It's Finally Done! My 79 CJ5 Restoration...

Well, it's been about 9 months since I posted anywhere on this forum. And I'm back to say thanks once again to all those who helped give support, answers, advice, and especially pictures from the shop manual! My dad and I started disassembly in August 2006, and over the last 2 years, we spent about 6 months total actually working hard on it. The rest of the time, it sat in pieces during all the cold months inside a warehouse gathering dust and longing to be driven again. Now we're finally done! It was a frame-off restoration and there isn't enough space here to tell about all that we did. But there wasn't a bolt, wire, gasket, or screw that didn't get replaced or at least thoroughly cleaned. Here are the vital stats:

• 1979 American Motors Jeep CJ-5
• AMC 304 V8 (rebuilt and balanced by professional machine shop)
• T-150 3-speed
• Dana 20 transfer case
• Dana 30 front, AMC 20 rear axles
• Cumberland Green Metallic

All numbers match, and it still wears about 90% of it's original factory equipment. I still have all the original equipment that was replaced (carb, manifold, valve covers, etc.)

Here are some "eye candy" pictures for you!

 

very nice
showroom ready !

 

WOW! You did a great job! :AMC:

 

Well done!

 

Better than new....cause you did it yourself Looks very nice.

 

You should be proud, great job.

 

Sweet !
(No one's said it yet!)

 

very nice lookin. where in oregon you from?

 

Thanks everyone! I am from Beaverton, Oregon. Born and raised. I work in Tualatin, where all the work was done on the Jeep. I just took it to the Cruisin' Sherwood car show this weekend. Had to be parked next to a $150,000 Ford GT. Didn't get a whole lot of attention, and no trophy. But I got to talk to a lot of guys who all said, "I used to have one just like this..." I'll bet they wish they had it back.

 

Not much beats a job well done!

 

Refresh us with a few "before" shots! That's a good looking buggy. Been coveting your engine photo for a while. Nice to see the rest.

 

OK, I'll try to post some "Before and After" shots here.

The photos are only a sliver of what I took during the whole process and don't give a true feeling of all the work that went into it. But at least you get to see where we started and where we ended. Enjoy...

 

HA! He said "done".

 

Very nice, are you going wheeling with it?

 

Very nice- I have a 79 too, but I didn't go as far as you did! Nice color BTW!

 

Thanks for all the compliments guys. Chilly, you are right with the "Ha Ha, he said DONE" comment. I still have to hook up the winshield squirter, get the clock wiring to work, fix a new rattle under the passenger seat (where a new muffler bracket it hitting) and best of all, take out a bad turn signal switch assembly and harness from the steering column and fish a new one back into it. For now, I have no brake lights, turn signals, hazzards, or horn!

Wheeling? Well, I don't know. This Jeep has seen PLENTY of tight trails, mud, rocks, and I even suspect a rollover from the PO. I was never bashful off-road with this Jeep and had to use my winch plenty of times. But now that it is in "showroom" condition, it might be a while before I lock in those Warn hubs again...But who am I kidding? I'll probably wake up one morning and there will be mysterious mud sprayed all over it. I think it is alive.

 

Yeah, it was tough getting that first scratch, but along came my 70 commando to ease the pain. My 79 CJ now has mud stains on the paint, and scratches down both sides