Getting my FIRST CJ

Hello all, Newbie here,

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

Ouch!

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

Searcher1 wrote:
>
> Hello all, Newbie here,
>
> 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

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!

>And I mean all the fluids this babys
> dry all the way. Thats how fresh she supposedly is. She also needs to be
> timed.

>>How can the seller say it only needs to be timed when it has no fluids?

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: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

> 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.

>And as far as emissions goes what emission items
> were on this vehicle in the year 80?

Check local laws - if you need an inspection for registration then you
want to be "legal"

> Well, I am sure you will be hearing more from me in the future, as I
> look forward to this project.

Well, unless these guys don't scare you off.

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.


Searcher1 wrote:
> Hello all, Newbie here,
>
> 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
>
>

THe guy selling the jeep, decided that he wanted more than what was
negotiated. We had (or so I thought) settled on 1100.00 NOW HE WANTS 3000.00

What a joker.
Oh well I'll keep looking

Searcher1

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?