83 Parts Scrambler

[Jeeperdd]

After owning a couple scramblers at different times and then having to sell them I decided to build one the way I wanted it. I started collecting parts in May 2009 and by June 2010 I had enough parts to start putting it together. Everything has been rebuild or replaced with new. Last week I finished it and started driving it on the road. I say "finished" but we all know how that goes.

I'd like to say thank you to eveyone one this site for their inspiration and thank you to my wife for putting up with me and supporting me on this adventure.

So to start I'll post a picture of what I started with, an 83 frame.

And this is what I built

Year: 83

Model: cj-8

Final/current tire size: 32"

Build details:
- 258 bored 30 over, comp cam, borla header, GM HEI, Howell fuel injection
- T5 transmission rebuilt
- Dana 300 transfer case rebuilt
- AMC 20 rear rebuilt with ected selectable locker in the rear
- Dana 30 up front rebuilt
- Power brakes, Power steering
- A/C
- Power windows (AWESOME!)
- Raptor liner interior
- Line-X in the bed
- Factory rear chrome bumper
- Custom oversized rollbar spare tire mount.
- Factory 20 gallon gas tank
- Addco rear anti-sway bar
- Deep midnight blue paint.

 

[daltonw]

looks good! never thought of putting power windows in a cj... good idear

 

[Jeeperdd]

Here is a link to all my photos of the build.
http://s596.photobucket.com/albums/tt42/jeeperdd/Scrambler Project/


I'll post some more here with comments now.

First thing I started on was the axles

I got to buy alot of specialized tools during this part. A family friend helped me with the axles

Frame had some body mounts that needed to be fixed but no rot in the normal places.

cleaned it with a 4500psi steam genie

 

[Jeeperdd]

Got my uncle (who's been a bodyman for 30 year) to weld up the body mounts.

painted the frame with eastwoods products inside and out.

painted the axles

 

[Jeeperdd]

Picked up the engine already rebuild, poor guy was moving and couldn't take his project.
It was this color when I got it.

Painted it this color

Found this to top it off

Started getting everything ready to go together

Axles in

My son checking my work

My dad supervising the engine install

 

[Jeeperdd]

Bellhousing on.

Transmission hooked up to transfer case

All hooked up with driveshafts

Factory 20 gallon polly tank in, you can also see the SS fuel and brake lines

Picture of the Addco rear sway bar. picked this up from local guy, ended up ordering all new energy bushings for it. I like it alot the jeep really holds the road in turns.

Intake and borla SS headers on.

Started working on the front drive accessories.

HEI from CRT performance

 

[Jeeperdd]

more pics to come

 

[jims chop shop]

Looks good man !!!!

 

[bobbysjeep]

thanks for sharing. keep the pictures coming

 

[One ton]

Man that thing looks good !!

 

[MN-Paul]

Very nice detail work.

 

[Scramblin Man]

That looks real good, especially the exterior color. Deep night blue is my favorite.

 

[Jeeperdd]

Thanks for the comments!
Now back to some pic's!

Fuel pump and filter for the fuel injection

checking fitment of the body, its a willy's overland tub.

Did I mention my uncle has been a body man for some time? anyway every tub that I could find he didn't like. I guess he has something against rust. So this is the point in the project that I really dished out some money.

Front clip lined up.

Bulkhead and windshield in. i ended up changing to another windshield, found a nos one.

Top, doors, and roll bar

Dropped the steering wheel in to check fitment, no issues.

 

[Jeeperdd]

at this point I pretty much went through my stash of parts and put everything I could think of on the jeep so that I knew it would go together and so that any holes that needed to be drilled were before paint.

All I'm going to say about the willy's overland tub is, I had a lot of fitment issues that I wouldn't have had with an original tub.

1981 top, I had to drill it for 3 point seat belts. measure 3 times cut once.

 

[Jeeperdd]

So after I got it all together, I pulled all back apart. Took the body back off the frame and painted the firewall, inside the fenders, inside the tub, any hard to reach spot. Somewhere I have those photo's, I'll have to find them and put them in here.

 

[Jeeperdd]

So after I painted the the firewall I put it all back together again for a second time. Completed the engine compartment and got it to run.

Rewired the engine wiring to get all the old computer stuff out and added the howell wiring.

air cleaner from spectra

Ready to run

 

[Jeeperdd]

After I got it to run and broke in the engine, I turned my attention to some of the finer details.
Painted the top and console.

Sprayed the passenger compartment with raptor liner and tinted it to match the deep midnight blue.

Did quit match so I sprayed in down with some color, so far its holding up good.

Got the roll bar striped and primed.

Put the top and console in and got the doors taken apart.

 

[Jeeperdd]

Took it to my uncle the body man, got some work done, and got it primed

Got the color cut in at his place. He

To the long awaited Paint Booth I felt like I sanded on this thing forever just to get to this point.

 

[Jeeperdd]

Forgot to add this photo of me and my son driving it around before I took it to my uncles for paint prep.

Back to the booth!
A lot to tape work

From outside the booth

And this is while she was baking inside the booth.

Got it back home

Pretty happy with the paint.

 

[Jeeperdd]

Now to put it together.

A lot of wiring

The best part was finding all the parts in my basement that I forgot I had.

Upgraded to power windows, recommend it to anyone using there jeep as a daily driver.