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Body difference in 1981 CJ8 -reason?

MarknessMonster

Amiable Jeeper
City
Western
State
CO
I recently noticed that my 1981 CJ8 hood is different than my 1983. On the driver's side of the hood, and near the hood tie-down, the hood has a rounded relief at the bottom edge. I wonder what funtion did this relief perform from previous CJ's that carried over to the early CJ8's?

I was pretty excited about this find, as it is just another uniqueness of the 1981 Scramblers. '81 Scramblers rule, and even though there were a larger volume of them made than other years, I think the value of the first Scramblers should be higher than the latter years; maybe even the '86's! :)

Anybody know the reason for this relief in the hood?
 

CBRogers

Perpetual Parts Collector
Lifetime Member
City
Yorktown
State
Va
It was some sort of carry over from the war days of the jeep.

I think that it had something to do with black out lights, or maybe a snorkle.

It has been a while but I seem to remember discussing this like 10 years ago.

Here is hoping that someone else remembers this.


Carl
 

Ted Wendel

Jeep nut
City
Richmond
State
VA
I've heard two different things,one it was for blackout lights,the other was a set of jumper cables came out there. :confused:
 

jscherb

CJ-8 Member
City
Elmira
State
NY
Pictures?

I had one of those hoods on the Gaucho project for a little while until I found a hood in nicer condition. You can see the notch along the top edge of the fender in the photo below.

attachment.php


The notch in the hood was for the wiring for a fender mounted siren or light. Apparently the factory used these hoods randomly on non-military Jeeps as their inventory of parts varied from time to time. I don't believe all 81 Scramblers had it, it's just a random occurence at the factory.

h_m38a1JPG-1.jpg
 
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bigwalton

Alaskan Postal nutjob
FORUM MANAGER
SOA Member
City
Dexter
State
MI
A relief hole for oil so it has yet another place to leak out...



;)
 

MarknessMonster

Amiable Jeeper
City
Western
State
CO
Apparently the factory used these hoods randomly on non-military Jeeps as their inventory of parts varied from time to time. I don't believe all 81 Scramblers had it, it's just a random occurence at the factory.

That's great news, as it may make my '81 even more rare (i.e. valuable). Who else has an '81 with a similar relief, as shown in the previous photos?

Oh, and "bigwalton", '81's don't leak. :D
 

AJM81CJ8

Door Breaker
City
Kalamazoo
State
MI
My father-in-law's 81 has the relief in the hood. I thought it was normal. I guess I'll just have to look harder.
 
8

81_cj8

Guest
I'm pretty sure my '81 doesn't have that but now that you mention it I have to go check!
 

bg2pres

Basic User
City
Houston
State
TX
My 81 has it, it is also used for noise to come out due to horn placement, thats why it was kept for so long...
 

spankrjs

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Biloxi
State
MS
My 78 CJ-7 has this notch in the hood, and the corresponding notch in the top of the fender. I dont think its anything special:)
 

MarknessMonster

Amiable Jeeper
City
Western
State
CO
My 78 CJ-7 has this notch in the hood, and the corresponding notch in the top of the fender. I dont think its anything special:)

I wouldn't either, if I had this detail on any CJ model other than a CJ8 -especially on a CJ7. There were so many 5's, 6's and 7's produced, that I certainly wouldn't think that any detailing on these mass-produced models would be anything special. ;) That's the main reason I don't own any other CJ models, as they are a "dime-a-dozen" and you're likely to drive past 10 other ones just like yours in a 10 mile drive.

The fact that CJ8's were so limited in production and that most, if not all, '81's are distinctively different from a quick glance, makes it pretty special. The only reason that it would not be considered such a big deal, is the fact that the CJ8 front end is not unique to the Scrambler, but rather shared with the mass-produced CJ models.
 
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Gr8jpn

Basic User
City
Kansas City
State
MO
My 79 CJ7 had the relief in the hood... my 83 & 86 CJ 7's did not...

They must have used up all the "old" hoods sometime in 82.
 
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