Mostly stock with original running gear and body panels. Clarence was a true barn find but, barn finds are usually not the pristine jewels of legend. This one was bought new in Clackamas, Oregon in 1966. He was parked in the barn in 1980 for reasons that at the time were unknown. When the owner passed away poor Clarence was auctioned off and bought by a local kid. The jeep was completely dismantled and sat in another leaky barn until I rescued him in 2012. I brought him home on a trailer. The body was attached to the frame with bungee cords and all his guts (which were stored in rotten cardboard boxes) were loaded in the back of the pickup. When I got home I discovered that the transmission was totally destroyed (now I knew why it was originally parked) and the engine was seized. My easy restoration (like most restorations) took on a life of it’s own. Clarence got lots of love and new parts as the budget allowed and finally got to the point he is now, frame off rebuild and sporting a new coat of PPG brilliant orange. He is going to be in the family for a long time.
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Great Jeep story Mr. Cole.
Mr. JD, I am interested in your seat frames.
Thanks, Robert
To me the 1966 V-6 is the Willys Jeep to have. I bought one as a parts donor for my 1964, and almost wish I had used it instead of the 64 for a project. The 1966 had bigger brakes, bigger steering box, heavier transfer case, and street axels, 3:73 gears. The V 6 motor had more power and torque than the 134 four cylinder. I used all the good parts except the V 6 motor to restore mine.
Sweet tail gate . Is that an original Jeep design ?
What engine is in it now. Looks like a power wagon.
Great story! I’m glad the third chance at life for that old CJ-5 worked out.
Wonderful tale on the CJ-5 restoration…reminds me of my CJ-2, which I restored and added parts to for farm work (but used it all along)…It had been driven to Canada for an elk hunt in its birth year (1946) then ended up in an auto junk yard pushing junk cars around (thus the massive welded up front bumper), left outside all the time and also flooded once maybe twice by Ohio river flooding (since the name of the Junk Yard was River Road Auto Parts)…..I gave the guy $100 for it in 1958…..he really didn’t want to sell it…..and drove it home…and seized up the engine enroute…..spent the rest of 1958 rebuilding the engine and paneling all the rusted out spots and scraping flood mud from under instrument panel and wheel bearings and azles and everywhere else submersion in muddy water would effect. Kept adding parts like, PTO, like hydraulic system for huge snow plow blade and carriers for my chain saw and logging work (on the farm)….it served me to its best ability…until it finally was burning so much oil (and smoking) the te neighbors kept caling the fire department whenever I would start it up! Took engine to local NAPA engine rebuild place…and the mechanic that did the work took a personal interest in it because he used to work on mud vehicles in Florida……and turned me back a beautiful engine. Got a NEW in box carb…and switched out front and back axles including the zepher gears…put chains on tires (leave them on year round) since Jeep stays on unpaved surfaces…use it to spread my wife’s leaf raking (we live in a 10 acre woods)….putt logs with it….and use it as my mobile chain-saw-log splitting -lfire wood – log hauling “tractor” Would love to find a three point hitch hydraulic unit so I could use a post hole digger, a Woods Rotary mower and a big rototiller on back….but I’m getting old and Jeep is staying young…it may be spared my Rototiller dream….
I do have original CJ2A front and back axles (both need rebuilding—but all the parts and castings are good–except for the (I assume) broken gear(s) inside of the axles….also have original CJ2-A Window and frame…if anyone needs these parts…I’ll make em to you right (probably for shipping cost only)…maybe thse parts will hold some luck for a CJ2A rebuild out there…My good old Jeep still running and going.!!