Vehicle Description
We move a lot of Jeeps around here, but this 1978 Jeep CJ5 is the
first one we've had that seems to think it's a muscle car. Bright
colors, cool bucket seat interior, rear-wheel-drive, and a thumping
small block V8. If you're not going to go tearing up trails, why
carry all the hardware around? Instead, this is a quick, fun city
cruiser with a lot of punch and great road manners, all wrapped up
in that cool Jeep look.
Nobody's going to know the difference at a glance, so you might
even call this Jeep a sleeper. The bright turquoise paint looks
fantastic, especially since it only has 2286 miles on the build, so
it's still quite fresh. The body is 100% steel, no fiberglass parts
here, and you can easily see that it's been living in a warm
climate because none of the usual Jeep problem areas show any
issues. The rear wheel arches are clean, the bed corners are solid,
and the windshield frame looks great. There have been no exterior
modifications beyond some dress-up parts, so the look is pure
tradition, including the seven-slot grille up front. Of course,
there's a stainless surround to dress it up, as well as a bunch of
chrome upgrades including the hinges, mirrors, and hood locks, and
they all sparkle against that lovely turquoise paint. In back, the
tailgate is gone, so the Jeep has a smooth look with integrated
taillights, as well as the familiar diamond plate bumpers that
always look sturdy.
This Jeep is now a two-seater, with two fresh gray vinyl buckets
seats up front. More appealing and comfortable in the sun than
black, the gray upholstery works rather well with the turquoise
bodywork and silver roll bar. The dash was neatly refinished with a
stainless panel that retains all the original controls and gauges,
with a newer AM/FM/cassette stereo in the middle. There's also a
wood-rimmed steering wheel that adds some upscale warmth to the
all-business interior and the shifter for the 4-speed manual is
right between the seats where it falls easily to hand when you're
running fast. There are black carpets on the floor, which does make
the Jeep feel at least a little bit civilized, but there are no
doors or top, so it's still an elemental experience. The back seat
is gone, with the cargo bay lined with diamond plate and fitted
with a matching tool box that can securely store valuables.
The engine is a 350 cubic inch Chevy V8, which is a popular swap
into an old Jeep. Here, it's built to rock, with a big Holley
4-barrel carburetor, an Edelbrock medium-rise intake manifold, and
plenty of power on tap at any speed. Finned valve covers remind
onlookers that this is a street machine built for performance, not
slogging through the mud, and a few chrome dress-up items make it
look great in the satin black engine bay. Fresh wiring, a dual
master cylinder, and cast iron exhaust manifolds all help with its
street-friendly image. It's backed by a 4-speed manual gearbox
feeding what appears to be the standard Jeep rear end. The front
axle, of course, is a simple tubular setup, and you'd be amazed by
how much quicker a Jeep gets when you dump 1000 pounds of heavy
hardware. The stance is still pure Jeep and you shouldn't be afraid
of rough roads or venturing onto light trails with it, especially
with those big 32x11.50-15 off-road tires on shiny Mickey Thompson
aluminum wheels.
This is a fun open two-seater with a big V8 up front and a classic
look. What else might you want from a summertime toy? Call
today!