1979 Jeep CJ5 review from North America

Replaced brakes on both axles.

Replaced all hoses.

Heater core developed a leak.

Heater blower motor died.

Wiper motor died.

This is a great vehicle. Everyone loves the Jeep CJ-5, and with good reason. It's quirky and rough, but for an all purpose utility jitney, there's nothing better.

The 258 six is plenty powerful. I've heard of the performance nuts dropping massive V8's into these, but the old six is more than enough for average driving, and actually gives the vehicle better balance. It's smooth and dependable, and gets decent fuel economy as well.

The axles are solid, giving the vehicle a rather harsh ride, but hey, it's supposed to be tough. On rough roads and offroad terrain, the Jeep shines. Short and nimble, the little rig will go pretty much anywhere you point it. The tough chassis has plenty of grip on rough stuff, and in low range, it will climb a wall. The 3 speed manual transmission shifts like it was brand new; I can't believe how well those old trannys will age if taken care of. I've switched over to synthetic fluid to help keep things preserved in the gearbox.

My Jeep has the factory hard top and original lowback seats, and I've kept it very stock and plain. The highway ride is noisy (lots of wind and whistling) but that's to be expected with this old rig.

The Jeep CJ-5 is a classic. If you want a tough, no-nonsense utility vehicle for varied travel situations, the old CJ-5 can still deliver the goods.