Hey everyone. So a few months ago I pulled the trigger and finally bought my first Jeep. Its a 1981 CJ5 with a 258. I have some pretty big plans for this build, and I'm hoping that along the way I can get some input from everyone on here as I'm sure much of what I'm going to do many of you have already been through.
So here's the problems that I have found so far. Pretty much the entire drive train leaks from one point or another. The transmission is extremely sloppy and will grind occasionally when going into first. The transfer case is extremely difficult to shift unless it is rolling slightly. The interior is trash. The sheetmetal below the doors are pretty well rusted, as well as some of the panels near the roll bar.
Now here's what I plan on doing in the next couple of months (these may change). I'm going to buy new seals for the engine. Rebuild kits for both the transmission and transfer case. I will buy some new seats for the front, and use a liner throughout the interior. Wherever I see rust I will patch it up. I'm a very good welder, but this will be my first time actually doing body work.
As for suspension I think I'm going to get a kit from Old Man Emu. Of all the research I have done I haven't heard anything bad about them. This should allow me to slap some 33's on.
I have found a company in Denver that will dip the frame in acid and then galvanize it for about $350 and I think I'm going to go that route.
All I've done so far is start stripping everything off to get it down to the frame. I'm hoping this weekend I can get the body off the frame, and start sanding. The only thing I've done to it mechanically is fix the carb. When I got it, it ran like a pig. I believe it was the idler tubes were clogged. I should have taken pictures but when I rebuilt it I was pulling chunks of dried up fuel out of the bowls.
So this will probably take me a while, I dont get much time to work on it other then the weekends.
At any rate I hope you guys can give me some pointers.
So here's the problems that I have found so far. Pretty much the entire drive train leaks from one point or another. The transmission is extremely sloppy and will grind occasionally when going into first. The transfer case is extremely difficult to shift unless it is rolling slightly. The interior is trash. The sheetmetal below the doors are pretty well rusted, as well as some of the panels near the roll bar.
Now here's what I plan on doing in the next couple of months (these may change). I'm going to buy new seals for the engine. Rebuild kits for both the transmission and transfer case. I will buy some new seats for the front, and use a liner throughout the interior. Wherever I see rust I will patch it up. I'm a very good welder, but this will be my first time actually doing body work.
As for suspension I think I'm going to get a kit from Old Man Emu. Of all the research I have done I haven't heard anything bad about them. This should allow me to slap some 33's on.
I have found a company in Denver that will dip the frame in acid and then galvanize it for about $350 and I think I'm going to go that route.
All I've done so far is start stripping everything off to get it down to the frame. I'm hoping this weekend I can get the body off the frame, and start sanding. The only thing I've done to it mechanically is fix the carb. When I got it, it ran like a pig. I believe it was the idler tubes were clogged. I should have taken pictures but when I rebuilt it I was pulling chunks of dried up fuel out of the bowls.
So this will probably take me a while, I dont get much time to work on it other then the weekends.
At any rate I hope you guys can give me some pointers.