The Story

Hello! Thanks for stopping by my blog. Most of the time I would not take the time to document a process such as this because it adds time to a project that is already time intensive. I have decided to document this rebuild because the Jeep has a history in my family, and as it turns out may be one of the earliest CJ5s still on the road (or soon to be). I say one of the oldest because it was the 243rd CJ5 produced out of 600,000 or more.

I invite anyone to chime in and offer advice as to how to proceed with the rebuild. I have no problem with others pointing out that I may be on the wrong path or have an idea that is likely not to work.

This Jeep was purchased by my great grandfather. I believe that he purchased it new, but at the moment I do not have any documentation to prove that. I have applied to the State of Texas for information on the vehicle's history and hope to soon establish a documented chain of ownership.

My grandfather next took possession of the Jeep. The Jeep was exposed to the elements for decades while on my grandfather's ranch in Goliad Texas, and as a result is full of holes. My grandmother tells stories of using the Jeep to haul away brush after storms, so I know that it has been used as Jeeps were intended to be used.
Several years ago my grandfather passed away and the Jeep went to live with my mother in Oklahoma. My mother and step-father had intended to restore the Jeep, but life happens and the Jeep continued to live "Free Range" as it appears God intended.

I was given the Jeep as gift for Christmas this year (2010). I knew that the Jeep ran, that it had zero brakes, and that the body was pretty much shot. Knowing all of this I found a donor Jeep for $600. I was told that the Jeep was a 1971 model, but a bit of research (by research I mean help from the kind people at www.earlycj5.com) has shown the donor to be a 1966 from Canada.

The original plan was to take the 66 body and drop it on the 55 frame, paint it all, and then call it a day. Upon discovering that the 55 was such an early production Jeep I am now thinking about trying to replace only the floor and the area around the filler cap on the 55. This new plan will add untold hours to the process, but in the end it may be worth it.

That is the story thus far of this Jeep. As the tear down continues that the build starts I will post more information and more pictures. I will toss in one more plug to the great people at www.earlycj5.com.

Thanks to my family for the gift. I hope that they share their stories about the Jeep here in the comments section as the project progresses.

Below are a few photos of both Jeeps.