Hello from Dayton, Nevada!

I recently bought a 1956 Willys CJ5, at least I think it’s a CJ5. When I got it, the clutch linkage was so worn out, I could not disengage the clutch, and it had NO working brakes…..But the price was right! In the two weeks I’ve had it, I’ve replaced all the clutch linkage, the master cylinder, all 4 wheel cylinders, and all the rubber brake hoses. It’s still up on jack stands, but the clutch and brakes both appear to be working. I’m currently working on the throttle linkage, as there is so much lost motion, that the foot pedal will only open the throttle about 2/3 of the way, so I’m welding up egg shaped holes and re-drilling them to reduce the lost motion.

What isn’t completely worn out, is rusted, and if it isn’t rusted or worn out, it’s bent. I’m a retired machinist and live on 5 acres, near 20,000 square miles of BLM land that desperately needs exploring. So, my goal is to get this rolling wreck, to some semblance of mechanical reliability and go exploring!

The engine runs, and sounds OK, but there is no oil filter to be found, and it is quite obvious that in this jeep’s 63 years, not everyone who has worked on it was a mechanic! I’ve found wires with 3 splices in a foot of run! Who does that?

My wife asked me the other day, “If someone came up and offered you twice what you paid for it, would you sell it?” and I relied, “No, I’ve grown kind of fond of it.”

About me, I’m a retired machinist/Tool and die maker, and have also worked as a millwright. On retirement we moved from California to Nevada, and have enjoyed living here for a bit over a year. As a kid in high school, I had a 1956 jeep, with a ford 289 engine, that I had a lot of fun with. It looked a lot like the one I have now, but was much younger then, just like me! Besides working on my Jeep, I enjoy the outdoors, and I’m a competitive shooter, and belong to several other forums, relative to my other interest. I’m looking forward the learning about Jeeps here, and participating in discussions when appropriate.