CJ-5 vs CJ-7?? What's the dif??

One addition,

I may have been a little too generic with the comparison. CJ-5s were produced a lot longer than the 7, so there are more iterations of it. The pre-1976 models of the CJ-5 can be a good bit different. Most similarities between the 5 and 7 are in the 1978 to early 1980s models.

GK

The 7 is longer. They share all of the same parts except the rear driveshaft, frame and tub.

The 7 had an optional fiberglass hardtop and steel doors.

My '81 CJ5 also had an optional fiberglass top and full doors. My doors and also fiberglass, and only work when the top is installed. But, I am not sure this level of detail is needed to answer the original poster's question.

Were the hardtop and doors factory installed on CJ-5s? It's always good to learn more about Jeeps ;-)

Post-76 CJ5's are really just short wheelbase CJ7's, or vice versa. It varied depending upon the year, but generally they were fairly similar in spec, etc.

Pre-76 is another matter altogether. 71 and earlier are strictly Willys spec vehicles. In '72 AMC's first changes took effect with a small wheelbase stretch to fit the AMC six cylinders, plus they added the 304 V8 option and a host of other little changes, which lasted through '75.

In '76 the full "AMC effect" took hold, with another slight wheelbase stretch, major component changes, body component changes, etc. It's really a major change point for the CJ, and marked the intro of the CJ7, and CJ8.

Two weekends ago I ran into a Vintage Jeep club up at Animas Forks, CO. They all had '68 and earlier CJ's. When I told one old timer I was restoring a '76 CJ5 he chuckled and said he didn't consider anything past '70 (the point at which AMC bought Willys/Jeep) to be a "real" Jeep. (Sheesh, wonder what HE thinks of the Rubicon!!!!)

My CJ-7 was built in September of 75 and I think it makes it one of the first off the line, right? Wonder what was the first month of CJ-7? Serial number? Anyway, when I bought it almost 13 years ago it had an old "FrankenTop" on it. I think it was original from the factory but can't be sure. It was all steel, square and rusted; no rounded appearance like the fiberglass we're used to now. It took three grunting men to move it and the steel doors had to have weighed a hundred pounds if they were an ounce! o_o_o_o Best Regards, /| ,[_____], Jim, WP3JQ |¯¯¯L --O|||||||O- ()_)¯()_) ¯¯¯¯¯ )_) EM60qk 30.447439N 086.628959W

Sept. 75 production is certainly a 1976 year model CJ. They generally put the next year's models on sale in October (or in some cases April), so my guess is that Sept production probably hit the showroom somewhere in the late October to early December timeframe, and was sold as a '76 model.