Topic: cj5 or a cj7

[nwa]

how many miles is to many for these? like over 200,000 or over 150,000? im tryin to figure out if i should stay away from high mileage ones or if there still worth the buy

[smashcoast]

Thats good mileage if the both run good.

I'd get the CJ5. Especially with the V8.

But with all old vehicles your gonna have to do some work at some time.

[jagular7]

Last year for a CJ5 was 1983. Last year for a CJ7 was 1986. This year is 2009. So whatever, you are looking at vehicles with several years behind them. Swapping engines, rebuilding, etc are easier on those models as many components were shared with other AMC/Chrysler vehicles. To add, you can basically rebuild one completely with everything new from the aftermarket.

[TrailsLessTaken]

I would go with a CJ-7 just for the extra leg room, my buddy's CJ-5 is kind of hard for me to shift.  I'm 6' and with the seat all the way back it still feels like my knees are cramed in the dash and shifting is kind of a pain also trying to bring your knee up for the clutch if you have the doors on

[Jesse-James]

Your kidneys will thank you too, CJ5 is a pretty rough ride with that super short wheelbase.

[neale_rs]

CJ7.  The CJ5 hard core guys always end up extending the wheel base to CJ7 size anyway.

[VA_YJ]

CJ7 - the dana 300 TC is real nice - you can get the lomax 4:1 gearset for about $600 and twin stick it.  I think the '81-'86 CJ7s have the 300.  Make sure you know what you're buying, you can't just go by the year, as people swap things in and out.

[Jeffy]

200,000 vs 150,000?  Hell the newest CJ-5 will still be 26 years old.  The oldest could be 55 years old.  A CJ-7 could be between 23 and 33 years old.

if you're looking to buy a cheap Jeep, then I'd look elsewhere.  Your cheap jeep will turn into a great big money pit.  Especially, if you can't do your own work on it.  You can't trust any of the original stuff to be 100% and you can't trust that someone didn't hack it up.  The engine is the least of your worries although, 150K and 200K is a lot of miles for those old engine.  Who known how they were kept up or not.  If I was buying an old CJ, I'd expect to have to replace the engine at the very least.  Probably all of the wiring as well.  Springs are probably shot.  Flush all of the fluids, repack all of the bearings, replace the brakes, etc...  That is, unless we're looking at a Jeep that was well taken care of.

If you want a Jeep that you can drive then I'd look at a YJ or a TJ.

[neale_rs]

Just get a '95 YJ and convert the front clip to CJ.  Or just leave it as is and save even more money.

[Jesse-James]

Just get a '95 YJ and convert the front clip to CJ. 

 

[aw12345]

By the time you are done screwing with it you could have bought a nice YJ or TJ and gone wheelin. Rebuilding old Jeeps is not a cheap hobby

[TrailsLessTaken]

By the time you are done screwing with it you could have bought a nice YJ or TJ and gone wheelin. Rebuilding old Jeeps is not a cheap hobby

   

The newer jeeps arent any cheaper than the old ones, once the bug bites you

[aw12345]

True, but with old stuff that has been used hard it's a never ending story.
It will keep breaking and breaking

[Jeffy]

  

The newer jeeps arent any cheaper than the old ones, once the bug bites you

Having a decent base to start off with is different then having to dig outself out of the hole first.

[Sine Deviance]

Yeah, I'd go for a YJ or a TJ. I recommend YJ