In 2002, the Museum of Modern Art in New York added a Korean War-era Jeep M38A1 to its permanent collection, calling it “the best Jeep ever built.” Perhaps the last true military Jeep, with more rounded lines, more power and an improved suspension, if you squinted your eyes a bit, it looked quite a bit like what became the quintessential “civilian Jeep,” the CJ-5. Rest assured, any similarities were purely intentional. Hugely important to the Jeep’s transition from military runabout to civilian off-road icon, the CJ-5 is one of the most popular classic trucks in the hobby. It can be an easy and rewarding classic to own, but since it was built for decades and in many different variations, there are things to look out for when shopping and deciding what to pay for one.
In 1955, you couldn’t even call the SUV market a nascent one or, for that matter, even a market. Chevy produced a Suburban in the 1930s, and International Harvester offered the Travelall, starting in 1953, but that was about it. Jeeps had been on the civilian scene since the end of World War II, but these were mostly military surplus. The famous $50 disassembled, packed-in-oil Jeep, however, was a myth. The War Assets Administration (WAA) did sell some surplus Jeeps to civilians, but at the price of $975 (about $16,000 in today’s money), they weren’t a huge bargain, some examples were even well-used combat veterans, so they were a tough sell to anyone besides farmers, ranchers, and outdoorsmen. But the Kaiser Corporation (builder of everything from WW2 Liberty ships to the Kaiser Dragon luxury car) knew that, after its buyout of Willys in 1953, there was great market potential in the Jeep’s basic platform.
While Willys did have some success selling the more WW2-like CJ-2A and CJ-3A (CJ stands for “Civilian Jeep”), the military M38A1 was the first Jeep variant that was truly suited for civilian use (minus the available “Davey Crockett” tactical nuke-firing recoilless gun, of course). Engineered by Willys, it went into service in Korea in 1952. With its 75 hp Hurricane I-4 engine and its odd F-head design (intake over exhaust valve), the M38A1 actually made more power than the Kaiser Henry J compact car. It certainly wasn’t geared for anything approaching freeway use, but it could be used around town in addition to trails. Thus, it wasn’t much of a stretch to fully civilianize the M38A1. Rear seating and revised lighting to road standard were the most visible changes, and this version was dubbed the CJ-5, a nearly immortal platform developed by Willys and built from 1955-1983 under the ownership of both Kaiser and AMC.
As mentioned above, the initial CJ-5’s only powertrain was the Kaiser F-head Hurricane four-cylinder mated to a Borg-Warner T-90 three-speed manual, while Dana supplied axles (live front and rear) and dual-range transfer case. While its 75 horsepower doesn’t sound like much, an early CJ-5 weighed less than 2300 pounds, so the power-to-weight wasn’t horrible by 1950s standards. Nonetheless, many viewed the CJ-5 as underpowered for anything but farm work and it wasn’t until 1965 that the 225 cubic inch OHV “Dauntless” V-6 became an option. The Dauntless (named for the famous WW2 dive bomber) was really just a Buick engine whose tooling had been sold to Kaiser-Jeep. Still, it worked wonders on the CJ-5. Rated at 150 hp, it had about double the Hurricane’s power and one of the highest torque-to-weight ratios of any CJ engine.
Kaiser seemed to take a while to get around to addressing the power issue because it perceived the Jeep’s biggest impediment to be image-related. The majority of consumers still thought of the Jeep as something for farmers, ranchers and hunters exclusively. So, the more upscale “Tuxedo Park” was born in 1961. Primarily a trim package, it came with some unique colors and seat materials (known as “British Calf Grain Vinyl”) as well as an “Indian Ceramic” steering wheel, which was just a plastic wheel molded in a brick red shade instead of the usual black or white. The Tuxedo Park actually became its own sub-model in 1965 (CJ-5A Tuxedo Park MK IV), and these Jeeps have a unique VIN prefix that starts with 8322. Tuxedo Park options included chrome bumpers, unique hubcaps, column shift, a windshield clamp catch, and chrome taillight surrounds.
In hindsight, it seems as though Kaiser overdid it with the Tuxedo Park thing. Few suburban moms and dads bought it, and few Tuxedo Parks have survived unmodified. It was, however, the start of numerous CJ-5 trim packages over the years, which according to the KaiserWillys.com included: 1969 Camper, 1969 462, 1970 Renegade I, 1971 Renegade II, 1972-1983 Renegade models, 1973 Super Jeep, 1977-1983 Golden Eagle, and 1979 Silver Anniversary.
Beyond the addition of the aforementioned ex-Buick V-6, Kaiser did little to develop the CJ-5. It wasn’t until American Motors (AMC) bought Jeep in 1970 that any significant changes happened, although production remained in Toledo, Ohio where it had been since the Willys-era and where Wrangler production remains to this day. In 1972, AMC substituted its engines, the 248-cid straight-six and the 304-cid V-8. In order to do this, the both the hood and fenders and the wheelbase had to stretch several inches. At the same time, the much beefier, full-floating Dana 30 axle became standard. Electronic ignition came in 1973, and AMC changed the tooling for the tub and windshield of the CJ-5 in 1976. KaiserWillys.com notes that as a result, a top from a pre-1976 CJ-5 won’t fit a ’76 or later.
In 1979, the definitive version of the AMC six, the bomb-proof 258 cid, two-barrel version became standard. The Hurricane four-cylinder returned (sort of) in 1980 with a license-built version of the GM Iron Duke. Various three-speed Borg-Warner manual transmissions and eventually a Tremec three-speed and finally a Tremec four-speed were the primary transmissions, although swaps are common. Options like radios and A/C were generally dealer installed.
The addition of the Iron Duke for 1980, however, wasn’t the biggest news of that year for the CJ-5. TV program 60 Minutes aired a segment that tarred the CJ-5 with a high-propensity to roll over in abrupt maneuvers. Inevitably, lawsuits followed and production of the CJ-5 wound down in 1983, with the longer wheelbase CJ-7 continuing until 1986. Ultimately, the square-headlight YJ Wrangler was introduced to address stability issues. CJ-5 production totaled 603,303 from 1955-83.
The top three things to look for in any Jeep in no particular order are rust, rust, and rust. Jeeps being Jeeps, they spend a lot of time outside in the elements. Even if the top and doors are on, leaks are common and naturally water tends to collect in floors. The floors and hat channels (floor supports/body mounts) frequently rust. Pre-1976 frames rust and crack, particularly around spring hangars and where the crossmembers meet the frame rails. Steering box brackets are also notorious for rusting. Post-1976 boxed chassis rust from the inside out with alarming frequency, and so does nearly every panel including tail gates when they’re present. Opinions are split as to these—some appreciate them for ease of loading, others despise the inevitable rattles. Fortunately, replacements are available for every body panel, up to and including entire tubs, and prices are fairly reasonable. Every permutation of Dana axle assembly is as well, but these aren’t cheap.
Verifying which AMC V-8 the vehicle has is straightforward, as it will be stamped on the block near the motor mount in prominent numbers. The 304 was the norm, but 360 and even 401 swaps became common when tons of Matador cop cars and Javelins hit the scrap yards. They’re all stout engines that are good for 100,000 miles between rebuilds. The Borg-Warner T14 3-speed transmission (1967-75) however, isn’t as robust, even when paired with the six-cylinder as it usually was. It is, however, DIY rebuildable. The T15 3-speed (1971-75) is tougher, and the T18 four-speed is a nice upgrade. The Tremec three-speed and four-speed have decent reputations with a V-8, four-speed being the most desirable CJ-5 combination. Tremec makes modern five- and six-speeds available for Jeep builders who want more ratios. All of the manual transmissions signal wear in pretty much the same way—they get even noisier, synchromesh gets even less effective and they tend to pop out of gear on deceleration. While not cheap to rebuild or replace, Jeep transmission costs aren’t eye-popping.
CJ-5s are huge fun for comparatively little money. Currently, decent drivers can still be found from not much more than $10,000 to the mid-teens. Really good examples with a V-8 and a 4-speed are high teens through low twenties, and the best base versions almost never crack $30,000.
Despite the long production run and significant variation, the difference in price between different CJ-5s isn’t vast, only a few thousand dollars in most cases. The only exceptions are later special versions like the Renegade, Golden Eagle or Silver Anniversary, but even all of these are currently worth well under $30,000 in #2 (“excellent”) condition in the Hagerty Price Guide. Vintage Jeeps in general and including CJ-5s started appreciating gradually throughout the 2010s and shot up considerably during the early 2020s. CJ-5s have stumbled a bit over the past couple of years, however, and median values are currently about where they were five years ago.
Given the timeless looks of the original Jeep concept and its continued popularity thanks to the Wrangler, vintage Jeeps like the CJ-5 look set to stay relevant in the hobby for the foreseeable future. And since there are few things an owner with a lift, decent tools and average mechanical skills can’t repair or modify, it will be easy to keep many of these vintage adventurers out there driving on the road … and off of it.