A long-wheelbase interpretation of the CJ-7, the CJ-8 used to be a small workhorse with manual-locking hubs up front. The Scrambler appearance package made it stand out from the crowd, and even Ronald Reagan had one.
Production peaked in 1981 with 8,355 units, then fell to 128 in 1986. Fast-forward to the present day, and the Gladiator is probably the closest thing to a successor for the good ol’ CJ-8 Scrambler. A dealership from Grand Haven combined the old with the new, and thus the Scrambiator has been reborn.
Listed at $52,720 and based on a Gladiator Sport S 4x4 that retailed at $43,220 including destination charge, the dealer-modified truck boasts four auxiliary lights with smiley faces for covers, a roll cage, white paintwork and wheels, 35-inch tires, orange decals, and bed-mounted spare tire carrier. The lift kit comes from Mopar and includes Fox shocks, leveling up the off-road capability.
Officially called “2020 Jeep Gladiator Sport S Scrambler Tribute Edition,” the mid-sized pickup also happens to be more potent than the CJ-8 Scrambler from the Reagan days. The 3.6-liter Pentastar churns out 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque as opposed to 115 horsepower and 210 pound-feet from an AMC inline-six engine. The Pontiac 151 – also known as the Iron Duke – was also available with two fewer cylinders, 113 ponies, as well as 135 torques.
Only available as a crew cab, the Scrambiator will struggle to get the EPA-rated 22 miles to the gallon on the highway because of the lift kit and all-terrain tires. For some reason or another, the dealership didn’t want to match the Pentastar with the six-speed manual but chose the TorqueFlite automatic transmission instead. That’s somewhat curious given the legacy of the CJ-8 Scrambler, but nevertheless, today’s customers are very different from those in the early 1980s.
The big question is, would you pony up $9,500 for all of these modifications? The Mopar lift kit and 35-inch tires are more than enough, but on the other hand, it’s worth remembering the dealer-installed package also includes 36 months or 36,000 miles of basic warranty, the powertrain warranty, maintenance warranty, and roadside assistance coverage.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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