If you’re still kicking yourself for selling your 1981 Jeep Scrambler back in the day, we have some good news for you: A macho outdoorsy menswear outfit that goes by the name Ball and Buck will build you an even better one. Of course, you’ll pay $65,000 to $95,000 for the privilege, but the custom CJ-8 of your dreams will be ready in roughly three to six months.
The original Scrambler was built from 1981-1986. (Check out Jeep’s recent concept homage here.) It had a removable top over its single cab and a cool little pickup box around back to haul stuff like fishing and hunting gear. Lots of celebrities owned them, too; even former Commander-in-Chief Ronald Reagan was a big fan and drove one on his ranch.
Kyle Smith of Bird Buggy, a maker of specialized hunting vehicles, engineered the beautiful Ball and Buck Signature Edition CJ-8 you see here. Once a proper Jeep from the 1980s has been sourced, deep-pocketed CJ fans can choose the color and trim, as well as from powertrain options that include a 2.8-liter Cummins turbodiesel, a 4.2-liter inline-six, and—our choice—a 6.0-liter LS3 V-8.
Polished stainless or matte-black trim complement the spectrum of color choices, including Sutton Black, Chesapeake Gray, Everglades Green, or Coronado Sand. While we’d love to see Chestnut Brown Metallic or Sun Yellow on the list, we have to imagine a little more time and money could make that happen. If you like what you see, Ball and Buck’s Signature Series Jeep CJ-8 program kicks off today, on Valentine’s Day. If a $95,000 Scrambler is too expensive for your tastes, the Ball & Buck brand has plenty of apparel and other items on offer that won’t break the bank.
