Buying an '80 CJ5. Any advice?

[sfjessy]

Hello,

We are finally buying my dream car and I don't want to be so excited that I overlook any red flags. We've made the handshake deal already. We will bring it to the mechanic and if it's a fixer upper we are up to the challenge of having a hobby car.
Does anyone have any advice about what to look for? It's a 1980 CJ5 V6 285 Inline 6. I've read about the Death Wobble and about ways to check for it manually, I'm wondering how fast to take it to see about it on a test drive.

Thanks!

Jessica

 

[Hedgehog]

If it has a 4 speed it might very easily be an SR4 Transmission . If you have a boat it will eventually make a good anchor. Then there will be the usual AMC20 rear end detractors. My '75 isn't very stable, but the '80 I had would flat fly down the road. It had an AMC20 rear end that never gave me any trouble at all.

 

[gert]

The SR4 /T-4 aren't great transmissions but can do ok in stock/near stock jeeps, start saving money for 1 piece axles on the AMC20 rear the death wobble can be fixed with a steering system rebuild, congrats on your new money pit lol, also look for rust a big spot will be floor pans in front and behind the front seats ps my 83 CJ7 on 34s never had death wobble so hopefully yours won't either, I would start around 40 see how it does and take it on the interstate


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[hole]

As with any older vehicle, how well the PO took care of it is half the battle. Taking it to a mechanic is smart. What are your plans for it?

 

[sfjessy]

As with any older vehicle, how well the PO took care of it is half the battle. Taking it to a mechanic is smart. What are your plans for it?

Definitely taking it to our mechanic whom we trust very much. He will shake his head at us but he will also know we need some fun because we work in our car. We are location scouts and drive a Dodge Charger which doesn't clear much more than a pebble. This would be a hobby car that we would work on, take camping and fishing, drive on dirt roads and rocky roads and if it is in solid enough shape we would use it to scout for truck ads in hard to reach snowy, mountainous, rugged areas.

 

[sfjessy]

The SR4 /T-4 aren't great transmissions but can do ok in stock/near stock jeeps, start saving money for 1 piece axles on the AMC20 rear the death wobble can be fixed with a steering system rebuild, congrats on your new money pit lol, also look for rust a big spot will be floor pans in front and behind the front seats ps my 83 CJ7 on 34s never had death wobble so hopefully yours won't either, I would start around 40 see how it does and take it on the interstate


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Thank you very much for the advice! The owner is headed home so we will test drive it and bring it to the mechanic today or Wednesday and keep all of this in mind.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Make sure the seller takes care of SMOG as it's a PITA these days to get a carb'd engine to pass. No CJ was OEM with FI.
I've played the PRK, SMOG game with my '85 CJ for the last 32 yrs.
BTW: Your engine is a straight 6 and it's AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l cu/in.
LG

 

[sfjessy]

If it has a 4 speed it might very easily be an SR4 Transmission . If you have a boat it will eventually make a good anchor. Then there will be the usual AMC20 rear end detractors. My '75 isn't very stable, but the '80 I had would flat fly down the road. It had an AMC20 rear end that never gave me any trouble at all.

Funny, we live on the bay and were going to get a boat then this came along so it's INSTEAD of a boat. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Belizean]

Funny, we live on the bay and were going to get a boat then this came along so it's INSTEAD of a boat. Thanks for the advice.

Both are known to turn into money pits. I think jeeps are usually a little cheaper

 

[sfjessy]

Hello,

We are finally buying my dream car and I don't want to be so excited that I overlook any red flags. We've made the handshake deal already. We will bring it to the mechanic and if it's a fixer upper we are up to the challenge of having a hobby car.
Does anyone have any advice about what to look for? It's a 1980 CJ5 V6 285 Inline 6. I've read about the Death Wobble and about ways to check for it manually, I'm wondering how fast to take it to see about it on a test drive.

Thanks!

Jessica

Well, we drove the Jeep and decided it needs too much TLC for a novice so we didn't get it. We are disappointed but excited that we now know we really want one. If anyone out there wants a 1980 CJ5 fixer upper, it's for sale in San Francisco registered in Texas.

 

[shum8]

Well, we drove the Jeep and decided it needs too much TLC for a novice so we didn't get it. We are disappointed but excited that we now know we really want one. If anyone out there wants a 1980 CJ5 fixer upper, it's for sale in San Francisco registered in Texas.

Sorry it didn't work put - be patient - one will show up.....

As for the death wobble - my 2 previous CJ's would usually start a little wobble when i hit the brakes in a downhill hard turn....... May help to determine if a potential purchase has those tendencies....