new to forum and needing my first cj..

[kennisondan]

Hi : I am Dan, and I am about to get my first jeep. I always wanted one since I was a kid. Had a land rover disco with lockers and other goodies on it and it handled the rocks in the carolina mountains, and mud in the louisiana basin.
I would take either the CJ5 or the CJ7 but the jeep i wanted life long was the shorter wheelbase : CJ5 , and the army jeeps a few savvy surplus guys had and used... today i would love the military jeep over the CJ5 , but am not willing at this time to pay the money for a pristine version and have not found very many sources for them; only about three or four have come to the surface. Maybe the military will be my second foray into jeep paradise.
Initial question :
I just want to run around in my jeep at first and drive it to the hunting camp though it is required to use atv's on the leases here. After I get accustomed I will be considering what to do to it to make it more capable.
Is the CJ5 or the CJ7 easier to customize than the other ? parts swapping ?
How about body parts.. I know the older it is there will be less stock parts, but do not know if this is handled in some other way..
If for the purpose of finding parts to fix and upgrade it I should get a CJ7 I would like to know that now, before I buy.
I wanted to buy a rubicon recently, as it is rumored to have more trail worthy parts already on it; but the prices are really kind of high it seems around here. I understand the present day power train is more robust on the rubicons.. so should I look for a jeep that has had some mods done to it already.. ?
It is hard to know what makes a jeep a good deal and what makes it a pit.
thanks
I will read the what to look for in a cj thread tonite a little later.
thanks again.dk

 

[CJ007]

Hi : I am Dan, and I am about to get my first jeep. I always wanted one since I was a kid. Had a land rover disco with lockers and other goodies on it and it handled the rocks in the carolina mountains, and mud in the louisiana basin.
I would take either the CJ5 or the CJ7 but the jeep i wanted life long was the shorter wheelbase : CJ5 , and the army jeeps a few savvy surplus guys had and used... today i would love the military jeep over the CJ5 , but am not willing at this time to pay the money for a pristine version and have not found very many sources for them; only about three or four have come to the surface. Maybe the military will be my second foray into jeep paradise.
Initial question :
I just want to run around in my jeep at first and drive it to the hunting camp though it is required to use atv's on the leases here. After I get accustomed I will be considering what to do to it to make it more capable.
Is the CJ5 or the CJ7 easier to customize than the other ? parts swapping ?
How about body parts.. I know the older it is there will be less stock parts, but do not know if this is handled in some other way..
If for the purpose of finding parts to fix and upgrade it I should get a CJ7 I would like to know that now, before I buy.
I wanted to buy a rubicon recently, as it is rumored to have more trail worthy parts already on it; but the prices are really kind of high it seems around here. I understand the present day power train is more robust on the rubicons.. so should I look for a jeep that has had some mods done to it already.. ?
It is hard to know what makes a jeep a good deal and what makes it a pit.
thanks
I will read the what to look for in a cj thread tonite a little later.
thanks again.dk

You sound like you might be happier with a 5 but it's all personal preference. I am partial to a 7 because thats what I have. I know for wheeling the little longer wheel base is helpful, the Dana 300 transfer can be adapted to 4/1 and is a great case. Also 7 has some more leg room and a little easier to get in. Five might be easier on emissions depending on where you live due to age and you can get them with the AMC 304 .

Both are relatively easy to work on and parts can be found fairly easy.

 

[Vick68]

I personally didn't care when I bought my jeep I just wanted one. I'm a big boy 5 11 250lbs and love the little 5 i got it just suits me. I know people say what they want about the 7 but I like the traditional look of the 5. I will say this it be easier on you if you get a 1976 or newer its easier to find parts and similar.

 

[TheDirtyCJ]

Welcome Dan, I too, am partial to the CJ7 . Over the years I found it is something you can customize to your particular tastes. The 5 is a fun little runner and does exude that yesteryear flavor and as the man said- its all about your personal preference. I will say this, the 5 will get it done and probably be cheaper in the long run but the 7 has a more optional upgrades and can be taylored for extremes. Its possible to do this for a 5 but I get the feeling your more of an oldschooler boy wanting to stick to stock. The 5 will give you that conversation piece, a touchstone to WW2 and the Korean War. Heck, you can still see it on MASH reruns. Either way, good luck in your choice- you really cant go wrong.

 

[mtnwhlr]

Instead of finding out what everybody else likes I think you need to find out what you like best. So start looking at whats out there and test drive a CJ5 and a CJ7 and see what you like best. Don't let someone else make up your mind. IMO

 

[kennisondan]

thank you one and all for the responses.. first off : I respect and appreciate each and every one totally.. truly.
I am one of those people torn between two choices : I would love to have the old time CJ5 / military jeep .. it is an icon...
I also would love to have a more modern but extremely capable jeep of any flavor and would readily trade in my truck and put money on top for a do all air conditioned vehicle that looks nice and I can take to work in several parishes / counties.. I realize that a jeep is either mostly trail or mostly daily driver and I would have to hold back with a jeep my only vehicle and dailly driver.
I will look at all of the ins and out of the older CJ5 's and all of the wranglers and CJ7 's in my second vehicle price range.
I kind of get the feeling that I might luck up into a sturdy jeep for 6-7000 bucks or even 5000 dollars initial outlay.. but the best thing in the world for me to do is to check out folks who know and do jeeps and buy their jeeps, as they have checked it out and one would know more what he is buying... my last other 4wd : I could have saved thousands if I had joined up with a group and decided what I wanted from the choices the guys put up for sale...
that seems a good option.
thanks again..
I do not want to burden anyone, but I think I better post my price range in a different thread and ask for opinions and guidance there too.
see you on the trails.
dk

 

[whodathunkit]

I see you are from Lafayette, I just moved from there... I bought a CJ7 while I was there, but had to drive to Fort Worth to get it. The toughest challenge you will have is finding a good Jeep in your area, because not many exist there, and even fewer come up for sale around there. I searched for at least 6 mos. before I found what I wanted, and when I found it, I did not hesitate. In addition to looking all over Louisiana, I also looked in Houston and DFW area, finally finding what I wanted in FW. I found LouisianaSportsman.com to be the best resource for semi-local jeeps, and they had some really nice 5's pop up. I have had mine a year and a half now and love it... I will draw up a prenump just for the jeep on the event that I get married. Good luck.

 

[kennisondan]

many thanks one and all..
I am concerned with the difficulty finding a 5 like I want it.. I am thinking my route needs to be to get funds and a place to work on it myself and more knowlege and pounce on one when it comes up and looks right.

Meanwhile I am going to pick up a tj locally I looked at in the last couple of days... guess I will ask my questions on CJ5 's here and then sulk off to the non-cj section down the way.. lol.

I see that my CJ5 aquisition and restoration is going to be a work in progress, so to get some jeeping time and jeep ownership and use NOW, I will grab up this local Sahara and with a little work first, develop it into my daily driver and lay in wait for the day that my project begins...

It is my hope that the TJ does not whet my appetite for a jeep completely.. I just have to scratch that itch a little now..
thank you for the help and responses so far..
I have lots of answers to seek before I am done and in fact before I begin.
dk

 

[mtnwhlr]

I think what you are doing is very smart. Good luck on the hunt for a 5.

 

[tarry99]

Early Military Jeeps? If you don't mind coming to Northern California this place has a bunch of them. Surplus City Jeep Parts.

 

[kennisondan]

thanks for all responses;
and tarry, I would agree it seems all the great conditioned military jeeps are in california.. I may have to trek over there and scoop up on one ..
thanks.
dk