CJ5 Finds New Life as Lifeguard-Themed Jeep

By Detroit Steel - November 21, 2016

It’s been said that behind every great restoration, you’ll find a moving story.

That certainly seems to be the case with this story we stumbled on about former Laguna Beach lifeguard Al Mendez’s 1974 Jeep CJ5.

The Southern Californian bought the Jeep on Craigslist for $4,000. But the restoration project, which included an additional $10,000 investment, actually started as a means of reminiscing with a few other former lifeguards.

As highlighted in an OC Register story, Mendez found most of the lifeguard-themed features online, like the rescue cage and red siren. To nail down the bright yellow color, the former lifeguard referenced a classic photo of a 1973 Jeep.

Mendez dedicated the restored CJ5 to the memory of Laguna Beach Lifeguard Chief Bruce Baird, who ran the lifeguards from 1973 to 1991.

Mendez also has another deep tie to the Jeep, as the engine work was done by his brother, Jed Mendez, who recently died at the age of 59. “His sudden death was tragic,” said Al. “The Jeep will always put a smile on my face in his memory for all the work he did on it.”