1966 Jeep CJ5 CJ-5 review from North America

I bought the jeep as a project. Many things I found wrong with it were after I got it running. Here is what I had to do. The carb was spilling fuel over the top. So I rebuilt it, but that didn't help, so I replaced it with a wrecking yard carb; cost was about $5 or $10. Complete tune-up. Replaced the electric fuel pump with a new one from J. C Whitney cost about $25? not real sure about the cost there. I noticed it heated up real bad so, I checked the radiator and found I had a one row core radiator. Had the core replaced with a three row and that solved the heat problem. New shocks from J.C. Whitney.

Cost about $8 each. There were no turn signals in the jeep, so I wired those in myself. I used universal type trailer lights for the rear, front lights were fine. Paid about $8 each for the lights. The turn signal box with a flasher (the universal mount type) I bought from J. C Whitney cost about $40 or so. Cost me an afternoon wiring everything in, but it was worth it to have street legal lighting. New seat covers. Repainted the jeep myself in the backyard with wal-mart $1 a can spray paint. Went through about $15 worth of paint and primer, but, at about 20 feet away it doesn't look too bad. (I take a real low-buck approach at how it keep this old heap on the road.) Bought 2 used chrome wheels at the wrecking yard for $25. Bought two new chrome wheels at local tire shop cost about $40 each. (had to spend some big money for a change there.) Chrome air cleaner from J. C Whitney cost around $10 I'm guessing. There is about a million little things I'm forgeting. These here stand out the most from what I remember.

Wow, what a ride! A Chevy 327 V-8 was swapped into this jeep when I bought and it is a real screaming machine. Everything is about accelleration! First gear is only handy to launch the jeep, this thing is demon in second gear, just hang on! However at highway speeds it is terrible. Gas mileage is about 8 mpg. There isn't even enough space to hardly carry a bag of groceries. The short wheel-base makes the streeing a little twitchy at highway speeds. the engine isn't very happy on the highway eithier, this jeep is very low geared. The locker in the differential will bang and lurch a low speeds. The jeep is a great weekend play-toy. I wouldn't reccommend this jeep be used as a daily driver. In summer I use it as that. Jeeps are not the type of vechile for everyone, there are too many compromises that must be meet, ie; no room for groceries, not much room for passengers, get used to wearing your hat backwards like a teenager, the wind will blow your hat right off (it happended to me, I had to turn around and go back and get it), they are really the most fun with the top off, impossibleto drive off road with top off and now look like a human dirt clod when you get back home, can't keep a part in your hair either, or talk to your passenger at highway speeds.

However if you are a brave, rugged type of soul and the previous drawbacks haven't scared you off...well, Hello fellow jeep brother/sister! Only other jeepers can fully understand these wonderful machines. There is nothing like trecking down back roads; the sun shining, listening to the birds sing, exploring trails, just driving... the kind of driving that can only be fully appreciated in a jeep. Traveling trails that leather seated suvs dare not tread is the beauty of these mechanized mountain goats. I had the jeep in places only jeeps can go and they really are the most capable 4X4's there is.