Vehicle Description
Few vehicles have entrenched themselves in American popular culture
quite as deeply as the Jeep. While the carefree Mustang and
Corvette certainly come close, the Jeep held a more profound
meaning. It was proven in the most grueling conditions on earth, a
faithful tool trusted by American soldiers in the throes of war.
American Bantam is credited with the earliest prototype; a
brilliantly simply yet enormously capable vehicle that impressed
military officials. But the government was concerned that the small
Pennsylvania-based company did not have the manufacturing capacity
to keep up with the expected demand. Willys and Ford were drafted
in as they could handle the volume needed to satisfy the Military,
as well as provide some engineering tweaks to the Bantam prototype.
Once finalized and put into production, nearly 650,000 military
Jeeps were built by Ford and Willys over the course of WWII, and
this humble utility truck became one of the most recognizably
symbols of American ingenuity. After the war, Ford resumed
passenger car production, though Willys wisely cashed in on the
Jeep's wartime notoriety with the Civilian Jeep (CJ) which first
hit showrooms in 1945. Willys had gone so far as to trademark the
name "Agri-Jeep" but at the last minute, it name was officially
changed to "Universal Jeep" in order to appeal to a broader
audience and better reflect the truly diverse capabilities of the
CJ. In a testament to its legacy, the Jeep has outlived its parent
companies on numerous occasions, and it remains one of the most
uniquely American vehicles of all time. This 1959 Universal Jeep
CJ5 has been painstakingly restored to near factory-correct
standards. Discovered by the most recent owner in Cleveland, Ohio
in 2010, it had served as a grounds service vehicle for a local
drive-in movie theater before being retired from duty. Despite
having been "put out to pasture" the Jeep was remarkably complete
and sound, though ready for restoration. Over the course of the
next several years, the owner meticulously restored this CJ5 to
near factory-correct standards. After careful disassembly, the
original body tub was deemed beyond repair, so it was replaced with
a new high-quality Repli-Tub sourced from Willys Overland Motors in
Toledo. The original fenders, hood and grille and windscreen frame
were in fine condition and were carefully restored in order to
maintain a high degree of originality. The underpinnings were fully
stripped, and the frame media blasted and painted with hard-wearing
POR-15 to ensure a lifetime of protection. The axles were fully
rebuilt along with new suspension to return the chassis to a
factory-fresh appearance. The high-quality body is finished in a
factory correct shade of President Red, which was applied using
modern base-coat enamel for ease of maintenance and durability. The
presentation of the paintwork is very good, with nice straight body
panels and beautiful finish work both inside and out of the body
tub. After the restoration was completed, the CJ was enjoyed on
local roads and in casual shows, and few very minor touchups have
been made along the way. The body features the side-mount spare
wheel and folding windscreen that were signatures of the bare-bones
CJ5 and it retains the correct Willys-embossed tailgate and the
period "Four Wheel Drive" logo on the tail. Careful attention was
paid to ensure an authentic restoration of the interior using
period correct materials and fittings. The front seats are trimmed
in correct style two-tone red and gray vinyl, and aftermarket,
period-look chrome lift-latch seat belts were added. A brand new
BestTop convertible top and soft door set is included, which has
yet to be fitted to the body. Also included is an extremely rare
optional rear seat which requires restoration but would make for a
very nice period finishing touch. Willys' 134 cubic inch F-head
Hurricane Four is well-suited to the lightweight CJ5, feeling
peppier than its factory-rated 72 horsepower would suggest.
Underhood presentation is excellent, in keeping with the
utilitarian nature but nicely executed with high-quality finishes
and detailing. Receipts show the engine was rebuilt as part of the
restoration in 2011, and it is mated the correct 3-speed manual
gearbox and 2-speed transfer case. In order to improve drivability,
a set of radial tires were fitted that are close in size to the
original bias ply, but provide a bit more pleasant feel on the
road. The wheels are the original steels, media blasted and painted
in an attractive off-white color that, while not original, look
very handsome contrasting the red body. The sale of this charming
CJ5 includes the aforementioned convertible top and rear seat, as
well as a collection of receipts and photos documenting the
restoration process. Rarely do we encounter early Jeeps that have
been restored with such attention to original specification. Far
too many have been run into the ground in commercial service, or
have been modified beyond recognition for off-roading. This
beautifully presented early CJ5 is a true icon of American
motoring, refreshingly correct and restored with care by a
passionate enthusiast.
