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I have mentioned about my Boss buying the CJ5 and how she has allowed me to spend within reason what it has taken to get it to the point it is now. Her brother passed and left her a POS 88 'Vette. That was the windfall we used to get started on the Jeep. We are retired and have been empty nesters for 18 years now. We are not extravagant. Our needs are simple. We enjoy doing things together.
When she first bought the Jeep it was in sad shape. The engine was bad. The windshield frame was rusted from left to right. Non CJ but Jeep highbacked seats were broken. It had no top or doors. The front suspension was shot and one front spring--a later discovery--was broken. I ordered an engine and while I waited for delivery and for installation I ordered a windshield frame, Bestop bikini top, half doors, and low back seats. My mechanic cleared all his customer's cars out before going on vacation and agreed to put the engine in the CJ upon his return. I had the windshield swapped and put in the new seats while waiting. After getting the CJ out of his shop I bought new 31s. Then I discovered the suspension problems and had them fixed. Reworked the brakes myself, and had a fairly dependable and extremely safe CJ5. It just looked and still looks like crap. The next spring I cut out the rust spots and bought a sheet of diamond plate to cover up the rust spots I had removed. Then I gave it a Tractor Supply paint job and put on the diamond plate. The following Christmas we gave each other fenders which I painted one warm day and put on. It has looked much this way since.
Last fall my neighbor remarked that every time I "Get on it!" going out the street when I shift from 1st to 2nd gear the tub rises up in the rear on the passenger side. The Boss asked what's causing that? So I explained that without looking I'd make an educated guess that the rusty mounting point is no longer is there. And can you fix this? It will take a new tub I told her and we moved the conversation to the house where we visited The Shell Valley website.
Fast forward to Christmas... Each year we give each other season tickets to my alma mater's baseball games. It is something we both enjoy and the games are close by. We've been known to drive a CJ5 to nice sunny afternoon games. This year she told me that she was giving me a new fiberglass tub for the CJ. I had to order it and I have to pay for it--still trying to figure that out. It won't be ready until June so instead of having it shipped here we are going after it. 40 years ago thanks to Uncle Sam we lived in Omaha for three winters. We still have friends there and we plan on going to the College World Series for a couple of games. I am borrowing a flatbed pickup to bring it back.
Now that the acquisition plan is in motion I need to work on the installation plan. I have asked a friend's brother who has been doing classic car restorations, but is semi retired now to help me put the body on. He has yet to commit. I have an event on April 9 I am working on so I'll wait until after then to start tearing it down. We have beach trip planned in early May that normally I'd tow it to. High gas prices may prohibit that. If on April 11 I start I won't be tempted to take the old version to the beach.
My goal is to have it ready to drive in the end of September when we have the second Jeep Explosion. Last year we attracted over 400 Jeeps of various years 1946-2022 and lineages CJ2 to those soccer mom jeeps with two too many door openings, and one 1997 ZJ that I had to drive the boss because of an ear problem. I've promised myself that the CJ will be running, but may still be in gel coat.
What I am going to ask here is opinions and how should I prepare, get this, work around this, etc.
I've already chatted here with Chowlie about shift knobs.
What I need to do first is decide what color to paint it. My alma mater's colors are orange and purple and the mascot is a tiger. I've thought about an orange body with purple stripes. The soldier in me likes green so I might go with black camouflage stripes on a green body. Yes I know how to paint tiger stripes. I'll do some samples and post pictures.
To answer another question the frame is sound. Unboxed frames don't hold the bad stuff in like boxed frames.
Bob over until the next question arises.
When she first bought the Jeep it was in sad shape. The engine was bad. The windshield frame was rusted from left to right. Non CJ but Jeep highbacked seats were broken. It had no top or doors. The front suspension was shot and one front spring--a later discovery--was broken. I ordered an engine and while I waited for delivery and for installation I ordered a windshield frame, Bestop bikini top, half doors, and low back seats. My mechanic cleared all his customer's cars out before going on vacation and agreed to put the engine in the CJ upon his return. I had the windshield swapped and put in the new seats while waiting. After getting the CJ out of his shop I bought new 31s. Then I discovered the suspension problems and had them fixed. Reworked the brakes myself, and had a fairly dependable and extremely safe CJ5. It just looked and still looks like crap. The next spring I cut out the rust spots and bought a sheet of diamond plate to cover up the rust spots I had removed. Then I gave it a Tractor Supply paint job and put on the diamond plate. The following Christmas we gave each other fenders which I painted one warm day and put on. It has looked much this way since.
Last fall my neighbor remarked that every time I "Get on it!" going out the street when I shift from 1st to 2nd gear the tub rises up in the rear on the passenger side. The Boss asked what's causing that? So I explained that without looking I'd make an educated guess that the rusty mounting point is no longer is there. And can you fix this? It will take a new tub I told her and we moved the conversation to the house where we visited The Shell Valley website.
Fast forward to Christmas... Each year we give each other season tickets to my alma mater's baseball games. It is something we both enjoy and the games are close by. We've been known to drive a CJ5 to nice sunny afternoon games. This year she told me that she was giving me a new fiberglass tub for the CJ. I had to order it and I have to pay for it--still trying to figure that out. It won't be ready until June so instead of having it shipped here we are going after it. 40 years ago thanks to Uncle Sam we lived in Omaha for three winters. We still have friends there and we plan on going to the College World Series for a couple of games. I am borrowing a flatbed pickup to bring it back.
Now that the acquisition plan is in motion I need to work on the installation plan. I have asked a friend's brother who has been doing classic car restorations, but is semi retired now to help me put the body on. He has yet to commit. I have an event on April 9 I am working on so I'll wait until after then to start tearing it down. We have beach trip planned in early May that normally I'd tow it to. High gas prices may prohibit that. If on April 11 I start I won't be tempted to take the old version to the beach.
My goal is to have it ready to drive in the end of September when we have the second Jeep Explosion. Last year we attracted over 400 Jeeps of various years 1946-2022 and lineages CJ2 to those soccer mom jeeps with two too many door openings, and one 1997 ZJ that I had to drive the boss because of an ear problem. I've promised myself that the CJ will be running, but may still be in gel coat.
What I am going to ask here is opinions and how should I prepare, get this, work around this, etc.
I've already chatted here with Chowlie about shift knobs.
What I need to do first is decide what color to paint it. My alma mater's colors are orange and purple and the mascot is a tiger. I've thought about an orange body with purple stripes. The soldier in me likes green so I might go with black camouflage stripes on a green body. Yes I know how to paint tiger stripes. I'll do some samples and post pictures.
To answer another question the frame is sound. Unboxed frames don't hold the bad stuff in like boxed frames.
Bob over until the next question arises.
