lucas_ 2005 Jeep Wrangler Willy’s Edition

lucas_

lucas_

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Joined
Aug 14, 2018
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23
Location
Maryland
Hey guys! Long time reader but figured I would finally document my build for everyone to see. I've owned this Jeep for a year and a half now, so I will be going back in time a bit with this build. I'm entering my senior year in high school now, but that hasn't stopped me from building my dream ride! Growing up I can't remember a time my dad wasn't driving a jeep. Hes owned everything from a Grand Wagoneer to the 2 JKUs he has now, but the one that always stood out to me was his '01 Wrangler Sport. I always loved the simplicity of that vehicle, so when it came time to buy my first car I had to go with a TJ.



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Here it was when I bought it back in March of 2017. 2005 Willys Edition, 4.0L Automatic with 136k on the clock. Completely bone stock, bought it from the original owner who followed the factory recommenced maintenance religiously. Minimal rust for a Maryland Jeep. Don't let the "X" fool you, its actually a Willys, never got the chance to ask him why it was rebadged... Oh well.



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At first glance I wasn't very impressed with Joop. I didn't like the idea of getting a later model automatic, and absolutely HATED the camo seats that were part of the Willys package. Grill inserts and hood deflector were gone within the first hour of owning it. It needed a lot of cosmetic work, but the price and meticulous maintenance history made this way too good of a deal to pass up. It was a rock solid start for a vehicle I plan on owning for a long time.
 
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lucas_ said:
Hey guys! Long time reader but figured I would finally document my build for everyone to see. I've owned this Jeep for a year and a half now, so I will be going back in time a bit with this build. I'm entering my senior year in high school now, but that hasn't stopped me from building my dream ride! Growing up I can't remember a time my dad wasn't driving a jeep. Hes owned everything from a Grand Wagoneer to the 2 JKUs he has now, but the one that always stood out to me was his '01 Wrangler Sport. I always loved the simplicity of that vehicle, so when it came time to buy my first car I had to go with a TJ.



View attachment 53298
Here it was when I bought it back in March of 2017. 2005 Willys Edition, 4.0L Automatic with 136k on the clock. Completely bone stock, bought it from the original owner who followed the factory recommenced maintenance religiously. Minimal rust for a Maryland Jeep. Don't let the "X" fool you, its actually a Willys, never got the chance to ask him why it was rebadged... Oh well.



View attachment 53297 View attachment 53299
At first glance I wasn't very impressed with Joop. I didn't like the idea of getting a later model automatic, and absolutely HATED the camo seats that were part of the Willys package. Grill inserts and hood deflector were gone within the first hour of owning it. It needed a lot of cosmetic work, but the price and meticulous maintenance history made this way too good of a deal to pass up. It was a rock solid start for a vehicle I plan on owning for a long time.
Click to expand...
I think the Willy’s came with a green softctop, painted green rocker guards, and painted green flares.
 
Starrs said:
I think the Willy’s came with a green soft top, painted green rocker guards, and painted green flares.
Click to expand...
This one had all those, its just the PO decided to hide most of what made the Willys unique. The flares and rocker guards had a flaking black rattle can job which i repainted shortly after purchase. I actually had no idea this was a Willys until I checked the build sheet.
 
About a week after owning it I got a new set of shoes for it. It came with some fairly worn out 29s that I swapped with a set of 31" BFG KO2s.
Also got some cheap steelies since I wasn't really a fan of the silver wheels.
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Also high on the list was some seat covers to cover the IMO ugly (most of yall seem to like em) camo seats. I really like the tan seats in the earlier Sahara interiors, so I got a set of Iggees to mimic the look. They look amazing and the fit is awesome, they look like real leather. My only gripe is with the durability of them. The driver's side has gotten some pretty bad cracking after only a little over a year of use, I wouldn't recommend them...
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Last big upgrade I did within the first month or so was a new top. Just like the camo seats I wasn't really a fan of the green top, it made the Jeep look a little too bland. The windows were also toast after 13 years. I ended up going with the Bestop Trektop NX, and I can say without a doubt this was the single best upgrade to date. The sunrider feature is awesome, and makes putting the top "down" a breeze, and I LOVE the slant-back look. Best part was that I was able to find someone on CL so desperate for a Willys top that he bought it for pretty much what the new bestop cost.
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At this point I only did some basic cosmetic work, like repainting the faded trim and replacing the interior and dash lights with LEDs. I also replaced the terrible stock headlights with some cheapo amazon LED units with the halo rings. Wasn't really a fan of how they looked, but I needed headlights with built-in turn signals for what I had planned next...
 
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I spent the next few months planning out where I wanted to take this build, as far as looks and capability as it will be my daily for the next few years. I had always wanted to get Metalcloak highlines, and to eventually work up to 33s. I settled on the Zone 3in lift, along with a RC adjustable front track bar that I had previously purchased locally. Dad was more than happy to help with the install.
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And the final result:
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I was really worried with how the 31s would look on this amount of lift, but it turned out better than I imagined. Eventually I will get around to 33s, but for now I'm more than happy with the look.


Also scored a rugged ridge tire carrier on sale, and threw that on.
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lucas_ said:
Hey guys! Long time reader but figured I would finally document my build for everyone to see. I've owned this Jeep for a year and a half now, so I will be going back in time a bit with this build. I'm entering my senior year in high school now, but that hasn't stopped me from building my dream ride! Growing up I can't remember a time my dad wasn't driving a jeep. Hes owned everything from a Grand Wagoneer to the 2 JKUs he has now, but the one that always stood out to me was his '01 Wrangler Sport. I always loved the simplicity of that vehicle, so when it came time to buy my first car I had to go with a TJ.



View attachment 53298
Here it was when I bought it back in March of 2017. 2005 Willys Edition, 4.0L Automatic with 136k on the clock. Completely bone stock, bought it from the original owner who followed the factory recommenced maintenance religiously. Minimal rust for a Maryland Jeep. Don't let the "X" fool you, its actually a Willys, never got the chance to ask him why it was rebadged... Oh well.



View attachment 53297

View attachment 53299
At first glance I wasn't very impressed with Joop. I didn't like the idea of getting a later model automatic, and absolutely HATED the camo seats that were part of the Willys package. Grill inserts and hood deflector were gone within the first hour of owning it. It needed a lot of cosmetic work, but the price and meticulous maintenance history made this way too good of a deal to pass up. It was a rock solid start for a vehicle I plan on owning for a long time.
Click to expand...

I just bought my own 2005 Jeep willys! and i too am not a fan of the camo seats and star sticker package but if i choose to sell one day those will make it worth more. we’re you able to find seat covers that have a cut out for the lever by the head rest that moves the seat up for the backseat to get out?
 
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