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Advice on first jeep purchase

Discussion in 'Intermediate CJ-5/6/7/8' started by jeeperz88, Jan 23, 2009.

  1. Jan 23, 2009
    jeeperz88

    jeeperz88 New Member

    San Diego, CA
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    Jan 23, 2009
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    9
    hi guys, im new to jeeps but ive always been a lover of them. so recently i decided that i wanted to buy one and well ive been looking around seing whats in the market and i blieve that ive found the one. so i was hoping that you guys could give me some advice and let me know what you think of this jeep and if you think the price is right for it.
    so heres the down low on it: 1972 CJ5 AMC 304 V8. it has a 4 inch suspension lift on it with new shocks. it has 33inch tires that i would say have about 70-80% tread left on them, no spare tire though. it has two gas tanks with the extra one mounted under the drivers seat. it has this list of new parts installed: New battery, spark plugs, cap, wires, rotor, coil, solenoid and ignition. it has just had a recent tune up. now for the miles on it, i asked the current owner if he knew how many miles were on it and he said that he was unsure, his story on it was that he bought the jeep 2 years ago and that the owner before him had the engine rebuilt 4 years prior to the current owner purchasing it from him, so seing as it most likely has not been a daily driver i would venture to guess that it has somewhere in the relm of 55-70k miles on it since the rebuild roughly. it has drum brakes all aorund that according to the owner were just checked out by a mechanic and were given a stamp of approval. everything electrical works including: all lights, turn signals, radio and windshield wipers. it has a basic roll bar. it has a 4speed tranny, and a working 4x4. it has an emergency brake that is installed and working, its the lever kind not the pedal kind. as far as gears go i know that it has dana 44 and dana 30 gears on it, but to be honest i just forgot which were in the front and which were in the back. it has a soft top that has seen better days but is nontheless functional. it has a carpet kit installed inside of it. it is rust free except for two golfball sized spots on the front fenders near the doors, just surface rust. and his asking price was $3200 i managed to talk him down to $2900 so i think its worth it, but i just wanted to hear what you guys thought of it. i included five pictures of it attached to this thread so i hope you guys can see them. i also have a few more pictures of the interior if you guys would like i could e-mail them to you. so yeah let me know what you think.
    i really appreciate your time guys.
    mike(p.lane88@hotmail.com)
     
  2. Jan 23, 2009
    khamill

    khamill Member

    Kansas
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    Mar 2, 2005
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    161
    Jump on it
     
  3. Jan 23, 2009
    Brian P

    Brian P Member

    Clarkdale Arizona
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    Nov 24, 2007
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    650
    If its in good enough shape you can drive and enjoy it this summer without having to work on anything I would say jump on it, Even if you change your mind later you wont have any trouble selling a clean body with a 4 speed.

    I think it would make a great all around trail rig thats streetable.
     
  4. Jan 23, 2009
    sgtbookie

    sgtbookie Don't Panic!

    Atlanta, GA
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    May 15, 2007
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    Looks like it's in great shape from the pics, and the price isnt too bad. Let us know how it goes.
     
  5. Jan 24, 2009
    Jokenring

    Jokenring Member

    Wetside of...
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    Jan 17, 2006
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    83
    Check and Mate.




    Do it.......
     
  6. Jan 24, 2009
    kiowamtp

    kiowamtp Member

    DFW
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    Dec 24, 2004
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    618
    Besides what you have said it seems like a good deal. JEEPS are not fetching as much money right now IMO. I would also look under the carpet really wel for rust. Check the frame and suspension.

    Good luck.l
     
  7. Jan 24, 2009
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Dana 30 front, Dana 44 rear. If original, the factory axles ratio will be either 3.73:1 (std) or 4.27:1 (opt).

    Just a couple of comments - it looks like a pretty good deal to me. I'd find out what kind of 4-speed it is, since the close ratio T-18 4-speed was only offered with the six cylinder in 1972. Either the V8 has been swapped in to a 6-cylinder Jeep, or the transmission has been swapped.

    The solid back panel was only offered with the Renegade package in 1972. So, either it's a '72 Renegade, or the body has been replaced, or the tailgate has been cut out and replaced with a solid panel. The dash does not look like a Renegade dash to me - the placement of the gauges suggests that these are aftermarket gauges. The Renegade gauges would be on either side of the speedo cluster. The dash pad is also not correct for '72 - the '72 dash pad was not molded, instead it has a stitched vinyl cover pulled over a foam core.

    Clearly it's been repainted. Windshield frame was not body color in 1972, and that is not a factory color.

    More larger, clearer pictures and I can tell you more.

    Looks like a good buy though, if the previous mods have not been hacked in.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2009
  8. Jan 24, 2009
    jeeperz88

    jeeperz88 New Member

    San Diego, CA
    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2009
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    hey thanks a lot for the responses guys. im going to see it today and to be honest unless something major is off i most likely will buy it.
    Tim in response to what you said do you believe that i should be cautious about this jeep? when you say as long as the previous mods had not been hacked in, what do you mean? as for the dash pad is it possible that one was installed per a previous owners preference? and lastly do you think the solid back panel matters? hey thanks alot again.
    mike
     
  9. Jan 24, 2009
    CJ-X

    CJ-X Member

    Ohio
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    Aug 6, 2006
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    816
    Solid back panel v/s tailgate.

    The tailgate is handy for obvious reasons, and I think they look cool.
    The solid panel usually makes for a sturdier rear half of the body. No wobbly rear wheelwells.
    Either is good to me.

    Ditto on looking under the carpet, you will probably find some rust there. And look under the floorboards from underneath. You may find some rusty support runners. But almost all the old jeeps will have some rust. Simply because they are old. Just might give you a way to knock off a few more dollars.

    Good luck, if you haven't left already.
     
  10. Jan 24, 2009
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Well, depends on how much your money means to you. People always sell cars for a reason. If the reason isn't obvious, it's up to you to figure out why it's being sold and to decide if that impacts your decision.

    Some reasons are easy - new baby, death in the family, obvious mechanical problems, etc. Then valuation is easier too.

    It's a quality-of-workmanship issue. What's the VIN? You can determine the factory engine type from the VIN.

    If the transmission as been swapped in, look under the car and see how the modifications were done. The truck 4-speeds won't fit without modifying the floorpans. The type of transmission swapped in makes a difference in the value of the Jeep: a SR-4 or T-4 from a later Jeep would be a big liability. A close ratio car 4-speed will be good for the dunes but not for the rocks. Any of the wide-ratio truck 4-speeds would be good: T-18, T-19, NP435, SM420, SM465.

    Sure. The pad was available as an option in '72, but it was a different design and appearance.

    The solid back panel is "sportier" and came with a center-rear mounted spare. The tailgate is more utilitarian. Otherwise it doesn't matter much. I pointed it out as a clue to the history of the vehicle, not as a criticism.
     
  11. Jan 24, 2009
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    And you are sure it's a 4-speed and not a 3-speed? 1-2-3-R is a 3-speed. That's what the factory transmission would be.
     
  12. Jan 24, 2009
    tommycj

    tommycj Member

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    Mar 24, 2007
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    The oil and amp gauges that were optional on the '72 were located as shown in the picture. Mine had Stewart Warner ones, from the factory.
    The fixed rear panel was obviously an option. The '72 TSM shows a picture of a regular CJ, not a Renegade, with the sold panel.
    The gauges on either side of the speedometer did not appear until the '73 model. They were standard issue at that time.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2009
  13. Jan 24, 2009
    jeeperz88

    jeeperz88 New Member

    San Diego, CA
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    you know tim i havent seen it for myself yet or driven it yet so i only know what ive seen in the pictures and what the currnet owner has told me. but i would agree with you if he hadnt told me it was a 4speed. i know from all of the looking that ive done recently that most of the V8's that ive seen have been a 3speed. would there be any noticable difference with it that i might notice when i drove it? say to kind of pinpoint which 4speed it might be? thanks a lot tim i rally appreciate everything.
     
  14. Jan 24, 2009
    Don X

    Don X The Prodigal Moderator Staff Member 2023 Sponsor

    San Diego,...
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    Rust isn't as much of any issue here in SoCal.....still needs to be checked but rust is not a given here.
     
  15. Jan 24, 2009
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    From tommycj's comment, I'd guess it's a Renegade model that's been repainted. In '72, there were some options you only got with the Renegade package, such as aluminum wheels, stripes, colors and the solid back panel. Copy all the numbers from the VIN panel, and note their relative location to each other. A Renegade paint code (999) would be telling.

    <edit> Oops - on second thought, the '72 VIN panel doesn't have the paint code. The trim and paint is on a foil tag on the passenger side of the firewall. May be there or may be gone. If you can get an idea of the original color (from scratches or where the new paint isn't), that will help. Look here for the VIN info: http://trailforge.com/TSM/Section_00A.pdf Colors here: http://www.tcpglobal.com/aclchip.aspx?image=1972-jeep-pg01.jpg

    Re the 3-speed and the 4-speed, it will be obvious. Both will have a H-pattern, with the reverse left and forward on the 3-speed. A 4-speed will have 1st in that location, and reverse outside of the H (ie way to the left and forward, against a spring). Have the owner show you the gears, both for the transmission and transfer case. Test out all the combinations - 4 high, 4 low, 2 high, etc.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2009
  16. Jan 24, 2009
    jeeperz88

    jeeperz88 New Member

    San Diego, CA
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    hey tim ive found this website that tells some stuff about vin's was wondering what you thought of the information on it and whether you thought it was all correct. i believe that if im reading it right this website says that a 4speed tranny was an option in 72. let me know what you think. heres the website(http://www.jeepfan.com/tech/tech_vincj.htm)
    thanks a lot tim.
    mike
     
  17. Jan 24, 2009
    jeeperz88

    jeeperz88 New Member

    San Diego, CA
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    Jan 23, 2009
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    hey don once i get th ejeep and im not to busy we should hit some trails. im from serra mesa, right above quallcomm stadium.
    mike
     
  18. Jan 24, 2009
    bullshooter

    bullshooter New Member

    Canyon City, Oregon
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    Dang! that looks good to me for the money. I paid almost that much for mine, and it now has become my winter project repairing and fixing all the stuff you don't notice intill you bring it home. I'd go for it, beside working on them is half the fun, you don't want one so prefect you have nothing to do to it to make it yours.
     
  19. Jan 24, 2009
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Look at the factooy service manual (FSM) that I linked for VIN info. These online sites are handy but the factory document is the source for their info.

    The 4-speed was only available with the 6 cylinder, as I noted above. 304 and 4-speed is not a factory combination.
     
  20. Jan 24, 2009
    jeeperz88

    jeeperz88 New Member

    San Diego, CA
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    hey tim i took a look at that fsm manual that you gave me the link for and i believe that if i am seing the right thing it shows the cj5 with a 304 v8 having a t-15a 3speed originally, now right to the right still under the transmission headline is the 4speed tranny and it shows it being an option for every vehicle. maybe im just reading it wrong. thanks again tim.
    mike
     
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