tell a newbie what to look for.

Found a 1976 cj5 for sale that seems to be ok to me. What are some basic/usual problems to look for in this model?

Vin#... J6F83AA007###

3spd

straight 6

Has power steering, manual brakes, floors look pretty solid, only 4-5 pinholes in drivers side. Most of the body looks like it has some kind of thicker than paint covering sprayed on it. But it looks pretty solid, no major rust through spots felt from reaching under it. Gauges all look new, windsheild wipers work. New carburator, new distributor, exhaust manifold has leaks (header actually). manual brakes..drums all the way around. Hubs turn.. lock/unlock smoothly. Decent looking Bestop on it, soft doors as well. Some holes on the passenger side have me wondering if it had a spare mounted there at one time (3 holes in a triangular pattern behind wheel well).

I may have left somthing out but thats basically it, what should i really look for other than these things..probably gonna go back there tommorow.

Thanks

Steve

Reply to
Steve
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realized id left off what kind of jeep it was in the heading!

Reply to
Steve

Steve,

Be sure to check body mounts and the rear frame for rot. Also, the seat brackets, grip the seat frames and shake. Rust/rot is the enemy. Look close. How are the front lower fenders - near the floor. Good luck and I hope you found a decent cj5.

Andy

Reply to
Andy

Floorboards look decent..as i said drivers side had 4-5 pinholes in a bend in them, but didnt look corroded from the under side either. I will look at lower side of fenders then.

Forgot to mention.. has heavy duty bumpers welded on at both front and rear, with a rugged looking spare tire carrier at the rear.

Thanks

Reply to
Steve

This stuff is cosmetic. Run a compression test, leakdown if you can. Drive it a while with hubs locked in 2w hi, then check the fluid in t-case, trans, and diffs for metal flakes. let it idle for an hour and see if it heats up. see if it stops well.

Reply to
Paul Calman

Go here:

Your VIN decodes as [J] == Made by Jeep Corporation [6] == Model year 1976 [F] == 3 speed manual tranny [83] == CJ-5 [A] == 3750 lbs GVW (4150 for heavy duty) [A] == 258ci 6 cyl engine with 1bbl carb [007###] == sequential serial number

Don't worry about your engine number and VIN matching: They won't. The engine plant and vehicle plant ran on different systems.

You've got drum brakes in the front, you should consider putting 1978 or later front disks on. It's a bolt-up job.

As others have noted, rot in the last foot of the frame is a problem. Wack the frame with a hammer to test. The brake lines are all steel and will eventually rot, but reproductions are available. Pick up under the body near the door and try to rock the body to test the body mounts, likewise the seats. The front fenders tend to rot in the double-walled area near the cowl. Check underneath for sagging or bent springs -- again, repros are available. Check the windshield frame for rot along the bottom, front and rear. Eyeball the body for asymetry that might indicate that the CJ was tossed once and the frame is bent.

Check your local laws concerning emissions equipment. Some states don't bother checking antiques, some do. Restoring emissions euqipment can be expensive.

Reply to
Lee Ayrton

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