Original & Unmolested: 1980 Jeep CJ-5 Renegade
Way back in time when this Jeep was shiny and new, a friend of mine was determined to buy a Jeep nearly identical to this as her daily driver. We had quite a discussion about it, with me pointing out to her that almost all of her driving was in the city and that she never intended to take it off-road. My argument must have been convincing because she didn’t buy it. I don’t think that she has ever forgiven me for it. Maybe this is her chance to buy one now. This particular Jeep is located in Carlisle, Iowa and is for sale here on eBay.
Before I get into the specifics of this vehicle I really need to commend the seller. They have included plenty of photos in a bid to support their claims about this Renegade. Choosing which photos to include in this article was difficult since there were 24 clear photos to choose from. They really are worth checking out.
This is one area where the description gets a bit grey. He states that the owner housed it at their holiday home in the high desert since 1983. Does that mean that he has housed it there, or a previous owner did? Regardless, he also claims that it has a genuine 22,167 miles under its wheels. I will always take such claims with a pinch of salt unless there is documented proof of this. I will say that it does look clean, but I’m a bit puzzled by the body seam running below the mirror in front of the door. I have tried enlarging the photo and can’t tell whether that’s dirt, rust, paint discoloration, or just a trick of the light.
The seller claims that it is about the cleanest Jeep of this age that you are likely to find. There are a couple of shots of the underside of the vehicle. Looking at this one makes it hard to believe that this is an off-roader that is rapidly heading toward being 40 years old. The underside photos do seem to reinforce the sellers claims about its general condition. The seller states that the original top is in good condition, but that the windows are cracked. He also claims that a replacement window kit is available for $250.
This shot taken inside one of the wheel-wells is amazingly clean and chip-free for a vehicle of this age. I’m wondering whether it is original or has been the subject of a respray at some stage in its life. I’ve heard it said that if something appears to be too good to be true, then it probably is. Having said that, a close inspection would almost certainly reveal the truth. Photos taken of the floor pans below the carpets are equally as impressive.
Interior condition gives the impression that this Jeep has been well cared for, but there is one glaring anomaly visible. There’s a hole in the dash where the radio should reside, so I wonder what the story is there. Perhaps it had an after-market stereo that has been removed, or the original radio was removed because it was faulty. Either way I find it to be a distraction on an otherwise good interior. Seat upholstery is in good overall condition with only minor stretching on the driver’s seat noticed. All of the painted surfaces and the dash pad appear to be in good order.
Lurking in the engine bay is the 258ci 6 cylinder engine. Things under here don’t seem to quite gel with the condition of the rest of the car or the claimed mileage. The general appearance of the engine gives an impression of an engine that has done more work than claimed. I also think I spy a missing drive belt and some after-market wiring feeding from the battery through the firewall, and also towards the front of the car on the driver’s side. I’ve looked closely and can’t identify any additional items or accessories that would account for this. The seller states that the tires are quite old and hard and will need replacing.
When it comes to buying a vehicle it can be so easy to get so caught up in the moment when you see your potential bright and shiny new toy for the first time that logic goes completely out the window. I knew a guy who bought an old car once. When I asked him what attracted him to it and made him decide to spend his money, his response was that he liked the look of the speedometer….and I’m not joking! On the face of it this Jeep seems to tick enough boxes to support the claims made by the seller. If it is the real deal, then the price is heading into the sort of territory that would justify it judging by similar Jeeps for sale at the moment. I hope that it is as good as the seller claims, but there’s just this niggling doubt in the back of my mind. Or is that just garden-variety paranoia?
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Comments
Looks pretty solid and I like the color combo.
Had one of these. Some of the best years of my life. Held on to it for 16 years and sold it for more than I paid for it.
Nice CJ. Prices for CJ’s has gone through the roof, and for good reason. Very few vehicles you can buy today with this kind of simplicity. Jeeps tend to live a rough life, so the condition of this verifies the mileage. I’d love a CJ, with all it’s quirks, but not at these prices.
Ran out of time researching, but I think this is just a Renegade, not a Wrangler, and I believe it’s a CJ7, not a CJ5, anybody?
No it’s a CJ5 as you can tell by the wheelbase. And first year for Wranglers was 1987.
The door opening identifies it as a CJ5, The CJ7 door opening is longer and is less rounded.
I’ve owned several Jeeps over the years, and that door opening was the key reason for me selling my CJ5. It was much harder for this old man to get in and out.
Difinately a CJ5. Look at sheet metal behind rear wheel well. way short to back of vehicle.
I’m thinking they put time in effort into the outside.. Never detailed engine compartment.
Another obvious CJ 5 characteristic is the depressed panel behind the driver’s door opening where the gas filler was on early CJs. Yes, you sat on the gas tank in those!
Easiest way to ID a CJ-7 vs a CJ-5 is the wider, squared off door opening and longer wheelbase. For a while 5s and 7s were sold side-by-side, then for a few years only the CJ-7 was available. There was also the much rarer CJ-6, a long wheelbase version of the CJ-5.
The most obvious difference with the first gen Wrangler was the square headlights, which were not well received in the Jeep community!
Definitely a cj5 there. I have a1980 cj 5 renegade blue with a 304 and a Dana 300
This is sweet. Wife’s birthday is coming up. I need to find some cash to make a bad decision. . .
Looks like car spent some time in Houston. The manuals also look wet?
The belt is off the emission system air pump. These pumps almost always seized up. The extra red wire from the battery probably was used to power a small amp. The radio is missing so they probably had a system in it. Otherwise it’s a nice jeep.
We have a 2000 wrangler packed in a garage in Italy 🇮🇹. Been there fore around 3 yrs now, bein a 6 cyl (4000 cc) expensivefor road tax , no one wants to pay its worth SO at this point we r keepin her… she’s never been off road n is as clean as this one in the add…. we also have a 1976 FIAT 131 COUPE w/US specs that we brought here in 86(a one owner, my wife!!)that IS actually stored in a barn!!! Here in Italy….
The older I get the more stories ( factual, not fake)I can recount….
Please put photos of them, where in Italy are you?
The spare tire is probably the original one as those Tracker tires haven’t been made in forever.
I would be very cautious on this one, because they salt roads in Iowa! If you live where it snows don’t buy it for winter transportation, because you will freeze ya hiney off! This I know for a fact!
What did it sell for? My comment would have been, that it almost seems too clean and rust free. But if 22k miles is correct, then maybe it spent it’s life indoors? Kind of ironic for a Jeep.
Having owned a CJ7 Renegade, I would lean towards the mileage being realistic. Those 6 cylinders while being bullet proof, leaked like sieves. As I tell people, I spent as much time under the hood as I did in the seat. With all that said, I WOULD buy another (this one) in a heartbeat, if I had the space and the price was not astronomical! Last time I brought up my urge for another, the Wife’s compromise was an E46 convertible with under 100K on it. I don’t offroad. I DO “onroad” hard, so ill stick with my E46.