History on four wheels
Every year around the last week in July I head up to EAA’s AirVenture in Oshkosh since I not only love cars but also aircraft. This is a massive event and a must-attend if you’re into airplanes. One of the areas I spend a significant amount of time in is the Warbirds. There on display are planes such as the ones that flew in WWII like the Mustang and B-25, along with AT-6s and T-28s. There are also several jets and all of these fly daily. I’m picturing the daily airshow and missing it right now. You have to go to this, even if you’re not a total plane geek like me.
An event like this which covers so much ground needs a lot of vehicles for support and several of EAA’s huge fleet are Jeep Scramblers, the subject of this week’s spot.
RELATED SPOT: Read about EAA’s VW fleet
Considered the grandfather of the modern-day Jeep Gladiator, it was produced by American Motors Corporation between 1981 and 1986 and introduced as a “half-year” 1981½ model. When AMC purchased Jeep in 1970 they took it to the next level by finding new markets. The Scrambler, also known as the CJ-8, was created to tap into the growing compact truck market during the early 1980s. Does that sound at all familiar?
A bigger version of the CJ-7, the Scrambler combined the utility of a truck with its 1,500-pound payload with the rugged off-road capability of a Jeep. Available with either a 4-cyl. 151cid/82hp 2bbl, or 6-cyl. 258cid/110hp 2bbl engine, it was an instant hit that appealed not only to farmers and ranchers, but surfers, outdoor adventurists, and even the everyday commuter. Sound familiar again?
RELATED SPOT: The CJ’s distant cousin, the Mighty Mite
Since AMC bought Jeep, it had inherited the legal hassles of lawsuits coming from rollover issues on the CJs which led to Jeep completely scrapping the old CJ undercarriage architecture and the new Wrangler was born in 1987. That was it for the Scrambler, with 27,783 coming off the line in Toledo.
What are they worth now? The Scrambler is considered by most in the industry to be the most collectible amongst all of the 76-86 Jeeps. I checked with Hagerty and found ones in Fair values from just under 15k to mid-50k in Concours condition but are trending up. The Scrambler made Hagerty’s 22 Bull Market List of 10 Collector Cars Primed To Take Off.
Now there are ones that go past that 50k but most likely have been modded like this 85 listed by Dennis Collins Jeep in Texas for 68K but the ones he takes in are all gone through and updated so it is most likely more than worth it since they specialize in all things Jeep. Check out Dennis’ YouTube Channel where he talks about the Jeeps he’s taken in. He’s also an outstanding car hunter and restorer. I also like him because he knows the rarity of AMC cars.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out this week’s spot. Be sure to check out my others and come back next week for another one of my finds along with some of its history. Have a great weekend and Merry Christmas.
Savage On Wheels 
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