found a 1963 cj5 for sale...Q's

[oaklandopen]

the wife used to own a 2001 tj and i guess has never gotten out of her "jeep thing" mentality. after doing some searching we found a 1963 cj5 for sale for $2100. she likes the deal, and i have some automotive experience, just not so much with the jeep or anything that old

if anyone here is a guru at this type of jeep could you please chime in with some specifics i could look out for when we go and check this jeep out. maybe some things to look for that show it's genuine, specific equipment to check for damage, anything i can check to see if it's no longer an OEM part?

thanks in advance

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Going backwards to a 63 after driving a TJ is a dramatic change. First, the TJ has coil springs and the CJ has leaf springs; coils are a much softer ride. The 63 may not even have power steering and in general will drive more like a truck.

When looking at vintage equipment pay close attention to the frame. In this case I think the 63 will be a "C" channel which is more prone to cracks. Also, what power plant is in it, stock or has it been changed out?

Don't get me wrong I am not against CJ, I love them, and have owned a 47 CJ2A, a 72 CJ5, and currently own a 78 CJ5. The problem is its hard to find one that hasn't been molested, abused or doesn't need work. Again they will not drive like a TJ. If you do bring a CJ into the family, it has to be accepted as a "labor of love", not an investment.

 

[Collin the Hen]

If you want a really nice, vintage CJ, they will probably run up towards the $5000 mark. This one will probably need some work.
If stock, it will have a 134 ci inline four with around 70 hp. If you are lucky, a v6 will be sitting in there. Buick 231 v6's were very popular swaps for early CJ5s. Now, your top speed will be about 55 or so because it would not be surprising to have 5.38 gears in the axles.
As previously mentioned, check the frame! If it is rusty or has rust holes in it, leave the Jeep for someone to modify.
If you look around on the forum, there's a whole check list of things to do when considering a purchase like checking fluids, test drive, body inspection...

 

[dave123]

Check out earlycj.com , great site. Your wife must be tough to want an old Jeep, mine seldom likes to ride in my CJ, and would never consider driving one herself. Perhaps we could swap...

 

[oaklandopen]

this is by no means an investment for us, and we won't be doing any crazy lift or jamboree type stuff to it. it's really just gonna end up being a little project, show-off quick trip around town type vehicle. the wife is a jeep person, and it was her turn to get the next vehicle since i chose the last one

ended up giving the guy a check, as soon as it clears he'll hand over the keys (and the jeep of course).

took it for a quick spin...it definitly drives like a jeep. it's the f-head 4, 3speed+reverse and the high/low, 2wd/4wd. tried to check the frame as best i could but i won't truly know until i take it apart. lucky us there's a galvanizing place nearby, so as long as the frame is good we'll get it galvanized for like $200.

as far as i know the frame should still be pretty good because of how the overall vehicle appeared. but if not i guess we're kinda screwed in that aspect, cuz a new one is just shy of $2k, and at that point we probably could have just had a restored one for just about a thousand more w/out all the hassle

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Welcome to the CJ brotherhood!

 

[doubledrop]

y, rust is the killer on the frame. my neighbor just bought a 77 CJ-5. I gave them the bug talking about jeeps to them and they in turn sent the bug back to me :lol: they paid right at $2000 and the frame looks like it is shot. They wanted a simple project jeep, now it is a body off, repair the entire frame restoration. Hope you make out ok with your frame. The body is much easier to deal with, so easy to weld a repair panel in, frame is a whole different story. Of course I am shopping around for a project now myself.

 

[Collin the Hen]

You know we'll be waiting for pictures now, right? Wink, wink.

 

[oaklandopen]

she definitely needs some work, and i have already started a "things to do" list.....but that's kinda what i wanted. it runs smooth, drives fine, and the frame only has some surface rust

 

[Collin the Hen]

Cool. Looks like you have a nice project Jeep. Keep us posted!

 

[SteelHeadz]

Don't forget to take pics as you do the upgrades.

 

[Shewilly]

Not a guru by all means, just wanted to send congrats on fun little project. Glad to hear you will be keeping it stock, figure out what engine you got yet? Prob is the 134. Is that a willy or kaiser? Agree, you will find ton of helpful info on early cj.com. Take care of that hardtop, rare find. Rust on frame shouldnt be an issue (assuming you are in Cali?) Have fun!!

 

[oaklandopen]

Not a guru by all means, just wanted to send congrats on fun little project. Glad to hear you will be keeping it stock, figure out what engine you got yet? Prob is the 134. Is that a willy or kaiser? Agree, you will find ton of helpful info on early cj.com. Take care of that hardtop, rare find. Rust on frame shouldnt be an issue (assuming you are in Cali?) Have fun!!

nah...im in delaware, so rust would be a concern. however, i have a garage that pretty much wont fit any other vehicle besides this cj.

i think i had said before it's the 4cyl f-head. and i also want to say after checking out sites like jcwhitney and the like i can see how much of a money pit this jeep is gonna be, cuz i probably won't want to stop fixing this thing up.

i think i may start with the electrical system (i might have to get a whole new harness), then maybe a full set of guages (the ones on there now seem kinda unreliable, unless the new wiring helps) which should help with any future troubleshooting i may run into.

priorities are difficult cuz the body needs some work as well. there's some parts like this right rear panel that would be cheap to cover up, but probably better off if i just get a whole new back tub (fiberglass most likely)

View attachment untitled.bmp

and the windshield frame will definitly have to be replaced cuz the 2 ducts are now 1 hole due to rust

but it's a good thing my 2 year old son already likes this thing, so now i have to fix it up....it might just be his 16th bday present when he gets his license.

View attachment untitled2.bmp

 

[SteelHeadz]

Start with the Electrical and Mechanical issues. Once you get them going, the body can be done a section at a time.

 

[Shewilly]

Must admit he looks pretty at home in that seat! Dont sweat the winshield frame they are inexpensive and dime a doz, glass on the other hand...not sure if we're aloud to post links up, but Ive got a few good suppliers I use for my 65. Pm me if your interested. T

 

[Turbogus]

Echoing SteelHeadz comment, I recently read an interesting article in JP magazine about one major cure for electrical gremlins is to take apart the fuse block by removing the bolt holding the two halves together (inner and outer). The author made an excellent point the "who wants 30 (+) year old dielectric grease in there" Also he had found some mud caked in his, so much so the impedance had melted one of the contacts.
I've gotten on top of my electrcal gremlins in 'Black Betty' for the time being, but thought it an excellent idea to post.
ps Welcome to the CJ realm brother

 

[kman]

Congrats on the CJ!!!! Definatley check out the EarlyCJ5.com you'll get a LOT of good info on there!!

 

[unclebill]

the hurricane is easy to work on and parts are easy to find.
can we see what kind of brakes it has?
how is the wiring?
steering?

 

[oaklandopen]

update

upon removal of a lot of components i've decided to completely replace the tub with a new fiberglass one. the steel one on there now is too much into disrepair with rust, drilled holes that aren't used for anything, terrible welding jobs, etc

the reason im going fiberglass is because

1)not looking for a total restoration
2)lighter, and i won't be modifying the engine
3)won't have to worry about rust

i realize there will be some extra wiring going on (ground-wise) but that shouldn't be too much trouble

so far i've broken down the hardtop, taken off the dash panel and it's components, removed the blower motor, and multiple other tidbits. there are some strange looking weld-like spots that close some of the fender gaps so i hope i don't have to cut too much stuff. the front fenders and hood are just fine, very few tiny dents.

and i guess that's about it for now

 

[SteelHeadz]

the hurricane is easy to work on and parts are easy to find.
can we see what kind of brakes it has?
how is the wiring?
steering?

Uhmm, The hurricane has 2 Hemi engines, front and rear. The parts for the 5.7 hemi is still quite expensive and not all the parts are available at a local parts store. Sorry.