Number of members? number of Scramblers?

I got to thinking, with 27,000 Scramblers ever built, how many are left? Who knows!

But how many members do we have on this site? And how many Scramblers on this site???

1 for me.

Nothing saying that members on here have one Scrambler and many have more than one. This is an impossible question that no one can make even a remotely educated guess at. So many members go months between visits and there are a lot of "dead" members too.

We have a thread working to try to figure out the state of the 230 Alaskan Postals, we did surprisingly well but it goes to show how difficult it would be to ever come close to this

I can't vouch for Dennis Collins, of course, but on a coffee walk I just watched where he showed 3 Scramblers in the shop (cool), he said nearly 11,000 Scramblers had been through his shop.

Its hard for me to believe that more than 1/3 of all Scramblers had been at his place at one time or another.

If you search for it, you can still find the Scrambler registry website. I think it's been inactive, however for many years.

Think he said 1100. Even that is a lot to me

Agree with Big Walton...a very hard figure to determine. I have 1 complete postal of the 230, and 1 other that got cut into many pieces, not by me, but that counts as the pieces are here...so 2..of those accounted for, on my watch. As far as the rest of them, no real numbers, kinda like a census, who knows for sure... for the recordish, I have about 10, including two from Australia, currently. as far as members, ive been here since 2005 when I bought my first scrambler...and we have alot of great members... alot!

Ya, I think he said 1100. Still a lot.

I'd maybe believe 1100. But no way 11,000!

To make it more complicated, only a fully restored oem scrambler counts as a full 100% Scrambler. If you've swapped in a different engine or transmission, it's now what.. 0.85 of a Scrambler? Haha, sorry, had to do it..

32 seconds in... 1100, not 11,000... but that still is an incredilbe number of scramblers...
As for what he says in the other one... and I have done this as well, is that Scramblers are taken, usually 2 or 3, possibly CJ7's as well and 1 good one is made from all the parts.
Then the rest of the parts are sold off or scrapped depending on the condition.
So the total number of Scramblers go down due to that.
Projects are started, titles are lost, time goes by and then they offer Cash for Clunkers and scrap prices go up and more go down those paths.

Next to impossible to figure out an actual number, especially if 20% did get exported and those people you might not have on this site.

So... half? hard to say, but all in all extremely rare and not a ton of them out there anymore.

cb

MomoJeep said:

To make it more complicated, only a fully restored oem scrambler counts as a full 100% Scrambler. If you've swapped in a different engine or transmission, it's now what.. 0.85 of a Scrambler? Haha, sorry, had to do it..

Click to expand...

Aaaaaaaaaaactually.....I think only Scramblers are Scramblers, but ALL Scramblers, Postals, Overlanders, and custom VIN "88"s are CJ-8's. So which one are you counting: hood graphics or long tubs?

The more fun way to ask this question is “what’s your best guess at the percentage that still exist as a whole vehicle?”

I’d be in the 40% range. Half seems too high to me.

bigwalton said:

The more fun way to ask this question is “what’s your best guess at the percentage that still exist as a whole vehicle?”

I’d be in the 40% range. Half seems too high to me.

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Complete vehicle vs. Project vehicle... heck I have 2 of the latter right now... or 1 and 1 hybrid... so there are probably a few Scramblers that have been changed in terms of length as well... fully off roaded, boat sided, narrowed, pinched, etc... so I guess I might even be lower than 40%.

cb

Know of two more field Scramblers in my neck of the woods. They have been sitting out there for as long as I can remember. Scrambler I pulled out of the woods was 'retired' due to a head gasket issue and a bad rear end. Body/frame rust as far as I can figure was due to sitting. Inquired a few years ago...might stop by again. Sad to see them sit. Sure there are a lot more in this condition on farms throughout NE and else where.

certifiablejeep said:

Complete vehicle vs. Project vehicle... heck I have 2 of the latter right now... or 1 and 1 hybrid... so there are probably a few Scramblers that have been changed in terms of length as well... fully off roaded, boat sided, narrowed, pinched, etc... so I guess I might even be lower than 40%.

cb

Click to expand...

I don't make that distinction, if it was a Scrambler and still moves under its own power, it counts to the 40%

And here's another way of looking at it. What parts of the vehicle can now be bought after-market/new? I'd say it's almost possible to build a "new" Scrambler, since you can get the body pieces, frame, etc. Axles and engine can come from anywhere. For example, Frame: https://www.quadratec.com/products/...Z9NzhtP8vf-D2CV6oX1-8nzi0yJnhflBoCvGcQAvD_BwE

To be a “scrambler” you need an original VIN and title. The 6th and 7th numbers in the VIN must be 88.

The rest does not matter in my personal opinion. Start with just a VIN tag, firewall tag, and title; buy aftermarket replacement parts; you will still have a scrambler.

I think that is the rule for joining SOA as well.

You can’t make any new VINs (legally) and that dictates how many are still around.

MomoJeep said:

And here's another way of looking at it. What parts of the vehicle can now be bought after-market/new? I'd say it's almost possible to build a "new" Scrambler, since you can get the body pieces, frame, etc. Axles and engine can come from anywhere. For example, Frame: https://www.quadratec.com/products/...Z9NzhtP8vf-D2CV6oX1-8nzi0yJnhflBoCvGcQAvD_BwE

Click to expand...

You can build something that might drive, but if you want original style top, doors, bulkhead, rollbar... anything Scrambler specific, they don't make it aftermarket anymore... some companies did, and now they don't, then you hear rumors that they "might be"... but essentially the market is just not there.

If there are only say 10,000-12,000 Scrambler running/driving around, then there are only 10,000 potential sales for those parts in the aftermarket and from a business perspective you never get 100% of the sales... you might get 10-15% of that market.

Compare that to the sales of brand new JKU or Gladiators and the want to be different and custom on your brand new ride... you know exactly where they are going to spend their time and money.

The frame company(singular) is the only one left from 3-4 through the 90's and into the 2000's.
They also make frames for any Jeep and do custom work, but a lot of that is made to order.
Quadratec might "sell" them, but they are a front end, the order goes to the builder and they build/ship it from their warehouse.

But to @ag4ever point... only a VIN will make it a Scrambler... you build something custom with all sorts of parts, you can't register it without that VIN... usually both of them (windshield/body) and in a lot of states a clean title. This is where there is a lot of problems that lead people to wanting to buy rusted out hulks just for the VIN/title... which then makes 1 less that you can count towards the total.

cb

Can a VIN/Title that has been scrapped or dead be revived or re-instated at a later time?

MomoJeep said:

Can a VIN/Title that has been scrapped or dead be revived or re-instated at a later time?

Click to expand...

I'm fairly sure the answer to that is no.