A high-clearance fiberglass hood shuts down on top of the factory Scrambler grille, and a replacement windshield frame keeps both the wind and the cops out of Butch's hair. Down low on the tub, Rockworx built a set of custom rocker guards to protect the Jeep from rocks, and a clean rear bumper keeps the lower skins from getting peeled back when descending ledges. Up front, a clean, simple bumperette and a small stinger front the Mile Marker 9,000-pound winch. Butch has already put some dings in the tub corners, but we think they're more a badge of honor than an eyesore-and it's not like the scratches are gonna rust up.
Inside the tub, a pair of comfy Corbeau seats keeps the occupants happy under the custom rollcage that's safely tied to the frame. From his driver seat, Butch has a clear reach to the B&M tranny shifter, the Atlas twin sticks, and the controls for the Flex-A-Lite Mojave heater. A Tuffy center console, a smattering of aftermarket gauges, a stereo, and a CB round out the conveniences inside the cockpit.
Good, Bad & What's It For
There's a surprising amount of new in Butch's Jeep despite the fact he started the year-long build with what was essentially a complete Jeep. The entire power steering system has been replaced with upgraded parts from PSC Motorsports, including the box, pump, reservoir, and lines. The steering system is nicely tailored to handle the PSC ram assist cylinder and offers no-sweat, one-finger turning no matter how heavy the rocks.
Rockworx also upgraded to heavy wall drag link and tie rod components with chrome-moly rod ends. The kingpin-mounted high steering arms get the tie rod up out of harm's way while improving the drag link angle.
For stock stuff, the CJ-8's stock 15-gallon fuel cell was retained with the factory skidplate mount. We guess if it ain't broke... Speaking of which, the Vortec engine's air conditioning compressor lies in wait of some day being turned into a compressor for an on-board air system.
The factory Chevy engine management computer and harness take up a lot of space on the driver-side firewall, but the computer benefits from millions of dollars spent on tuning by General Motors, so we can see why Butch wants to retain it. On the other side of the coin, we're surprised to see the factory power brake booster and master cylinder from the CJ-8 strapped to the aluminum firewall since we get so many questions from CJ owners asking about swapping them out. However, Butch claims it stops the Jeep just fine with the larger GM axles.
Why I Featured It
Usually people go the other way when building an older CJ. By that, I mean they tend to take an old Jeep body and put it on a newer, aftermarket frame. Butch kept the old frame and put on the aftermarket body. Something about that deviation from the ordinary just strikes my fancy. Besides, an aluminum-bodied Scrambler is one of the Jeeps on my list of projects to build, so I can appreciate a like-minded basis for a buildup.-Christian Hazel