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Ive been looking into buying a CJ for a couple weeks now and am very serious about buying one. I know that I want a V8 CJ5 or 7 with a manual Transmission but thats about all I know. I thought yall could help. Im looking to spend 5-6,000$ what should I look for in a CJ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I graduated from SR Butler High school in 1972
There has got to be some killer off road action over toward Ft Payne.
Any way I must ask a few more questions, otherwise you just get my opinion and you end up with a jeep just like mine. What makes you think you want a CJ? Why?? where you want to go.
A CJ5 with a V8 can be a hand full, it's short, narrow and tall, it is geared rather low sometimes and they can accelerate respectably. any time someone is looking for a first Jeep It would seem a good idea to advise them of this. The CJ, V8 or 6 get absolutely horrible fuel mileage. 10 to 12 MPG is pretty much average and you have to work on them quite a bit. You will have no problem finding really terrific ways to spend money, did you know that Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket?? $5 or $6 K should buy a sweet ride. Stay away from as many modifications as possible, look for stock. No engine swaps no lifts if at all possible and if it has one not anything over 2.5 inches. tires not larger than 33 inches, I recommend the 31's for the street. Buying modifications can turn out to be buying someones mess, real easy. Take your time a few weeks of study and looking will go along way.
Ive been looking into buying a CJ for a couple weeks now and am very serious about buying one. I know that I want a V8 CJ5 or 7 with a manual Transmission but thats about all I know. I thought yall could help. Im looking to spend 5-6,000$ what should I look for in a CJ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Ive been looking into buying a CJ for a couple weeks now and am very serious about buying one. I know that I want a V8 CJ5 or 7 with a manual Transmission but thats about all I know. I thought yall could help. Im looking to spend 5-6,000$ what should I look for in a CJ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
As said above.....The more original the better IMO.
Does not make sense does it? the guy who does all mods and tricks is acctually is lowering the value of his/her Jeep in the market place?
Would not be too stuck on the V8 part if the right 6 came along for you, after all the 1980 AMC 304 only had 120HP. (if my sources are correct).
67 cj5,225 Dauntless, D30,chrome molies, detroit, D44, full floating detroit, custom steering, disc all the way around,2 inch lift on 31s, armored up
70 cj6 4 inch lift
Once again, the more that puppy is a street queen, the better off you are going to be. Trail rigs are beat up, have a lot of mods that may or may not work, the wiring is usually butchered and the list goes on
Look for a mild jeep and check out the underside, it is more important than the topside, under there look for a solid uncracked frame, see if the body has been worked on to hide rust through and stuff, under there is where you find what they hid on top. Also look to see if the axles tranny and tcase have a lot of oil on them. In other words look to see if it has been abused.
walk around the entire jeep knocking on the sheet metal looking for bondo. Look under the dash to see if the wiring is good looking or has splices and tape all over.
83 CJ7 350 tbi, TH350, D300 twin sticked & clocked, narrowed Chief D44 Eaton Elocker & Moser shafts, Explorer 8.8 Detroit locker, 410's, RE 4.5" spring lift 1" body lift, 35" Claws, cage tied to frame, Corbeau baja seats, HD tie rod and draglink, u-bolts flipped, custom skid plate and sliders, Warn 9.5ti winch with Amsteel synthetic line
Thanks for all of the info its been helpful. Yea i think i want to go with the 70's v8 because down the road i might try and turn it into a trail rig/rock crawler. and the gas mileage wouldnt be a problem since i would most likely only drive it on the weekends thanks again.
83 CJ7 350 tbi, TH350, D300 twin sticked & clocked, narrowed Chief D44 Eaton Elocker & Moser shafts, Explorer 8.8 Detroit locker, 410's, RE 4.5" spring lift 1" body lift, 35" Claws, cage tied to frame, Corbeau baja seats, HD tie rod and draglink, u-bolts flipped, custom skid plate and sliders, Warn 9.5ti winch with Amsteel synthetic line
Well if your going to make it into a trail rig, it's going to get beat up some. You should be able to find a half way decent cj for way less than 5-6K. that would work for your intended purpose.
Well if your going to make it into a trail rig, it's going to get beat up some. You should be able to find a half way decent cj for way less than 5-6K. that would work for your intended purpose.
just sold my 2004 TJ. Have had 5 Jeeps, all CJs and TJs.My Dad had cj2a, and I feel like the best medicine for missing my old jeep is to get back into the jeep owner's game again!
I am also looking for my first CJ2a or 3A. Have had the newer CJs and TJs. I want something very original, that I can enjoy out on my place in West Texas. I am not interested in extreme off-road exploitation of the vehicle, just want to enjoy getting around the place in the same kind of jeep my Dad first introduced me to as a kid. Good luck with your search. I will check back in to see what you buy.
67 cj5,225 Dauntless, D30,chrome molies, detroit, D44, full floating detroit, custom steering, disc all the way around,2 inch lift on 31s, armored up
70 cj6 4 inch lift
I would suggest the 3a over the 2A.
simply because of aquireing parts for the axles
you are dealing with a rear axle that has very little support in the 2A
83 CJ7 350 tbi, TH350, D300 twin sticked & clocked, narrowed Chief D44 Eaton Elocker & Moser shafts, Explorer 8.8 Detroit locker, 410's, RE 4.5" spring lift 1" body lift, 35" Claws, cage tied to frame, Corbeau baja seats, HD tie rod and draglink, u-bolts flipped, custom skid plate and sliders, Warn 9.5ti winch with Amsteel synthetic line
I would suggest the 3a over the 2A.
simply because of aquireing parts for the axles
you are dealing with a rear axle that has very little support in the 2A
I have owned 3 CJ5 's, all with the v8. Here is my .02.
You must understand what you are getting into. You are getting a 30+ year old vehicle that is made for off road. PO's have cut, drilled, chopped, and run many of these vehicles into the ground. It is a special vehicle, not good for a daily driver, and must be maintianed on a nearly daily basis.
I think you have to be a little different than the herd to really enjoy such a vehicle. My jeep has no top, no floor mats, no radio, no storage, no power brakes, no power steering, no abs, no airbags, no ash tray, no cruise control... well you get the point. Don't get me wrong, I love my CJ, and would not sell it for twice what it's worth, but I know what it is and what it will do, and I'm happy with it, warts and all. Oh, and I get about 11 mpg.
Every six months or so, I completly go over the entire vehicle, especially underneath, cleaning, scraping, and painting. After riding in the rain or getting muddy, I spent several hours cleaning and drying every nook and cranny, you see these things don't have galvanized steel and will rust in a minute. It you are only interested in off road ability, the newer jeeps are much better (much better on the street as well).
But nothing (in my opinion) beats rolling down the road, wind in my hair, v8 exhaust for music, in MY Jeep I put together. There aren't many bolts on my Jeep that I didn't personally put there, and I know it like the back of my hand.
I guess I would say that my Jeep is my friend, and my daily driver is just a car. It's a fun late model Mustang GT, and runs great, but someone else built it, and many times, if something breaks (think computer) I can't fix it. Not much on the Jeep I can't do on the side of the road with basic tools.
Lots of work, lots of fun. Just realize that your jeep will be a "high maintenence" relationship.
As far as finding the right Jeep, I agree with everything above, and would add:
I would not, under any circumstances, get someones abandoned project. Trust me, know matter how much he tells you that "it only needs finishing", it will cost (in time and money) many many times more than you think it will.
Look for original if you can find it over "fixed up". The grandpa with the CJ5 that he has owned for 20 years is a great find. The 20 year old with the 40 inch tires, not so much.
Check everywhere for rust and for PO modifications that cover rust, or are dangerous fixes for whatever.
Check for frame cracks around the steering box and where the shackles mount.
Goggle "nutter bypass" and be aware many of the later CJ's had carb. problems. (This is not a problem with the v8's.)
Avoid AMC20 rearends, or at least know you will need to upgrade.
Good luck, hope you get one.
p.s. information on the internet is worth just what you paid for it.
I have owned 3 CJ5 's, all with the v8. Here is my .02.
You must understand what you are getting into. You are getting a 30+ year old vehicle that is made for off road. PO's have cut, drilled, chopped, and run many of these vehicles into the ground. It is a special vehicle, not good for a daily driver, and must be maintianed on a nearly daily basis.
I think you have to be a little different than the herd to really enjoy such a vehicle. My jeep has no top, no floor mats, no radio, no storage, no power brakes, no power steering, no abs, no airbags, no ash tray, no cruise control... well you get the point. Don't get me wrong, I love my CJ, and would not sell it for twice what it's worth, but I know what it is and what it will do, and I'm happy with it, warts and all. Oh, and I get about 11 mpg.
Every six months or so, I completly go over the entire vehicle, especially underneath, cleaning, scraping, and painting. After riding in the rain or getting muddy, I spent several hours cleaning and drying every nook and cranny, you see these things don't have galvanized steel and will rust in a minute. It you are only interested in off road ability, the newer jeeps are much better (much better on the street as well).
But nothing (in my opinion) beats rolling down the road, wind in my hair, v8 exhaust for music, in MY Jeep I put together. There aren't many bolts on my Jeep that I didn't personally put there, and I know it like the back of my hand.
I guess I would say that my Jeep is my friend, and my daily driver is just a car. It's a fun late model Mustang GT, and runs great, but someone else built it, and many times, if something breaks (think computer) I can't fix it. Not much on the Jeep I can't do on the side of the road with basic tools.
Lots of work, lots of fun. Just realize that your jeep will be a "high maintenence" relationship.
As far as finding the right Jeep, I agree with everything above, and would add:
I would not, under any circumstances, get someones abandoned project. Trust me, know matter how much he tells you that "it only needs finishing", it will cost (in time and money) many many times more than you think it will.
Look for original if you can find it over "fixed up". The grandpa with the CJ5 that he has owned for 20 years is a great find. The 20 year old with the 40 inch tires, not so much.
Check everywhere for rust and for PO modifications that cover rust, or are dangerous fixes for whatever.
Check for frame cracks around the steering box and where the shackles mount.
Goggle "nutter bypass" and be aware many of the later CJ's had carb. problems. (This is not a problem with the v8's.)
Avoid AMC20 rearends, or at least know you will need to upgrade.
Good luck, hope you get one.
p.s. information on the internet is worth just what you paid for it.
I agree a CJ is a labor of love, I've been in love with them since before I was old enough to drive. My 83' Scrambler is a lot like yours no ABS, air bag, ash tray, cruise control, GPS. It does have power steering, power brakes & a CB radio. It only gets 10mpg, but it's my daily driver. Granted there's a lot more maintenance, but like you said most issues can be fix on the roadside if necessary. I will say I do carry tools, but knock on wood she's been reliable.
IMHO it depends on what your willing to endure to drive what you love
67 cj5,225 Dauntless, D30,chrome molies, detroit, D44, full floating detroit, custom steering, disc all the way around,2 inch lift on 31s, armored up
70 cj6 4 inch lift
When you buy an old CJ you are buying a vehicle that had been made before the end of the 1980s, so in fact it is older than 25 years by now. That classifies it as an antique.
Buying an antique is easy, keeping an antique pristine is a chore.
As mentioned you are buying something that a list of owners have had, and butchered. There is a list of items I have sticked in one of the forums about what to do to one once you get it home, and 2 of them are items you need to do before driving it.
When I buy a CJ I have in mind that the tranny, tcase, both axles, brakes, and fuel system are going to get rebuilt. Either by me or by a professional.
I know you see these things on the trail all the time but they usually are rebuilt or have been highly moded with new trannies and stuff.
I guess what I am saying is if you want a street queen, then you have a long road ahead of you fixing this and that, if you want a beautiful restored jeep, the list is longer, and if you want a dependable trail rig, the list just went to the roof.
CJs are a prized possession to their owners and we drive them with pride, weather we are into showroom restored, modded and beat or just a street queen we all know the issues and spend a lot of time in the garage with our mistresses.
Good luck on you hunt for the perfect CJ for you. Mine is my 70 CJ6 . My 67 is just a beat up trail mobile, and I could have bought a brand new JK for what I have in that .
Can I get out and walk now?
