1980 Jeep CJ5

Description

Perhaps more than any other late-model Jeep, the CJ5 can trace its DNA directly back to the rugged little trucks that served so faithfully in World War II. This 1980 Jeep CJ5 has been nicely maintained and restored as needed to make it more than a utility vehicle and a total lifestyle. Show up in this, and folks know you mean business.

Let's start with the color, which is a bright, clean silver. Was it on the color pallet in 1980? Well, there was a Smoke Gray, but I can guarantee it looked nowhere near this good. With a good deal of metallic and an incredible shine, it seems to have an inner glow and thanks to modern materials, you can take this one out to play without worrying about hurting it. Fender flares help cover the giant tires, and it does keep its back-to-basics look intact with a bikini roof. And if you're wondering how the CJ5 and CJ7 are different, just look at the shape of the doors, with the CJ5 having a shorter, more maneuverable wheelbase that's a big advantage in the rough. Of course, it also has a traditional folding windshield, flip-up hood secured with 1930s-style latches, and round headlights flanking the grille that's been a part of the Jeep look for more than half a century. Plain bumpers and a rugged spare tire carrier add to the off-road-ready look.

Jeeps are known for bare-bones interiors, but the black buckets and myriad upgrades inside this CJ tell a different story. OK, yes, you can hose it out after having some fun in the dirt, thanks to a spray-in bedliner on the floors, but the seats are actually quite comfortable for long hauls and keep you in place during rough going. The original speedo is mounted where you'd expect, right in the center of the dash, and the steering wheel is about as basic as it gets. The back seat is a brand new piece from BesTop that provides temporary accommodations for two, but it's probably better to think of it as an upholstered package shelf for extra storage. There's an ancient AM/FM radio in the center of the dash, but it's not working and with one wimpy speaker in the dash, it wasn't doing much anyway. Besides, you'll be having too much fun to worry about it.

Most of these Jeeps received a six, a 258 cubic inch inline unit with good torque that makes crawling over the roughest terrain easy. It also scoots through traffic effortlessly and has proven itself time and time again as the engine of choice when the going gets tough. The engine bay is nicely finished and doesn't look like a vehicle that has spent much time off-roading, so that means it's tight and solid throughout. It's quite stock, including the heavy-duty air cleaner and emissions equipment, since with the right gearing all-out horsepower isn't required, and instead it's reliable and stable enough to pull low gear at idle speeds. A 4-speed manual transmission and 2-speed transfer case make up the motive force, and a set of new heavy-duty off-road shocks, a modest lift, and aluminum wheels with giant 32x11.5-15 off-road tires mean it'll go just about anywhere.

Fast, fun, and classic, Jeeps are still a fantastic way to have fun with your ride. Call today!