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Hayduke's Operation: Scrambled Scrambler

Hayduke

Hayduke

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Withrop Harbor
State
IL
Operation Scrambled Scrambler: the Beginning

After almost 20 years of Wheeling my 82' Scrambler Laredo, I've decided to build another Scrambler to be it's Stock-ish brother. As My Jeep grew and got less and less street worthy I found myself wishing I had another one to use as a pretty street rig.......



This spring a old friend said he was thinning his stock and had a rolling chassis CJ-8 for sale. I bought it and thus the saga begins.

I plan to build a Scrambler Resto-mod type vehicle. I want it to look quite stock on the outside, but run a newer upgraded drivetrain. So here's what I started with:
a stripped body damaged Scrambler tub on a slightly bent frame, non-matching dash, tailgate, grill, some rough fenders, and some odds and ends. U-Joints seem frozen so the chassis steering doesn't want to work. Lots of musty funkiness as this has been in the back of a barn for quite awhile.

The good:


The bad:


 
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Hayduke

Hayduke

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Withrop Harbor
State
IL
Operation: Scrambled Scrambler- the bits

As I go to the boneyards with friends I watch for CJs now and have found some tire carrier brackets, a good seat, and the most important find to date, a donor Cowl :bacon:.
I hope to graft the two together and make one decent tub. If that fails, it's new tub time...





First order of work, is to make some space in my garage, and remove the Tub to start the bodywork. I'll then look at the frame and see if I'll use it or by another. I'm thinking I may try to sell it here, to be straightened for a wheeling rig or repair parts. But for a pretty (more beginner car show quality) Jeep I think I'll want a better frame.

I think I've bitten off a fairly BIG project this time...... :eek: but I've never Not finished a build yet. Wish me luck! What ya think?
 
J

Jblank

Scrambler Enthusiast
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
New Berlin
State
Il
Looks like a great project - I'll be watching!
 
BRKLYNZ28

BRKLYNZ28

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
BROOKLYN
State
NY
That looked like it was a nice cj7. Wish I had a bone yard like yours..

Sent from my SPH-L900
 
gr8dain

gr8dain

Old and Slow
BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Ashburn
State
VA
You got the cowl from an 8? In the boneyard?


Dain
 
BRKLYNZ28

BRKLYNZ28

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
BROOKLYN
State
NY
Dam that's some boneyard with non rusted cj8 cowl then. 🙌 figured it was a 7 cowl.

Sent from my SPH-L900
 
Hayduke

Hayduke

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Withrop Harbor
State
IL
Look closer. Unfortunately it's not a CJ cowl... but it looks close enough to make work. I live in the rust belt were we love to salt the roads. I'll be measuring and mocking up to confirm it will fit... But I've heard it will work.
 
Hayduke

Hayduke

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Withrop Harbor
State
IL
I Plan to remove the tub this weekend. I pulled both the frozen axle shafts so we can steer the chassis around (and reassembled without shafts)...
 
Hayduke

Hayduke

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Withrop Harbor
State
IL
I removed the tub to start reconstruction..
e9y8y3a7-1.jpg

I also removed axles & springs. Axles are 2.73 gears...boo. Anyone want a slightly bent, but save able frame?
 
Hayduke

Hayduke

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Withrop Harbor
State
IL
took some time to remove snaps etc. from tub and remove the wrinkled sheet metal to see what I can save and what to replace.



I got a small mig weld torch and wire set-up (.023 wire rather than .030) to do bodywork and practiced on another friends Dakota that needed help.



soon I will need to bite the bullet and start major surgery....
 
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Hayduke

Hayduke

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Withrop Harbor
State
IL
Built new sawhorses and started prepping the sheet metal for grafting. A lot of bedliner and body filler to fight with....



Started removing more of the bad Scrambler tub sheet metal, etc....

 
Hayduke

Hayduke

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Withrop Harbor
State
IL
Update Time!

Another single digit cold day again but I spent some time Saturday working on jeep grafting. I measured, drilled out spot welds and started cutting.... no turning back now... the fuzzy picture is from smoke from the torch, etc...



I started to roughly join the sections together, but much fine tuning is still need....



Adding a little YJ DNA to the CJ, but I think it will work out... starting to look like a whole tub :bacon:



Getting closer.... was using a friends spare YJ dash to help hold the two sides together... and CJ seat bracket to help line up front to back. And could that be Dr. Z hiding behind the tub... :rolleyes:

 
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jbeemer

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
Looking good. :bow:

That's one thing I haven't tackled yet, Piecing body sheet metal back together. Keep taking good pics and posting info. There is a scrambler trailer on my want list and it will involve putting some sheet metal together. :popcorn:
 
Cooter

Cooter

Tail Dragger
City
Chicago
State
IL
Coming along nicely.

i knew you were the right man to sell this one to. :popcorn:
 
Hayduke

Hayduke

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Withrop Harbor
State
IL
How Tight is a CJ heater box to the firewall?

Since my last post, I've done more trimming, removed paint and bed liner, punched holes for plug welding, and made up most of the backing strips.

IF I put 14 gauge backing strips on the inside firewall, will it effect getting the heater box in?
I know a XJ/MJ box fits very tight, but I've never installed a CJ heater box?



If it'll be a issue, I'll put em on the outside, but I'd like to hide them inside if I can...



Here's a shot of the floor with most of the backing strips made. These will all go under the floor. I'll make some for inside/outside the strengthening ribs as well...





I ordered a windshield frame. After all test fitting, The plan is to put a rear wall/bulkhead in to hold the opening square. then install the windshield frame, cowl cover, shifter panel, dash panel, seat bracket and maybe a door for line-up. Then tack weld everything in place. I'm also considering bolting the tub and new section to the frame as well to confirm line-up. If I put it on the frame then I should be solid... Any thoughts?
 
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