CJ-5 Project Old School

DeJkUnlimited said:

Hmmm interesting on the speedometer cluster. I’ve been wondering what route I’m gonna go (unless I’m missing something terribly obvious) since I’ll most likely be installing the 4L60e and how to get that to “adapt” to the speedo cable. I’m also looking at the Painless wiring harness, so definitely be watching that. Please keep posting on this project, I anticipate referencing it quite a bit as I get the ball rolling on our CJ7.

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JKbrick said:

I like the speedo / gps idea. I’m surprised the oem ones don’t run like that. The gauge looks great, and the shifter looks perfect [emoji106]

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Jaybird 11 said:

Cool stuff! I like the speedo.

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wjtstudios said:

I️ was thinking the same thing as well on the Speedo for my 8. The reviews are good, but nothing beats first hand experience! Let me know what you think of it when it arrives!

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Jaybird 11 said:

Now the pic is right side up. I have no clue what the hell im doing lol

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Jaybird 11 said:

Thanks! I thought i was going nuts there for a minute.

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AZ Explorer said:

Got a couple of projects to do to keep me busy through the new year. A couple of small things still on the way. The hard part now is keeping it to making this thing drivable rather than built up. That stuff can come a little later. This is the first "restoration" that I've done in a very long time. I really want to take my time not only to do it right, but to enjoy the process. I don't want to set a time frame or schedule to get it done in.

One of the conclusions I've come to, is that at least in the short term I'm going to use the fascination with original patina to my advantage. I get so many compliments on that it boggles my mind. I actually prefer a clean shiny paint job. However, while the fad is still hot I can drag out the build and just concentrate on the mechanicals. Since I have no rust to deal with, I am able to put the body repair and paint off for a few years. This is a good thing since I can't decide which direction to go with that right now anyhow.

The first obstacle I am trying to overcome is fitting my ass behind the steering wheel comfortably. I really prefer the CJ5 over the CJ7 so this was something I was prepared to deal with. My old 77 CJ5 had to be dealt with as well and I am a little lighter in the gut and butt than I was in those days, so I know I can make it happen.

I ordered and received in a surprisingly fast turn around, a pair of Mastercraft Rubicon seats. One of the local off road shops had some seats to try out in the showroom, so that was good. The Rubicons actually fit better in the butt and hips than the Baja RS that I had in the Wrangler. This is not just my memory, they had both there. I like the Rubicon seats better for a CJ anyhow since they are a slightly more classic look. The Baja RS more so in the JK because you can actually use the reclining feature which is pretty much useless in a CJ.

Tried to install the new seats but as expected from both memory and recent research, the "bolt in" sales pitch was somewhat exaggerated. Sure, they bolted in but are way too high, seeming to be about where they were before. Still, much improved in the distance to the steering wheel and pedals at least IMO. I now have a pair of Corbeau seat brackets on the way which are supposed to be 2 inches lower than stock. I will probably do a write up on this when they arrive as I couldn't find any good pics or info on install. All I found was a couple of places where it had been done but no real info otherwise. Sometimes you gotta be the one who ponies up and takes the chance. I'm really confident with some slight modifications it'll work fine.

I'm also going to a smaller steering wheel. Right now, with the cover on my factory wheel, it measures right about 16 inches. The new Grant wheel I have on the way is a 14 inch. The wheel I chose and the Jeep logo horn button are about two weeks out so we'll get to that later.

Another thing that I'll get to later but have already is the cure to a really worn out and horrible wiring system. There are literally more than 2 dozen quick splice connectors in the rats nest under the dash. I got all the lights to work except the brakes and none of the gauges function. Well, the speedo hops around a lot but inaccurate. At least the milage correlates to the gps, so there's that. Despite some people shouting out cheaper options, I went with the best offering Painless wiring had available . Not cheap but not settling at all and not being a wiring whiz, I didn't want to compromise here. I will be taking several weeks to read the almost 150 page manual before I even think of starting on it. And it might even be Feb or March when hopefully I will be in a house instead of an apartment with a rented garage without power.

Had to go out of budget on the speedo cluster as well. Everything I read has run me off of the import copies. Almost everyone is dissatisfied with them and nowhere can I find more than one or two stars in a review. What I did find was a company who makes new clusters in the USA that uses new tech for everything and builds to order. The Speedo is actually run off of GPS which is cool because change of tires or gears has no effect. It's always accurate. Down side is it will be up to 6 weeks at least before I see that. Upside is I keep the big factory looking cluster instead of changing out the dash panel and running something like Autometer stuff, which is cool but not as cool as the factory dash setup.

A couple of pics to go with the story...

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DeJkUnlimited said:

Hmmm interesting on the speedometer cluster. I’ve been wondering what route I’m gonna go (unless I’m missing something terribly obvious) since I’ll most likely be installing the 4L60e and how to get that to “adapt” to the speedo cable. I’m also looking at the Painless wiring harness, so definitely be watching that. Please keep posting on this project, I anticipate referencing it quite a bit as I get the ball rolling on our CJ7.

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Painless Performance said:

Don't hesitate to call our tech line a 1-800-423-9696 if you hit any snags along the way. That harness is definitely complete and direct fit, so hopefully the install goes smoothly for you! Excited to see updates.

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AZ Explorer said:

The speedo Is really cool and has a neat configurator online to set it up the way you want it (fonts, colors and such. I went with as close to stock as possible as the pic shows. Starts at almost $500 but it's the best there is. If it is or isn't everything it's supposed to be, you all will hear about it

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cml612571 said:

Looks like speed huts GPS gauge, nice choice.

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wjtstudios said:

Thank you! If it works out, I hope to do the full set so they match. I agree they are the best short of NOS and trying to keep it original.

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briand said:

Can’t wait to hear how that speedo does for you. Have been looking myself at solutions for a different gauge that still resembles original equipment for my CJ7. Love the look of that bumper.

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