Faults:

Rear passenger side axle broke - first day of use after I bought it.

Headlights lost their electric current and I had it rewired with new fuses and swiches.

Engine carburetor was over flowing gas, causing the engine to over accelerate. Transmission shifter wire melted because it was touching the exhaust pipes.

Overall it's an awesome ride!

General Comments:

When you press on the gas, it's like releasing Godzilla from a cage.

It roars!

Faults:

Replaced brakes on both axles.

Replaced all hoses.

Heater core developed a leak.

Heater blower motor died.

Wiper motor died.

General Comments:

This is a great vehicle. Everyone loves the Jeep CJ-5, and with good reason. It's quirky and rough, but for an all purpose utility jitney, there's nothing better.

The 258 six is plenty powerful. I've heard of the performance nuts dropping massive V8's into these, but the old six is more than enough for average driving, and actually gives the vehicle better balance. It's smooth and dependable, and gets decent fuel economy as well.

The axles are solid, giving the vehicle a rather harsh ride, but hey, it's supposed to be tough. On rough roads and offroad terrain, the Jeep shines. Short and nimble, the little rig will go pretty much anywhere you point it. The tough chassis has plenty of grip on rough stuff, and in low range, it will climb a wall. The 3 speed manual transmission shifts like it was brand new; I can't believe how well those old trannys will age if taken care of. I've switched over to synthetic fluid to help keep things preserved in the gearbox.

My Jeep has the factory hard top and original lowback seats, and I've kept it very stock and plain. The highway ride is noisy (lots of wind and whistling) but that's to be expected with this old rig.

The Jeep CJ-5 is a classic. If you want a tough, no-nonsense utility vehicle for varied travel situations, the old CJ-5 can still deliver the goods.

Faults:

Choke flap on Holley 4 barrel carb kept sticking closed causing the engine to race, normally at the most embarrassing moments. Have since filed it down to fix the problem.

Windscreen 'popped' out of frame at about 75 MPH luckily my face stopped the screen flying straight out the back of the Jeep! This I later found out was due to last owners rust removal which involved grinding away the lip that holds the rubber in place. I have since installed a new windscreen surround and screen.

General Comments:

I bought this vehicle mainly for camping trips etc towing a trailer and not for everyday use. I read the reviews in magazines etc that commented on the 'crashy' on road ride and completely ignored them! I didn't buy this Jeep expecting it to be comfortable, but as it turns out it isn't that bad anyway. The handling is interesting, but the suspension's lifted 3" and without power steering it takes a bit of effort to turn the 33" M/T's when parking! (I will be fitting power steering this year). All CJ-5 owners will know that there isn't much room for luggage in the back and in my case even less so as there is an aluminium fuel cell fitted there at the moment.

My Jeep is an open body model meaning that there are no doors no tailgate etc, but it does have a bikini roof! I have got a Bestop Supertop ready to go on, but haven't fitted it yet, also I've bought a tailgate ready to go on.

My Jeep is a factory right hand drive and I was told that it came from Canada originally, but I can't confirm this. Also it has no heater fitted and as far as I can tell has never had one fitted, the air vents just in front of the windscreen don't exist on my Jeep.

I am the 14th registered owner in the UK and it's still going strong, it's about as basic as it gets, but I love it, it's got the classic Jeep looks that we all recognise.

Fuel consumption is quite heavy, but then compare it to a series 3 Land Rover and the jeep has just about got the edge. Why bother with an asthmatic 2.25 litre petrol Land Rover (Gutless) that uses more petrol, and that you have to put in to low box just to muster enough power to pull you over a speed hump! I just don't get it. My Jeep is an official Land Rover recovery vehicle and is available for the next Billing show.

While we're on the subject has anyone recently lost a green 109" or a white SWB Land Rover? The last time I went out in the Jeep I must have run them over, it took me ages to pick them out of my tyres, pesky things!