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Best Scrambler Restorations

jpolk34

Basic User
City
Hattiesburg
State
MS
I've got a 85 Scrambler Laredo that I want someone to do a frame off resto on. I live in south Mississippi and was considering Collins Brothers or Austin Jeeps to do the resto for me. Has anyone had any experience with either one of them and the quality of their worK? Who in your opinion does the best Scrambler resto out there? Thanks for the help.
 

CBRogers

Perpetual Parts Collector
Lifetime Member
City
Yorktown
State
Va
Second to Toy Box in Daytona Fla.

Seem to be good folks and do decent work for a good price.

Fair when I got parts from them.



Carl
 

bigwalton

Alaskan Postal nutjob
FORUM MANAGER
SOA Member
City
Dexter
State
MI
Regardless of where you go, I'd be sure to be a SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE in terms of the parts used, processes/services expected to be performed, etc. etc. so that your expectations are as clear as possible in case there are any issues.

I would want a very detailed quote from whomever it was that should reflect your wants exactly.
 

red mistress

Red Jeep Collector
City
Piney woods
State
tx
Pilot

The guy that restores nothing but CJ Laredo's in his spare time as pilot is very detailed & correct.

ALso Racin Rudy here on this board sells nice CJ's already restored, but might want to PM him and see if he would be interested in one to your spec level.


Whatever you do, don't put reproduction guages.
 

84CJ8AKPostal

Legacy Registered User
City
Laurel Highlands
State
PA
To the origional poster...

It's a shame there are not a million people out there like you. It would give those of us who are insane about this a life doing what we love.

I have done a few rebuilds (only 1 CJ and is was cosmetic/mechanical maintenance only 1986)

There is such a huge quality difference between the work that one person does to another.

The guy who paints for me, is the best damn painter I know! Every single job he does, even the cheap cash dent fixes on old POS vehicles, he does them perfect. No speed lines in the door jambs, no orange peel, no paint on the rubber.

If you had the desire to invest a little bit of sweat equity in your project you might be able to boost the level of the results that you get a ton.

For example, if you pull your own hood, grille, fenders, doors, tailgate, and take them to the media blaster, who will then take them to your body/paint guy, you will save a ton of $$$ and get a really good job paint wise if the parts are painted off the Jeep so that they can paint 100% of the part all the way around.

While that stuff is getting done you can have some one fix up any mechanical issues (because your Jeep will still be lot driveable).

Then take your Tub/Chassi/Frame to the shop and get the Tub pulled for its resto, and get the frame done at that time.

IT will cost me about $900-$1100 to get my hood, doors, fenders, grille, tailgate(swingout), and my 4 top panels (world top) media blasted, skimmed with filler, and painted. (I'll be putting a new hood, 2 new fenders, and a new drivers (right side) door shell on this.

I'll get my Tub Assembly Work done at a different shop where the guy specializes in panel replacement on muscle cars. Then after that is done and the Tub is Epoxy primered it will then goto my paint guy for finish.

While that is going on I plan to do POR15 on my frame (after it gets media blasted) at home in my garage.

I will install the engine, tranny, t-case, lift springs, shocks, brake and fuel lines, tank, and anything else before I put the body back on.

If you do goto some one make sure that you know what you want done or you will get the I did not know you were so dumb treatment.
 

Craner8

CJ-8 Member
Silver Member
Member
City
Orlando
State
FL
My friend did mine. His name is Art Higgins. He can be contacted at arthigginsesq@bellsouth.net in Orlando. Great work, diligent etc. He did the Sublime CJ5. Also, I posted a bigger pic of the CJ5 in pics of whats towing under trailers, tow rig etc.. subheading in the forum section.
 

dukelauw

Basic User
City
Sulphur
State
la
(keep in mind this is just my opinion as a body shop manager/owner/jeep enthusiast)

i restored my CJ7 while i was living in fort worth so i've been to both.

i bought my steel doors for my Cj at Austin Jeep. it's kind of a funny spot, the back of the shop faces a deer ridden airstrip. i mean so many deer i couldn't imagine trying to land a plane on it. anyway- while i was at their shop, i checked the restorations he had in at the time. the couple of guys that work there do a pretty nice job. but to me, it looks like they fix the jeeps up to sell if you know what i mean. they are not museum pieces when they are done. i'm not sure to what extent they'd be willing to go for you or how deep you're wanting to go. they do; however, have a lot of good usable parts at reasonable prices.


i bought a few odds and ends at Collins Bros. they have a big salvage yard out back with not much left on the tubs. everything is stripped and cataloged and priced way too high. so i can imagine that a restoration would be high too. an example would be i needed a(nother) T4 transmission, CB had a pull-out for $650. 820 jeep in fort worth had a rebuilt with a warranty for $750. i'm really not a fan of CB and i knew a lot of other CJ owners that would have nothing to do with them at all.

again this is just my opinion.
 
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