[JeepMKD]

I remember there was a TJ from Venezuela with the same top and the exact colour, but I have lost track of it. It had a tan interior also... Jeff, I guess you probably know about it.

[Mark4883]

Soooooo... When are you getting back to work, i'm having withdrawals. Just kidding Jeff, happy holidays.

[jscherb]

I spent all day yesterday cleaning the garage and the workshop, so now all my workspaces are clean and in order and ready for work on something new. Here's the current status:

The Scrambler is sold and just waiting in the clean garage for the buyer to come pick it up. The World Cab hardtop I took off it is stored away in a spare room in the house.

I'm shopping for an 05-06 Wrangler Unlimited to replace the Scrambler.

I still have to finish and paint the fiberglass fenders I made for the Retro a couple of months ago, I haven't gotten around to that yet, so I should do those before starting a major project.

I'm having discussions with two potential buyers about the Gaucho, but at the same time I'm also looking at YJ's in case I decide to finish the Gaucho myself. I'm going to look at a 91 YJ tomorrow. While cleaning up yesterday, I checked my "stock" of extra YJ and TJ frame rail steel from other projects and partings, and I have plenty to enable me to lengthen a YJ frame to the right length for the Gaucho, so stretching a YJ frame and putting the Gaucho sheet metal on it would be very straightforward.

I am working on a few little trivial projects on the Gaucho, but they're probably not interesting enough to post.

So soon I'll either buy a YJ and begin finishing the Gaucho, or I'll sell the Gaucho, and begin working on either my fiberglass "Safari Cab" hardtop idea, or I'll cut up the World Cab I took off the Scrambler and adapt it to the Unlimited I am shopping for.

I'm pretty sure it will be one of those three possibilities, but I don't know which one it will be yet.

Right now it's early Christmas morning, and my kids are now old enough to sleep in instead of waking up at 5 to see what Santa brought them, so I can catch up online. Happy Holidays.

Jeff

[CjinPA]

Well I looked in my driveway and the Gaucho is not there so Santa didn't deliver every thing I wanted.
Happy Holidays.


-

[jamm5266]

Originally Posted by jscherb

I think you should finish and keep the Gaucho. That way you would be more inclined to sell me the Safari cab for my '05 LJ. I love the concept, mine's even red in color to match your drawing.

On a serious note...put me at the head of the line if you do make it and decide to sell.

[jscherb]

I always thought the Gaucho "sport bar" looked naked and skinny without padding and a cover, but after I modified the bar to fit inside the Gaucho cab, the stock YJ cover would be the wrong size, and it would have holes from where the rear bars used to connect. So the other day I took an old YJ cover/padding set down to my friendly local hot rod upholstery shop (FlyboyzRodz - Custom & Original Street Rod Upholstery), the same place that did the sewing on the Retro soft top for me, and I had them modify the YJ cover to fit the new dimensions of the Gaucho bars. They shortened the bar-windshield connector covers, and put patches over the holes from the rear bars. Today I installed everything, it worked out really well, just like the factory would have made them



PS: In the background of some of these photos, you can just about see the Scrambler's replacement... the Scrambler is sold and gone, and in it's place is a 2006 black Wrangler Unlimited.

[Tigger01]

Cool guess we will be seeing a 2006 Black Safari Wrangler Unlimited Build Coming to a theater Near You Build Soon

This must be one of those Hidden Previews in the Picture

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by Tigger01

Cool guess we will be seeing a 2006 Black Safari Wrangler Unlimited Build Coming to a theater Near You Build Soon

This must be one of those Hidden Previews in the Picture

Not sure what I'm going to do yet, but I have changed my concept drawings to match the color of the new LJ . I could modify the World Cab from the Scrambler to fit the LJ, but I'm more likely to build the fiberglass Safari top for the LJ and maybe sell the World Cab... (and sell the factory LJ hardtop as well when the Safari top is done).

Depends on what I decide about finishing the Gaucho, still thinking about that project vs. selling it.

[Fargo]

Don't cut the world cab. I always hate to see rare factory items get destroyed. Build your own fiberglass top.


...Then sell the designs to someone who will mass produce it for the rest of us.

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by Fargo

Don't cut the world cab. I always hate to see rare factory items get destroyed. Build your own fiberglass top.

But if I don't cut it, it won't fit the Unlimited

I'll only be cutting it if I decide not to make the fiberglass Safari cab. I'll decide that in the next few months; the first step I'm taking is I'll be making 1:18 scale concept models of the Safari full cab in TJ and LJ lengths, and half cab size. I'll probably start a thread on the model building project when I start it.

As for cutting the World Cab, I'd have no regrets about it. I cut an even more rare CJ-7 World Cab to make the half-cab hardtop for the Retro Wrangler, no regrets about that one.

If someone wants to make me an offer to buy the World Cab from me, I'll listen to reasonable offers. But don't bother making an offer that's appropriate for a rusty, unrestored top - remember, mine is completely restored, professionally painted, and it's got windows, headliners and a roof rack.

Originally Posted by Fargo

...Then sell the designs to someone who will mass produce it for the rest of us.

I've already had several conversations with a company that's interested in my Safari Cab design and mold masters. So it could happen.

Jeff

[mtbtweety]

Wow. Fantastic build! I'm TOTALLY bummed I didn't run across it last month before I bought my CJ8. Would've loved to pick yours up, as I'd bet it was nearly perfect, judging from the quality put into the Gaucho build.

Looking forward to reading about your next chapter, whatever it may be!

[jscherb]

I've decided on my next "project"... I've ordered a couple of 1:18 scale die-cast TJ Wrangler models, and I'm going to make some scale concept models of the modular Safari Cab design.

I'll lengthen one of the models to Unlimited length, and I plan to make half-cab, TJ-length and Unlimited-length Safari top models, with several roof styles.

This doesn't mean I'm going to go ahead with the full scale Safari Cab project, it just means I'm going to spend the next few weeks building some concept models.

I think I'll probably start a new thread on this "mini project", I'll probably put it in the TJ section, since the models are TJ's. I'll post a link here when I start the thread in case anyone wants to follow along.

[BeatCJ]

I can go to the TJ section, if that's what it takes to get my jscherb fab fix. Yeah, I know, that's a little weird, but I'm sure that there are many reading this that understand...

[kickingprop]

If you were to sell said Safari Cab designs to another party to manufacture, would this include CJ7/8 safari cabs as well????

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by kickingprop

If you were to sell said Safari Cab designs to another party to manufacture, would this include CJ7/8 safari cabs as well????

That would depend on the other party of course. I couldn't "force" them to make tops they didn't want to make. But my design goal is to build modular components that could be used to make tops from half-cabs all the way to full-length Scrambler tops that would fit CJ's, YJ's and TJ's.

I would imagine the manufacturer would want some market intelligence about whether there's a viable market for producing any of the variants of these tops, so if you're interested in Safari Cab for a specific Jeep model, you might want to post your wishes here along with any specifics you'd like the manufacturer to know, such as price points, detailed features, etc. I'm pretty sure the manufacturer will be following my threads for market intelligence, I've already had several conversations with one potential manufacturer.