gfrench
Member
Thanks- has been a real fun project so far... Dollars are adding up be we all know how that goes!
GFrench 1976 CJ5 Restoration
- Thread starter gfrench
- Start date
Thanks- has been a real fun project so far... Dollars are adding up be we all know how that goes!
wjtstudios
Hooked
That’s the way it goes, but all worth it in the end. I always love the white and tan combo on the CJs.
Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
Scoop315
Caught the Bug
Sorry for my delayed response here...
Yeah project is moving along now. Have the rolling chassis pretty much all set up and safe now.
New Rear Cross Member- replaced Rear End due to original had some bad rust inside- New BDS Suspension/Shocks - New Skid plate/brace- new motor and trans mounts- replace two body mounts- New front bumper.
Have new parts starting to roll in now- Gas Tank- Sender unit- All new Fuel and Brake lines-
Now in the process of scrapping. wire wheeling to clean up the frame to prep for some Satin Black KBS coating.
Was pretty much set on painting the jeep Red... but then i saw a pic of this beauty with the tan interior and seriously considering white now for sure.
Should be ready to order the new Tub- Hood- Fenders- Winsheild Frame in the next 30 to 60 days from Willy's-Overland.
Going to be a brand new jeep sort of- everything touch- cleaned- painted - replace except for Engine- Transmission and Drive shaft... all is great shape.
Great job. I’m glad it’s coming along. I’d still go red myself. But that white does look sharp with the tan.
Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
gfrench
Member
Cannot wait to get the KBS chassis paint in the Satin Black on- New brake and fuel lines installed along with the new Gas tank and skid plate. Going to really clean things up for sure.
Going to keep this Jeep on a classic theme with that pop of modern wheels and trim- I do like the white with a little accent decal to break things up...
But then again- Here is that awesome Red- clean and classic... good thing I have some time to decide. Tan Interior is for sure.
I am going with the old school skinny tires 7.50 x16 to keep the original jeep vibe... We'll see how these work..
If not happy will move to a good 235/85/16 tire...
I keep the updates coming now that I am making some progress on this project and things will come together pretty smooth now.
Going to keep this Jeep on a classic theme with that pop of modern wheels and trim- I do like the white with a little accent decal to break things up...
But then again- Here is that awesome Red- clean and classic... good thing I have some time to decide. Tan Interior is for sure.
I am going with the old school skinny tires 7.50 x16 to keep the original jeep vibe... We'll see how these work..
If not happy will move to a good 235/85/16 tire...
I keep the updates coming now that I am making some progress on this project and things will come together pretty smooth now.
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gfrench
Member
Just realized I never posted pics on this Thread of the Jeep the day I dragged it home... As we all know you kinda roll the dice on buying any old/neglected Jeep as you never know what is lurking deeper and how the budget will even survive.
So... you just have to make a decision and then just dig in on the project... Fortunately this old girl was pretty solid in the Engine- Transmission dept and the deeper I got by peeling away all the bad- broken parts things started to look much better.
This old rotted out Body is first on the list to getting replaced-
Going with the Willy's/Overland modified tub and have spent a lot of time with Jay talking thru this and very pleased with all the corrections they make on the MD Juan tub to make it a direct bolt on for the 76 CJ5... Awesome!
https://willysoverland.com/
So... you just have to make a decision and then just dig in on the project... Fortunately this old girl was pretty solid in the Engine- Transmission dept and the deeper I got by peeling away all the bad- broken parts things started to look much better.
This old rotted out Body is first on the list to getting replaced-
Going with the Willy's/Overland modified tub and have spent a lot of time with Jay talking thru this and very pleased with all the corrections they make on the MD Juan tub to make it a direct bolt on for the 76 CJ5... Awesome!
https://willysoverland.com/
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2007 JKU CANADA
Hooked
Very nice. The jeep has come a long ways. I vote for the white with the black accents and tan interior.
gfrench
Member
Thanks- appreciate all the feedback on color... the white does have that factory look/feel but really does fit the 5's look for sure.
gfrench
Member
I wanted to update everyone on my mission here to find the perfect aftermarket Seats for my 76 CJ5...
I did a lot of digging into the 3 brands- Rugged Ridge- BestTop and Smittybilt.
After the shocking estimate I got of over $1,200 to rebuild/reupholster my stock (low back) Front and Rear seats... figured it would be better to just go with new and for that price I could buy two complete sets of all seats for the Jeep!
Since the Smittybilt and the Rugged Ridge in the higher back do have a very similar design and look... I decided to order in the Rugged Ridge and the BestTop to see for my self what would look/work best for me..
Decided on the Rugged Ridge- it is a perfect look and the Spice color is awesome (rich)!
the actual color is a tad darker then even pictures show here- It really does look more like the color in the CJ5 I have pictured below.
Now don't get me wrong... these are high volume produced seats out of China and none of them seem to be perfect... you will have some wrinkles here and there where stitching is a little off on the seams but overall for the money- very impressed with the quality, look and color.
So... as many of you know- It is very confusing when looking at seats and trying to determine the true colors- Rugged Ridge being one of the worst... you just are not sure what color and material each Sku# truly represents.
So here is my find and what I am going with. Since my resto project will be on the levi theme interior/look and will be painting mine White... needed a nice rich tan color... and I found it.
I went with the folding Rear Seat in the "Spice Color".. The SKU# on this seat is 13462.37.
The material is not a smooth vinyl but an almost perfect match to the look and feel of the original Levi material back in the day.
Item # 13462.37
The Front high back/non reclining seats are SKU# 13401.37 again in the Spice Color. Also the Rugged Ridge seat also has a little more angle/recline position on the upper part of the back then the BestTop which I think will be perfect for a taller guy like me.
Here is my inspiration for my finished project and who ever owns this jeep- outstanding look!
I did a lot of digging into the 3 brands- Rugged Ridge- BestTop and Smittybilt.
After the shocking estimate I got of over $1,200 to rebuild/reupholster my stock (low back) Front and Rear seats... figured it would be better to just go with new and for that price I could buy two complete sets of all seats for the Jeep!
Since the Smittybilt and the Rugged Ridge in the higher back do have a very similar design and look... I decided to order in the Rugged Ridge and the BestTop to see for my self what would look/work best for me..
Decided on the Rugged Ridge- it is a perfect look and the Spice color is awesome (rich)!
the actual color is a tad darker then even pictures show here- It really does look more like the color in the CJ5 I have pictured below.
Now don't get me wrong... these are high volume produced seats out of China and none of them seem to be perfect... you will have some wrinkles here and there where stitching is a little off on the seams but overall for the money- very impressed with the quality, look and color.
So... as many of you know- It is very confusing when looking at seats and trying to determine the true colors- Rugged Ridge being one of the worst... you just are not sure what color and material each Sku# truly represents.
So here is my find and what I am going with. Since my resto project will be on the levi theme interior/look and will be painting mine White... needed a nice rich tan color... and I found it.
I went with the folding Rear Seat in the "Spice Color".. The SKU# on this seat is 13462.37.
The material is not a smooth vinyl but an almost perfect match to the look and feel of the original Levi material back in the day.
Item # 13462.37
The Front high back/non reclining seats are SKU# 13401.37 again in the Spice Color. Also the Rugged Ridge seat also has a little more angle/recline position on the upper part of the back then the BestTop which I think will be perfect for a taller guy like me.
Here is my inspiration for my finished project and who ever owns this jeep- outstanding look!
gfrench
Member
A little update on my mission to find the right seat set up for my 76 CJ5 resto project.
I received in the standard high back Rugged Ridge seat today and decided to put one together and sit it side by side with my old original seat to see how things line up...
First of all- this seat in the Spice Color is killer and the levi like material is awesome! Really rich looking.
First- the bottom seat area is pretty much the same size in width with the original but as you can see the new one is much more contoured and actually sits lower then what I have by and 1" or so. Also the new seat is about 2" shorter in depth... which again is good news as it will allow more room to get in a out of this thing.
The biggest difference I can see for sure is the new seat has a more upright back vs the old and measures about 1 1/2 inches difference from Front edge of seat to back edge of seat back... meaning if it was reclined about an 1" or so would really feel better for a tall guy like me....
So- I do have the reclining version of this seat ordered and will be curious to see how that compares.. a feeling I will really like this recline version as you can see in the Silver Anniversary video i posted seats clearly reclined a tad.
I received in the standard high back Rugged Ridge seat today and decided to put one together and sit it side by side with my old original seat to see how things line up...
First of all- this seat in the Spice Color is killer and the levi like material is awesome! Really rich looking.
First- the bottom seat area is pretty much the same size in width with the original but as you can see the new one is much more contoured and actually sits lower then what I have by and 1" or so. Also the new seat is about 2" shorter in depth... which again is good news as it will allow more room to get in a out of this thing.
The biggest difference I can see for sure is the new seat has a more upright back vs the old and measures about 1 1/2 inches difference from Front edge of seat to back edge of seat back... meaning if it was reclined about an 1" or so would really feel better for a tall guy like me....
So- I do have the reclining version of this seat ordered and will be curious to see how that compares.. a feeling I will really like this recline version as you can see in the Silver Anniversary video i posted seats clearly reclined a tad.
