TJ to CJ grille swap: Another Jeff Scherb project!

I've licensed that design to Gr8Tops, they're working on getting it to market. They've been showing several pre-production prototypes at various Jeeps shows...

 

I have been watching their web site, hoping they would anounce it.

 

Nice work, i told an old friend of mine about you're cj grill and he would like to buy one if it came to market!!!

 

Welcome to this fine group Jeff. I have to agree about your amazing skills. I was shocked at how cool that looks with the CJ grill and I am an old fart that is hard to impress.

 

Thanks again everyone for the nice comments.

I'm striving to build something so factory-looking and seamless that even Jeep experts will have trouble figuring out what I did - my goal is for it to be subtle enough to keep even the experts guessing. I want everything to look completely natural, nothing should look "adapted" or "hacked", I want it to look as if it came from the factory this way.

Here's a few more photos.



BTW, these fenders could be used on a stock CJ as well... seems like many of the folks on this forum like their CJ's pretty stock, but I've seen a lot of attempts on later model CJ's to put TJ flares to provide extra space for large tires. TJ flares just don't fit right on factory CJ fenders, but the "CJ fenders" I've built for this kit are designed to accept TJ flares and look correct...



With some laser printer Renegade decal mockups:



The next photo shows the new "CJ cowl" panel that replaces the TJ cowl panel. In the final version, the hinges will be mounted at their proper positions a little further outboard - in this photo they're bolted into the TJ hinge holes in the tub, since this photo I've made hinge relocation blocks that bolt to the TJ factory holes but move the hinges outboard.



In all of these photos the parts are in "preliminary fitting", there's a bit of refinement to do on the body gaps before everything's perfect. Everything will be perfected before I make the final the molds.

 

I have a few comments. First, you do amazing work, besides the red retro TJ truck, I really like the Gaucho you put together.

My three complaints, would be purely cosmetic. (1) I'm not a fan of the TJ body line going along the bottom 3"s of the hood, and I(2) don't like the same treatment on the front facia of the fenders. BUT, there is no real way to try and change that, your following the lines the cowl and flares provide, not real way to change those without it looking worse, or looking like something was left out. The (3) only thing I would change is the turn signals on the grille. I like the little yellow ones, not the bigger later CJ7 style. With that said, I am using them on another project of mine.

I want to end this with my second comment, you do great work, and keep doing so, seeing your creations and what you do is inpiring.


I'd like to see you mate a J10 front clip to a TJ with a rhino grille. Using an LJ and a J10 front end would be give homage to the FSJ, with a throw back to the Willys wagon in a way with your safari top. That would be the cat's meow.

 

Thank you.

I happen to like those lines, and I think they're an important part of tying the old and the new designs together into an integrated whole. To ignore the styling on the cowl and flares would end up with something that looks like a hack, as you point out. BTW the lines on the front of the fenders are very similar to the lines on the 76-86 CJ fenders, I've just moved them slightly and changed the width a little bit to match the lines on the TJ flares.

I'm using a 76-86 CJ grille shell, and those are the turn signals that come with that grille. I supposed they could be swapped for the smaller early ones if someone wanted to, or they could probably just use the earlier grille shell, although the '76-'86 shell makes mounting the TJ's radiator and A/C condenser very easy.

I think the Jeep Underground guys beat me to that one with their recent J12 concept, and their earlier Nukizer, although both of those were based on JK's, not LJ's. Back when they unveiled the Nukizer I did a quick and rough TJ/LJ-based concept:



Doing a TJ version of a J-truck front clip is a project that's always interested me. Don't know if I'll ever build one though.

Another retro concept I did is a Willys Wagon/Pickup front clip; this one would be used with a Safari Cab with different side windows to pay homage to the Willys Wagon:

 

If you don't like those fenders, I've done designs for three alternate fenders for the grille conversion kit.

Below,

1. The "stock" CJ-style fenders
2. A high line version of the stock-style fenders
3. Flat fenders
4. High line flat fenders



I'm thinking before this project ends I'll make at least one of these alternate fender styles just for fun but I haven't decided which one like best yet.

BTW any of these alternate designs would bolt right up to a stock CJ .

 

The highline look of #2 is pretty clean. Still, #1, retains the TJ body lines well, and adapts very well to the CJ hood and grille.

The TJ Nukizer and the Safari Cab Willys concepts are damn cool.

 

you are an artist and should be darn proud!!!!! I like all of your designs!!!

 

X2, those look awesome!

 

Project update... I've made the molds for all of the parts except the hood, I'm working on that one now. Here's some shots of the first final parts from the molds - the fenders and the cowl panel.









They're installed on a TJ tub with a CJ grille. The radiator, A/C condenser, fan shroud and coolant recovery bottle are all stock TJ parts; a custom bracket set enables them to bolt right up the the CJ grille shell. The grille-firewall brace rods are stock CJ parts.



Since the fenders could also be used on CJ's for a larger wheel opening with TJ flares, I'm thinking of maybe making molds for a set of CJ inner fenders that could be used with the outers instead of the TJ-style inners. Here's a comparison with some scrap CJ fiberglass inners:

 

Almost want to go by a TJ, never could get past the turn signals in the fenders

 

Kinda gives it the look with a Meyers cab.

 

nice job on the kit. Too bad Gr8tops ain't offering that LJ hardtop yet.

 

Photos of the first complete set of parts out of the molds. This kit is ready to go on a Jeep now. Lots of photos coming...

 

More photos...

 

Hood open...

 

Engine compartment...