This Rehashed Jeep Is a Rad Revival of 1980s Americana

Picture this: it’s 1983, you have the day off work, the sun is shining and the weather calls for some time at the beach. So, you hop into your brand new Jeep CJ8 Scrambler, peel back the soft vinyl top, pick up a bunch of friends and just cruise down to the local surf with Duran Duran blasting on the radio.

That’s the sort of picturesque scene Vigilante hopes to recapture with its latest epic restomod. It honors one of Jeep’s most iconic variants of the CJ from the era.

It’s just as rad as it looks.

A true ’80s icon

Vigilante

For those unfamiliar, the Scrambler was a very unique, but hugely popular variant of the CJ7, one of the main predecessors to today’s Wrangler. What separates the Scrambler from the standard CJ7 is its extended wheelbase, which means more room for hauling stuff and even extra room for some rear occupants.

If you’ve never sat or ridden in an old Jeep CJ, they are quite small and cramped on the inside. But the Scrambler changed all of that, allowing owners to share their open-top high-riding fun with their friends and family.

It was so popular, one of its most esteemed owners was former President Ronald Reagan, who was often seen driving around his California ranch in one.

Jeep

Jeep eventually replaced the Scrambler with the smaller, more practical Cherokee-based Comanche. But the Scrambler wasn’t forgotten. It remains today as one of the most collectible and desirable classic CJs.

Time to dust off the neon windbreaker

Vigilante

A lot of restomods these days often come across as over-the-top and pretty awe-inspiring. But Vigilante is one of the few who likes to keep things simple and original as possible, while updating the parts that really matter.

And that’s exactly what it did with its latest tribute. Vigilante, of course, starts by taking the appropriate donor cars and gives it a full-on nut-and-bolt restoration.

Vigilante Jeep CJ8 Scrambler

12 photos

Expand gallery

10

1 / 12

Previous slide Next slide

Return to story

10

1 / 12

Previous slide Next slide

From there, the firm takes Mopar’s signature 485-horsepower 6.4-liter HEMI V8 crate motor and shoves it into the tub’s engine bay. And with it, an appropriately matching five-speed manual transmission.

Vigilante obviously doesn’t stop there. The team complements the powertrain with an Atlas II twin-stick transfer case, Dana 44 and Dana 60 axles, reworked multi-link suspension, and beefed-up six-piston performance brakes.

Vigilante

But they do it all without chipping away or sacrificing the Scrambler’s original ’80s charm.

Availability and pricing

Should you want to scoop up one of these fine and rad brutes, you’ll have to set aside at least an eye-watering $260,000 for one. But Vigilante says their latest manufacturing processes allow for a quicker turnaround time of roughly nine months, versus the usual 24-48-month timeline.

Vigilante

Vigilante Jeep CJ8 Scrambler

• Starts at $260,000

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Related Topics