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Boomer's Better Late Than Never Build

Boomer

Boomer

Iron Bender
Member
City
Snohomish
State
WA
Figured I might as well start my own build thread to chronicle my journey. My story actually starts here, 22 years ago. I had become interested in a CJ-8 and in the course of looking around I found this site. And then a few months later, I found a deal here too good to pass up. Local, too! Amazingly, the original classifieds thread is still here: For Sale: 1982 151 4 Cyl Scrambler. I went down to Seattle and met the young man and bought it the following day. Yup, $1,500 for a Scrambler that sort of ran and drove. The day I brought it home:

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It actually cleaned up pretty well. I found another Iron Duke from an 81 CJ at a local Jeep salvage yard. Threw a new clutch in it while it was apart and got her running. Enjoyed in that form for a while. Hey, I had another CJ!


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Wow, that thing cleaned up great! Is that original paint?
 
So like I said, I just enjoyed it the way it was for a while as I figured out where I wanted to go with it. Fixed what needed fixing and started upgrading a few things in the process. Replaced the leaking PS box with a variable rate one from a FSJ, added a MORE 1 piece mount and a Borgeson shaft while it was apart. Found a Bulletproof bumper from someone else's abandoned project and got it set up with a tow bar as the 4 cylinder wasn't much fun on longer trips. Somewhere along the line one of the stock 2 piece rear axles gave out so it got Yukon 1 piece axles. Also found a Dirtworx rear bumper and tire carrier from yet another abandoned project.

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I knew I eventually wanted a V8, manual transmission, 35" tires, etc. Started accumulating parts. Found a couple a cheap 401s (remember when that was a thing?), an NV4500, a WT Dana 44 from a 1978 Cherokee Chief, a Model 20 from a 1984 Grand Wagoneer, ARB differentials, some Advance Adapters stuff and a bunch of other doo dads.

Started with a Rubicon Express 4.5" lift, .5" lift shackles, a MORE 1" body lift and 35" BFG MTs.



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Annnndddddd..... Life happens. Kids get born, vacations get taken, home improvement projects, college soaks up money, weddings, more vacations, grand kids, yada, yada, yada..... The CJ, even with its weakly 4 banger turning 35s through 3.54 gears, was good enough as it was and the pile of parts just sat in the back of the garage. We were still having plenty of fun with it. And before you know it, 20 years has gone by.

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Our small town has an annual "Freestyle Christmas Parade". Anyone can decorate their vehicle and do a couple loops around downtown. It's a great time. Another favorite of mine.

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Boomer said:
Figured I might as well start my own build thread to chronicle my journey. My story actually starts here, 22 years ago. I had become interested in a CJ-8 and in the course of looking around I found this site. And then a few months later, I found a deal here too good to pass up. Local, too! Amazingly, the original classifieds thread is still here: For Sale: 1982 151 4 Cyl Scrambler. I went down to Seattle and met the young man and bought it the following day. Yup, $1,500 for a Scrambler that sort of ran and drove. The day I brought it home:

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THIS RIGHT HERE! The idea that your whole journey with this is captured right here on this site... THIS IS WHY WE KEEP THIS GOING!!!! :headbang: :bacon: :smokin:

I've loved seeing you back on here again after so long away and this just MADE MY DAY finding this!

SO AWESOME!
 
bigwalton said:
THIS RIGHT HERE! The idea that your whole journey with this is captured right here on this site... THIS IS WHY WE KEEP THIS GOING!!!! :headbang: :bacon: :smokin:

I've loved seeing you back on here again after so long away and this just MADE MY DAY finding this!

SO AWESOME!
Click to expand...

Thanks! I really hope this site sticks around. There is a wealth of knowledge in the archives.

I remember your cross continental saga to get your Alaskan postal Scrambler as you posted about on what was it, CJ-Forum.com or something like that? I was really bummed when that site went down.

Did you ever have a similar thread here? Or was much of it lost forever with the demise of the other site?
 
Anywho, back to my CJ-8's story. 2017 was something of a turning point. I welcomed a new member into my family, a 2015 Jeep Wrangler Sport Unlimited. As much as I loved and enjoyed the Scrambler, it was never going to be a family friendly, road tripping, long distance cruising, safe feeling vehicle. The JKU has filled those roles very well. So most of my time, attention and money got redirected towards it. It's got a 2.5" lift, rock sliders, 35" tires on Method Beadgrip wheels, OEM Hard Rock bumpers, Warn EVO-10S winch, some security measures, hard and soft doors and tops, etc, etc, etc. We have had some really great adventures with it around the American west. Moab, Ouray, Wyoming, California.


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Unfortunately, buying the Wrangler meant some other compromises. I was going to have to let go of either my 1997 Dodge Ram 2500 Club Cab 4WD with the Cummins engine and NV4500 transmission or the Scrambler. Both are very desirable and sought after vehicles. Ultimately, I let the Dodge go. However, this also meant that I no longer had a tow vehicle to pull the Scrambler around. So it sort of languished in the garage and more or less became a sunny day driver. However, we kept on having adventures with the Wrangler.

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Boomer said:
Thanks! I really hope this site sticks around. There is a wealth of knowledge in the archives.

I remember your cross continental saga to get your Alaskan postal Scrambler as you posted about on what was it, CJ-Forum.com or something like that? I was really bummed when that site went down.

Did you ever have a similar thread here? Or was much of it lost forever with the demise of the other site?
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The story is still up: https://www.rockcrawler.com/trailreports/postalcj8/index.asp

IH8Mud took over Rockcrawler.com but I know the owner and he keeps the blog posts up.
 
So, this isn’t a thread about my Wrangler. Lol. A couple of things that always made me hesitant to swap a 401 into my Jeep was (1) the idea of all the expense of rebuilding and upgrading it still to be left with cranky old carbureted V8 and (2) knowing that in the process of tearing down my Jeep I would probably run into all other kinds of issues that couldn’t or shouldn’t be left unadressed. A few years ago I finally decided to switch plans from the AMC V8 to a GM LS. I found a LQ9 out of a 2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT that looked and sounded pretty good with 125,000 miles on it. Sold both 401s and all of the AMC stuff I had and started buying stuff for the LS swap. The Iron Duke also suffered a debilitating injury when one the starter bolts broke, and the stress on the other one broke its boss in the engine block. It’s still ran when compression started started, but geez, what a pain.

It’s now 2024, the kids are grown, out of college, and we have both more discretionary time and money. Every time I have ever thought about selling it, I take it for a drive and it put such a smile on my face that I wonder what the hell I ever thought about selling it for. So it’s time to make the Scrambler what it deserves to be: More friendly to drive and enjoy on a regular basis and maybe even things like a solo trip down the coast and more depending on how that goes.

So, let the drive train swap commence.


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Boomer, she's looking good, so far. Looking forward to the build, especially the LS swap. I just went through a 2 year restoration on my '85 Scrambler but without an engine swap. Another year or two of driving it with the 258 will probably give me the motivation to do the swap. Maybe, not. Keep up the photo diary, amigo.
 
Boomer said:
Unfortunately, buying the Wrangler meant some other compromises. I was going to have to let go of either my 1997 Dodge Ram 2500 Club Cab 4WD with the Cummins engine and NV4500 transmission or the Scrambler. Both are very desirable and sought after vehicles. Ultimately, I let the Dodge go. However, this also meant that I no longer had a tow vehicle to pull the Scrambler around. So it sort of languished in the garage and more or less became a sunny day driver. However, we kept on having adventures with the Wrangler.
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Great adventures for sure!
 
Now you've started something I've wanted to do with my green CJ7 for awhile. My two oldest kids are in college now, but I went and had another kid who is now almost 5, so I'm going to be an old man before I empty nest. I do have hopes that the youngest might want to do this kind of stuff with me, but time will tell.

I have a cherry picker, want to pull the tub and swap in a TF999 for the T176 (and then the T176 will go in my tan CJ to get rid of the T5). That wooden frame with casters is simplistic, cheap, and brilliant.
 
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