My first Jeep. A 2004 LJ with 140,000 miles. I've been heavily into cars since about a year before I got my license. Since then, I have been learning, working on, and entertained by all things cars. After a MK4 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a 1990 Mazda Miata, I am eager to build and enjoy my first 4x4.
I wanted an LJ as its important to me to fit passengers and be able to bring my family around on trail rides. The extra space has proven very useful on beach days, fitting a kayak in the back, transporting tools, etc. Plus I much prefer the look of the LJ. I found this one in Georgia while on a work trip in Savannah. Got it for $12,500 (Best deal I came across in my 2 months of looking) and then immediately road tripped it back to Naples, Florida 8 hours or so and thank god it made it with no issues.
With inspiration from my recent move to Florida, YouTube/TV personalities like Matts Offroad Recovery, Dirt Every Day, Roadkill, the Ultimate Adventure series, and much more, I decided it was time to become a part of this community.
The day I bought it:
Mods done by PO:
RC rock crawler bumper w/ built in light bar
RC LED headlights
RC lift (guessing around a 2 inch lift)
9500 lb pro series winch spooled up w/ synthetic
Yikatoo rear bumper with tire carrier
Fuel wheels 15x10 (43mm offset, 3.75 in backspacing) - (Front wheels rub sway bar at full lock)
Toyo R/T 33s
Kicker amp
Kicker sub
My opinion of Rough Country stuff isn't the best but the equipment has yet to fail or be a burden in my now 6 months of ownership at the time of writing this post.
Quickly took the Jeep out of some of the many trails here in Southwest Florida surrounding the Everglades.
I was so eager to build the Jeep and just throw away money on stuff I probably didn't need as comes with new build excitement. I came across great advice from this forum along the lines of: enjoy the Jeep for sometime, see what breaks - upgrade it, see what the weak points are - strengthen it, experience the kind of trails you're going to be driving - customize it to perform where you need it to. So far, I've only winched once out of a big mud pit. These Jeep can handle pretty much all of my local trails. Would it be cool/helpful to have lockers? Sure. Axle upgrade? You bet. But, it does what it needs to very well. My family and I are able to explore, have fun wheeling, and get over the easy obstacles we have on our local trails. Florida is definitely not known for its climbs, its rock gardens, or mountainous terrain. Most of the trails here relatively easy that I've seen so far. Sure we get mud, but thats as hard as it comes - so I've seen so far.
So, heres to enjoying the Jeep, upgrading as I/the terrain see fit, and learning/growing with this community!
I wanted an LJ as its important to me to fit passengers and be able to bring my family around on trail rides. The extra space has proven very useful on beach days, fitting a kayak in the back, transporting tools, etc. Plus I much prefer the look of the LJ. I found this one in Georgia while on a work trip in Savannah. Got it for $12,500 (Best deal I came across in my 2 months of looking) and then immediately road tripped it back to Naples, Florida 8 hours or so and thank god it made it with no issues.
With inspiration from my recent move to Florida, YouTube/TV personalities like Matts Offroad Recovery, Dirt Every Day, Roadkill, the Ultimate Adventure series, and much more, I decided it was time to become a part of this community.
The day I bought it:
Mods done by PO:
RC rock crawler bumper w/ built in light bar
RC LED headlights
RC lift (guessing around a 2 inch lift)
9500 lb pro series winch spooled up w/ synthetic
Yikatoo rear bumper with tire carrier
Fuel wheels 15x10 (43mm offset, 3.75 in backspacing) - (Front wheels rub sway bar at full lock)
Toyo R/T 33s
Kicker amp
Kicker sub
My opinion of Rough Country stuff isn't the best but the equipment has yet to fail or be a burden in my now 6 months of ownership at the time of writing this post.
Quickly took the Jeep out of some of the many trails here in Southwest Florida surrounding the Everglades.
I was so eager to build the Jeep and just throw away money on stuff I probably didn't need as comes with new build excitement. I came across great advice from this forum along the lines of: enjoy the Jeep for sometime, see what breaks - upgrade it, see what the weak points are - strengthen it, experience the kind of trails you're going to be driving - customize it to perform where you need it to. So far, I've only winched once out of a big mud pit. These Jeep can handle pretty much all of my local trails. Would it be cool/helpful to have lockers? Sure. Axle upgrade? You bet. But, it does what it needs to very well. My family and I are able to explore, have fun wheeling, and get over the easy obstacles we have on our local trails. Florida is definitely not known for its climbs, its rock gardens, or mountainous terrain. Most of the trails here relatively easy that I've seen so far. Sure we get mud, but thats as hard as it comes - so I've seen so far.
So, heres to enjoying the Jeep, upgrading as I/the terrain see fit, and learning/growing with this community!
