This classic Jeep pickup hot rod has won nearly every car show it has ever entered, and we can see why.
While scrolling through the Jeep listings on Barrett-Jackson’s website, we came across this gorgeously unique 1982 Scrambler Custom ½ Cab. While it packs a Chevrolet V8, this classic Jeep pickup contributed to the demand driving the upcoming Wrangler pickup.
Jeep Scrambler
If you are somehow unfamiliar with the Jeep Scrambler, here is a quick history lesson. The CJ-8, known better today as the Scrambler, was a long wheelbase version of the Jeep CJ-7 that was offered from 1981 through 1986. This model featured a removable half-cab design that, when removed, turned the CJ-8 into a small pickup truck.
The CJ-8 was offered with a variety of engines with the biggest being a 304-cubic inch V8 from American Motors, but regardless of the powerplant, the Scrambler was a great off-roading pickup.
The popularity of the CJ-based pickup led to the larger Comanche pickup that was based on the Cherokee, but the success of both of these trucks has played a role in the upcoming Wrangler JL pickup.
Custom Chrome Scrambler
The 1982 Jeep Scrambler on the Barrett-Jackson website is a beautifully-restored show piece and while there are only two pictures, we don’t need to see much more.
The body is a two-tone bronze and gold theme with unique flames and chrome on the bumpers, wheels and side step bars. That chrome treatment is taken to the next level under the hood, where pretty much every piece of the supercharged, 383-cubic inch small block Chevy stroker has been mirrored.
That supercharged V8 is said to make more than 500 horsepower, with the power being sent to all four wheels via a TH400 automatic transmission and new 3.31 front and rear differentials. With all of that power, this classic Jeep has got to be incredibly quick on any surface, while the unique exterior finish allowed the original owner to take first place in “Best Engine,” “Best Use of Chrome,” and “Best in Show” in most of the custom car shows its entered.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
