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January 8, 2026
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THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Grand National F-100 Show Packs Pigeon Forge with Over 1,100 Classic Ford Trucks
The Smoky Mountains were once again overflowing with classic Ford truck horsepower as the 2026 Grand National F-100 Show took over Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for another massive weekend of Blue Oval domination. Held May 14-16 at the LeConte Center, the event continues to cement itself as the largest classic Ford truck show in the world — and judging by this year’s turnout, it’s still growing at full throttle.
RUGGED LUXURY
Cars and trucks are all about utilitarianism. Although vehicles have become status symbols, at the core, it’s all about getting people or things from one place to another. Through the years, Ford Motor Company has solidified its place in the annals of automotive history with its incredible lineup of consumer and commercial trucks. As the nameplate has been expanded and new options made available, Ford’s famed F-Series truly offers something for everyone.
FLAGGING A DEAD HORSE
Many times you can tell a true enthusiast by exactly how bad of a car they’re willing to start with in their overall quest to build a project car. Those who truly love cars get excited by the car itself, and they’re willing to start with almost nothing, as long as the car represents what they want after the build is complete.
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Barely Legal
This CJ-8 is Built for Off-Roading, But It’s Still Street Legal
“I built this Jeep to handle a variety of terrain,” Todd Tice told us. “The coilover five-link rear and three-link front suspension provide excellent articulation for rockcrawling, and it is stable enough for hammering the desert at higher speeds. I wanted the Jeep to be able to handle most off-road challenges and still be able to cruise down the highway. This is an everyday driver,” he added.
Author
Bob Carpenter
Words & Photography
Tice’s ’82 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler had just beautifully survived a week at Moab, Utah, when Tice jotted down the preceding notes. He added, “I was able to negotiate most of the obstacles easily, and with a little more seat time, I look forward to even more challenging locations. I am really happy with the Jeep’s performance, but I’m looking ahead to a new dash and gauges.” So he has a plan set to improve this CJ as he goes.
While Tice did a lot of the work himself, he enlisted the aid of the crew at Grady’s Extreme Off-Road in Rancho Cordova, California, for some of the more difficult work. The Jeep was in pretty good stock condition when Tice purchased it for $6,000. The first order of business was to install the ’94 Chevy 5.7-liter V-8 engine with a 4L60E transmission and Lokar shifter. The bigger drivetrain necessitated a better radiator, so a call was made to Be Cool for one of its trick aluminum radiators. Tice had a custom mandrel-bent exhaust system built and used a Flowmaster muffler.
The three-link front suspension is attached to a Dana 44 differential with Fox coilover shocks. An Atlas 4.3:1 transfer case is used, and it has a custom skidplate protecting it. Steering is handled by an AGR steering pump, box and hydraulic ram. Custom-length steering and Pitman arms were built for the Jeep. Disc brakes help slow down the monster meats, for which Tice went with Goodyear MTR 37×12.5 tires on 15×8 American Eagle wheels with Champion bead-locks. The rearend is a Dana 60 with Positraction and 4.88 gears. Fox coilover shocks were also used out back, but the addition of a Currie Enterprises anti-rock sway bar keeps things as level as possible on the road. An onboard air system supplies the ARB airlockers both front and rear, and a custom air tank is located in the custom front bumper. A Warn XD9000 winch is mounted on the bumper.
With the drivetrain and suspension finished, Tice turned to the body. With no bodywork needed, Grady’s eXtreme Off-Road spent their time building custom 3/16-inch steel rocker panels, sides and rear corners. A complete custom rollcage was built that uses every last inch available and makes getting in and out no different than if it was not there. After metallic-blue paint was sprayed on the body, a black Bestop was installed. A custom rear bumper was built with a swing-away spare-tire carrier. For creature comforts, Tice installed a set of PROCAR bucket seats and a GT steering wheel. Painless Performance provided a complete wiring kit that really straightened things out and was easy to install.
All of this work took about a year, which isn’t so bad when you look at everything that was done. Tice has been driving the truck practically every day for two years now, and it still looks and runs great.
