Baltimore Ed’s ‘02 Scrambler’ed Tj build

[Baltimore Ed]

Years ago I had an ‘84 Scrambler that I had planned to rebuild in my retirement but eventually sold after my wife’s 2006 stroke. I lost my wonderful wife of 42 years last year so it’s just me. I had retired 3 years ago to help take care of her. So last month I jumped and bought a nice unaltered ‘02 Tj and wanting a 2 seater [and not a bmw] decided that I’d half cab it. It will be kinda similar to the Cj7 Scrambler builds of old but with the newer Tj body style. My plans include a GR8TOPS half cab, spray lined bed, trunk box, tonneau cover, moving the turn signals from the fenders to the grille, replace the fender flares, a flush rear bumper with bumperettes, Cj style mirrors on the body not the doors, Cj hood latches and any other Cj stuff that I can get to work on my Tj. Here’s what I started with.

 

[Baltimore Ed]

Mirrors done.

 

[Mancunian]

A flat CJ style front bumper might look good and although i personally hate them how about as set of cj steps?
The fender flares don't look too different from a cj-8 (from a distance), wonder how it would look without.
Wagon wheels would make a big difference.
I used Raptor bedliner on mine and have been pleased with how it went on although others on here don't like bedliner. My take is if there's no rust and if it's well prepared there should be no issues.
Need to lose the Wrangler and the Sport decals

 

[Baltimore Ed]

I’ve already removed the milk jugs from the Tj bumper ends and plan on removing the little square things on the front bumper too. Good point about the decals. Hadn’t really thought about them. Whats a good way to remove them without wrecking the paint? I eventually will repaint it but not right now.

 

[Belizeit]

It's a shame a CJ grill would probably not fit,,,,,,,

 

[Mancunian]

TJ decals removal, Seems to be a few people have used heat gun, suggest search on YouTube.

Yes a CJ grill would be good, wonder if one could be tacked on to the front?

 

[Baltimore Ed]

I’m moving the Tj rectangular front turn signals from the fender fronts to the grille under the headlights. Using round lights like a Cj and filling in the openings. The grilles are not close.

 

[CJ7Pilot]

Hey Baltimore, 42 years is a tremendous amount of time to spend with someone you love... please accept our condolences, and our friendship.

I like your take on creating a "modern" CJ! The bumper suggestions are good, as well as the hardware ideas you mentioned.

If you applied a CJ decal kit, that would pretty much complete the look!

I'm not sure adapting a CJ grille is a realistic option.

Have fun!

 

[timo439]

Nice work.

The CJ grille has been done but it would be a lot of work.

https://www.cj-8.com/threads/lj-8.42896/

 

[HighSierra CJ]

I really the idea. Looks like you are having fun with your Jeep. That’s what jeepin’s All about.
Best hobby ever.

 

[Baltimore Ed]

Got my half top, bedliner and trunk installed at GR8TOPS Tuesday. I really like it. They did a super job. Couldn’t do the tonneau cover because the center brace interferes with opening the trunk. I’ll have to find an outfit to make a hard tonneau cover. I installed my flush mount bumper and bumperettes today. Looking more and more like a Cj8

 

[barrys]

Need some wheel adapters and run some old chrome laredo CJ rims! And welcome

 

[Mancunian]

Nice

 

[Baltimore Ed]

Found one of those window crank clip tools and got bubba’s door mods undone and my new door stops installed. Need some of those plastic button things but now I know how to remove a Tj inside door panel. My tag finally arrived today [bought the jeep 5-15-19] so no more paper tag. Tomorrow I’ll start back on my body work.
Update—-I picked up an entire set of original s/s hood furniture supposedly from a Scrambler recently [ebay] and the large Cj footman loop almost matches the holes in my Tj hood, had to open them up on the loop a bit. Unfortunately this is the only piece that will be an relatively easy swap. Also ordered a bag of 50 of the neoprene door panel clips off eBay.

 

[Baltimore Ed]

Running into a wall on the hard tonneau cover. Nobody wants to do a custom job. A fiberglass cover is pretty 3 dimensional in order to give it strength which complicates the hinge so I’m going to look for a piece of 3/16 or 1/4 in x 3’x 5’ aluminum diamond plate and build my own. Just a simple piano hinge would work with the plate but a pair of 4 bar s/s egress window hinges would be best if they can carry the weight. You wouldn’t see them as they are under the cover and no holes in my cab. This is looking to be a fall job though as my knee replacement surgery is coming fast on July 1 so I’ll be laid up for a while. But before this tonneau project I want to get Ripley cleaned and undercoated. My son suggested that it needed ‘Jones’ the cat somewhere so I robbed one of my wife Lola’s cat charms and hung it on Ripley’s mirror [Lola was a cat person].

 

[Belizeit]

I would like to see what you come up with. Good luck with the knee.

 

[Baltimore Ed]

Installed delron hinge bushings today. Darn oem steel inserts did not want to come out. I had to use my dremel tool to cut a slot in them to give the metal somewhere to go, then I could worry them out. Drivers side is perfect but the passenger side door scrubs the top [ after some adjustment of the lower hinge it’s a lot better]. Primed and painted the rusty ‘v’ brace behind the grille. The aluminum angle for my tonneau came today. My initial thoughts was to cut the curve out of some flat and have it mig’ed to the straight parts but I’m going to try and bend the curve ‘over the tail lights’ into the angle after removing the top half of it. We’ll see how it turns out.

 

[Baltimore Ed]

Got the fenders filled in and primed on my turn signal move and started bending my aluminum angle for my tonneau base.

 

[Baltimore Ed]

Installed a Sony radio in Ripley today after mowing the yard. Getting the oem out was hard but the install was easy.

 

[Baltimore Ed]

Replaced the ‘who knows where bubba got them’ sun visors today and replaced them with correct agate Tj visors. Also installed NAPA upgraded headlights and kentrol s/s bezels. Like the s/s, too much black on the front of Ripley, she looks better with some shine.