73 CJ5 good start point or not?

[Caleb0863]

hey ive got a 73 cj5 that my dad got for me when i was 14.. im 21 now an wanna start buildin on it.. im wondering if this is a good jeep to start with or would i be better off gettin a different one.. pro an cons? is it easy to mod? is their much for it? all answers appreciated thanks, Caleb

 

[Shewilly]

Welcome Caleb!
Looks like a great Jeep, definately a keeper!
For 75 and down, just a little more challenging to buy parts for, but certainly not impossible.
What engine does it have?

 

[Crazy4diesels]

You have a nice classic CJ there. Looks pretty solid, too. Definitely worth fixing up. Looks familiar to me for some reason... Have we seen these photos before??? Best of luck - John

 

[Caleb0863]

hey its got the small 6 in it like a 232 or something like that i think.. nah this is the first time ive ever put up pics of it and ive owned it for 8 yrs.. i was wanting to put a diff motor in whats the easiest to swap with? and im looking for some lift as well ive got some shackles on it now that i can still go up with about 2 or 3 more inches but lookin for something a lil more performance based...

 

[wattsup]

Awesome project,just be ready to spend some MONEY! cj-7 more stable but this one could be fun. Good luck!

 

[Saddle Tramp]

The best part about this CJ…. IT’S ALREADY YOURS!!!!! (Any jeep is better than no jeep.)

The 1972 to 1975 series all come with a C channel frame (not boxed) except at the motor mounts and is prone to cracking, particularly just behind the motor mounts, all fixable but something to check out on your ride. At some point in time it probably will behoove you to just box out the rest of the frame.

Don’t jack it up too high as the CJs are more prone to tipping due to the narrow frame. As the saying goes, sometimes less is more.

Decide what you want to do with your jeep, mud, sand, rocks, daily driver, etc., and then make a plan for the improvements you want that fit your use of the jeep and start work. This process more than likely will take years as time, money, and available parts allow, but that all part of the fun.

 

[Caleb0863]

yeah boxin the frame will be no prob.. i guess mainly mud and a few trails thats pretty much all we have in my area.. im from louisiana. i just want a nice lifted capable jeep.. no daily drivin or nothing.. good suspension, bigger motor, yall know what i mean.. prly 35" tires at the most.. whats a good motor choice?

 

[John B]

if you want to stay jeep 304 makes good power and they came in jeeps. so parts won't be a problem.

 

[Caleb0863]

wheres the best place to find a 304? an what all will i have to change out to make a 304 work..

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Don’t limit yourself to just an AMC 304. All of the common AMC V8s will be as close as you are going to get to a direct bolt in for your I6 except you will need to move the motor mount on the passenger side; bell housing & clutch will fit. Any junk yard should have an AMC 360 sitting around or check Craig’s List under Auto Parts, type in AMC and they should pop up. The AMC 401 was the largest motor AMC made, great motor, forged piston rods, they are a little hard to find any more, but it can be done. In your case you probably have the time to wait until one comes around if you want. They do cost a lot more than a 360 if the seller knows what they got and most do. A 360 should be cheaper to rebuild than either the 304 or 401 because the rebuild parts are more common.

The other important thing to know is that all AMC motors are externally balanced meaning that each motor size has its own flywheel. You can not put your I6 flywheel on any of the V8s and a 304 flywheel will not work on a 360 and so on even though they will bolt up. Assuming you plan on sticking with a manual transmission, if the motor you find does not come with a flywheel, and many of them don’t as they will have a flex plate for an automatic transmission, you will need to find the right flywheel for your motor. The junk yard may have one, again Craig’s List or Ebay, or you can order a new one on line or from your favorite parts shop; new should be around $125 or so. In some cases you can have a machine shop rebalance a flywheel to match your motor too.

 

[Caleb0863]

thanks man that was a good starting point for me.. ima start lookin around for a 360 then.. so everything will bolt up to what i got now? jus gta make sure i get the right flywheel for it? i have the bigger v6 that came in them to that i gt out of a wrecked jeep thats suppost to be in good shape jus gta get wiring an everything for it.. i just want a bigger motor tho.. the 360 sounds good to me..

 

[Saddle Tramp]

From 1972 on Jeep did not put a V6 in a CJ so I’m not sure what motor you picked up; they are all I6s if not a V8s after that time. The reason this swap is so easy is you are basically installing OEM parts. The 304 to 401 all used the same block style and bolt pattern, bellhousing back all stays the same. By the way, the size of the V8 motor is cast into the side of the block under the exhaust manifold. These blocks have a high nickel content so they are great candidates for a rebuild. Just be careful to not bore them out too far or you could end up with some over heating issues. Stop at .30 over but I try to only do the minimum need to make the cylinders round again, save a little metal for next time.

 

[Caleb0863]

yea im sry i meant I6.. ok well im making calls for the motors now... what about suspension upgrades what are some budget lifts for this thing? an what driveline parts will be prone to failure with it?

 

[jps4jeep]

Thats a horrible vehicle to start with.. I can take it off your hands for you cheap if you want

I am not sure who said it was not a stable vehicle, they have no clue what they are talking about..

The Narrow trac CJ5's are freaking awesome trail vehicles. I wheel with a couple one 57 and one 73. I posted pics of both a couple times on here. one has a 4" YJ srping under lift and the other is a SOA on flat springs, both run Q78's.

Best part of those jeeps are that they are super light weight. even with a V8 and bigger axles, your still gonna weigh about what a stock YJ weights.

 

[John B]

also look at ih pickup's during the mid 70's they put 401 in some of the pickup's but ih called them 400's. any midsize amc should have what you are looking for. but a flywheel

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Caleb-

You already have a 3” lift so I would leave well enough alone. The drive train on a 73 CJ is not bad out of the box. You should have a Dana 44 rear end. There are some axel upgrades both front and back that can’t hurt, the front end being more important but nothing that has to be done before you hit the trail. Is the jeep a 3 speed or 4? If it is a factory 4 it will be a close ratio T18. The T18 is a 2-1/2 ton truck transmission and tough as nails; if a 3 speed it should be a T15 and strong enough for your new V8. The Dana 20 x-case is fair enough too. About all you can do there without moving up to $2500 worth of AA Atlas box is a Dana 300. In your case to be a direct bolt in only a 1980 Scout case will have the right bolt pattern (Texas) and then it has to have been originally matted to a manual transmission (autos won’t do) and you MUST get the transmission output gear (the one that goes into the x-case) or you got nothing. These are harder to find than an AMC 401 as 1980 was the only year they were used in a Scout as 1980 was also the year the auto worker union killed IH’s light truck division mid model year with a strike. IH never made another light truck again after that. (So, was the strike worth it? Humm…….)

I would be thinking about boxing the frame first but before you do drop your jeep off at a good frame shop and have them straighten it out and then do the work right away before it moves again on you. It could just be the picture and how the jeep was sitting on the ground but it looks to me like the front end sits up a little bit.

The most fun CJ I have ever owned was a 1947 CJ2A with no lift. I took that thing down roads (I use the term road loosely) that hadn’t seen a tire in at least twenty years all over Mt Hood in Oregon with never a problem. You could turn it around on a dime, it was light, except for the V8 I stuffed into it, and nothing but a good time. I wish I still owned that jeep.

 

[Caleb0863]

lol jps4jeeps! but yea i have a 3speed... ill check my frame out an see what i can come up with.. hopefully thats just the picture.. but anyway... thats 3" higher simply due to those shackles i just put on it.. will those be dependable? im gna go back and weld a peice of square tubing in between them to brace them up some.. i can still bring it up like another 2" with those shackles because i have it in the lowest setting right now. i was interested in a SOA on it but have read some forums an people say doing a really good setup like that will end of being pretty expensive.. an my shocks on it right now are past gone! what are some good shocks that are on the cheaper end that i can put on it? and do i need some longer shocks?

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Caleb-

On balance getting your lift from longer shackles is not a good thing. The longer shackles put more stress on the hangers and if they are original it will only be a mater of time before you twist one and the shackle falls off. I would replace the hangers with beefed up aftermarket ones and consider a new spring kit if you want more lift.