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No Time to Finish: 1966 Willys Jeep CJ5

This 1966 Willys Jeep CJ5 looks like a fun summer cruiser that the seller admits he will not have time to finish. The truck has been in storage in New Hampshire but the seller notes he recently rebuilt the transmission. Still, he admits he’s lost interest in taking this truck any further and has offered it up here on Facebook Marketplace for $5,000. The bodywork appears to be pretty clean and while the non-matching front bumper cheapens the looks a bit, it doesn’t seem rotten like so many of the trucks up north.

Some level of re-assembly is still required before you take this down to the beach. The listing notes that the gas tank, brake pedal, and driver’s seat all need to be reinstalled. The last two don’t seem like too much of a burden, but re-assembling the fuel system will take some time. The question for me about the gas tank is whether it was pulled out for cleaning. If it was and the cleaning job wasn’t completed, there’s likely some rust inside. This is not the end of the world as you can likely still buy a brand new gas tank for the Jeep, unlike some orphan brands where you’ll need to find one of the few radiator shops left in existence to professionally clean and re-seal it.

The pictures show a fabric top installed to keep occupants dry in the most basic fashion, and it doesn’t appear that a full-length soft top is included. It’s hard to tell whether there’s any rust hiding out in that back tailgate, as it looks slightly janky down towards the bottom – but that could also just be a trick of the lighting. The roll bars look tough on the Jeep and give it the mild illusion of security for when the road turns tippy. The Bronco in the background suggests you’re buying from a seller who knows a thing or two about old-school 4x4s, and I dig the vintage spot lamp on the top of the windshield.

It looks like there may be a touch of rust blossoming there by the edge of the fender in front of the rear wheels, but it could also be an optical illusion. The seller doesn’t reveal whether there are any big rust issues to sort out, so hopefully, your bodywork needs will be kept to a minimum. There are no photos of the undersides and the engine’s health is never discussed, but fortunately, Jeep mechanicals of this era are pretty simple, and spare parts are still in good supply. The listing has lingered for a bit on Marketplace, but the price seems fair to me. What do you think is keeping Jeep fans from pulling the trigger on this picture-perfect beach rig?

Comments

  1. Avatar photo Grog

    Well, I have a 2000 tj 6 cyl. Good running with some body rust I would sell for the same money. Hard top and factory roll bar.
    There appears to be a block keeping the cj in place, possibly brake work too?

    Like 1
  2. Avatar photo Poncho

    Not gonna fire without a coil wire.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar photo Poncho

    Some rattle can black would go a long way on the nerf bars and another can of white would really help the from bumper.

    Like 0

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