I didn’t crop this shot because for those in sunnier climes because this is what the sky clouds look like for about half the year (when its actually not raining). Hey, it’s dramatic. Less chance of skin cancer too (if you grew up here).
Back to the business at hand: Jeep Scramblers have eluded me so far, probably because this long-tail version just never sold well. That was the case with the old extended wheelbase CJ-6 too. Odd; if I wanted a Jeep, that would be the way to go. This driver was unusually brisk, but I finally caught him and got a better shot:
That rear overhang is a bit much. The CJ-6 did it better:
Nice find. I always wanted my dad to buy one of these for use our ranch in West Texas, but no such luck. That full hard top does make it look a bit ungainly. The pickup look always appealed to me more.
Here’s a good example of that look:
http://www.sharetrails.org/images/magazine/newimages/Photo_ScramblerFeb08.jpg
I hadn’t seen one of these in years, but just recently I’ve seen one of the pickup versions several times by a local 4×4 repair shop. Looks like a runner.
This always seemed to me to be the most useful of all of the CJ derivatives, with a load bed that could actually carry stuff.
About 10-15 years ago I saw an ad in the local News On Wheels; somebody was selling one of these and a Kawasaki (or was it Suzuki) Route 66 motorcycle, the two together for about $1700. The stuff you pass up because you don’t have the time/money/place to keep them (I passed on the bike because my mother would have killed me. Still would, too).
The Route 66 is a Yamaha. It was made for a couple of years and then renamed Virago. I have a ’66 that I ride almost daily.
Wow! That full top is pretty scarce on it’s own. CJs were never my cup o tea but the CJ 8 did grab me. Maybe it was because of the Matchbox version I had as a kid..
I’m more a fan of the 74-83 Cherokee.
I liked the idea of the Scrambler, but I couldn’t get my arms around the CJ-6. I never understood why the Jeepster Commando C101 never sold well. I understand that the abomination of a front end AMC glued on helped to kill it, but always liked the earlier versions like the 1968 I owned for a time. If AMC would have just did a few tweaks to it, I believe it would have succeeded, as you could actually secure stuff in it. That’s the main reason I got rid of my 1992 Wrangler last year and bought the 2007 Miata we drive for fun.
The 6 always mystified me, the 8 is a real keeper. Unpopular when new,lots of them led hard,short lives and are rare as hens teeth now in good condition. The ones that have been kept in top nick command higher prices than when new (albeit in todays lowfat inflated dollars). IIRC , they were seen as kind of a last gasp attempt to milk the original CJ concept before the all new Cherokees, Wranglers and especially the Comanches appeared in ’84. Another strike against these was the almost nonexistent resistance to rust. The old (really old) AMC straight 6 was seen as a dinosaur in these and the 4 cylinder engine was weak tea indeed,with less than 90 horsepower on tap for a vehicle that was heavier than its predecessor by about 350 pounds.
By far, the best part of the vehicle was the pickup bed. To this day, there is a loud outcry for a similar vehicle based on the current Wrangler,but Jeep seems tone deaf to the clamor. They seem to be going in the Compass direction, with squishy suburban mommobiles when true Jeep fans abhor those things.
The replacement for the Scrambler was the new for ’84 Comanche. I bought one new and drove it 15 years and it was in the shop twice. It had the 2.5 L 4 and was a quantum leap in refinement and usefulness. The bed actually was useful (although only 7 feet long), but it lacked the charm and rough hewn character of the Scrambler.