CJ5 Resto-Mod Project

steve97tj

New member
Seeing a picture on Facebook it looks like it's sitting on a lift but maybe just for storage.


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It's tough to get anything done when I have so many builds in progress. I will be working on the Jeep soon, but I have two other trucks to finish in the meantime.

Thanks and Happy New Year!
 

Happy Joe

Apprentice Geezer
I'm a CJ fan myself...still drive one.
RE: tailgates; its my understanding that they were an option. I had a 1981 5 that came from the factory without a tailgate.
For really old ex-military flatties I have heard that the Navy ordered Jeeps without the tail gate but that is campfire rumor/info.
Enjoy!
 

Acetylene

Explorer
Looking forward to the finished product. I've had 2 CJ-5's and my current trail rig is a CJ=7. Something about those CJ's just do it for me.
 

DocMike

New member
I'm going to be watching here for updates. I have a '78 CJ5 stored away (or should I say what's left of a CJ5) on some property my mom owns. The best part of my Jeep is I have a clear title. I eventually want to do a complete rebuild but, I'm also a fan of military vehicles so when I do mine I want build mine basically stock but I want to give it a bit of military flair with military tail lights, a black-out light on the front fender, and an OD green paint job.

Doc
 
I've got my dad working on the wiring and other odds and ends. Hopefully we'll be able to drive it by the end of the month.

Things I need to do before we can drive it:
-build a power steering pump bracket and mount the pump
-make power steering hoses
-install all wiring
-build an exhaust system
-install and plumb the radiator
-bend brake lines and fuel lines

Once these are done and we can drive it, that's the point it will come back apart and the body sent off to paint. We haven't decided on a color yet, or a paint style for that matter. We've considered both "fun" and "utilitarian" styles of the early 70's and we're torn. While it would be cool with some factory era-correct graphics and a simple roll bar, it would also be really cool without a roll bar and an earth tone color like you'd see on a farm truck.

Can't decide.
 
Final Push to Drive It

Had a small window to get some work done on the Jeep. I figured since we had most of the parts to get it done, why not just do it? Well, time is the biggest factor.

Two months ago, the project sat as a chassis with drivetrain, body and wiring. All the mechanical systems needed to be finished. It was a basket case when I bought it and I really had no desire to restore it to OEM specs, so it was all on me (and my dad) to come up with a plan and get the work done.

The power steering and alternator brackets I made needed to be finished. We used a GM alternator for simplicity of wiring. Simple enough. The power steering system proved a bit more challenging, but not in the way you'd think. Finding the right combination of parts was the biggest challenge. Figuring out what fittings were needed was a stupid waste of time, so instead, I ordered all the possible fittings and adapter fittings including metric inverted flare, metric and SAE o-ring fittings, etc. The bracket for the pump took some time to get right, but it works and looks stock (maybe not stock Jeep...). Finding the right pulleys was hard too and once we had them, they didn't line up, so a thin spacer was made for the water pump pulley. Problem solved.

Here are some pics of the PS system.







 
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Plumbing the brake system is something I like to do. I don't know why, but I like the mechanical work, it's soothing. Bending lines to look OEM is very challenging and I have come up with some techniques that really help.

The power brake system I bought from Parts Mike uses a Corvette style master, a small booster and a firewall bracket that is designed to give the proper pedal geometry. It's bulky, but the alternative is to completely change the pedal and pivot under the dash. This was easier and uses readily available parts.

The '74 CJ5 had a pressure switch to activate the brake lights, which made me think of the Wilwood brake proportioning valve. It has a brake light switch, a prop valve and a front brake line splitter, all in one convenient package. I just had to make a mounting bracket and plumb it up.





 
Rear brake lines were still needed, and I didn't have the originals, so I hope these don't look too custom.







Parking brake balance bar, adjusted prior to brake bleeding.



One more pic for posterity.

 

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