Well folks, I reckon it's high time I start a build thread. I've been listening, reading, learning, and laughing my way through this forum for a while now (a while before I joined too), and I'm ready to take my TJ to the next level.
My goal is to keep track of what I have done so far, and what I plan to do with the guidance and wisdom from this forum. This thread will probably take up a slower pace; being in college, not only am I limited on how much I can milk out of my wallet, but I also have limited time to spend towards the TJ above regular maintenance.
I'll start with a little backstory...
A Series of Not-So-Unfortunate Events: A Second Chance at the TJ
I always knew I wanted a Jeep growing up. For my firstcar vehicle, I thought I wanted a 2-door JK. After shopping around, I realized a TJ or YJ would be more financially feasible. Eventually I found a local seller with a manual (that was a must-have) 2002 TJ with ~140k on the clock. I'll admit, as an excited teen getting their dream vehicle, I was seeing each one I looked at with rose-colored glasses. After a quick test drive and talk with the seller, it was mine for $9500.
Here's some pictures.
The day I got it, March 2018
Specs: '02 Sport, 4.0L NV3550, Dana 30 and Dana 44 rear, 3.73 final drive, 305/70R17 (33.8") BFG KM2 on Fuel Hostage wheels, unidentified lift.
This thing was my baby. For the first 6 months of owning it, agonizingly enough, I couldn't drive it because I only had a learner's permit instead of a full license. As much as I hate to admit it, in that time I went through a "cheap parts catalog phase". I was looking at RGB halo headlights, K&N intake, throttle body spacer, B&M sport shifter, cheap neoprene seat covers, chinese amazon bumpers... sadly I actually bought some of those .
Fast forward a few months of daily driving between college and home, and the unthinkable happened. Coming off an interstate exit ramp, some [CENSORED] ran a red light and plowed right into the front passenger side of the Jeep. Almost exactly a year after I got it.
I was pretty devastated. It may not look all that bad besides the suspension and body, but it turned out that the whole frame was significantly bent. At this point I had the choice to take the insurance money, buy it back on the cheap and get it fixed up, or say goodbye and find a new ride. Considering I needed a daily driver and couldn't twiddle my thumbs waiting for a shop to fix it from the frame up, I decided to let it go. Last I saw, it was sold in an auction in Houston.
Although this seemed unfortunate at the time, insurance ended up giving $12,300 for the Jeep - almost 3k more than I had bought it for. Now it was time to find a new ride. I had always wanted something like a 350Z or WRX, and at first I struggled with the idea of sticking to Jeeps. A few days later, I came back to my senses and started hunting down TJ's . With the extra 3k the insurance had given, I set my sights on something a bit nicer. After a few months of searching and test driving, I finally found exactly what I wanted, more or less.
A clean, relatively unmolested '04 Rubicon, only 87k miles, 5-speed manual, for the small price of $12K! Needless to say, it was love at first sight. I drove to see it and test drive the next evening and drove back the next morning to buy it. According to the seller, I narrowly snatched it from some northerners looking to take it back up to the salt belt to its rusty grave
The day I drove it home - April 2019
The first things to go were the wheels - the seller actually still had the original Moabs, which I switched back on. Then the tube bumpers - sorry to the tube bumper guys but I can't stand 'em.
This is my current TJ.
How it sits now
For suspension, PO left me with a 3" Rusty's Offroad lift, including a transfer case drop, rear track bar bracket, and dropped pitman arm. I have already begun making it mine. Wheels back to Moabs, bumpers replaced with Bestop front and LoD rear, side steps gone, new stereo and speakers, floor liners, CB radio, headlight bezels, a set of half doors...
I didn't really get a chance to wheel it until this past Memorial Day weekend at perhaps the only offroad park in Louisiana (worth visiting), Catahoula Recreation in Sicily Island. I learned a lot about what it was capable of, its limitations, and my inexperience as an offroad driver.
I also learned the meaning of "The Shovel" that day...
My goal is to keep track of what I have done so far, and what I plan to do with the guidance and wisdom from this forum. This thread will probably take up a slower pace; being in college, not only am I limited on how much I can milk out of my wallet, but I also have limited time to spend towards the TJ above regular maintenance.
I'll start with a little backstory...
A Series of Not-So-Unfortunate Events: A Second Chance at the TJ
I always knew I wanted a Jeep growing up. For my first
Here's some pictures.
The day I got it, March 2018
Specs: '02 Sport, 4.0L NV3550, Dana 30 and Dana 44 rear, 3.73 final drive, 305/70R17 (33.8") BFG KM2 on Fuel Hostage wheels, unidentified lift.
This thing was my baby. For the first 6 months of owning it, agonizingly enough, I couldn't drive it because I only had a learner's permit instead of a full license. As much as I hate to admit it, in that time I went through a "cheap parts catalog phase". I was looking at RGB halo headlights, K&N intake, throttle body spacer, B&M sport shifter, cheap neoprene seat covers, chinese amazon bumpers... sadly I actually bought some of those .
Fast forward a few months of daily driving between college and home, and the unthinkable happened. Coming off an interstate exit ramp, some [CENSORED] ran a red light and plowed right into the front passenger side of the Jeep. Almost exactly a year after I got it.
I was pretty devastated. It may not look all that bad besides the suspension and body, but it turned out that the whole frame was significantly bent. At this point I had the choice to take the insurance money, buy it back on the cheap and get it fixed up, or say goodbye and find a new ride. Considering I needed a daily driver and couldn't twiddle my thumbs waiting for a shop to fix it from the frame up, I decided to let it go. Last I saw, it was sold in an auction in Houston.
Although this seemed unfortunate at the time, insurance ended up giving $12,300 for the Jeep - almost 3k more than I had bought it for. Now it was time to find a new ride. I had always wanted something like a 350Z or WRX, and at first I struggled with the idea of sticking to Jeeps. A few days later, I came back to my senses and started hunting down TJ's . With the extra 3k the insurance had given, I set my sights on something a bit nicer. After a few months of searching and test driving, I finally found exactly what I wanted, more or less.
A clean, relatively unmolested '04 Rubicon, only 87k miles, 5-speed manual, for the small price of $12K! Needless to say, it was love at first sight. I drove to see it and test drive the next evening and drove back the next morning to buy it. According to the seller, I narrowly snatched it from some northerners looking to take it back up to the salt belt to its rusty grave
The day I drove it home - April 2019
The first things to go were the wheels - the seller actually still had the original Moabs, which I switched back on. Then the tube bumpers - sorry to the tube bumper guys but I can't stand 'em.
This is my current TJ.
How it sits now
For suspension, PO left me with a 3" Rusty's Offroad lift, including a transfer case drop, rear track bar bracket, and dropped pitman arm. I have already begun making it mine. Wheels back to Moabs, bumpers replaced with Bestop front and LoD rear, side steps gone, new stereo and speakers, floor liners, CB radio, headlight bezels, a set of half doors...
I didn't really get a chance to wheel it until this past Memorial Day weekend at perhaps the only offroad park in Louisiana (worth visiting), Catahoula Recreation in Sicily Island. I learned a lot about what it was capable of, its limitations, and my inexperience as an offroad driver.
I also learned the meaning of "The Shovel" that day...