My "new" CJ5.

Hello ya'll.

I'm brand new to the jeep world so this is going to be quite the learning experience for me. I picked up a 1974 CJ5 this past weekend. Looking into restoring it over the course of 2-3 years. Have no clue where to start, just figured I'd introduce myself and show ya'll my purchase. I'd love to hear any tips, ideas, suggestions, etc which ya'll are willing to give. Thanks.

 

Nice find! Looks pretty good, in fact, why don't you get some mud on it and pretty that rig up a little.

Welcome from Fla! Where ya'll from?

 

Pics in your first post is always a good thing.

Does look like a nice rig to start with. When you say restore. Are you talking back to factory specs or resto-mod?

 

resto-mod I imagine. I'll want some of my own touches, I guess I shouldn't use the word so loosely. Haha.

I'm about 30 miles from the Florida border.

 

I'm about 30mi from the border, too. Which end?

 

East. 10 minutes from the ocean. Glynn county, Ga.

 

Woohoo - Fairway Green Poly originally. My favorite color from that era.

I'd suggest you go over it from top to bottom and fix anything that is broken or worn out. Stabilize (or even better, repair) any rust. Look at the frame closely, especially where the frame rails meet the front cross member and where the spring hangers meet the frame.

I'd suggest you drive it for a while before you start on any major changes. Looks like the springs have been upgraded fairly recently. That little steering wheel isn't so great with manual stering - I'd suggest the original "bus wheel." The manual steering is ok if it's adjusted properly and all your wearable components are in good shape. Once you are happy with the condition and reliability, wheel it ... that will help point out what you like and don't like about the stock configuration.

Couple of obvious things I saw - no heater, no parking brake. Most states you'll need a parking brake to register. No heater is probably ok in the south. Roll bar isn't really - just holds up the bikini top. Odd shape to the back side of the windshield - don't know what that's about.

Welcome aboard!

 

So just from the pictures you guys see, it doesn't seem like it will take too much to make it roadworthy in your opinion?

 

No, looks in pretty good shape to me. How does it drive?

 

Not too bad. Never had a manual steering vehicle before, so that's different for me. Brakes are a little soft unless you really pound them in, don't know if that's normal?

edit: those were my two main concerns.

 

Pretty clean and complete for a 34 year old rig,, good luck on your new life as a Jeeper.

 

Brakes should be solid. Likely that's one of the things the previous owner left to you to fix. People never sell cars until the amount they need is more than they can afford in time, money or enthusiasm.

It has 11"x2" Bendix drum brakes. They work well, and the parts are widely available. Drums are a little more trouble than disks, and need service more often, but you can keep them for now.

Most drivers today expect power steering and brakes, so driving may take a little more effort than you are used to. The steering will require a lot of effort when you are moving slow on pavement, especially with those big tires and the little wheel. Replacing the wheel was a bad idea, but POs do some odd things.

 

Looks like the master cylinder may be a good place to start looking for a cure- lots of old fluid on that unit. And yes, a big ol' "bus wheel" is the thing to have with manual steering. Other than that I would drive the snot outta that rig. Good Buy! If you paid anything less than 2k you got a steal.

 

Welcome from the desert ! Here's a present for ya " I just found this link for a '74 too ! Great Jeep !
http://oljeep.com/edge_74_manual.html

 

Welcome to your new obsession, always great to welcome another Jeeper! If you haven't started, keep an eye on your local craigslist. People liquidate lots of Jeep parts, and you maybe able to find stuff cheap. Classifieds here are a good place as well.

 

Well thanks for all the info ya'll. I really hope to get deep into it before I head back to school for the semester. I paid well under 2K for it, so I guess I got a good deal?

Anyway. I'm thinking all I need to really get it on the road is brakes. I'll be sure to pick up a "bus wheel" as well.

Any opinion on these? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jeep-CJ-5-fiberglass-tub_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em14Q2el1318QQhashZitem300241931459QQitemZ300241931459

 

I would drive it till it breaks then fix it, I just fixsed my brakes to day for the third time in less than a year and they are feeling normal again.

 

Er- why? We haven't seen the floor of your rig- is it gone?

And for the record, I would rather hack and weld for months and have a steel tub that waste time on fiberglass, but that's just me.

 

Yep - JMO - you're nowhere near needing a fiberglass body. You'd be throwing out the baby with the bath water. Spend your money on a good MIG welder (Miller, Hobart, Lincoln) and fix what you have. Stabilize the rust by grinding off as much as you can and coating with a product like Eastwood Rust Encapsulator.