enough now.

 

I can do point A to point B in one day. I just get more opportunities to see points C through Z on the way!

 

Sorry for diggin up an old post, but this is a oldie but a goodie

Never owned an intermediate but the charm of a stubby 5 is unmistakable.

Up here, in mud month, I put my Jeeps through hell, and my REALLY ratty, falling apart, stock 65 with NDTs did everything my mildly modded 97 could do (maybe even make it look easier). I was seriously impressed this spring. I also took it down ATV trails my TJ wouldn't fit down. None of my CJs see much pavement. Hopefully my 57 changes that soon enough, but it's far from stock. Love this crew and this site for keeping the faith.

 

In rough situations the short wheelbase climbs like a goat. Nothing to beat it.

 

......behind a tree.