1976 cj7 with 1976 cj5 VIN?

[klee]

so I bought this CJ7 a while back, title and all went thru fine, title and vin plate match but I finally decoded it and it says its a 1976 CJ5 ! the history and owners seem very reputable, did jeep ever goof on the new 76 CJ7 ?

 

[Saddle Tramp]

I suspect screw ups can always happen but… Check the secondary VIN on the frame. Try looking on top of the frame at the rear passenger side wheel.

 

[klee]

thanks, and the plot thickens.......are there any visual differences between the 76, 77 and 78 CJ7 ...as ive got suspicions I'm not sure which it is....its a QuadraTrac model...

 

[Posi]

If you purchased a CJ7 , and it has the original tub and frame the 4th and 5th digit in the vin should be 93. If the 4th and 5th digit is 83 someone swapped out the the original vin tag, and title.

The CJ7 has a "U" shaped door opening and the CJ5 has an "S" shape opening. The 7 is 10" longer as well. Q-trac only came in the 7.

 

[Hedgehog]

If you are confused about the difference between a CJ5 & CJ7 look in the "CJ Models" forum "CJ Spotters" thread. A good source to start with.

 

[Peanut Butter]

I suspect screw ups can always happen but… Check the secondary VIN on the frame. Try looking on top of the frame at the rear passenger side wheel.

This is the first place to start. Not the easiest to get to and see, but you can use a piece of paper and rub over it with a soft pencil or crayon to get the number. Also there are two numbers on the Transmission . One on the drivers side near the linkage in the case and the other is the plate on the passenger side about the middle of the Transmission . Those numbers will also give us some clues. And by the way pictures helps us a lot as we all have trouble reading but love to look at pictures. LOL

 

[Torxhead]

Speaking of screw ups, when I first got my CJ7 , which was a long time ago. My insurance man said his records showed my rig as an '86 Wrangler and had to come see it to believe it, go figure.

 

[jzak]

When I bought my CJ5 which had a clean Title from Virginia, everything seemed great until I tried to register it in NC. I found out that the vehicle was registered in Virginia under the wrong VIN. It was missing the first two letters of the sequence, so i couldn't get it registered, or insured for two weeks, until a county investigator finally showed up at my door to confirm the correct VIN on my CJ.

I still cant believe Virginia DMV was so incompetent that they registered the vehicle under the wrong VIN, but when it comes to state bureaucracies i guess anything is possible.

Oh, that reminds me, I recently got pulled over by a cop, and the guy told me my license plate was for a GMC Jimmy. I had to go to the DMV to get a paper which proved my plate is for my CJ, and then hand it over to the courthouse to overturn my case. Royal pain in the butt!! It seems with older vehicles the system they use to look up your car history, just doesn't seem to work right.

 

[Hedgehog]

Your problem is not uncommon. I had troubles with my CJ. They evidently went with a shorter VIN number than what was historically used. When the change over happened it was as if the arbitrarily dropped some numbers. They would say, "Your VIN doesn't make sense." Then, "Oh you've got the old style VIN with extra numbers in it." I don't know how they fixed the situation. I hope it doesn't jump up and bite me in the butt later on."

 

[HackFabrication]

Your problem is not uncommon. I had troubles with my CJ. They evidently went with a shorter VIN number than what was historically used. When the change over happened it was as if the arbitrarily dropped some numbers. They would say, "Your VIN doesn't make sense." Then, "Oh you've got the old style VIN with extra numbers in it." I don't know how they fixed the situation.

17 digit standardized VIN's were required in 1981 by NHTSA. Prior to that the individual vehicle mfg's had their own format to identify their products.

OP: I doubt if even AMC was so cavalier in their production methods that they would arbitrarily slap whatever VIN plate they grabbed onto the vehicle. There should be another identification number (not a true VIN in the legal sense) that is on a dash sticker. The numbers will match the metal tag. If not, then your CJ7 most likely has a different year body on it (or a different dash). And/or a different VIN tag on that body.

A lot of CJ's were 'assembled' by previous owners. The legality of titling and registering the vehicle with mismatched VIN's, is a subject of GREAT debate. And there is a load of mis-information out there from well intention-ed, and not so well intention-ed individuals.

Jeep put the Q-Trac system in 76-79 CJ7 's. So that dates only that portion of the drivetrain. 76-81 CJ7 's were narrow track. 82-86 were wide track.

76-77 CJ's had the heater blower motor inside the body tub. Does your's?

Post up some pictures. That would also help with identification.

 

[Posi]

He hasn't been onsite since he logged off. Chances are you wont get an answer unless he signs up again with a different user name.