68 CJ5 Build

Hello, my name is Austin and I am from Illinois. I recently got my hands on jeep that I have been trying to buy for about 5 years now. One of my friends dad had this thing sitting at their place as long as I had know him. And since I was about 15 I kept asking if he wanted to sell it and I always got a no. Well low and behold, sometime later he decides that it is time to get rid of it! So I picked it up, not caring what shape it was really in. Well, I now know it will be more of a project than I had originally assumed. But I am going to do a full restoration on it, and hopefully keep it under 3 years... But anyway I got it home washed it and started taking things off to get to the known bad parts. I've known for a while that the steering is in need of attention, so that is my first focal point. It does run and drive, brakes also need attention. Sadly it does appear that the tub is beyond repair. I also want to figure out more about whether the 225 that is in it is the stock engine, what axles it has and so on and so forth.

I am having difficulties with getting photos to on here from photobucket but will get photos here somehow...

 

Welcome from Iowa!

 

Here it is as it sits right now.


Are these worm gears for the Ross steering boxes available anywhere?
Thanks

 

Great project, Ross parts are impossible to find. The repops are questionable. At the point in the project you are you need to seriously think about making the switch to Saginaw steering.
Welcome from Oklahoma!

 

Bummer, I really wanted it keep it mechanically original. However I don't think it's very original in its current state.. there has been some cobbling

 

You will have better luck looking for a complete Ross box. People on here are converting to Saginaw often, their Ross setup will be available. Post a want-to-buy ad for a Ross box. Make sure you mention the V6 because it has a little different setup.

 

Awesome! Thank you! I'll do that when I time, I would like to keep the steering the same I think.. however power steering does sound kind of nice.

 

KaiserWillys.com has replacement shafts with worm gear here for $155.

Steering Gear Box Tube & Worm Gear 41-1/2

 

Sweet thank you! I'll check that out, Ive been weighing my options for steering.

 

Well I got one decent night of work in over the weekend. Let me tell ya, the drivers seat is an absolute pain! I was thinking that there has to be a better way the whole time but I don't think there is! I have started to find that there has definitely been someone else cobbling it together, I found romex wire used for the alternator, and spare chunks of wire used as zipties to hold wires up and together, needless to say I will be starting from scratch, haha. Managed to get the tub almost ready for removal. Just have the clutch pedal and one body mount left. So I am hoping I can get the clutch pedal apart as the bolt does not move.. Gonna give that a try after work tomorrow hopefully.





I was hoping someone could shed some light on this tag.. I noticed it starts with the 8305 as the serial does. Found it on the firewall, with a wire wrapped into a bolt.

Also woke this not so little fella up from his nap, which made him rather angry..

 

Reading you first post, you say your body may be beyond repair. From your pictures, I disagree. You body tub is very salvagable, unless there is some really thick bondo covering up heavy rust. New floors, including the rear, are available. Many of us have brought back much worse tubs than your looks.
-Donny

 

There is a lot of bondo on it right now, I'll go at it with a hammer tonight to break some off to show you. But the whole floor would need to be replaced, including under the passenger seat box. I think it's to the point where the amount of money and time I would have in it to repair would be near the same as a tub. I'll get some pictures tonight and see what your opinion is. Thanks!

 

did floors and channels on the boys jeep recently using classic parts top notch stuff. i would think about that they are only original once...

 

Well I have had a busy couple weeks at work combined with being sick, but I finally made it back to post these pictures. The floors have been "repaired" once and the reason I quoted that is that the old floors were not cut out, a piece of sheet metal was just brazed in. This is the case with all of the body repairs made.







The last photo above of the right side, all that metal under there is all the patchwork of someone previous, covered with bondo.


Managed to get this done though!


So now I'm trying to decide what to start after first. I got some other things going on at the moment and the old girl is having to take a bit of a back seat. But I plan on getting the brakes all off. I am thinking that I'd like to go ahead and do a 4 wheel disc conversion. But we will see when the time comes. I have noticed that my output shaft from the transfer case is very loose and sloppy, so ill have to get in there and correct the issue there. But as for right now its at a bit of a stand still.

Let me know what you think of the body, whether to repair or replace. Seems too far gone for me, all the cross members under it are rotten too.. just doesn't seem cost effective to fix on it for days.

Thanks, Austin

 

On my build I replaced drivers and passenger floor, left and right wheel well, rear floor, riser, right rear quarter and the left and right lower metal at passenger and driver side. At the time of my build I had more time than money so I replaced sheet metal.

 

Fix it. the quality of the parts that are left is way better than new repo tub parts the steel isn't as good to start with. New steel is mostly recycled old stuff and didn't hold up as long.

 

I guess I'll check into how much the replacement panels and channels cost and go from there, there is also a piece on the frame I'll have to look into repairing but that's no big deal, I've made more progress on it. I've been looking at steering options, and think I might see if I can get a rack up front and do that, I like the idea of it, but whether I can find one heavy enough to work or if I can find anything to work. So that's kinda where I'm at, wanna get the engine out and on a stand soon. Hopefully I can start having a little more time to work on it.

 

If you were gonna do it now would you still replace panels or buy the tub? I just don't want to end up with loads of hours in doing it, it just seems like it's rotten enough to where you'll have a hell of a time trying to weld the new panels in. Thanks

 

Are you sure yours is a 1968? Your windshied wipers are mounted on the top.

My cj5 is registered as a 1967 but using the forum serial number thread, I found out that I had a Feb. 1966 build date. Important to know when ordering parts. When I ordered a new windshield frame, last year, if I remember right, I was told that 1968's had wipers mounted on the bottom. I stand to be corrected...just saying