A Custom Ordered CJ-5 Jeep Delivered in 1973

This is the story of how I purchased my 1973 CJ-5 Jeep number 47,014. It all started while I was a kid. I always admired Jeeps from an early age. I have a picture of my older sister and myself standing in front of a 1949 VJ Jeepster. I was one years old. I was in the Air Force stationed at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan from 1970 thru 1973. Earily 1971, I placed an order for a CJ-5 Jeep with the (AMC) Jeep Corporation through the Military Sales International Division at the Okinawa Regional Exchange system. My tour of duty on Okinawa was for 2½ years. Therefore, my order in 1971 would not be filled until I returned to the states in 1973. After placing my order, I made monthly payments on my 1973 CJ-5 Jeep. On September 13, 1972, my final order was placed. The option list was available at that time. My Jeep was manufactured in March 1973 with an invoice date of March 28, 1973 at the Toledo, Ohio plant. I took delivery at Johnson Pontiac Inc. (a Jeep dealer), Colorado Springs, Colorado on May 22, 1973. The sales order number was E737601. I had to pay $1,496.20 to pay off my Jeep. The Jeep was ours free and clear. The total purchase price was $4,196.20. The dealer only received $70.00 for the pre-delivery service. The transportation fees was $224.00. We visited family in the area. From Colorado Springs, Colorado we drove the Jeep to Ohio. In Ohio, I registered and licensed my Jeep. Because I was returning from overseas, and not going to live in Ohio, I did not have to pay any Federal or State taxes on the purchase. After visiting more family in Ohio, we drove to Loring AFB Maine for the remainder of my Air Force career. Loring AFB is located close to Limestone, Maine. The air base was located about 3 miles from the Canadian border in the north east part of Maine.

Jeeps back then were utility vehicles that came with a 4-cylinder engine and a driver’s seat as standard equipment. Everything else was an option. The paint option number is 517 (Copper Tan Metallic), with trim option # 422 (Black). This color was only offered for the year 1973. I ordered a 304 V-8 engine. All CJ-5 Jeep V-8 engines have 2 barrel carburetors and rated at 210 horsepower. My engine was manufactured on February 27, 1973. The other options are, rear trac-lock differential, H.D. cooling, H.D. springs and shocks, H.D. battery, H.D. alternator, metal cab, dome light, dual sun visors, passenger front bucket seat, rear seat, carpet, swing out rear tire carrier, spare tire lock, draw bar (trailer hitch), selective hubs, roll bar, electric winch, and F78 X 15 tires. My Jeep has 4 unusual options not seen on most Jeeps. They are the: hard top, the electric winch, the swing out rear spare tire carrier and a 304 CID V-8 engine. The Meyer Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio produced the hard top. Meyer’s is best known for its snow plows. The Ramsey Corporation produced the winch. The model number is DCB200R-609 with a pulling capacity of 8,000 pounds. The winch is mounted on a “Special Equipment Front Bumper” from the factory. The Jeep Corporation produced the tire carrier. The last three items are listed in the “Special Equipment” section of the Jeep parts manual.

My family drove the Jeep until 1978 as the main vehicle of transportation. At that time it became the second car for the family. In 1986 the Jeep was retired, waiting for a restoration. In 1996 the frame off restoration was started, and finished in 1998.  In 2006 a cosmetic restoration was completed. For 1973 the Jeep Corporation manufactured 68,227 Jeeps of all kinds. Of this number 30,449 were CJ-5’s. The Jeep I purchased was number 47,014 built.

Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Robert Dunkel

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