I apparently own a Jeep now

I found out at Easter dinner last night that I'm gettin a Jeep that belonged to her late Grandmother's late (3rd) husband. Details are sketchy & I only peeked at the truck a couple years ago, but here's what I know so far:

I believe it's a 1969. It's been covered under a tarp, in the garage for 10-years or more. There's a transfer case in the shed, that I think is why it was parked. It has a hard-top, which I think was steel, and from looking at it once I remember it looked clean & rust-free.

Where do I start?

I don't have any plans for it yet & I sure don't need another project, but I'm not sure I want to flip it either.

pics or its not true

Start with figuring out what you have. Then confirm why it was parked. If the TC is out of it, then that's a solid clue. Overhaul the TC and reinstall it. Change all fluids. If it's that old it's got a points ignition, so do an ignition system overhaul. If possible on this engine, spin the oil pump over manually before cranking. If not possible, I'd oil down the cylinders through the spark plug holes and pull the valve covers to go ahead and bathe the valvetrain in oil before startup. All of that out of the way, put a fresh battery in it and turn the key.

Then laugh at yourself for not owning one earlier.

As a steel hardtop and a '69, could it be a Commando or Cherokee? Is it a typical CJ5?

I'm guessing it's a CJ-5 or a commando, since it has a steel hardtop, this rules out the FSJ's of the era. I think that t-case is a Spicer 18?? It may even have a V-6. If not, drop in a perkins 4 cyleinder diesel and get ready to crawl up a building!

Jeeps are the best!!

It's definitely a CJ, but I'm not sure of anything else. Hopefully I can talk to her uncle this weekend, as he'll know as much of the details as anyone. I might be able to get a picture of it then, but they're storing all her belongings in that garage & renting the house. It will be at least 45-more days for the estate to close, before I can bring it home - which is good, since I have no place to put it!

petegossett wrote: It's definitely a CJ, but I'm not sure of anything else. Hopefully I can talk to her uncle this weekend, as he'll know as much of the details as anyone. I might be able to get a picture of it then, but they're storing all her belongings in that garage & renting the house. It will be at least 45-more days for the estate to close, before I can bring it home - which is good, since I have no place to put it!

You can store it at my place for a few years if you need to............

I never wanted one and generally made fun of them like any other suv's. Then I got one in a similarly "not looking for one" kind of manner. Let me warn you they grow on ya.

The steel hardtops are very rare as all have rusted out. So you have a "late" early CJ5. I had one too. Give me a yell if you need help. I had a 71 for a daily driver for a while.

Where you start is http://www.earlycj5.com/ Have fun.

They do grow on you.

I used to have a IHC Scout. There was a decal in my back window that said "Jeeps are for girls"

I now have a 1967 FSJ and I love the damn thing.

That being said, TJ's are still for girls. I think they come with cow-print seat covers and a "Roxy" sticker.

Shawn

I had a...hmmm...I think it was a '67. If it has the V6, it's a Buick engine and is really a good one. Lots of power. Probably still has floor mounted pedals and under-seat fuel tank. The radiator was unobtainium when I needed one. I retrofitted one from a Pinto but it was insufficient. I'm a little smarter now. These are 'real' CJ's with proper heavy duty springs, not the girlie street suspensions that came later. Kaiser-Jeep period before AMC, I think. Jeeps are fun but not very well built. You'll either find it charming and fun or a PITA.

The early V6 will be odd-fire, it sounds like it has a miss but doesn't.

They're cramped, uncomfortable and drafty. It'll really grow on you. I love mine.

If it's that early it's probably got a Spicer 18 transfer case. Decent for off-road but not for highway driving.

There are two shifters, one is for the front axle engage and disengage, the other controls hig and low range.

Since the rear output isn't centered, power runs through the gear system even when you're in 2 wheel high. This can be pretty tough on the transfer case at highway speeds. This is probably why the transfer case is out of the truck.

A dana 20 from a later jeep can be swapped in but you may need a diferent rear axle with a centered pumpkin, I can't remember for sure.

Have fun with your new toy!

Shawn

Find a good jeep forum. That'll help should help a lot. Oh, and +1 on the Full Size Jeeps (FSJ) being for real men. They're a beast.

Notice the exhaust at "honda civic window height", hehehehe

Well, I stopped by & got a couple pics and some more info. I'm pretty sure it's a '66 CJ5. I noticed it's a Kaiser Jeep. It has a V6 with some weird exhaust - the manifolds are pointed forward, then it curves down & back. It looks like the Jeep had been recently built, the engine has a fresh coat of blue paint, but the 2bbl carb seems to be absent.

I was wrong about the top. it is a soft top, which looks dried out & pretty much shot, but the doors are in the back. The body is really good. I saw a couple rust bubbles, but there's no holes, and the floors & frame look perfect.

The transfer case is out, so that's probably a good hint as to what's wrong. The tires, surprisingly, don't look dry rotted. Unfourtunately, mice have eaten most of the seat padding though.

I certainly can see the charm of something so primitive, though I imagine it would have limited use for me. I suppose I'll just have to drag it home, get it running & find out!

Love the old sharpening wheel. Grab that while you're loading. Talk about primitive.

Sweet.. Dauntless v6. One of the best engines ever made... Great torque.

I miss mine greatly.

Dauntless V-6 = You Win!

So you have a late 60's Jeep in original unmolested and un-rusted condition? I bet that is one heck of a barn find in the Jeep world. I would not touch the exterior, fix the case and sell it in as-original condition as possible!

pinchvalve wrote: So you have a late 60's Jeep in original unmolested and un-rusted condition? I bet that is one heck of a barn find in the Jeep world. I would not touch the exterior, fix the case and sell it in as-original condition as possible!

i did just that 2 years ago.. They're worth about $1500

I wouldn't call it original. It's been repainted & has aftermarket wheels/tires. I think the seats has been recovered as well. But yeah, I'm not planning anything crazy, just get it going & see how I like this whole Jeep thing! Or not.... lol

The dash was hacked for the Sun gauges, so no, it's not original. Mine was too. I think having a soft top actually makes it more valuable than one of the fugly hard tops. There are about 2 million choices in replacement tops. My personal recommendation is do not buy the least expensive ones. I think mine had a Bestop which was okay. If the floors aren't rotted and the sides of the tub under the door are original, that's a major score. There will always be some blisters on the front fenders where the two pieces are welded together. I think it will easily be worth whatever you have to invest in the T-case to get it running again. The great thing about Jeeps, aside from the weirdo radiator on that model, is that most everything is a mail order catalog away. I can't remember the exhaust being weird like you describe...did someone flip them side to side for some reason? If the carb is missing it's a simple Rochester 2v, not hard to find. Manual choke, I think. I didn't like the oil bath air cleaner for climbing steep hills around here so replaced it with a regular enclosed one off a old Chevy Nova. My only negative about the 225 V6 is that the ignition system on both of mine hated water/damp weather. I tried umpteen different things to seal up the distributor, replaced plug wires, etc and never could rid myself of hard starting and misses but that was the days before Pertronix.

When you do finally get it running and take it for it's first drive, an important tip: approach the first turn at half the speed you would normally take it. These things feel extremely tippy (well, they are) and take a while to get used to. No such thing as sway bars on these. Best driven with no doors at a minimum, no top is better. If it doesn't have at least lap belts, add them. Clinging to the steering wheel is the only thing that keeps you inside one of these while cornering.

Check out jeepforum.com, there is a whole section dedicated to cj's. They have been alot of help with my '84. Congratulations they are a blast to drive...also about the same wheelbase as a geo metro!

let me reiterate..

earlycj5.com No other jeep forum knows what an early cj5 is or can help.