Duffy Ladd's

Awesome Jeep CJ-8
Scrambler

Written by: Mr Dune
Photos by: Patrick Chicas

Click Here for the Massive Spec Sheet
Click Here for High Resolution Images

When Pat called me and asked if I wanted to spend my Sunday off driving down to Barstow from Vegas for a photo shoot of 100 grand worth of Jeeps, the first thought that popped into my head was; He and Norm had weighed the comforts of Pat's hammered Toyota Xtra-Cab vs. the comforts of my new Expedition. I can hear Norm's voice now, "Let's con Dune into driving!" I held out for Pat buying the gas and beer as well as breakfast (since we were leaving at some horrendous pre-dawn hour). And the deal was made.

Now, I'll be the first to admit, I ain't a "Real Jeep Guy". Yea, I've owned my fair share. From a '73 CJ5 to an '86 CJ7 with a few in between. But Jeeps were never my "prime directive." I'm a dirt bike/ATV guy. Asking Pat how many Jeeps would be there to comprise the 100 G's worth of AMC/Chrysler iron (figuring to myself about a dozen). I was floored when he told me... Two!

Two Jeeps? You mean as in two? 2? Dos? Now I'm good at math, 20 plus years of being in automotive finance gives me a leg up on this stuff. Quickly doing the calculations in my head I determined that was 50 G's per Jeep. "Hold your horses Patrick!" I said, "That's 50k a Jeep! I gotta see this!"

With the cruise on the Expedition set at a comfortable 85mph and some Metallica on the CD, Norm, Pat and I blasted down the 15 freeway headed for Barstow. The usual bench racing and road trip B.S. was being exchanged, but soon the conversation turned to what the hell a 50 grand jeep looked like? We guessed, speculated, even pontificated about what these rigs had in, on and about them. But even the wildest dreams of avarice would fall short...

Turning into the Del Taco parking lot we were greeted with an eyeful! You couldn't miss this Jeep! Bright red and on a matching red flatbed, towed by a '99 F350 Crew Cab 4x4 (red of course!). The endless chrome was reflecting the morning desert sun in dazzling flashes of light. I fumbled for my sunglasses so I could look directly at this bad ass ride. Woo Hoo! This is one gorgeous piece of iron!

Parked behind the big red machine was another Ford Crew Cab, this one was white and pulling a matching enclosed race car trailer... I bet Pat 50 bucks that there was a bad ass white Jeep sequestered within, wisely he declined my offer. Hopping out of my truck we introduced ourselves all around.

We met Duffy Ladd Owner of Jeep Trix Off Road Creations and "Mr X" one of Duffy's customers (we will be featuring Mr X's Jeep in an upcoming issue). While we were deciding where to go for the shoot, Duffy gave us a quick walk around his rig. Every single millimeter of it was detailed flawlessly. This Jeep is a showstopper! We quibbled over location for a few minutes and Pat suggested a spot a few minutes away on the old Barstow to Vegas course that had some boulders to hop.

We convoyed over to the course and got ready to do some crawlin'. When Duffy fired up that Jeep, the ground shook! 400 plus horsepower of Chevy small block has a way of grabbing one's attention...


Up front a Dana 44 with ARB air locker, 9.5" over stock springs for a 7" lift, and a monstrous 19" of travel makes crawling up 3ft boulders like this one a snap! The bumper is Duffy's Jeep Trix creation, the off road lights are by Pro-Comp.	Can you say... "articulation?" I knew That you could!	Duffy's Jeep Trix Off Road Creations builds some of the finest Jeeps this writer has seen anywhere, anytime. This Jeep has all the eyeball you could ever want.

40+ Grand for a Jeep? When you can go from the country club, to the Rubicon, to pre-running the Baja 1000, to the dragstrip and turn heads everywhere along the way, it's a mere pittance!	And no we didn't turn the camera sideways! This hill was a monster. Not only did the CJ' climb it with hardly a slip, but it also climbed right over that 3ft Easter egg in the foreground.	The CJ8 Scrambler's wheel base measures in at 106.5" Giving up little in maneuverability and gaining a huge advantage in high speed stability. The Champion beadlocks make the American Racing wheels almost indestructible.

The drivers compartment resembles an F-18's more than a Jeeps. An array of easy to read gauges provides info on critical systems at a glance. And yes you do need all those switches! Note that the console is finished off with a carbon fiber shift selector knob, very trick!	Duffy's trademark are his consoles. They truly are a labor of love and master craftsmanship. Over 40hrs worth of painstaking work went into this one! Seats were swiped from an Acura NSX and were more comfy than my BarcaLounger at home!	Sitting atop the 413hp, 383cid Chevy small block is a Corvette TPI and mountains of chrome. Note the dual Optima batteries, one is a deep cycle to run the kickass $5K stereo system. I tried counting the speakers but ran out of fingers and toes!

All the bumpers and nerfs are custom made by Jeep Trix, and are available for order. Form, function and flawless execution. BFG 35" Mud T/A's provide the grip. ARB and Dana control the slip.	The real high dollar stuff lives underneath. A reworked 700R4 tranny feeds the power from the 383 to the front and rear Dana's through an Atlas 4.3:1 transfer case and chromoly drive shafts. Note the shackle guides with Teflon friction pads.	The rear end boasts a reverse cut Dana 60 complete with ARB air locker and 10.5" over stock springs, which provide 7" lift and an awesome 15" of travel. Finished off with Jeep Trix custom bumper and fuel tank skid plate.

With four Rancho RS9000's per axle handling the dampening chores, the ride was controlled and predictable at low or high speeds. Duffy's CJ8 can soak up knee deep whoops at 50+ MPH!