1972 Jeep CJ 5 - OFF ROAD ONLY! NO TITLE!

Jeep CJ 1972 Description

Here is my Jeep story. Be sure to read from start to finish and get all the details. I am trying to be honest and cover everything I know about the vehicle. Strap in and hang on...
Up for sale is my '72 (?) Jeep CJ5.
First-things-first: I DO NOT HAVE A TITLE...The Jeep does not come with a battery!
I acquired the Jeep without a motor, but it was already set up for a Chevy 350 conversion. I just happened to have an extra 350 in the garage.
The CJ was put together for the purpose of trail riding, not to cruise on the streets of Ohio and Pennsylvania. It gets trailered (like a queen?) to and fro.
The Jeep and I have covered many a miles of trail, involving hill climbs, rocks, and mud. It has been to Southington Off-Road Park, Garrettsville, OH (several times), the muddy trails of Union City, PA (a friend's place) and Greene Township, PA (off-road racing area). The Jeep and I spent non-4 wheel drive times together at the Glen Christian Church's Ox Roast Festival Car Show several years ago at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds and participated in several parades in full dress attire (this means it was prettied-up with the help of mother earth!).
For those well versed in CJ5s, they were not made for anyone with a tall stature. If you are anywhere near 6 feet or taller, the current seat, steering column, and peddle arrangement will not be comfortable. In the hands of a fabricator and little know-how, this can be solved.
What makes this CJ5 tick?
The motor is a Chevy 350 from my '73 Chevy ¾ ton truck. It was rebuilt a while ago with a mild cam. It isn't a tire smoker, but it gets the job done in the Jeep. Headers are for a Chevy 350 in a CJ5 application. Oil pressure could be little better, but is sufficient. As a matter-of-fact, I just performed an oil change in June of this year with the usual zinc additive to make the solid flat top lifters happy as they glide across the cam. The motor has a slight 'lean' in the engine compartment - approximately 1/2 lower on the driver's side. This can be corrected easily enough by "tweaking" the motor mounts (with a handy torch and welder).
The original 3-speed transmission still puts the power from the motor to the transfer case. Mechanical clutch linkage works well, as-long-as the trail doesn't get too radical. The Clutch works great. Linkage has been known to "fall apart" at times during drastic twisting of the frame/body. But, it is an easy trail fix. It could be improved with a cable type linkage setup.
The original Dana 20 (?) Transfer Case is intact. Not sure if Hi range works. We've only played in Lo range on our journeys.
Front and Rear Dana 44 axles are from an International Scout. Both contain 4:56 gears with loc-rite limited slips. There isn't much slip due to what I think is a light vehicle. The front axle shafts, both inners and outers, have been replaced along with the CV joints. New Mile Marker manual lock-out hubs are in place.
The tires are a set of well used 36x12.5 R15 Super Swamper TSLs. They still have plenty of tread on them. Dry rot is present in some areas and there are a couple of punctures that have been plugged. One was large enough to require a rope-type plug. I haven't had too much concern with these tire blemishes due to the nature of our relationship. The tires have inner tubes to insure proper tire pressure.
The radiator was new 5 years ago. It is meant for a Chevy 350 application. Custom fabricated shroud around the mechanical fan helps keep things cool. We've never had any cooling issues.
Power Brake Booster / Master Brake Cylinder assembly and distribution block are from my '92 S-10 Blazer. Brakes work very well.
Driver's and Passenger vinyl bucket seats are from my '87 S-10 Blazer. In my opinion, the seats could be mounted an inch-or-2 lower in the vehicle for more comfort. The lap belts are from the rear seat of the Blazer.
The steering column is original, but has been modified (by the previous owner). The after market steering wheel is welded to the end of the steering shaft. It does work, but it the steering wheel is mounted a little to close to the driver's seat (driver's seat may be a little too big).
The roof of the '87 Blazer was used to rebuild the rear floor section. The floor in the driver's and passenger foot areas were also reinforced. The tool box under the passenger seat is completely rotted out. Looks good from the top-side though!
There is a body mount located just in front of the passenger's rear tire that is completely rotted out. BUT, the other body mounts are solid, and the roll cage is tied to the frame using plates that sandwich the floor / wheel wells. These plated cage mounts more than make up the issue of the bad body mount.
The body has a lot of character. The rear wheel wells have been massaged for tire clearance. The rear wheel wells also have custom flares which help a little in keeping the windshield clear of debris. . .this is an issue for those that like mud. The inside of the windshield would be coated to the point of not being able to see. The front fenders have a little wear and tear on the leading edges. The hood is in pretty good shape with the majority of the sheet metal being straight. The overall paint is for function, not looks. There are scratches. This isn't a vehicle intended for a good wash and wax in order to go out for an evening. The rockers have aftermarket diamond plate coverings. I am certain the body underneath may not be in the same condition as when it left the factory.
The wiring harness was removed (at least what was left of the harness) and the necessities were custom wired. I'll be the first to admit that the wiring could be done a lot better, but it works. Cheap crimp-type terminals and electrical tape was used instead of soldering and heat-shrink.
All of the lights that are mounted work. There is only one rear tail light with the incorporated reverse light. The reverse light is wired to a manual switch. We don't use it very often.
The bumpers are custom. The front is a piece of c-channel welded to the frame. The rear is boxed tubing welded to the frame. For recovery purposes there are tow hooks on the front (from my '92 S-10 Blazer), and a chain wrapped between the frame rails in the rear.
Original gages do not work and are not hooked up. Aftermarket gages are present: Tachometer, Oil Pressure, Ammeter, and Temperature Gage. No gas gage. No speedometer. No Odometer. These aren't too important during our excursions.
Custom switch panel from Summit Racing operates all functions (the few that need to be done).
It does have a custom fabricated roll cage that is tied to the frame. I incorporated a couple of sleeves around the foot wells due to rot. I did not want to chance a weak point in the cage. I've never 'used' the roll cage, but I've come close a couple of times.
The side 'nerf' bars are welded to the frame.
Speaking of the frame, it is solid. The frame was boxed from the front of the vehicle to the transmission mount. It does have a couple of rusted thru-spots on the inner boxed pieces, but the original frame section is still solid.
The suspension is custom. Spring mounts are custom and springs are the narrow CJ style springs that go over the top of the axles, not the bottoms. The springs should probably be replaced with wider leafs. The narrow leafs will 'shift' sometimes due to not having the proper clips installed. The narrow springs also allow the front to move around when sitting still (big tires, light vehicle). The axles will move a little during initial acceleration due to the flexy springs.. The shocks seem to be in decent shape.
The wiper motor is new, but does not currently work due to wiring issues. It is missing the driver's side wiper blade.
It does have a bikini top that is in decent shape. It is a little tattered (?) along the bag edge from flapping in the wind. It does keep the sun off your head.
The soft top is in great shape. No rips or tares. The windows have a little bit of 'hazing'. The snaps and zippers are in great condition. The framework for the soft top are all there, but does not fit the soft top very well in the rear.
The soft doors are in excellent shape. No rips or tares. The framework and zippers are in great shape too. I made custom latches on the body for the doors to work. The windows also have a slight 'haze' to them.
The jeep does not come with a battery. It has a battery box from Summit Racing that I used to secure a Red-Top battery.
I have a ton of receipts that I can provide to the new owner in case parts need to be exchanged, although I'm certain the warranty period for most of the parts have expired. The receipts may prove helpful when looking for part numbers (especially for the axles).
The Jeep is built for function. Could it use some work? --Absolutely. Can it be driven as-is? --Absolutely. I would recommend the new owner to take it home and cruise it around the yard before the first big adventure to familiarize yourself with any of the nuances it has.
That's all of the information I can think of at this time. I am sure there are more details I can share depending on the questions.
I have the CJ5 advertised locally. If I get an offer locally, I will cancel this listing early.
Please contact me for an appointment if you'd like to take a look at it.
Remember, you will need a trailer to get it home.
Payment:
I require a minimum of $100 paid via PayPal, or cash in person, within 48 hours of auction end. I will hold vehicle for 7 days from end-of-auction, unless other arrangements are made. If arrangements are not made within 7 days, I will accept offers from other interested parties. The remainder of the balance is due, IN CASH, in person when vehicle is picked up. If you have questions, please ask!
Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoyed this listing. Hopefully I'll see you on the trails!