Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

1983 Am General Dj-5m Mail Jeep Postal Jeep on 2040-cars

Year:1983 Mileage:47831 Color: Ford Wimbledon White matte coat
Location:

El Portal, California, United States

El Portal, California, United States
Advertising:
Transmission:Automatic
Engine:2.5L AMC Straight-4
Vehicle Title:Clear
Fuel Type:Gasoline
For Sale By:Private Seller
VIN: 1utuf00b0ds191793 Year: 1983
Exterior Color: Ford Wimbledon White matte coat
Make: Jeep
Number of Cylinders: 4
Model: CJ
Trim: Utility truck 2-door
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
Drive Type: Two-Wheel drive
Mileage: 47,831
Sub Model: DJ-5 M
Condition: UsedA vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections.Seller Notes:"Used and formerly in US Government service. Not a show car, but in good shape and runs/drives well. No known significant engine/transmission/body issues. See vehicle description for information on known minor issues."

An American icon!  The DJ (Dispatcher Jeep) series was built for the U.S. Postal Service from 1955 to 1984. This 1983 DJ-5M has reportedly lived its entire life in central California, and drove a mail route from 1983 to 2009.  The previous owner was a USPS rural route driver, and when the Government sold the vehicle around 2002, he purchased it and continued to use it to deliver mail until he sold it to me.  This one was built under Government contract by AM General (the company that made Humvees), but is identical to the DJ-5's manufactured by Jeep.

The DJ-5 line was discontinued in 1984, so this is one of the newest models of DJ-5 available, and it shows.  Many DJ-5s were worked into the ground, rusted out, and were scrapped; this one is comparatively new, has lived a dry California life in the San Joaquin Valley, and was well taken care of.  It's in great shape.  I grew up in New England, where salt rusts away cars over five years old, so it still surprises me to see how little rust this 1983 model has.  

Features: 150 cubic inch 2.5L AMC Straight-4 engine with a Chrysler 904 transmission, both running strong. Previous owner worked over the engine in 2008; I'm not sure of the extent of the work that he did, but I have had no significant issues with the engine.

Passes smog testing in California (fully rebuilt catalytic converter in 2011).  All tires are in good shape with plenty of tread. Paint in good shape, very little surface rust on exposed surfaces; the paint is Ford Wimbledon White in a matte gloss, recently touched up.  No body damage is known, and all sheet metal is smooth and undented. There are a couple of holes in the floorboard under the pedals due to wear, but they do not constitute a safety hazard.  New battery. 

Issues: 1. Runs at low idle on cold startup, air intake probably needs adjusting. Warms up quickly and stays at correct idle afterward. 2. Slow oil leak from oil pan gasket (no fluid leaks from engine).  3. Speedometer and odometer not functioning (odometer reads 47K+ miles, but that's inaccurate - actual mileage not known).  I tried to put "Unknown" in the mileage box for this auction, but eBay wanted a number, so I put the displayed odometer reading in. 

There may be additional mechanical issues present of which I am unaware; I am strictly an amateur mechanic.  This description is complete to the best of my knowledge; no warranty or other statement of material fact regarding the vehicle's condition is expressed or implied.

This vehicle was built for utility, not luxury, so it's simple and sturdy.  There is one seat for the driver, a mail-sorting tray, and a cargo area, and little else in the passenger compartment.  If you want to add a passenger seat, it's easy - the holes for seat bolts were factory drilled.  Just get a seat (jcwhitney.com Jeep parts, or from a salvage yard) and pop it in.  There is also a radio under the mail tray; it would work for FM reception, but I never bothered to hook up the power wiring, so it is currently unpowered.   

Included is the official USPS service manual for the DJ-5M.  It's incredibly detailed, and tells you how to fix virtually anything.  Loaded with exploded diagrams, the manual has made it easy for me to work on the vehicle.  The Jeep also comes with all the extras shown: magnetic US MAIL signs, parking sign, extra mirrors (the USPS originally put a LOT of mirrors on it to avoid accidents), cool mailman jacket!

I have clean California title in hand, in my name.  Delivery of the Jeep is not available; you'll have to come pick it up.  Fortunately, I live literally right next door to Yosemite National Park, so if you come here to get the Jeep, I'll be happy to give you a pass to get into the park.

I posted a video of the Jeep, including starting and running, at   http://youtu.be/PzcUwivjvcg

This has been my fun cruise-around-town car for the last four years in our little mountain town, and it has performed very well in that role; I've also had it on the freeway, where it did just fine.  I hate to get rid of it, but we're moving from the woods to San Francisco, and of course that means the extra car has to go.  The Jeep is a lot of fun, and really gets positive attention and smiles from everyone you pass. 

Good luck!

Auto Services in California

Zenith Wire Wheel Co ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Wheels, Tire Dealers
Address: 818 Cristich Ln, Brookdale
Phone: (831) 425-7770

Yucca Auto Body ★★★★★

Automobile Body Repairing & Painting, Truck Body Repair & Painting
Address: 56132 29 Palms Hwy, Pioneertown
Phone: (760) 365-9410

World Famous 4x4 ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Restoration-Antique & Classic
Address: 75 E Palm Ave, Alhambra
Phone: (818) 816-0121

Woody`s & Auto Body ★★★★★

Automobile Body Repairing & Painting, Truck Body Repair & Painting
Address: 22920 Lockness Ave, East-Rancho-Dominguez
Phone: (310) 784-3820

Williams Auto Care Center ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Inspection Stations & Services, Auto Oil & Lube
Address: 18380 Highway 12, Sonoma
Phone: (707) 996-1056

Wheels N Motion ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Tire Dealers
Address: 961 E Holt Ave, Chino
Phone: (909) 622-1232

Auto blog

What does Jeep have cooking with this stretched Cherokee?

Mon, Feb 15 2016

Chrysler has been spotted testing what appears to be a stretched Jeep Cherokee prototype. Which seems odd, considering that Jeep already makes a Grand Cherokee, and that's an entirely different model. The question then is just what the company has in the works here. We don't know for sure – but we do have some ideas. We're anticipating a new Grand Wagoneer to serve as the brand's flagship model, but stretching the Cherokee's wheelbase to leapfrog the Grand Cherokee's would take more than eight inches – and stretching a "compact" platform to get there wouldn't seem to make a lot of sense. Alternatively Jeep could be looking to wedge a new model into its lineup in between the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, potentially offering a third row of seats and wearing the Wagoneer name - sans the "Grand" - as part of a new range of seven-seaters. Just what the point would be, however, when the Dodge Durango already offers three rows based on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee, is a bit of a mystery. Another possibility is that it's not a Jeep at all, but rather a Dodge. The brand is in need of a replacement for the current Journey, and we're also waiting to see what FCA does to replace the Grand Cherokee since it unveiled the Chrysler Pacifica to replace the Town and Country. More of a crossover approach could take the Cherokee's Compact US Wide (CUSW) platform as its starting point, but stretched like this prototype to offer more space. Whatever it is, we're sure this won't be the last we'll have seen of it, so watch this space. Related Video:

Another crazy custom Jeep Wrangler spotted in Morocco

Sun, 03 Mar 2013

What in the world is the vehicle you see above? Well, um... yeah. We have no idea. According to the video description from YouTube, however, it's a modified Jeep Wrangler, and it comes from the same person who created the equally insane side-by-side merged Wrangler you saw here.
We can clearly make out the Wrangler-shaped passenger compartment up top, but as for the other bits and pieces that make up this rather amazing machine, your guess is as good as ours. At the very least, it seems to us that the car's wheelbase has been given a significant stretch, and the grille may have come from an International LoneStar Harley-Davidson Special Edition semi truck.
What other components are sourced from the massive International hauler? No idea. We suggest you check out the video below and draw your own conclusions. Oh, and if you've got any other ideas, feel free to let us know in the Comments.

These are the cars with the best and worst depreciation after 5 years

Thu, Nov 19 2020

The average new vehicle sold in America loses nearly half of its initial value after five years of ownership. No surprise there; we all expect that shiny new car to start depreciating as soon as we drive it off the lot. But some vehicles lose value a lot faster than others. According to data provided by iSeeCars.com, trucks and truck-based sport utility vehicles generally hold their value better than other vehicle types, with the Jeep Wrangler — in both four-door Unlimited and standard two-door styles — and Toyota Tacoma sitting at the head of the pack. The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited's average five-year depreciation of 30.9% equals a loss in value of $12,168. That makes Jeep's four-door off-roader the best overall pick for buyers looking to minimize depreciation. The Toyota Tacoma's 32.4% loss in initial value means it loses just $10,496. The smaller dollar amount — the least amount of money lost after five years — indicates that Tacoma buyers pay less than Wrangler Unlimited buyers, on average, when they initially buy the vehicle. The standard two-door Jeep Wrangler is third on the list, depreciating 32.8% after five years and losing $10,824. Click here for a full list of the top 10 vehicles with the least depreciation over five years. On the other side of the depreciation coin, luxury sedans tend to plummet in value at a much faster rate than other vehicle types. The BMW 7 Series leads the losers with a 72.6% drop in value after five years, which equals an alarming $73,686. BMW's slightly smaller 5 Series is next, depreciating 70.1%, or $47,038, over the same period. Number three on the biggest losers list is the Nissan Leaf, the only electric vehicle to appear in the bottom 10. The electric hatchback matches the 5 Series with a 70.1% drop in value, but since it's a much cheaper vehicle, that percentage equals a much smaller $23,470 loss. Click here for a full list of the top 10 vehicles with the most depreciation over five years.