Much like Jeep itself, dealers are taking liberties to turn the 2020 Gladiator pickup into all sorts of special editions and recreations to honor the automaker’s heritage. While factory-commissioned “Five-Quarter” and “J6” throwbacks were introduced by Jeep at this year’s Easter Safari, we’ve also seen a dealer-built “J-10 Honcho” with retro styling and various modifications that tip a hit to old-school Americana. Another obvious choice to model the new Gladiator after is the classic CJ-8 Scrambler, which is what Preferred CDJR of Grand Haven used as inspiration for its latest tribute.
Similar to Jeep’s own interpretation of the modern-day Scrambler, this pickup features all the nostalgiac aesthetics of the original. It’s built upon a Gladiator Sport S base in white with orange and red graphics, and it features the period-correct roll hoop that’s adorned with KC Daylighters. White trailer-style wheels wrapped in all-terrain Dick Cepek tires bring the whole look together, along with the cloth tent top.
This 4×4 makes quite a bit more power than the CJ-8 did, the latter producing only 115 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque in top-trim straight-six spec. As for the Gladiator, its 3.6-liter V6—the model’s only engine option at present—has an output of 285 hp and 260 pound-feet. In this case, it’s paired to an automatic transmission, although to truly honor the Scrambler’s analog nature, we’d prefer a manual transmission.
Inside, you’ll find cloth seats instead of vinyl and even a heap of cushy amenities such as dual-zone climate control. The O.G. Jeep might not have come with a touchscreen infotainment system, digital instrument cluster, or a heated steering wheel, but hey—that’s the beauty of technology.
As you’d expect, all these upgrades don’t come cheap. The dealership has this truck listed for $51,220 after discounts, which is about $15k over the entry-level Gladiator but still $10k less than the most expensive Rubicon.
h/t: JKForum