So this build starts like others I've had perusing the local CL adds, I stumbled across a very cheap TJ Wrangler SE edition in much need of some TLC to bring her back from almost being scrapped in a salvage yard.
(The above photo is a picture of our last TJ on 37's at a local wheeling spot the day before she was adopted by other Jeepers.)
She was in bad shape after the last owner, a 19 year old girl fell into drugs with her boyfriend. Tweakers spell the end of all things nice in someones life, it was all downhill for her & the poor Jeep from there until fate would have it, the Jeep swerved into my path. I adopted it as case bed number 12. My 12th Jeep that is.
You see I run a home for the abused, broke down, neglected and derelict Jeep. A Jeep rescue if you will. I thought I might have been done with my affliction recently so I already sold the last of my TJ & XJ performance parts.
We moved on to the JKUR platform a few years back with the wife so there's no similarities really.
Somehow I just couldn't turn down another TJ after a roundabout way getting this little red Jeep for a mere $300 in the end, final cost before rehab and upgrades start.
The photo above was snapped the first day she arrived in our care back in May 2016. This is where the tear down and build part of the story begins, acquiring parts to upgrade and rebuild this little red Jeep that could, a very capable everymans build on a maximum all in budget of around $10K total for everything......
Let the fun begin!
Here are some photos of the tear down and rebuild.
Notice the stash of drugs that fell behind the center stack. The tweakers removed every screw from the dash and still couldn't get them out. I found a cocktail party of different narcotics, paraphernalia, pipes, needles, spoons and hard candy inside the dash & HVAC unit. I was extremely careful not to get poked by anything. Then I washed everything out with simple green, detergent and water to get rid of the nasty filthy grime.
Dash and back seat, roll bar and seatbelt repair clean up.
Dash was completely removed and reinstalled after thourogh cleaning and stereo repair/upgrade including roll bar pods and console subwoofer from a '05 Rubicon.
More pics.
I started charting where I wanted this build to go and hunted down parts to make it happen using the various forums, CL, Ebay, facebook etc.
Bought a complete set of arms and acquired adjustable track bars, shocks, Currie RockJock parts to build a 4" lift. Everything for the most part totalled under $500. Some stuff I refurbished with new joints and bushings, some stuff I was given and some parts were bought new or came off other TJ's and were sitting in the garage.
Replaced the seats, hood, cowel and many more parts I scrounged up. Also did the center console subwoofer upgrade that is in another article here on this forum.
Out with the old seats, swapped for '05 Rubicon seats.
Kicker sub in factory console.
Newer ProComp Xtreme mud 2's on my last Jeeps 17×9 M/T Classic II's sans a little rock rash on the rims....
Currie RockJock 60 going in replacing the Dana 35 axle out back. Also acquired a 30 gallon GenRight expedition long range crawler tank & skid that is going in.
Installed my old Olympic Rock bumper with Warn M8000 winch and the 4" suspension. Then decided to source a heavier duty front axle for the front.
Decided on 4-wheel disc brakes upgrade also. This is in 2017 now.
A new augmented full cage resides under the new soft top. It has full padding kit and ballistic nylon pad covers, looks factory and very clean.
Old Dana 35 rear axle is gone, so are the front Dana 30 and that good olde American Standard porcelain throne..... Haha!
This has to go! My plans don't include leg cramps when driving on the freeway, nor do they include being passed on grades by 18 wheelers and VW busses so I research and include a Magnum V8 swap in my near future. I plan to tow another expidition/military type trailer in the future and know the 4.0L is barely up to the task. There's no way that 2.5 can stay..... Theory goes, double the engine size, double or more the power right? Simple enough right?
Magnum V8 coming to a TJ engine bay near me soon! Very soon!
(The above photo is a picture of our last TJ on 37's at a local wheeling spot the day before she was adopted by other Jeepers.)
She was in bad shape after the last owner, a 19 year old girl fell into drugs with her boyfriend. Tweakers spell the end of all things nice in someones life, it was all downhill for her & the poor Jeep from there until fate would have it, the Jeep swerved into my path. I adopted it as case bed number 12. My 12th Jeep that is.
You see I run a home for the abused, broke down, neglected and derelict Jeep. A Jeep rescue if you will. I thought I might have been done with my affliction recently so I already sold the last of my TJ & XJ performance parts.
We moved on to the JKUR platform a few years back with the wife so there's no similarities really.
Somehow I just couldn't turn down another TJ after a roundabout way getting this little red Jeep for a mere $300 in the end, final cost before rehab and upgrades start.
The photo above was snapped the first day she arrived in our care back in May 2016. This is where the tear down and build part of the story begins, acquiring parts to upgrade and rebuild this little red Jeep that could, a very capable everymans build on a maximum all in budget of around $10K total for everything......
Let the fun begin!
Here are some photos of the tear down and rebuild.
Notice the stash of drugs that fell behind the center stack. The tweakers removed every screw from the dash and still couldn't get them out. I found a cocktail party of different narcotics, paraphernalia, pipes, needles, spoons and hard candy inside the dash & HVAC unit. I was extremely careful not to get poked by anything. Then I washed everything out with simple green, detergent and water to get rid of the nasty filthy grime.
Dash and back seat, roll bar and seatbelt repair clean up.
Dash was completely removed and reinstalled after thourogh cleaning and stereo repair/upgrade including roll bar pods and console subwoofer from a '05 Rubicon.
More pics.
I started charting where I wanted this build to go and hunted down parts to make it happen using the various forums, CL, Ebay, facebook etc.
Bought a complete set of arms and acquired adjustable track bars, shocks, Currie RockJock parts to build a 4" lift. Everything for the most part totalled under $500. Some stuff I refurbished with new joints and bushings, some stuff I was given and some parts were bought new or came off other TJ's and were sitting in the garage.
Replaced the seats, hood, cowel and many more parts I scrounged up. Also did the center console subwoofer upgrade that is in another article here on this forum.
Out with the old seats, swapped for '05 Rubicon seats.
Kicker sub in factory console.
Currie RockJock 60 going in replacing the Dana 35 axle out back. Also acquired a 30 gallon GenRight expedition long range crawler tank & skid that is going in.
Installed my old Olympic Rock bumper with Warn M8000 winch and the 4" suspension. Then decided to source a heavier duty front axle for the front.
Decided on 4-wheel disc brakes upgrade also. This is in 2017 now.
A new augmented full cage resides under the new soft top. It has full padding kit and ballistic nylon pad covers, looks factory and very clean.
Old Dana 35 rear axle is gone, so are the front Dana 30 and that good olde American Standard porcelain throne..... Haha!
This has to go! My plans don't include leg cramps when driving on the freeway, nor do they include being passed on grades by 18 wheelers and VW busses so I research and include a Magnum V8 swap in my near future. I plan to tow another expidition/military type trailer in the future and know the 4.0L is barely up to the task. There's no way that 2.5 can stay..... Theory goes, double the engine size, double or more the power right? Simple enough right?
Magnum V8 coming to a TJ engine bay near me soon! Very soon!
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