Build Thread My old/new again 77 CJ5

[MoparJoel]

Back in 1996ish I was in my early teens and my father came to me one day and said "son what do you think about a Jeep for your first vehicle?" I thought it was cool My dad had a 81 CJ7 and it was tricked out. So i was thinking "Sweet I wish i could have one!" he said " there is a guy at my work, he has one for sale it need some work but it will be good for you." so for around $200 buck I believe it was I had saved up I gave it to my dad and within a few days the tow truck arrived with a silver CJ5 on it

I was to happy until I saw the front! apparently the previous owner got drunk one night at a bar decided to drive the poor little 5 home and ended up wrapping its front bumper,grill and hood around a tree/ telephone poll.

So years went by and every Birthday/christmas or cash from mowing neighbors lawns I got a part for the jeep or would get dropped of in a jeep wrecking yard until my jeep looked like this...


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After getting my permit and driving it a few times my dad came to the conclusion it was not a smart vehicle to have for a kid with a lead foot and no comprehension of center of gravity and short wheel base. so he suggested (TOLD ME) to get something else I really did not want to since We had put so much work into it. But he bribed me with a Dodge Ramcharger which was my Dream 4X4 to own, so I agreed and sold the jeep to another coworker of my dads (different job now).

I loved my Ramcharger, still miss it, but eventually I parted it out a few years back to convert my 57 Dodge pickup into my daily driver. about six months ago my dad let my know the man he had sold the jeep to was selling it in favor of a 58 chevy truck, so I begged the wife and she agreed to let me buy my old Jeep back.

The last owner had painted it and kept very detailed record of the maintenance of the jeep and wrote it all down It basically looked the same but Red rather than Silver. I have done a few things too it since I bought it back 6 months ago I ripped the brush guard/ bumper/ square KC's off and put the erector set style chrome bumper with a pair of round KC's off of my old ramcharger. I put a new starter in it ( it left me stranded at a Chick'fil'a) new clutch/throwout bearing. couple of chrome pieces here and there, a hurst Pistol grip shifter knob, Red halo headlights and a Really good waxing.



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The specs on the Jeep: its a 232ci single carb no power steering, backed by a 3 speed, Im not sure on the Transfer Case or either diffs I will probabily figure those out soon messing around on this forum. the jeep has front disc power brakes, soft top, Im not sure the size of the lift my dad thought a 4 inch but im thinking smaller.



First time I took it out I was doing some crawling and came down hard on the front and the front yoke came up and grabbed my skid plate on the oil pan and ripped it off. I got about a quarter mile booking it down a dirt roar when I heard a lifter tick, I looked over to my buddy in the passenger seat and asked "do you hear that? sound like a lifter?" so I slammed the braked turned off the ignition and looked under and saw a trail of oil behind me. so I had it towed home. I removed the pan installed a new rear main since mine was leaking and put a new rubber gasket on and ripped the skid plate clear off and welded up the 6 tack weld holes that used to hold the skid plate there and now she doesnt leak a drop.


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Here is some up dated photos of how it looks as of the time of this post with the top on and off.



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^My daily driver 57 Dodge and my weekend toy CJ5 (trying to make into DD)




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Old/kinda old/new



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^Daughter just kicking it.



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[MoparJoel]

Taking her camping/wheeling for this 3 day weekend hopefully have some cool forestry/wheeling pictures on Monday!

 

[JAG811]

Sounds like a ripper weekend !! Definitely need photos !!

 

[titanjeep]

What kind of headlights are those?

 

[MoparJoel]

They are called Halo Headlights originated on BMW's but are on several stock vehicles now like the new camaro has them, though those are gas filled like a neon sign these are much cheaper and better design. they use two 194 marker bulbs that can be bought anywhere in any color they are a basically big bucket(the halo) that surround a small bucket (headlight) I got mine of ebay for $60 bucks They fit any 7 inch round headlight (so pretty much every car built before the late 80's. Below are pictures of the back and how the bulbs are arranged and the other is a close up of my O/T 57 Dodge that uses the same headlights and running lights stock as a CJ orange was the color of the day at that time. Heres a link to buy the same ones on ebay I just looked it up real quick these are the exact part, but there might be cheaper ones. Dot Approved 7" Round H6024 6024 Angel Halo Xenon Look Seal Beam Headlights | eBay



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[MoparJoel]

Sounds like a ripper weekend !! Definitely need photos !!

Only got one The poor CJ didn't make it to the camp grounds, It made it about 20 miles out side of PHX. with me leading 4 other of my buddy's vehicles, we were averaging about 75-80MPH up I-17. and the head wind was too much for my little radiator causing the top driverside spot weld that attaches to the radiator tank busted loose and the radiator blew back into the fan... Creating a giant hole in the middle of the core... delaying are camping trip a few hours waiting for the tow truck to take it back to my house. but it didnt stop us just moved my camping gear to another truck and pressed on. So in the very close future a new radiator will be added to this thread... here is the carnage......



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[thiswontbetooexpensive]

Ouch!!!

Glad you still got to enjoy the weekend.


This won't be too expensive Dear! That's what I keep saying. Over and over again.

 

[tjmons]

That had to sound awful. Po put a new radiator in mine before I bought it $300.00

 

[JAG811]

Awww mannnn !!!
Love the tenacity though - Swap the gear up and lets get this weekend ON !!
LOVE IT !!

 

[titanjeep]

They are called Halo Headlights originated on BMW's but are on several stock vehicles now like the new camaro has them, though those are gas filled like a neon sign these are much cheaper and better design. they use two 194 marker bulbs that can be bought anywhere in any color they are a basically big bucket(the halo) that surround a small bucket (headlight) I got mine of ebay for $60 bucks They fit any 7 inch round headlight (so pretty much every car built before the late 80's. Below are pictures of the back and how the bulbs are arranged and the other is a close up of my O/T 57 Dodge that uses the same headlights and running lights stock as a CJ orange was the color of the day at that time. Heres a link to buy the same ones on ebay I just looked it up real quick these are the exact part, but there might be cheaper ones. Dot Approved 7" Round H6024 6024 Angel Halo Xenon Look Seal Beam Headlights | eBay



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Thanks for the info. I need to get a set of those for my CJ5 .

 

[IOPort51]

Are you sure the engine is a AMC 232 i6 ?? Mine is a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l that originally had a one Bbl. Carter.

 

[MoparJoel]

Are you sure the engine is a 232?? Mine is a 258 that originally had a one Bbl. Carter.

I dont know I was told by my dad almost 15 years ago it was a AMC 232 i6 so thats what I thought it was, and most I see on here for 77 are 232's how do you tell the difference?

 

[IOPort51]

there is a number on the passenger side of the block about 1/2 way back. The 4th digit should be a letter. A is a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l 1Bbl. C is a 258 2Bbl. E is a AMC 232 i6 1Bbl.

There is nothing saying you can't have a 232 or a 258 and the parts, for the most part interchange. No big advantage to having one over the other.

 

[MoparJoel]

According to what your saying it is a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l ...That seam to good to be true Im gonna have to look into that here is the side of my block...

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[MoparJoel]

I guess your right looked at a couple different sites came up with this


The engine code is stamped on a pad on the right side of the block, just ahead of the distributor. It beaks down like this:
A- AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l 1 bbl (71-79)
B- 258 1 bbl Low Compression (71-74, Jeep ONLY)
C- 258 2 bbl (4.2L, 76-89)
E- AMC 232 i6 1 bbl (70-79)
F- 232 1 bbl Low Compression (71-74, Jeep ONLY)
G- 232 2 bbl (70-74)
L- 232 1 or 2 bbl (68-69)

Thanks for speaking up who knows how much longer I would have thought it was a 232 now im gonna go out and get one of those black crinkle 4.2L vavle covers Ive always liked and a two barrel set up.

 

[IOPort51]

The first thing I recommend is an ignition upgrade. Buy a distributor from a 78 or 79 and replace the POS yo have. then do the Junk Yard Genius cap, rotor and coil upgrade. this will very possibly be the best $AMC 150 you will ever spend on your Jeep.

Genuine Gunk Yard Genius.com Ignition Upgrade, AMC/Jeep 258 CID I-6, '76 & '77.

The 2 Bbl. will be a bit more of a challenge. you have to replace the intake and the exhaust manifold, unless you can find a cast iron 2 Bbl. manifold. You may want to hold off until you can do the 4.0 head with an aluminum intake and SS header. there are just so many possibilities.

 

[MoparJoel]

SO I got the new radiator the nice man in brown brought me had it in, in about 30 minutes the only problem I ran into is the over flow nipple next to the cap is facing the wrong direction (Pass side) instead of driver side where my over flow reservoir is so I extended it and routed it over the valve cover not real happy with it I might relocate the reservoir after I get the stock jack off the inner fender and replace it with a high jack on the bumper.

But she sure is shiny! and now instead of black behine the grille Its bright silver I like it!:drool:


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[MoparJoel]

Im thinking of getting a sheet of diamond plate at ace for $20 bucks and filling that spot between the bumper and grille...It just bugs me

And also ran into a problem today took the jeep for a test drive after installing the new radiator and the jeep shut off on me twice on the way home thought I was stranded I think it is one of two things Fuel filter(which I have had that happen on another truck I had with a dirty tank) the other Which is more likely is I pressure washed the old coolant out of my engine bay and cleaned up the motor, I am thinking it might have gotten water in some wire harness or something.....I went diggin into the wires found a couple exposed wires/ fixed em and took it around the block again no problems so crossing my fingers that that problem doesnt come back!

 

[IOPort51]

you got a new aluminum 3 row radiator for $125??

the other two things that will cause it to die like that are the engine control module failing and the Hall affect device in the distributor to break down.

 

[MoparJoel]

Last night I got tired of using my phone as a interior dome light so I ran to Pepboys and picked up this little guy $20 bucks 5 LEDs puts out some light runs off of 3 AAA's and velcros to your roll bar thought it was kinda cool and wanted to share...Best part if you forget its on it doesnt run your battery dead.


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