1978 Jeep CJ5 76585 Miles Turquoise 304 cubic inch V8 Manual

1978 Jeep CJ Description:

Desirable 304 cubic inch V8 with 3-speed manual transmission. Lifetime Florida Jeep, very clean. Recent heavy-duty bedliner paint job that is impervious to off-road fun. 4-inch lift, custom wheels and tires, new seats. Inexpensive Jeep ready to have fun in the dirt!
 
Sometimes simple is better. After living with old cars that have a zillion things that can go wrong, this iron-simple Jeep CJ5 really appeals to us. It’s built with a single purpose in mind: having fun off-road. As a result, there’s not a lot that can go wrong and there’s a whole lot that’s exactly right. Take the heavy-duty paint job, which is simply tinted bedliner—it’s indestructible and looks good on the all-purpose CJ. You’ll never have to worry about scratches or dirt, and you can just hose the whole thing off when you’re doing getting dirty. It lived its entire life in Florida, so it doesn’t have the usual issues in the wheel arches and floors, and if you want to add a set of fender flares, the factory mounting holes are still in place to make it easy. It does have a few upgrades, including LED headlights and some strategically-placed diamond-plate reinforcements, but there’s not much to distract from the basic nature of the Jeep. Heck, you can still see where the folding Army shovel is supposed to be mounted on the driver’s side—a remnant of the Jeep’s military DNA. Like I said, sometimes simple is better.
 
The interior continues the no-nonsense theme, although you do get some concessions to comfort. There are new bucket seats that look and feel a lot better than the stock chairs, and with durable vinyl they’re as washable as the rest of the Jeep. It also includes a tilt steering column and a thick steering wheel that feels great in your hands. The dash is diamond-plate as well, but they mounted the original gauges and switches so it’ll seem familiar. The shifter controls a 3-speed manual transmission with the lever for the transfer case right next to it, so it’s easy to grab when you need it. No need for a radio in something like this (if you need a radio to enjoy the drive, you’re Jeeping incorrectly). There’s a matching bench seat in back, more bedliner on the floors, and a bikini top overhead to keep the sun at bay, so there’s just no reason not to go out and have some fun.
 
Under the hood there’s a rugged and torquey 304 cubic inch AMC V8, which is the powerplant of choice for a lot of off-road enthusiasts. It’s topped by an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor and includes long-tube headers with dual Flowmaster mufflers, so there’s a bit of extra torque on tap and it sounds awesome. You’ll also note a giant radiator with heavy-duty clutch fan, power steering and power disc brakes for easy handling, and a generally clean engine bay—again, it’s not detailed for show, but that’s not the point here. Underneath you’ll find a heavy-duty Skyjacker suspension with a modest lift, as well as the original axles with what we believe are 4.10 and 4.11 gears inside. Factory skid plates protect the gas tank, transfer case, and transmission, so don’t be afraid to use it as intended. It’s obvious that someone spend some money on the hardware, then used it to have some fun in the mud, and that’s perfectly OK on a vehicle like this. 15-inch aluminum wheels were powdercoated black and come with big 33x12.50-15 off-road radials that look like they’ll go anywhere.
 
Look at the rugged hardware, the cheerful color combination, and the burly V8, then look at the price. This is a great Jeep to just jump in and have some fun, or perhaps the foundation for something that you can take to the next level. Either way, there’s a lot of fun packed into a rather compact package. Call today!
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