1974 Jeep CJ5 Renegade

1974 Jeep CJ

If you’re looking for a really cool retro CJ5 in original period modified condition, from the AMC era with a V8, that is really capable off road, then this may be exactly what you’ve been waiting for. This is an original 1974 CJ5 with the added Renegade package and is wearing its original shade of Fairway Green. Note it has had one refinish many years ago by the prior owner. The engine compartment is the original paint. The Jeep is from California and is in completely rust-free original condition. Finding an original rust free 51 year old CJ5 is not something you see often. The vin on the body matches the vin on the frame. I have the original California license plate and took a picture of the old California title before I titled it in Colorado in 2021.

I purchased this Jeep in Spring of 2021 with the intent to keep it for the long haul, but due to changes in my personal situation I’m needing to let it go.

The story behind this Jeep is know as far back as 1987 as I purchased it from the guy that titled it in June of 1987 in Moraga California. This is an original California Jeep. He purchased it in order to participate in the Jeepers Jamboree that starts in Georgetown California and traverses the Rubicon Trail. The Jeep was modified specifically to safely navigate the Rubicon Trail and it was a participant in the Jeepers Jamboree events from the 1980s to the 2000s, at which time it was refurbished. It’s been garage kept at least since 1987 and it shows. I purchased the Jeep in Spring of 2021 and used to access camping areas in remote National Forest areas in Wyoming that would be inaccessible for most vehicles.

So more about the Jeep. It drives very well on the pavement and you can easily cruise down the highway at speeds of 55 MPH without a sweat. It’s a real head turner and expect to be chatted up anytime you take it out. Anyone can tell at a casual glance that this Jeep is the real deal and is not a mall crawler or a garage queen. At the same time, it’s a beautiful Jeep and is fun to take to show and shines.

Mechanicals:

Axles, Lockers and On-Board Air: Original Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear axles with 4.27:1 gearing. The front has a selectable ARB air locker and the rear has a Detroit locker. It’s very functional to have the front axle be selectable as it’s harder to turn the Jeep with the front locker on. When you need the extra traction, you can turn it on with a flip of the switch on the dash. The ARB air pump is an upgraded one from the retro one it had when I got the Jeep (note I do have the retro one and it’s fully functional). I upgraded the pump to a higher volume one so you can quickly air back up the tires after being on the trail and going back to pavement.

Wheels and Tires:

The wheels are original Micky Thompson wheels that were made by Alcoa back in the day. These are the forged by Alcoa wheels and are very rare today. Modern wheels like this would cast aluminum and not nearly as strong as the forged ones Alcoa used to make for Micky Thompson. The tires are Interco Super Swamper TSL SX 33x15.5x15. These are the same brand and size of tires the prior owner used on the Jeep for the Rubicon Trail. I just put a brand new set on the Jeep in the Spring of 2022. The spare is just a steel wheel with a functional tire. My intention was to get a matching 33” tire but much narrower version of the TSL SX and mounting it on the original Renegade slotted mag wheel that came with the Jeep (the original Renegade slotted mag goes with the Jeep). It would look great and be lighter weight. Off road I have been running the Super Swampers at 10 psi and it works great. On road they like run at 16 PSI. Note these are bias ply, large air volume off road tires on a light weight vehicle, so the air pressures look off vs. what you would run on a steel belted radial designed for the highway.

Drive Train:

It was born with an AMC 304 CID V8 and was swapped out for an AMC 401CID V8 by the prior owner. I can see in the paper work the prior owner supplied that it was rebuilt in 1999 and has seen very little mileage since that time. I can see the Jeep had 49,515 miles in 1987 and it’s currently at 60,343. So it’s been used as a specialty vehicle and been stored in doors otherwise. Don’t expect Javalin muscle car performance from this 401 as it was built for a Jeep and feels like diesel. It idles down very low and has a ton of low-end torque and is happy running on low octane fuel. Perfect for a Jeep. It is a stock configuration and all the emissions and fuel lines are factory and it retains the stock points ignition. It does have a dual exhaust system and this Jeep was pre-catalytic converter so no worries about that. The carburetor is an Eldebrock Quardrajet which was selected as Quadrajet carburetors are perfect for off road due to the way they allow for extreme angles without flooding the engine.

The original 3 speed transmission was replaced with a Borg Warner T18 and it uses the Jeep D20 Dana Transfer case. I was told the T18 came out of a Ford Truck and it has the 6.32 granny low first gear which is what you want when you’re crawling the Jeep through a tough part of the trail. On the street you never use first gear. I had both the transmission and the transfer case completely rebuilt by Best Western Transmission when I got the Jeep and I had them convert the transfer case to a dual stick configuration. The dual stick conversion is much more precise and you can select each axle independently.

Other modifications:

These modifications were all done by the prior owner for the Rubicon Trail unless otherwise noted below.

Factory AMC power steering was added.

Interior of the Tub has been treated with Linex

Custom Spring Over suspension set up – results are in the range of 4-6” over stock. Axle articulation is very impressive and the lift was set up with the 33x15.5x15 tires. There is not anyinterference when the suspension goes through its full range. Springs are Rancho RS44161 rear and FS44062 front. Shocks are also Rancho.

Custom handmade front and rear bumpers. Note I added the swing out bumper with rack for camping with the wife and two dogs. The bumper I added is a Garvin Extreme Terrain bumper with all the goodies. It was modified so it just bolts onto the handmade bumper the prior owner made. So the Garvin bumper and be removed and it would be back in the configuration the prior owner used. I have the stock spare time mount which goes with the Jeep. There is a tow bar for the front bumper but I never used it. I have a trailer for the Jeep if I’m going somewhere far away. The problem with the tow bar is the Jeep’s tires and drivetrain are not going to be happy at higher speeds and would likely result in damage.

Vintage Ramsey 8000 pound winch. This is cool old winch and is in great condition. I serviced it and addressed what it needed when I got the Jeep and it has brand new hand controller that I got for it.

The soft top is really cool. It’s a vintage Bestop that was made in Longmont Colorado. It’s been a long time ago that these tops were made in Longmont. The top is in great shape since the Jeep was used primarily topless in the summer months and the top has mostly been is storage.

6 point roll bar – a wise addition when tackling the Rubicon Trail.

Diamond plate quarter panels. These were all the rage in the 70s and 80s. Note there is mount for a CB radio on one side.

Panasonic stereo with Boston Acoustic Speakers. The Panasonic head works fine and it has a CD player. But I was planning on changing out the Panasonic head with a retro/stock looking one with blue tooth. Note too that I have the stock radio antenna but took it off as I was not using the radio. I'll put the antenna back on for delivery.

Seats were done in the black diamond pattern in vinyl material. Water proof and tough.

An aftermarket gauge was added that has amps and water temps. It’s a nice gauge and works well. The stock oil pressure gauge is not accurate and I’m guessing it just needs a new sending unit at the engine (I just never got around to messing with that).

I put a brand new brass heater core in it and rebuilt the entire heater box. It was hard to locate a good brass one like they had when new but I was lucky and found one. The original heater core started leaking on me shortly after I took delivery of the Jeep.

I put a brand new battery in the Jeep last week.

Everything works on the Jeep. The Fuel gauge works, the wipers, headlights, turn signals, horn all work perfectly. It could use new rubbers on the old original wiper blades. I also have an original factory AMC CJ5 service manual from 1974 that goes with the Jeep.

I tried to be very thorough but if you have questions please message me. I’m available to talk on the phone with you too, just let me know. I also bought a brand new car trailer that’s just the right size for the Jeep with the nicest tie downs and all. That’s for sale too so let me know if you’re interested in that too. I’m keeping the trailer until the Jeep sells in case someone buying the Jeep needs a trailer or I might be able to help with delivery.

• Make: Jeep
• Model: CJ
• Type: Convertible
• Doors: 2
• Year: 1974
• Mileage: 60353
• VIN: J4F835TH86308
• Color: Green
• Engine size: AMC 401 V8
• Number of cylinders: 8
• Fuel: Gasoline
• Transmission: Manual
• Drive type: 4WD
• Interior color: Black
• Drive side: Left-Hand Drive
• Vehicle Title: Clean
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