What mods did you do "back in the day"?

I have recently acquired a ‘64 Willys CJ-5 that was probably first modified in the 70's. Like many of the cj's I've seen, it is a homogenizing of parts. It has a Dauntless V6 with later cj motor mounts, welded not riveted. The vestige of the old 4 cyl mounts are still there. There's a 2100 series Motorcraft carb on Offy 4bbl manifold with a couple of riser/adapters and full length headers. Stock 27 and 44 axles with saginaw steering mod. Old school 2"+ lift with extensions welded to the spring perch and extended shackles. Spring packs are down to 5 leaves. Helper coils over the rear shocks. Rear shock mounts moved closer to vertical. Stock tranny and T/C still there. 31 x 10.5 tires. Do these mods seem consistent with the era? Are they what’s still being done today? Are they consistent with a crawler build or something else? With so much interchangeability it seems difficult to know the provenance of a Jeep unless it's virtually unmolested. I've restored and rodded other makes (Studebakers are my main passion) but never a Jeep and one of the things I like is a vehicle that is "true" to it's time period. With the number of modifications already done I think this CJ will never be stock but I was hoping set it up like it would have been in the day. Are there old time Jeep guys out there who can chime in on the matter? What mods did you do? What parts did you change/add? Tires sizes? Roll cages? Power adders? What did you use your Jeep for? Period pictures would be sooo great! I know with such a versatile car and diversity of owners there's not one answer but many but it’s always interesting to hear from the guys who’ve been around from the start.

Thanks for indulging me. Maybe others will want to "restore" their Jeep period correct too.
Mike

Moderator: Move/delete if inappropriate.

 

Wow Mike, your asking allot!.............I have a 1965 CJ5 that I bought new in 1967 off of a dealers lot in Oakland , Cal.........It had the original 4 cylinder in it with a 3 speed and the optional rear end gears of 4:27 with a factory Powr-Lok............During the early 70's I hunted out of it for a while but at elevation the little 4-banger just did not have what it takes..........later I installed a 64 Buick Odd fire V6 motor. I also installed an aluminum offy manifold, with the little 390 cfm Holley 4 barrel, Isky cam and Mallory dual point dist.......the 3-speed stayed and I added a Warn Winch and Overdrive......it also had Tru Track 11-15's on it front and rear.........pretty much the Jeep of choice back in the 70's ( the picture of it is what it looked like the day I hauled it out of storage last year).......quite capable off road in some pretty tough country throughout the Western United States even at elevation...... but this was no rock climber .........although I did take it through the Rubicon twice , back when you could go there without any restrictions or rules........Going through there with a 3 speed and no low gears was hard on the clutch but we made it with no issues.

Fast forward to today and after my Jeep had been in storage for about 28 years with only 27,000 miles.........it is now getting it's final makeover........My 65 will never be the same as when I first brought it home....but that's OK its not a trailer queen nor a 4th of July vehicle..............what it is and always will be is a capable vehicle to get you out in the bush and get ya back!................better axles front and rear , better suspension, lower gears and a T-18 Ford 4-Speed Truck Transmission with a granny low gear, Locking rear ends, and even a heater for the first time..........

Can the original 1970's Jeep still perform? Absolutely! You just have to know yours and your Jeeps capabilities and don't get carried away!

 

Man Tarry, I never get tired of see pics of your Jeep.

 

Thanks for sharing Tarry. I imagine like most long term owners their rides evolve with them. The only time we stop is if we sell 'em. It's a great looking jeep. Looks great for being stored that long. Were the aftermarket gauges, cb, gimble compass all added back then? If my math is right you drove it for almost 20 years! Dig the Peace sticker

 

Yep....... last time I used it , hunted out of it and was last registered was 1984.......broke the front end on a Hunting trip to Nevada off Hiway 50 South of Austin......about 200 miles each way back to Fallon , Nevada to rob parts off of a Scout in a wrecking yard to get it out of there....Of course when your young everything is an adventure! The gauges ( never liked Idiot lights) , AM radio , CB and compass were also added by me........No GPS back then......so if you were in the bush you needed the compass to find your way around!

 

Nice Jeep, long live white tops!

Mike

 

My 68 CJ5 is almost a copy of Tarry's. I bought it in the spring of 69 and it was titled as a 69. It came with the 225, 488's in the thick tube housing, Meyers top, and the lovely T86. The Meyers went away almost immediately-traded for Whitco, built a rear tire carrier, added a second hand Belleview 6000 winch, new Warn OD, Offy intake and 450 cfm Holley, Headman headers, and rear tank. It has pretty much remained unchanged the last 40 years and has 42k on it. Nice Jeep but not near the fun of the 3B.

The first mod I made to the 1955 3B a year after purchasing it in 1972 was tossing the F head and installing a 327, with the rest remaining mostly stock for about a year and a half. In 1974 a frame off rebuild replaced way more of it than what was left of stock pieces and emerged with a 1970 LT 1 under the hood. Nothing escaped in stock form from that and I have been swapping swaped pieces ever since.