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Well-Preserved 1983 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler

It feels like original, unmolested survivors have been coming out of the woodwork lately. I may be drawing conclusions, but I think we can add this 1983 Jeep CJ-8 to that group. This was sent to us by a Barn Finds reader who found it here on eBay in Sadler, Texas. The auction has received 46 bids pushing the current high bid to $31,100, but the reserve has not been met.

The Jeep CJ-8 was introduced as a 1981 model. It was based on the CJ-7 but rode on a longer wheelbase. While never selling in large numbers and declining in popularity every year, it did manage to last through the 1986 model year. Throughout those 6 model years 27,792 CJ-8s were built – 5,405 were from the 1983 model year.

Everything about the exterior looks right here. The Copper Brown Metallic paint, the Scrambler decals, the Jeep mudflaps, even the modern BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires. There is no rust and that is claimed to be factory original paint. I only see it on the top of the passenger fender, but the seller does point out that there are some signs of the paint thinning. Hopefully that will reveal a nice patina, as many Texas sun-baked cars do, even though it spent most of its life in Wyoming.

The interior is described as original, but the seller also says any items that showed wear were replaced with OEM or NOS parts. There’s no detail on what those parts were, but as with the exterior, everything looks right inside. That nutmeg upholstery is spot-on. The pedals show some wear and there may be a few spots on the carpet, but the interior overall is in excellent condition.

Under the hood is a 258 cubic-inch inline 6-cylinder. Power is sent to the rear wheels – or all 4 wheels when engaged – by a floor mounted manual transmission. The seller offers some details on its running condition: “The Jeep starts, runs and drives correctly.  No smoke, no drift or odd mechanical behavior.” The previous owner completed some engine and suspension refreshing and added a “rare Mopar fuel injection system.”

I thought CJ-8 fanfare may wane after Jeep introduced the Gladiator, but you can see from the skyrocketing price on this one – with an unmet reserve, nonetheless – that my prediction is incorrect. With few examples built, there can’t be many left in this condition. Is this the Jeep you’d be forking over your hard-earned dollars for?

Comments

  1. Avatar Dan B.

    Very nice unmolested Scrambler. I have an ‘82 CJ8 and seeing ones like this is rare. The Mopar fuel injection is a great upgrade too.

    Like 2
  2. Avatar LastCJ

    I know the current and the prior owner who bought it out of Wyoming. The prior owner is an expert on Jeep restoration and did a great job bringing out the original paint and touching up the dash and rest of the interior. This is a tremendous example of a mostly original Scrambler with fairly low miles. The 1983-1985 Scramblers are more desirable (wider axles and shoulder belts) and represent less than 40% of total Scrambler production. This one has a couple nits that only a full repaint could correct and are not mentioned/shown in the listing. Still, the buyer should be very happy with this one and probably will not lose money over time. The Scrambler market is very hot right now and should stay that way due to the low production numbers (less than 28,000 made and well less than 10% of CJ7 production).

    Like 1
  3. Avatar Richard Martin Member

    Is there any particular reason that grill is green?

    Like 1
    • Avatar LastCJ

      Grill is polished chrome. Most likely the reflection from the grass is making it look green.

      Like 2
    • Avatar 19sixty5 Member

      The photo’s were taken on grass… reflections!

      Like 1
  4. Avatar Douglass Burke

    Ive owned a ’82 Scrambler for decades. Use it to plow my driveway in the Winter, it sits in the garage the rest of the year. Mileage is 40 something I think..sure wish it looked as nice as this one but I guess with the prices going skyward I should appreciate it more..

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Henry Harris

    83 CJ8 50 miles on frame of construction
    I have owned the CJ for 25 years

    Like 0

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