CJ5 Resto-Mod Project

Incredible skills, Jeep is looking better than new. Makes ours look like a pile haha

Interesting read through the color choice discussion. I was never much interested in paint but I love old Jeep history and that was really cool, and now you've got me interested in paint codes and factory color options for the first time, really interesting stuff.

Thanks.

I think everyone's first 4x4 love was probably a Jeep. I know mine was. The history and utility were what got me hooked. The Jeep adverts of the 50's and 60's are stylish and simple and made me want to get out into the back 40 and go hunting or exploring.

My main customer base is Toyota, but I do love a nice Jeep.

Speaking of Toyotas and customers, check out the write up on a Land Cruiser I just finished - http://www.fourwheeler.com/features/1702-1985-toyota-land-cruiser-fj60-a-classic-with-modern-power/
 

AgentOrange76

Adventurer
I grew up in the back of a TJ, and that beauty is now mine, but I must admit, our old CJ5 was my first love affair with a vehicle, after I figured out it wasn't going to kill me that is. I still regret not loving it as much then as I do now, I would have it instead of the TJ. I know it's better for what I'm doing and I'll never sell it but man I love that CJ. It's what got me into Jeeps, and cars in general. The history and just the super basic utility, like you said. It's an absolute riot to drive. Sure, Toyotas might be more reliable, but they didn't drive off of landing craft onto hostile beaches and then come home to invent an new lifestyle and also become the everyman's tractor. I love old Jeep history and want to own a passle of them someday. Not restore them, just fix old stuff up into drivers. Especially oddities like the forward controls. I need one.

That's a sweet land cruiser you built. I'm torn between getting a Wagoneer or an FJ60 as my next vehicle when I can afford it. Love those things. I checked out your hilux build too, pretty sweet stuff.
 

daddyusmaximus

Explorer
Great looking work. I'm just getting started on my CJ5. It has much of the same body work to be done as yours did. I am not a skilled welder or body man, so mine will not look as nice, but it doesn't need to be. I am going to take my '79 and go for the look of an old M38A1. It won't be a straight up clone, but it will have that flavor of an old beat on military vehicle like the ones I drove for so many years. Small dents will stay, that will give it "character", but I will try to learn to weld better by filling holes that don't belong. I just hope I don't run into structural problems that outpace my learning curve.
 
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Build it how you want it. Don't worry about perfect bodywork. Deciding what character stays and what needs to be repaired is the hard part.

As per the story and history of Jeep and "Jeeping", I live only miles from Jeep Jamboree HQ, where they have a small display of Mark Smith's private collection of Jeeps. This CJ7 is arguably the most important Jeep in the world and I love that they haven't restored it.





Thanks again guys.
 

Xtreme XJ

Adventurer
Expediciones De Las Americas from Tierra Del Fuego to Prudhoe Bay... That was a trip !! :smiley_drive:
GAWD those Goodyears suck though...
 

CRolandLJ

Adventurer
Keep up the good work... this is becoming my favorite thread on here. Inspiring me to work on one of the CJs we have in the family.
 
Expediciones De Las Americas from Tierra Del Fuego to Prudhoe Bay... That was a trip !! :smiley_drive:
GAWD those Goodyears suck though...

Were you on that adventure? Sounds like you know a bit of history maybe you could share.

Keep up the good work... this is becoming my favorite thread on here. Inspiring me to work on one of the CJs we have in the family.

Thanks. That's my job. Push the envelope and keep you guys interested.

Update - still (sigh) working on the body, though only one fender is left. I got the hood, grill and one fender completely done and the remainder should be ready by next Tuesday. I worked the bumps out of the one fender and stiched up some cracks, plus replaced the skirt that someone hacked off to make room for V8 headers. This fender is so perfect I bet it could be sprayed without any body filler.

44 years old and still learning something every day...
 

Xtreme XJ

Adventurer
Were you on that adventure? Sounds like you know a bit of history maybe you could share.

Nah, I would have wanted to as a younger man... I spent some brief time with Mark in the mid. 80s. when he was asked to locate some trails when the YJ was getting ready to come out. JEEP wanted to fly dealers in have them picked up at a nearby airport then lead them over said trail... They decided to go elsewhere...
He did send a tape (VHS !!) of the trip. Now it's on You Tube. (the theme song can be a little tough to endure after a bit) For those that haven't seen it, it's cool to watch.

I tip my hat to you on the CJ build... I have a 74 slowly going bad along side the house... I love that JEEP, some day... BUT ! I named my son CJ, brought him home in an XJ though.
 
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unkamonkey

Explorer
You need to do a link to the youtube video. I drove my niece and brother over to get to the liquor store. Elly was strapped into the passenger seat and her grin was worth the trip in my 3B.
Both of his daughters have their own cars now and they fight dad to get the keys for his '92 Chevy 4X4 pickup. Abby loved my Harley, Elley hated the noise. Their mom was always ready for a ride on the bike.
 
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Xtreme XJ

Adventurer
Well I don't know WHAT !! the Hell is going on with the video starting 6 mins. in. I tried to edit about 5 times... deleted the post 3 times all to no avail...

So once it starts know that you're 6+ mins. into the video and start it over... Grrrr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O84MWXBEc3Y&t=399s

You can probably Google Expediciones De Las Americas and get some additional info. as well...
 
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This is exactly what I love about old Jeeps so much, everybody has a story. Some are even making new stories with their old Jeep.

I grew up in MN and we had a cabin in northern Wisconsin. We never had a 4x4 there at the cabin. Years later, after our move to northern CA, we brought a Jeep back to our cabin in Wisconsin and as my dad and I were tooling around in the woods there my dad looks at me and says "why didn't we ever have one of these here before?" Sure, we had bikes and quads and snowmobiles, etc, but the Jeep brought new possibilities for fun.

Keep the stories coming. I love it.
 
As mentioned, the hood, grill and one fender are done.

During the teardown process in the beginning, I found that the motor was junk, the trans and t-case needed rebuilding, one of the diffs needed gears, couldn't source original power steering pump brackets, the list of problems was huge and seemed like more trouble than it was worth. The only item on the whole chassis that did not need to be rebuilt was the rear diff, it was in excellent shape. Everything else is new or rebuilt...everything.

So when it came time to restore the body, I really got lucky. Not a lot of rust and very straight panels with only minor mods over the years. Sure there were times when I wanted to track down the person who hacked into the body and hack into him, but in all, the reversal of the hacks was not very time consuming.

You all saw the body tub and how it came out, well, here are the hood and other bits, that required very little. Most of the body filler you do see on the hood could have been left off, but I was looking for a perfect surface where it made sense. In other words, the body panels that show original folds or spot welds, I wanted to leave alone, but the flat sections I wanted as straight as possible.

Here are some pics, with more to follow during the week.



 
More pics.





Some minor stitching was needed on the fender apron. Can't hardly see the repair.



The seam here was badly misaligned, so I cut the welds and lined up the seam and spot welded it back together.



 
Apparently someone had cut the fender skirts for V8 headers at some point, which is odd, since the chassis had the original 232 straight 6. Some donor fenders had the correct skirts, and in pretty good shape.

Cutting off the donors.



Scribing the line.



Admiring my work after closing up shop.

 

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