TFDScrambler
Basic User
- City
- Tulsa
- State
- OK
Well I am doing a restoration of an 85 CJ-8. I am a member of multiple forums but never, ever post. I really like the CJ-8.com folks and think there are some highly intelligent members on this site so I figured I would go ahead and do a build thread. I haven't been very good at taking pics so far but will begin today so that you can see where I am at.
Ok I will start by saying my first vehicle was a 76 CJ-5. Me and my grandpa refreshened the 304 in it put some new brakes on it and my dad paid the bodyshop for my 16th birthday. I made a huge mistake and sold that gem when I was 18 and joined the military(selling the jeep was the mistake not the military, that was a great 4 years).
20 Years later I still had the itch for another CJ so I have been looking hard for a Scrambler(I have always loved the look of the scrambler). I have a family of 5 and thought this might be the only possible way to get us all loaded up. I searched and searched and it is unreal what kind of value these machines will hold. A rust bucket in my area(Tulsa) will go for about 4k. A somewhat rust free running vehicle around here has been selling for around 8k. If someone has done any serious work they want 15K and your first born. Well I am a full time firefighter who the Good Lord has blessed with three daughters, so as you guessed it, money is somewhat tight.
Well after months of looking I decided to start looking at auctions and found an 85 that looked to be pretty rough but had some serious potential. I bid on it and won. I was overly excited and scared of my beautiful brides reaction at the same time. Her initial response, "You bought a Scrambler 7 hours away that has been wrecked and you have never seen it for how much?!!!".
After a 14 hour trip to Abilene and home she comes out and shakes her head, but I know deep down inside she supports me and my enthusiasm. I will say I was not happy with the online auction company that I used "Copart". They have lots of small print hidden fees that add up quick and added about 900 dollars to my total which I thought was a little outrageous but thats the way the world works. I know this jeep has some frame damage prior to going to get it but I wasn't overly worried about that. Here are some more pics from the auction site that I downloaded.
So I wasn't aware that I was going to be doing a build thread so I haven't taken many pics but will start from here on. First order of business was pulling the front end and seeing how bad the frame damage was. the fenders, grill, hood and motor out in less than 4 hours and I was really surprised that there was no more rust than there was. The entire engine compartment was covered in oil and dirt. During this beasts accident it appears to have torn the skid plate off of the oil pan, leaving 4 nice little holes for all the oil to come out during the tow to the yard, effectively coating everything in sight. I guess that the yard is a dusty place and made a nice goo on anything and everything under the hood and cab.
The frame is bent a little more than I was wanting but I loaded it up and took it to a guy in West Tulsa, Acme Wheel and aligning(I am pretty sure his name is Greg). He came recommended from the guys at Sams Offroad and a diesel mechanic friend of mine. He was a friendly guy who was actually kind of excited to see an old scrambler, which gave me a little better feeling about it. Both front frame rails were actually bend about 10 inches out at the front forks and there were creases and folds in the frame metal. I was expecting him to say that it was toast and I would be shopping for another frame but nope, his response was "No Problem". He had it out in a week and it was straight as could be and you can't really tell that there was ever an issue unless you look really hard. He also said I have a year to bring it back and he will pull on it or put it on the alignment rack for free. He was excited for me when I picked it up.
Hauled it back home and put it in the garage and stripped the front end of everything else to bare frame. Was happy with the condition of the springs(Rancho 2.5 CJ). Cleaned it up with a wire wheel and painted it. I started with a rattle can of rust prevent bare metal primer and followed it up with the Rustoleum Hammered. I wasn't overly happy with the result and color of the rustoleum so I came back over it with a satin black implement epoxy from Atwoods(Farm and Ranch Store). If I had it to do over again I would have waited and painted the whole thing at once with my HVLP but space is limited in my garage right now and I was impatient. Wire wheeled and painted every part that goes on the front end(springs, axle housing, shock mounts, sway bar and components). Ordered new drag link, and front shocks(Rancho 5000), and new front shackles. One of the shackles were tweaked and I ordered a new set from summit. The new set arrived and it is not what I thought I was ordering and was about 3 inches longer than the 1.5" lift shackles that it already had and I was happy with the stance of.
So the shackles went back to summit and I stopped by Sams offroad and he had exactly the same size shackle that was previously on it on the shelf, for half the price of summit at that(I love staying local if I can and will not stray again). Also picked up a Daystar Polyurethane body mount, front and rear suspension, motor mount and trans mount bushing kit in the color red.
I am not putting anything back on this Jeep until it has been taken off and sanded or wire wheeled clean and painted with a couple of coats of something. I can't stand rust and will avoid it at all cost. Well that is it for this post I will follow up in a bit with some more if I have time.
Moderators, if my pics are too big I apologize. Let me know and I will fix them. I copied links from photobucket.
Ok I will start by saying my first vehicle was a 76 CJ-5. Me and my grandpa refreshened the 304 in it put some new brakes on it and my dad paid the bodyshop for my 16th birthday. I made a huge mistake and sold that gem when I was 18 and joined the military(selling the jeep was the mistake not the military, that was a great 4 years).
20 Years later I still had the itch for another CJ so I have been looking hard for a Scrambler(I have always loved the look of the scrambler). I have a family of 5 and thought this might be the only possible way to get us all loaded up. I searched and searched and it is unreal what kind of value these machines will hold. A rust bucket in my area(Tulsa) will go for about 4k. A somewhat rust free running vehicle around here has been selling for around 8k. If someone has done any serious work they want 15K and your first born. Well I am a full time firefighter who the Good Lord has blessed with three daughters, so as you guessed it, money is somewhat tight.
Well after months of looking I decided to start looking at auctions and found an 85 that looked to be pretty rough but had some serious potential. I bid on it and won. I was overly excited and scared of my beautiful brides reaction at the same time. Her initial response, "You bought a Scrambler 7 hours away that has been wrecked and you have never seen it for how much?!!!".
After a 14 hour trip to Abilene and home she comes out and shakes her head, but I know deep down inside she supports me and my enthusiasm. I will say I was not happy with the online auction company that I used "Copart". They have lots of small print hidden fees that add up quick and added about 900 dollars to my total which I thought was a little outrageous but thats the way the world works. I know this jeep has some frame damage prior to going to get it but I wasn't overly worried about that. Here are some more pics from the auction site that I downloaded.
So I wasn't aware that I was going to be doing a build thread so I haven't taken many pics but will start from here on. First order of business was pulling the front end and seeing how bad the frame damage was. the fenders, grill, hood and motor out in less than 4 hours and I was really surprised that there was no more rust than there was. The entire engine compartment was covered in oil and dirt. During this beasts accident it appears to have torn the skid plate off of the oil pan, leaving 4 nice little holes for all the oil to come out during the tow to the yard, effectively coating everything in sight. I guess that the yard is a dusty place and made a nice goo on anything and everything under the hood and cab.
The frame is bent a little more than I was wanting but I loaded it up and took it to a guy in West Tulsa, Acme Wheel and aligning(I am pretty sure his name is Greg). He came recommended from the guys at Sams Offroad and a diesel mechanic friend of mine. He was a friendly guy who was actually kind of excited to see an old scrambler, which gave me a little better feeling about it. Both front frame rails were actually bend about 10 inches out at the front forks and there were creases and folds in the frame metal. I was expecting him to say that it was toast and I would be shopping for another frame but nope, his response was "No Problem". He had it out in a week and it was straight as could be and you can't really tell that there was ever an issue unless you look really hard. He also said I have a year to bring it back and he will pull on it or put it on the alignment rack for free. He was excited for me when I picked it up.
Hauled it back home and put it in the garage and stripped the front end of everything else to bare frame. Was happy with the condition of the springs(Rancho 2.5 CJ). Cleaned it up with a wire wheel and painted it. I started with a rattle can of rust prevent bare metal primer and followed it up with the Rustoleum Hammered. I wasn't overly happy with the result and color of the rustoleum so I came back over it with a satin black implement epoxy from Atwoods(Farm and Ranch Store). If I had it to do over again I would have waited and painted the whole thing at once with my HVLP but space is limited in my garage right now and I was impatient. Wire wheeled and painted every part that goes on the front end(springs, axle housing, shock mounts, sway bar and components). Ordered new drag link, and front shocks(Rancho 5000), and new front shackles. One of the shackles were tweaked and I ordered a new set from summit. The new set arrived and it is not what I thought I was ordering and was about 3 inches longer than the 1.5" lift shackles that it already had and I was happy with the stance of.
So the shackles went back to summit and I stopped by Sams offroad and he had exactly the same size shackle that was previously on it on the shelf, for half the price of summit at that(I love staying local if I can and will not stray again). Also picked up a Daystar Polyurethane body mount, front and rear suspension, motor mount and trans mount bushing kit in the color red.
I am not putting anything back on this Jeep until it has been taken off and sanded or wire wheeled clean and painted with a couple of coats of something. I can't stand rust and will avoid it at all cost. Well that is it for this post I will follow up in a bit with some more if I have time.
Moderators, if my pics are too big I apologize. Let me know and I will fix them. I copied links from photobucket.