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Anniversary present! 81 Scrambler project/Restomod

W

wkruger

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City
Vermilion
State
OH
Thanks for the add! I've got my work cut out for me on this, but I got a 1981 Scrambler with iron duke last week. T4 transmission, Dana 30 front end, AMC 20 rear end, and a whoooole lot of rust :oops: It was an anniversary present for my wife who completely restored an 81 with her dad while she was in college (regrettably she sold it). My short list is as follows:

- Needs new frame
- Needs new tub
- Thinking of putting in a 4.0 inline 6
- New suspension (maybe YJ???)
- Small lift to put on 31's
- I want it to be a driver so I know there will be some "traditionalists" that cringe with the modernizing and other mods.

I'll probably start with the frame and just bite the bullet with a throttle down customs frame...any suggestions good or indifferent there?

Thanks!!! Looking forward to the build


8324CCE1-DE4D-481C-8252-C4205D75D2E2_1_105_c.jpeg
 
You won’t get flack here for wanting a motor swap. There is a whole subsection for that. I am very happy that I swapped in a 4.0. My thread is out there. Good luck with the project. It is all doable. Looking forward to seeing it progress.
 
Yes, mod the heck out of it!

Even a nice original one is not the best collectible, so all Jeeps are fair game for modifications that make them better for the owner.
 
Is the tub really shot? That might be the more interesting topic than the frame.
 
Mancunian said:
Is the tub really shot? That might be the more interesting topic than the frame.
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I'm all ears, but my unprofessional opinion is that "the juice ain't worth the squeeze..."

I'll get some better photos, but the floor is like swiss cheese, gobs of bondo all around, windshield frame is rusted through in a lot of spots, etc. I do know a good sand blasting company locally and would gladly pull it off and get it to him to see what's behind the obvious drama.
 
From the few pics the tub does look pretty bad.
Looks like the front fenders have already been replaced with YJ's.

In the end what you decide is all that really matters. :popcorn:
 
A TDK frame is a fantastic upgrade even on a rust-free CJ-8 in my opinion.

These rigs were not very well built by AMC were new so I am firmly in the 'mod the heck out of it' camp. Enjoy the journey and you'll find everything you need to know on this site.
 
wkruger said:
Thanks for the add! I've got my work cut out for me on this, but I got a 1981 Scrambler with iron duke last week. T4 transmission, Dana 30 front end, AMC 20 rear end, and a whoooole lot of rust :oops: It was an anniversary present for my wife who completely restored an 81 with her dad while she was in college (regrettably she sold it). My short list is as follows:

- Needs new frame
- Needs new tub
- Thinking of putting in a 4.0 inline 6
- New suspension (maybe YJ???)
- Small lift to put on 31's
- I want it to be a driver so I know there will be some "traditionalists" that cringe with the modernizing and other mods.

I'll probably start with the frame and just bite the bullet with a throttle down customs frame...any suggestions good or indifferent there?

Thanks!!! Looking forward to the build


View attachment 110043
Click to expand...
Just build it. Do what you want. Enjoy it.

Welcome!
 
Build it the way you want so you can enjoy every minute of the ride and let the magic happen. The folks on this forum are the most informed and supportive people you can find. Welcome!
 
wkruger said:
I'm all ears, but my unprofessional opinion is that "the juice ain't worth the squeeze..."

I'll get some better photos, but the floor is like swiss cheese, gobs of bondo all around, windshield frame is rusted through in a lot of spots, etc. I do know a good sand blasting company locally and would gladly pull it off and get it to him to see what's behind the obvious drama.
Click to expand...
If you don't know Classic Enterprises make some really good repair patches for the tub.
Rear quarter panel repair parts can be got from MD Juan - but they take a LOT of fitting. IMHO the upper cowl is the place to check - if that's a goner then a new tub would make sense, most of the rest can be obtained/patched with time. I ended up with a YJ windscreen frame on mine - that's what was available at the time. Lots of threads on here with similar condition starter vehicles.
 
Upper cowl can be replaced too.

Key Parts is making some of the panels now, I bet they are better than MD Juan.
 
@wkruger welcome… regarding TDK frame, great product. There are some minor differences on the Hybrid that raises the body mounts. The Hybrid converts to coil suspension using TJ parts. You can get short and long arm option. My Scrambler drives and rides like my LJ. It’s more work and money converting axles or in my case new axles. Good luck with your project.
IMG_0618.jpeg
 
rubclt said:
@wkruger welcome… regarding TDK frame, great product. There are some minor differences on the Hybrid that raises the body mounts. The Hybrid converts to coil suspension using TJ parts. You can get short and long arm option. My Scrambler drives and rides like my LJ. It’s more work and money converting axles or in my case new axles. Good luck with your project.
View attachment 110057
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This is exactly what I would be doing if I were building one from this same point and had the means. The other option is making an LJ rolling chassis work under the Scrambler body. That's what the site owner, Matt/ @donaghy just did.
 
First big purchase question (on the topic of the frame). My thought was to replace all the suspension regardless so I understand there will be an expense there. Furthermore, my plan is to keep the same drivetrain with axles (narrow track Dana 30 front and AMC 20 rear)/drive shafts etc but do a 4.0 EFI swap so what are the big differences/advantages of the hybrid frame vs regular TDK frame? I understand that the hybrid has a body lift and ability to run coil over shocks but is the “juice worth the squeeze” so to speak from an initial up front cost with the frame being about 1k more? It looks to me that a JK 2.5” lift with coil over is about the same price as a CJ8 leaf spring lift…

Second question: what are the long arm vs short options referring to? This is going to be a driver not a wheeler so probably 31” tires and will more than likely go on the highway.

Thanks in advance!
Will
 
Do not keep the narrow trac axles regardless. At the least you'd want to find take-out wide trac axles from someone going bigger on their CJ. With a leaf setup they'll bolt right in. With the coil suspension, you're going to need to weld on the arm mounts/coil bucket/shock mount to whatever axle you get (unless you find TJ/LJ axles and then that gets into the issue of transfer case front output side) and there's no sense in doing that on narrow trac axles.

I always say that it's fine to keep working NT axles in a stock Jeep but as soon as it's lifted or you need to put a single dime into the NT setup, swap them out instead.

The extra stability of the wide trac axles can't be overstated, even for a street driver. Also, it's fine if you want to say that you're going to stop "probably at 31s" but you should be preparing the vehicle as if you'll end up on 33s, if not 35s because "incrementalism" is a thing and there are a LOT of 33/35 Scramblers out there where the owner initially thought "just 31s"

Short arm means the stock setup from the TJ/LJ and long arm refers to an aftermarket setup where you replace the frame-side arm mounts with new ones that allow for longer arms. Longer arms means more possible suspension articulation and "less rough" ride, but either short or long arm coil setups will ride a lot less rough than stock. If I were you, I wouldn't be worried about long arms. Even with 33s, it'll be fine. My LJ on 35s and a short arm JKS J-Spec lift was spectacular. (I'd actually suggest that system for yours based on my experience with the LJ.)
 
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Completely agree. Narrow tracks on aTDK frame is like wearing flip flops with your snow pants to go shovel snow. Spend the money on good axles and make due with your frame if you have to: snow boots with shorts of you will. That's where I would start the build myself.

The difference in my rig when I scrapped the narrow tracks was truly remarkable. It was a totally different vehicle the way it handled on the road.
 
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