I am acquiring a 1975 CJ5 with the 304 V8. It runs, but has been mostly in a garage for the last 10 years, only started and run about twice a year.

What should I check or just replace because it has surely died?

My list so far is:
Tires
Oil Change
Battery
Lube all chassis points
Lube Running Gear (axles, trans, Xfer, etc.)
Replace rear Springs (PO Welded them)

My plan is to keep it mostly stock. It will be a daily driver with occasional off road. I also plan to put a Bestop Supertop and after market A/C (Florida gets in the 100's during summer)

BTW I'm a newbie to this board and have been reading it obsessively since I settled on the CJ project. You guys and gals are a great wealth of knowledge.

Thanks in advance for your help.

You are going to want to change all fluids. Differentials, tranny, transfer case, power steering and radiator. They will collect water from condensation. Make sure all your breather holes on the axles trannies etc are open. Do not run it very far before you change oil. I would drain the gas and fill it with some good stuff and then add a cleaner that also takes out water. Really you should drop the tank and look in it to make sure there isn't any rust in it. You will fight it for quite a while if you don't. Check for mice stuff everywhere. Good luck 10 years is a long time. Eventually you will be changing a lot of seals because they are cracked and will most likely leak. Replace them as they go.

Make sure ya check all the rubber vacuum hoses, those tend to rot quickly down here.
Just a side note, I know it gets hot down here, but its bearable without the AC as long as you keep the top up to provide some shade. Sounds like this Jeep is cherry, hate to see something like an aftermarket A/c kit added. If anything, scrape together an AMC unit. But thats just me.

Welcome to the forum. Everyone appreciates you filling out your profile. The list you have going is good so
far. Add a complete tune-up, with plug wires also. Give the motor a good flushing, its bound to have alot
of rust from the water sitting in it that long. And do it with the T-stat removed. I would probably disconnect
the radiator hoses from the rad. so you don`t plug it with crude in the process. Pack the front wheel bearings
and check out all steering components; TRE`s, ball joints etc. I`d be checking u-joints too. Check the frame
completely for cracks, especially around the area where the front springs attach to the frame behind the front
tires. If your CJ5 has seen much off-road use there will be cracks in the frame. If you don`t find any, consider
yourself VERY lucky. The `72-`75`s had the worst frames of all when it comes to cracking. Check it good for rust,
especially the body mounts. I`m probably overlooking something, maybe someone else can fill in the blanks. Good luck,
and enjoy.

Thanks for the info SeeJ579. I hear your concern on the A/C and I plan on that being the last mod (if I even do it). I know "real" jeeps have no A/C. My plan is to drive it for a while and then get A/C if it becomes unbearable. Maybe it will be like the wife's convertible; with the top down and breeze blowing the heat is not so bad, I just wonder what it will feel like sitting in slow and go traffic (like malfunction junction at 5:00pm [img]images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]).

Bikini top and no doors, its all good... only sucks when you get a suprise shower on your way to work.
Seriously, neither of my Jeeps have A/C. Gets a little warm (it's Florida!!!!) but nothing extreme. Thats why ya dont runa round like all the poseurs in their mall and beach cruisers with their tops down (and occasionally with the harware still up!!!!)
You could also try to find a job away from downtown!!!

I'm surprised no one has recommended replacing all hoses and belts yet. I wouldn't take any chances with dry rubber.

Brakes.
Everytime I've let a Jeep sit for more than a year (which is more times than I'd like to admit), the brakes go out. Flush all that old fluid out, and be ready for a wheel cyl. or something to go bad......or better yet, just buy some kits (my last ones were 8 bucks each) and the little hone and rebuild them. It's really quite easy to do. (chances are good at least one yours is leaking now) Trust me, it's NO fun to have one go out while driving.

Thanks guys for all the great info. Keep it coming. I am going to pick up the CJ on the 29th.

Progress Update:

Jeep Driven into the garage on 8/1/2003. The Battery needed charging, but she starts right up and runs smooth. [img]images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]
First order of business is replace Fenderwell Headers and glass packs with inframe headers and quieter mufflers. See Exhaust Rebuild for details of that phase.

Next, replaced front wheel bearings, front cylinders and hoses (drum brakes).

Then changed front and rear differential fluid. Found a surprise when I upened up the front diff (rust and broken teeth), but after cleanup and inspection have decided to monitor and replace as needed. My 4wd use will be light duty anyway. After all that work, I just HAD to take it to a local spot (Carter Road Park) with some mild sand/mud and give 'er a spin semi off road [img]images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Planned on Oil, Tranny, TCase fluid change next, but while returning from a run to a local vegetable stand, the radiator springs a leak! Luckily it hung in there until I got home, spewing a final stream on my driveway. Decided to just replace the radiator since it has been sitting and is probably full of rust and more pinholes just waiting for me to get 100 miles from home. [img]images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] So flushed the engine (OMG the rust that came out) and replaced the radiator and hoses. new rad pic While it was all warmed up from the radiator test, I went ahead and changed the Oil and filter too.

Next, Got a nice set of alloy wheels and 31x10.5R15's wheel pic and put them on [img]images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] Old wheels will find a home with a fellow Jeeper from Bradenton. So, I take a test drive on the new wheels and all is looking rosy [img]images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] and I go to turn on the headlights (getting near evening) and they blink out [img]images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]. Luckily I was just around the block so I cancelled the test drive and took a look at the wiring. Whoa! connectors on the back of the fuse block (inside the engine compartment) look like someone has taken a torch and waved it around them. connector pic Not enough to melt through, just sort of melty looking [img]images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]. Oh well, as I have seen written elsewhere, a '75 original harness is a fire looking for a place to happen kindling pic , so back to the drawing board and order a Centech harness from 4wd.

That's where I am now, I have the harness and have removed the dash and the old harness. Guess what I found behind the dash (No, not a snake)? rust 1 That's right, RUST! Not too bad really, but I had planned to deal with body/interior stuff much later <sigh> So, out with the rust conversion and phospho and here we go. Scraped, sanded, converted, and painted everything that will be covered up when I replace the dash. As soon as it has cured I will start the wiring Odessy (sp).

Still to do:
Replace Rear Springs
Change Transmission and Tcase fluid
Now that I have started the interior stuff, Herculiner
Re-work passenger seat to be more secure.

That will have it driveable and safe. Further projects:
- Paint (I like it the way it is, but wife and daughter say the white makes it look like a mail jeep).
- Supertop
- Rear Bench seat
- Swing out Tire carrier

edit to add some pic links