For the last several years, I had dreamed of finding a derelict Jeep and spending a bit of time and energy to build it up, to be a trail-ready machine. So when I thought I found what seemed like the right candidate, it was build-up time!

In May of 1994 I was having a world of fun four-wheeling in my Bronco, but I wanted to try my hand at building a Jeep.  So, after surfing the local newspaper for a few weeks, as no Internet was available in those days, I found a 1967 CJ-5 that seemed like a good candidate.  After an inspection and a test drive, the seller and I agreed on a price and I drove it home.

Left:  June 1995, and I've just purchased the Jeep and driven it home.  Right:  The shoddy interior.  Note the Chevy steering wheel and the holes in the dash.

I knew what I was getting into as I had brought a friend along with me, Dick Mansour, who is a good amateur mechanic who has an excellent working knowledge of 4x4s.  Dick an I observed the following:

* There was hardly any rust anywhere, almost unheard of for a 30-year old Jeep

* The under-the-seat gas tank leaked and would need to be replaced

* The transfer case had a leak

* The carburetor needed to be rebuilt

* The wiring was a mess and needed replacement

* Lots of cosmetic work needed to be done, including new paint, new seats, new top, etc.

Despite all of that, it seemed like it was basically a solid platform and would be a likely candidate for a build-up. It started up fine and the ride home was uneventful.

Left:  The Jeep resides in my garage, at my former home in Fresno.  Right:  Fast-forward to Antelope, in November, 1997, and I'm starting to tear the thing apart, in order to paint and re-wire it.

I spent a couple of weeks repairing minor problems, changing fluids, having the carburetor rebuilt and checking everything out.  It seemed ready for a trip, so on July 1, 1995 my wife and I headed east into the Sierras to do a bit of four-wheeling over the weekend. The trip turned into a memorable experience, which will be published on this web site one of these days.

After that disastrous trip, the Jeep stayed in the garage while I concentrated on fixing various safety items, like brakes.  In August of 1995, my job transferred me from Fresno to Sacramento, so until I could purchase a house and get my life in order, the Jeep had to wait.  

Photos:  The dashboard has been removed, and the rat's-nest of wires has been exposed.  Note the "Keeper strap" used to hold the Chevy steering column in place, and the unpainted roll cage.

A couple of years later, after a divorce, a re-marriage and after purchasing a house in Antelope, CA,  I was ready to work on the Jeep again.  Here's what I did to it:

* Installed new wiring, using a new wiring harness and new alternator

* Replaced the leaky gas tank with a new and higher-capacity tank

* Installed a complete roll-cage

* Installed a "rubicon" rack

* Replaced the seats with new bucket seats

* Repaired the cracked windshield

* Installed a heater/defroster

* Custom-painted the Jeep inside and outside

* Installed a locking tool box behind the front seats

* Installed a removable rear seat, for one rear-seat passenger.

* Ranch 5000 shocks

* 31" x 10.5" Goodyear Wrangler trail-tread tires, that I had left over from the Bronco

Not to mention a whole lot of attending to minor details, which are too many to mention in this article, as it would bore the reader to death.

In painting the Jeep, I didn't use the "rattle-can" method, as I have a 60-gallon air compressor and all the accessories.  So during the winter of 1997, I was scraping, sandblasting, cleaning, masking and painting, not to mention a bit of wiring thrown in.  Sure, I went down to the local auto paint store, picked out the colors that I wanted, and the bonding agent, thinner and everything else needed to do a proper paint job, and went to work.  When the Jeep emerged from the garage, it sported a "Desert Storm" paint job that would make any military vehicle proud

Left:  Under the hood, during the re-wiring process, which took a couple of weeks in my spare time.  Right:  The Jeep is all masked, and ready to be repainted in the Desert Storm color scheme.  It took nearly a week, in my limited time, to completely mask it, and get it ready for painting.

Left:  I'm in the process of re-wiring the Jeep.  Re-wiring and painting took place at the same time. Right:  New, custom-built dash, new steering wheel, new seats and new paint make the CJ-5 presentable.

After selling the Bronco in August of 1997, the Jeep inherited the 10,000 pound winch that was once attached to the Bronco.  Now, I was ready for the trail.

The first real trail run I went on was Panamint Valley Days, 1997, where I broke a heater hose but quickly did a trail repair.  Then, in April of 1998, Sharlene and I attended Santiago's Revenge, with our friend Katie Taylor and her son Brian.  On the trail, Brian got a little to eager and got Katie's Explorer stuck in a really steep spot on the trail.  Using a rock as something to hold my Jeep in place, I managed to winch them back onto the trail without injury or damage.

Left:  At Panamint Valley Days, 1998, I experienced a leaky heater hose coming down South Park Canyon, which was quickly repaired.  My friend, Jonathan Dolan took the photo.  Right:  Hi-Landers Poker Run, in June of 1998, my friend Katie Taylor accompanies me on one of the harder stretches of the trail.

Other runs in 1998 that followed included High Desert Roundup, Hi-Landers Poker Run and Panamint Valley Days.  The last organized trail run that we took the Jeep on was Santiago's Revenge, in 1999. On all of these runs, I towed the Jeep behind the truck, which worked out quite well.

In May 1999, we moved into our current residence, which was brand new at the time.  Now, I'd never had a new house before, and I didn't realize all the work I was getting myself into and all the things that needed to be done now!  Note:  As of this writing, in June 2004, there's still many things that need to be done.

Left:  In July of 1999, my dad and I went for a four-wheeling trip in the Tahoe National Forest, and Dad took my photo, at Fordyce Summit.  Right:  At our new home in Roseville, the Jeep is photographed in it's spot in the garage, ready to go on the next trail.

I also knew that there were a few things on the Jeep that needed some attention, such as:

* Rebuild the engine

* Rebuild the transfer case

* Junk the 3-speed tranny and replace it with a 4-speed

* Replace the clutch and all the linkage

* Convert the drum brakes to disc brakes

Since I was so busy with the house and I was short on time and money, I decided to sell the Jeep.  Since I had many other projects that needed my attention, I was sick of playing around with a Jeep that still required a lot of work.  Not to mention that we'd just received an unwelcome "greeting" from the tax man and needed to quickly raise a few thousand bucks.  So, with a heavy heart, I put an ad in the paper and sold the Jeep a couple of days later.

Left:  A poetic look at the CJ, as it sits in our driveway, awaiting it's new owner.  Right:  Goodbye to an old friend, as it was a fun, 6 years...

This CJ won't be my only Jeep, because as soon as I can talk my wife into it, a new Jeep Rubicon will be living in my garage.  I can hardly wait!

---

Copyright(c) 2010 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since January 19, 2005.

Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custom photography for any occasion...