Thought I'd post my build here as I go, with inspiration from a lot of the members on here (TY!!!). Self-paced, slower build but hey, a build is a build at the end of the day! I am expecting my first child this year, so I definitely have to hold back (as much as I possibly can) on the upgrading, but my goal is to turn this thing into a beach / trail rig, while also noting it will be dads daily driver.
Back Story on the Jeep:
I bought this Jeep in October 2021, not really knowing a whole lot about Jeeps to begin with. I love the look and functionality of Jeeps and I've always wanted one. Getting a 4WD was non-negotiable, whether it was going to be a Jeep or not was a different story. In Australia, we have Suzuki Jimny's and Sierras for example, which are basically knockoff Jeeps but still cool looking little boxy rigs that are very capable. I lived in the US for 10 years for college / work, so going American just felt like the right thing to do.
Not doing as much research as I probably should have, I found my 2001 Wrangler 4.0 Auto for a pretty solid deal and just went for it. It had 2 previous owners, but I've got little to no history, other than the fact it had a 2" lift and 33" muddys, came with a hard AND soft top, and the 5 original wheels and tires. Looking back now, I probably should have had a little more patience and done a little more research before buying, but hey, we are a here now so who cares! I think it would have been cool to start completely from scratch / stock, however having the lift already done was a pretty good bonus, and I figured I would just tackle problems or issues as they arose.
I live 2 minutes from the beach, with beach access for 4WDing around the corner. Miles and miles of open beach for driving, camping, fishing, surfing, day trips etc. First day I bought the Jeep it was on the beach, and didn't miss a beat. There are a few good trails around my area as well, but I haven't taken advantage of those just yet....
Attached are the photos from the first day I bought it and the first day it was on the beach. First few (purely cosmetic) things I did were:
Excited to keep getting this thing built out, it's so much fun.
Back Story on the Jeep:
I bought this Jeep in October 2021, not really knowing a whole lot about Jeeps to begin with. I love the look and functionality of Jeeps and I've always wanted one. Getting a 4WD was non-negotiable, whether it was going to be a Jeep or not was a different story. In Australia, we have Suzuki Jimny's and Sierras for example, which are basically knockoff Jeeps but still cool looking little boxy rigs that are very capable. I lived in the US for 10 years for college / work, so going American just felt like the right thing to do.
Not doing as much research as I probably should have, I found my 2001 Wrangler 4.0 Auto for a pretty solid deal and just went for it. It had 2 previous owners, but I've got little to no history, other than the fact it had a 2" lift and 33" muddys, came with a hard AND soft top, and the 5 original wheels and tires. Looking back now, I probably should have had a little more patience and done a little more research before buying, but hey, we are a here now so who cares! I think it would have been cool to start completely from scratch / stock, however having the lift already done was a pretty good bonus, and I figured I would just tackle problems or issues as they arose.
I live 2 minutes from the beach, with beach access for 4WDing around the corner. Miles and miles of open beach for driving, camping, fishing, surfing, day trips etc. First day I bought the Jeep it was on the beach, and didn't miss a beat. There are a few good trails around my area as well, but I haven't taken advantage of those just yet....
Attached are the photos from the first day I bought it and the first day it was on the beach. First few (purely cosmetic) things I did were:
- Removed the 2 MASSIVE spotlights on the front.
- Painted the wheels matte black. (I love black, and black and red look better to me than black, red and silver)
- Painted the front bumper same color as the wheels
- Got the spare wheel bracket off, just until I get a wheel to put on there.
Excited to keep getting this thing built out, it's so much fun.