I will be getting my first CJ next week, she's a 95% restored 1980 CJ5. I plan to finish her up and use it for a DD. Anything I should know before jumping in with both feet? I have yet to see her in person but the pictures look great, the engine and drivetrain have been rebuilt, the only things that I have to do is connect the front driveshaft rewire the rear lights, put in seatbelts and all the fluids. And I mean all the fluids this babys dry all the way. Thats how fresh she supposedly is. She also needs to be timed. THe one question that I have for the group is it needs a fan shroud, do I have to have this, or can I just do away with the mechanical fan and put on an electric one? And as far as emissions goes what emission items were on this vehicle in the year 80?
Well, I am sure you will be hearing more from me in the future, as I look forward to this project. I had to give up my first project due to an impending son, but now that he' here and 4 years old the wife says that we can go ahead and get another project. My first real project was a complete frame off of a 1981 Bronco. Did I just say the FORD word? Sorry, but I still like my Fords. One day I'll get my 67 stang!
Thanks for any help you all can give me in my endevor Searcher 1
I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole unless it was extremely cheap.
The emissions vary radically according to where you live. Here in Ontario Canada, 20 years and older need no emissions.
A lot of CJ's didn't come with a rad shroud.
How can the seller say it only needs to be timed when it has no fluids?
Everything that is new and empty of fluids is 'very' likely totally destroyed by condensation if it has been sitting empty more than 6 months, especially the engine crank bearings, camshaft bearings, piston rings and cylinder, tranny gears, differential ring gears, gas lines, gas tank, brake lines, all of which are steel, etc....
Gotta play the devil's advocate here because I have seen failed 'projects' that sat for a 'time' and were total scrap metal after sitting. Especially all the brake and gas lines and gas tank.
Sorry, but....
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Have a trusted mechanic check it out first, unless you have already bought it. Either way, don't let all of these "devils advocates" in this group deter you. Enjoy being a jeep owner!
She can only be timed after fluids are added. Be sure to use proper break-in procedures if it's a new engine. Read this and make your own decisions on break-in:
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> do I have to have this, or can I just do away with the mechanical fan and > put on an electric one?
I would run a shroud with a mechanical fan, but electrics are a good choice too - especially if you're planning on running in deep water. You'll soon find that you can "do" most anything to a jeep - there is nothing that hasn't been tried by someone out there.
Check local laws - if you need an inspection for registration then you want to be "legal"
On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 00:18:01 GMT in , "Searcher1" graced the world with this thought:
First thing I'd have to ask, is, why are there absolutely no fluids in this guy? Did they leak out, or was it completely drained for some bizarre reason, or was everything put in new and never filled? I have no shroud, by the way, which probably contributes to overheating when it's over 100 out, but what the hell. Emissions depend where you live, and pay attention to what kind of shape your carb is in.
I resurrected my `79 CJ-5 last year with a ground-up rebuild. "Restored" can mean wildly different things to different people -- for some it is a loving nut-and-bolt thing, for others it is Bondo, some foil tape and a can of paint. Buyer beware.
Some questions to ask: Why has the front drive shaft not been installed? Is there a problem there or did he just run out of time and interest? Is it a remanufactured engine, rebuilt, if rebuilt then by who, or simply drained and not refilled? Why do you need to rewire the tail lights?
As with any Jeep from that era you need to look carefully for rust. Common rot areas are the bottom of the grill (it collects water), the double-walled sections of the front fenders, just above and behind the wheel cut-out, front floors, the bottom of the cowl at the front floor, the inside of the windshield frame, the back side of the dash, the front seat mount points, all of the floor stiffening channels, the tops of the rear wheel boxes, the bottom edge of the rear of the body. For the frame, look for rot in the rear cross member, the last foot of the frame rails -- inside and outside surfaces, all of the body mount brackets, and the frame behind the brake proportioning valve, below the driver's left foot. Oh, and the gas tank.
You want to see a clean wiring harness without burn marks and gobs of tape or 3-M taps, new brake lines (factory-formed stainless are available, for a price). The spring packs used on Jeeps sag with age, if they are flat or reversed replace `em. There's a bearing at the bottom of the steering column tube that usually needs to be replaced. There should be a combination roll-over valve and fuel system vent valve riveted to the splash panel in the left rear wheel box. Check the heater controls to see if they work. Lock in the hubs and try to turn the universals at the back of each front wheel -- lockout hubs can break.
Fan shrouds seem to have been an option. Overheating in a healthy 258 I6 seems not to be a problem and the mechanical fan is trouble-free.
I don't know for sure what emissions equipment your `80 had, but I can describe my `79: Electronic ignition control without any external sensors, Electric choke, vapor recovery via a charcoal cannister mounted on the left firewall (connects to that valve in the wheel box and vents into the manifold). AIR injectors were installed in the exhaust manifold and a catalytic converter resided ahead of the muffler (above the cross member). My `79 always passed emissions with the AIR system removed but some states require a visual inspection.
If you have more questions feel free to e-mail me.
His words were that he had just had the diffs rebuilt and hadn't put the gear oil in yet. Same with the engine, I assume as he did tell me that the engine was rebuilt. He said he "was" in the process of completeing the Jeep, But his wife just found out she was pregnant and the engine in her Cherokee blew up, so he has to scrap the Jeep for lack of money. I told him that I would absolutly be over his place with the cash on Mon, all was good until this morning when he told me that he has had "so many calls" and that if I wanted it the price was 3000. I didn't even argue with him, I just told him thanks for the info and left it at that. Damn shame though, The pictures showed at least a beautiful Jeep. Everything looks great, and even if it did require a motor I would have gotten one myself. For 1000 I don't think I could have gotten a better looking Jeep. Its not like I don't have the money to buy it for 3 BUT come out with what you want from the get go don't play games, plus for 3 I am sure I can find one that looks just as good that I can actually drive away! Any body out there have one?
Searcher1
I did pass a nice 75 Vette on my way home from work today only 10,500 I wonder what my wife would say, (TAKE IT BACK, NOW!!!, theres no place for your son!) Hmmm, no place for son, Its got a passenger seat! where you gonna sit?
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