My Jeep journey started 62 years ago, when my dad purchased a new 1964 CJ-5. Seven years later, it was the first vehicle I learned to drive.
Fast forward a few decades, and I happened upon another 64 CJ-5, fairly solid, but in need of a lot of attention. The front grille had been butchered to install a large winch, but I was able to cut out the front bumper and brackets and patch together the grille. With the exception of a couple of dozen cans of rattle-can paint, Kaiser Willys was able to supply everything else. The list was extensive. New windshield, gas tank, front bumper, seats, wipers, horn button, hood latches, mirrors, dashboard, wiring harness, brake lines, lug nuts, side steps, speedometer, headlight trim… the list went on and on.
Regardless, everything came together in short order and I was able to finish the project in just a few months. My intention was to restore the Jeep back to original and keep it forever, but after putting a few miles on it, I realized I wasn’t the flexible young man that I used to be fifty some-odd years ago. LOL, I added up everything I had purchased, tacked on my original purchase price for the Jeep and added a couple of thousand for my labor and sold it within a few days of posting it. The new owner was delighted. Having a dependable source for literally anything I needed for the restoration made it a fun, frustration-free project. Except for that new windshield installation. Whew! What a chore that was!
Thanks you for the great service and ready help whenever I needed it.
Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Kurt Zimmerman
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Looks great but I’m confused. Is this the same jeep your father purchased? Did you fuse the two jeeps into one fully restored model or is this a completely different jeep you restored? Regardless it looks awesome.
This is a different Jeep, just the same year as my dad’s.
There was a long time when I had my 56 Jeep CJ-5 painted Peacock Blue, and yours looks pretty close. A very nice job of restoring it, Kurt!! I still have it, have had it since 1960… Have had so many wonderful adventures in it.