Please help evaluate a potential purchase: 4 speed T98 1962 CJ5

Hi, all. What do you think of this?:

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2108312818&code=21152565&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite

(link should work without an account.)

The description is: "Have a bad body CJ5 w/ electric/hydraulic plow, original sportbar, original top bows/doors and a factory T98 4 speed." Supposedly it ran before winter and the tranny shifts nice but now it has a broken front leaf spring so hasn't been started.

How much would you pay and would this be a good semi-beginner project? The end goal would be a resto-mod... mainly resto/stocker except with small lift and rear mounted spare & jerry can like an M38. I'd like to plow with it, and drive it on backroads on nice days. Thanks for any input!

 

Also, what questions would you ask the seller?

 

...before which winter? 1980? That puppy looks like it's been sitting there for much longer than a few months. Still I like it. I see it's already going 20 MPH... R)

IMO, without seeing what the underneath looks like (plow Jeeps usually = much rust), you already know to put on new suspension, top, speedo, etc. Is that air horn off the carb? Could be another headache. Is there a clear title?

If it were me, I'd show up w/ $300 in cash (w/ a case of beer as an extra bargaining chip ) & a hauler + take 'er home.

 

*Ask about a title, for sure, and if he/she will deliver.
*How long they've owned it
*what kind of duty did the Jeep see (plow only? Offroad fun?)
*how did the spring break?
*What major work has ever been done on it?
*Any known frame cracks?
*Any old pics?
*Extra keys? (If/when you buy it)
...those are all I can think of now...

 

Plowing can be really hard on a CJ. I've seen several that are swaybacked because of the stress the plow puts on the frame. Broken front leaf is suspicious.

The main problem I see is you can't inspect it very well considering how overgrown it is. Plus, old cars in NE aren't worth much ... everything rusts. The T-98 is neat if you want to run a 134. Yeah, offer him $100 and he can keep the plow.

 

Rusty, where are you located? I know of CJ-5 project material that is in a lot better shape than this near me.

The one above looks like parts to me. Get 'em both and make one.

 

I'm in Waltham, MA. I'd love to know more about the one near you!

 

I'ts only a block from me, in a plumber's yard. IIRC it's a 63 or so. Has the battery cover on the cowl. T-90, F134, plow frame but no plow. Hood is missing (stolen). Body is pretty good, maybe some holes in the floors. Lots of surface rust. It's been sitting in this spot for all the time I've lived in Medford, more than 3 years. I spoke to the owner's wife about it - it was owned by one of the in-laws (?) and was previously used to plow paths to the graves for funerals at a cemetery. It has a Kelly (?) hard top, with failing paint and some surface rust. Here's a picture:



She says it has a bad engine, and it looks like the head is off. I have not talked price in any way with these folks, and I haven't looked closely enough at this Jeep to judge. However, the body looks pretty solid, and it appears to have been put in storage a long time ago (check the white walls). Hopefully the owner does not have an inflated idea of its value. Maybe he'll be realistic for the right buyer.

Here's the location:
Paul T Walsh & Sons Inc
143 Myrtle Street, Medford, MA 02155
(781) 395-3576

<edit> Actually, I recall that I talked to the owner once. He's the one that told me about the cemetery. He also went on a long story about the stolen hood, how he knows who took it, etc. Seems like a nice enough guy, but he probably won't remember talking to me. Most of the info above was probably from him, sp. that it was his wife's father's Jeep, maybe , IIRC.

 

Thanks a ton for the info! I left a message, hopefully they'll call back.

 

Sounds like the same Jeep advertised on WTech. Definitely way too much too much. You can find them for that money running with a whole lot less work. The four speed is about the only part I would want off of her.

 

If you end up with it,let me know. I've got spares avail

 

Looks like the same dash/sticker Kodiak posted up that he got last week? Is he the one selling it? Maybe he'll chime in.

 

Yup that's Bills The jeep i started with was worse than that.

 

X2

 

Yes this is mine. Too many toys and new neighbors don't appreciate the recent yard projects. Everything has to go inside.
Price out a T98 for a jeep 4 cyl engine, add adapters, then you have to get the crossmember, then cut front and rear driveshafts to proper length. The transfercase levers for the T98 are more straight because the whole assembly is further back. Then there are the floor plates which are particular to the oversized 4 speed.
You get factory top bows w/ doors for a person doing a resto and then there is the entire electric over hydraulic plow assembly. The owner was the original owner and he never registered it and a 54 CJ3B that I also bought. The owner used the 3B for plowing but last year it overheated and they put the plow on the T98 CJ5. The one worker he had said he broke the front leafspring plowing early this winter and the old man got sick so he's selling everything. Whether the engine ran or not didn't make a difference to me as anything I'm gonna drive on the road had better not leave me stranded, meaning rebuild, brakes too, maybe 11''ers
The original idea was to sandblast the frame get a new body/fenders and rebuild engine/brakes regardless of condition. Throw on my other pto winch and add overdrive. Maybe mild lift and 33's. I was going to drop this off at my sisters house in VA where there are places that are actually not posted "no trespass".
I just called Advance Adapters. The tranny to transcase adapter is $490
They don't carry the bellhousing to tranny adapter. AA directed me to Wallys. Wallys isn't sure he has the stand alone adapter but it would be about $300. He would also sell you the tranny w/ two adapters but no bellhousing or transfercase for $1250 plus shipping. He doesn't rebuild the tranny as it's pretty much indestructable but they inspect it before selling it.
I'm probably dragging it home this weekend or early next week from where it sits in Ct. I'll sell the top bows/doors and the plow and see how it goes.

 

so what is the price and its location? is it in NY? depending on those 2 factors i may be interested if Rusty is not....

 

Right now it's in Ct. I have it listed for $1500.

 

Betsy started out as a plow Jeep. The guy wanted $1300. Her condition was better than the one your looking at, but not by much. I was able to here the motor run or I would've walked away. I tried to walk away anyways, but the guy really wanted it to go as his wife was sick of having the jeep alongside the house. I started at $300 and we ended up at $500. Dealing only with cosmetics and absolutely needed work I put about another $3000 to make her driveable and put a 4wd hardware body on her. Since then we'll let's not discuss my budget lets just say it's at least double that now and my wife may be reading this.

I think you'd be much better off looking for one much closer to a running condition even if you spent another $500 on a going concern. There's no doubt the T-98 is very desirable, but you need more that a transmission to drive down the road.