JeepCJ Help Please - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

crash9 · #1 01-05-2009, 11:30 AM

I’ve got the bug for a Jeep CJ. Probably mid eighties – just the plane Jane basic Jeep. Any to avoid, parts issues on the AMC six, tranny combos or ones that are most desirable etc.? I can’t find a good Jeep forum, but there must be plenty. Any help appreciated.

TX76513 · #2 01-05-2009, 11:59 AM

There are quite a few to choose from. I felt THIS one met my needs.

KarTek · #3 01-05-2009, 12:06 PM

I had friends that drove them all through high school. The CJ's all tend to be tippy which is one of the reasons they went to a wider tracked vehicle. The 258 CI inline 6 is one of the best engines ever.

Mister Byrnzoil · #4 01-05-2009, 12:06 PM

The 258ci straight 6 engine is my preference in a jeep. Robust and easy to work on, It would have been perfect if it was fuel injected... I was never a big carburetor fan, although the carter 2b was sufficient.

PaulC · #5 01-05-2009, 01:15 PM

The CJ7 was a better on-road driver than the 5, due to it's longer wheelbase.

LUVMBDiesels · #6 01-05-2009, 01:17 PM

It all depends on what you are going to use it for. If you are going to make a rock crawler out of it, get a CJ7 with the AMC V8 in it. For coolness get a CJ5. Mine has the 232 six(baby brother of the 258) and is plenty peppy. For tractor like simplicity go with the oldest post 1970 CJ you can find. Mine is a 1974 and it has no catalytic converters, power brakes or steering. It is just a real simple straight six, a three speed manual and a really good 4WD system. It goes anywhere and pushes a plow after a three foot snowfall with ease. The pre 1970 Jeeps predate AMC's buying of the company and make due with some really strange engines like Buick V6s that are hard to get parts for.
The basic AMC six was used from 1970 until 2004 and parts will interchange. I know somebody who put a late model 1994 head on a 232 six and got fuel injection, etc in a 1973 CJ5!

Look out for rust especially on the frame. Bodies can be replaced easily as everything is one piece from the firewall back. Aluminium bodies will cost you a couple thousand but only weigh 275 pounds! That is going to be my upgrade for Jenny the '74 this summer. Fiberglass bodies are cheaper, but heavier and just don't feel 'right' to me. Steel bodies for CJs are available made in India by the company that licensed the CJ from AMC thirty years ago and still makes them.

Look on Craighslist and in the local paper for a decent example.
I found mine on Craigslist for $500 so good decent cheap ones are out there.

Jeep forums are pretty hard to find. I am a member of these
Jeepforum.com
Jeepsunlimited.com

No where is there a forum like MBShop!

OldPokey · #7 01-05-2009, 02:28 PM

This is the Jeep I'd want:

cjlipps · #8 01-05-2009, 03:56 PM

CJ was through 1986. Wrangler started in 1987 and went through '95 then skipped '96 and resumed with the New Wrangler in '97.
The CJ's were a little tippy so the '87 and up should be less so but avoid like the plague any '87-'89 with the Peugeot (sp?) 5 speed. Also, fuel injection appeared on the sixes in about 1990 and rear shoulder belts at about the same time. You probably know the square headlights were on 87-95 models so that may sway your decision.
Most CJ's did not have a/c, most Wranglers did. I'll echo the 258 (4.2l) as a great engine. There is an enormous aftermarket for these vehicles, probably more than any other vehicle ever made.
I'd love to have another one myself but it just doesn't fit the mission for now. A great off roader would be a CJ with a 616 engine.

Mister Byrnzoil · #9 01-05-2009, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUVMBDiesels

No where is there a forum like MBShop!

I must disagree, IFSJA.org is populated with mostly cool, extremely knowledgeable folks. The full size jeeps are as idiosyncratic and iconic as our beloved w123s and inspire much the same devotion in their followers.

Txjake · #10 01-05-2009, 04:13 PM

jeepforum.com earlycj5.com are two great sites. I prefer the SWB CJ5s, 1970 and earlier, with the 225 Buick V6. It is a torque monster at low speeds and is very easy to get parts for. Simple, honest vehicles, easy to work on, and a lot like a Leggo set for grown ups. You can do just about anything with them. They do handle different than a sedan, so be aware.

PaulC · #11 01-05-2009, 04:19 PM

The YJ Wranglers ('87 - '95) are probably the least expensive Jeep-type vehicle currently available. A bit lower and possessing a wider track than the CJ's. As stated earlier, avoid the Peugeot 5-speed, as it's fragile. Plenty of 4 cylinder models available, but they can be overwhelmed by the efficiency loss of an automatic trans and/or heavy wheel-tire combos. Note that the CJ and YJ auto trans are three-speed non-overdrive, so engine highway revs are higher than what most people are acclimated with today.

PS: I don't know how cool your winter weather becomes, but CJ heaters are not usually known for actually producing heat. In regard to Jeeps with soft tops, back seat passengers would be warmer if they rode on the hood.

LUVMBDiesels · #12 01-05-2009, 04:19 PM

^^^^^ You like the Buick 225? I heard it was not reliable. At least not as reliable as the 258 straight six.

If it is a good engine that opens up all the CJ's from about 1960 on

I would still stay away from the 'Go Devil' four as it is underpowered.

Txjake · #13 01-05-2009, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUVMBDiesels

^^^^^ You like the Buick 225? I heard it was not reliable. At least not as reliable as the 258 straight six.

If it is a good engine that opens up all the CJ's from about 1960 on

I would still stay away from the 'Go Devil' four as it is underpowered.

Go Devil sidevalve and the F Head that was in CJ5s was underpowered, esp in a CJ5. The Dauntless 225 ci V6 is a great engine. Do not get a 198 version of it, that was underpowered and hard to find parts for. It was used only 1 year in CJ5s. The Dauntless lived in RWD Buicks until the late 70s (Apollo, Skyhawk, etc.) and is related to the FWD Buick V6s after that, although there is little parts exchange there. The Dauntless is an odd fire crank engine and has a lumpy idle, but a torque curve that starts at 500 rpm.... Great low speed engines and they will propel a CJ5 faster than you might want to go in such a vehicle. The sweet one to have is a 70-71, with the V6 and the flanged axle dana 44 for a rear axle. They also have a better synchronized tranny and decent electrics. idsc brakes are easy to fit and will help a lot stopping them in todays traffic. www.earlycj5.com is a well spring for this info....

Larry Delor · #14 01-05-2009, 04:38 PM

That's too bad about the 5 speed being fragile - with it, you could get some decent mpg's. On the other end of the spectrum, was my mom's CJ-7 with the 258 and Chrysler 727 transmission - it would get you 14mpg, downhill, with a tailwind, and worst of all, a 55mph speed limit!.
It did have some redeeming qualities - it refused to get stuck in snow, or stand still while on ice.

ImBroke · #15 01-05-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Delor

the 258 and Chrysler 727 transmission.

Bulletproof combo there. Add a Clifford intake, and the newer fuel injection ontop of a new designed +92 head, and you are set. The carbs on CJ's tended to eat a brass bushing, and then idle like crap.