I bought my ’98 TJ from my parents who had it for 18 years for their snowbird trips from to Arizona. It’s a 2.5L with the 5 speed. Since there’s no AC compressor, it has enough pep for Alaskan roads;-) My first mod was replacing the CD changer with a Bluetooth radio that connects to my iPhone. Here’s a shot to get things started.
TJ Home to Alaska
- Thread starter Doug-AK
- Start date
While repairing my hardtop for the trip to Alaska, I started looking online for an upgrade replacement. Patriot Fastbacks in Riverside, California had a replacement that looked very nice. TJ hardtops are not known for holding the heat and are fragile. The thought of a hardtop that will keep me warmer at -40 in January is very compelling and worth the cost of a new front bumper, tires and rims. After checking online retailers for delivery to Montana, I called Patriot Fastbacks and asked if I could pick up a hardtop in person. They stated it would take a few days to get one ready and to call back to let them know. I called on Tuesday and said I’d be there on Friday to pick it up and made payment online. When you live in Alaska, the thought of driving only 1200 miles to LA on I-15 is easy. My son and I left on Thursday evening and I drove straight to Riverside in the Jeep with no top. We stayed cozy enough after making a soft top with a tarp, duct tape, and bungee cords. After about 22 hours of straight driving, we arrived at Patriot Fastbacks to pick up the new hardtop. Here are the guys doing the install.
The hardtop is even better than I expected. It is solid and has a very quiet ride with the marine grade headliner carpet. I like the squared-off back that gives my TJ an updated look. The old top kinda reminds me of an AMC Pacer, which some may find enduring but not me. Here are a few more shots, including Eagle Pass near Needles, CA.
After another long day back to Montana, I recovered for a few days and then drove to Alaska, putting 5,000 miles on my TJ in about a week. My new hardtop from Patriot Fastbacks functions as well as it looks. Wind and road noise was nominal and we were able to have normal conversations and easily sing along with Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz, The Crusaders, Trombone Shorty or the Beatles. I think it will be one of the most important upgrades I make. I’ll know all too soon if this investment will keep me warmer all winter...
The hardtop is even better than I expected. It is solid and has a very quiet ride with the marine grade headliner carpet. I like the squared-off back that gives my TJ an updated look. The old top kinda reminds me of an AMC Pacer, which some may find enduring but not me. Here are a few more shots, including Eagle Pass near Needles, CA.
After another long day back to Montana, I recovered for a few days and then drove to Alaska, putting 5,000 miles on my TJ in about a week. My new hardtop from Patriot Fastbacks functions as well as it looks. Wind and road noise was nominal and we were able to have normal conversations and easily sing along with Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz, The Crusaders, Trombone Shorty or the Beatles. I think it will be one of the most important upgrades I make. I’ll know all too soon if this investment will keep me warmer all winter...
The headlights are next on the list. I stopped at a NAPA store in Canada hoping to find better headlights, so I wouldn’t hit any wildlife on the highway in the dark, since I like to drive all night . I was hoping for some driving lights but they only had floodlights that bolted onto the bumper. After jamming the hot wire into the high beams and finding a screw for ground, I had augmented high beams with LED floods. The Alaska highway through Canada isn’t lined with streetlights or reflectors of any kind, so the floodlights were great for seeing the entire roadway and all the wildlife that prefer the warmer pavement at night. In Jeep vs herd of elk, the Jeep may finish with the wheels on the ground. In Jeep vs bison, nobody wins. The floodlights kept me out of the hospital and the bison off the butcher block.
Now that I’m home, I’m looking for some LED headlights. Are the $400 headlights 400% better than the $150 headlights? My TJ is a daily driver to take me around the rural areas of Fairbanks as a Realtor as well as Jeeping to some great photographic locations. I don’t need premium for that extra 5% of light. Anyone have good results with $100-$200 LEDs? I don’t need Halos and such, just solid headlights.
Now that I’m home, I’m looking for some LED headlights. Are the $400 headlights 400% better than the $150 headlights? My TJ is a daily driver to take me around the rural areas of Fairbanks as a Realtor as well as Jeeping to some great photographic locations. I don’t need premium for that extra 5% of light. Anyone have good results with $100-$200 LEDs? I don’t need Halos and such, just solid headlights.
I’m sure someOne has a good set of knock offs that work well. Do a search! I upgraded incandescent to keep the stock TJ look. Got a harness, unsealed lenses and bright incandescent bulbs. I also wanted the heat from incandescent’s because we get snow.
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TJ2
TJ Expert
Driving a TJ to Alaska, wow. The elks, bison, moose, on the road.. wow, that's being envied by some (jeepers like me) allover the world. I got raccoons in our roads at night
I bought these:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FLWWL4O/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Yes they are bright but the low beams do not adjust very well. I get flashed by other drivers quiet a bit. I was having issues with them not coming on or one would go out and flickering. After messing around with them I cut the lights connecter off and just crimped on blade terminals and plugged those into the Jeeps wire harness. Now the lights work great without any cut outs or flickering.
I still run some PIAA amber driving lights on the bumpers pointed a bit to the sides of the road to help spot animals at night.
I lived in Fairbanks at Ft wainwright 1997-2000, If I lived there now the expensive lights with the heated lens would be my choice.
My jeep has the 2.5 as well. I did not own a jeep in when I lived in Alaska but I would love to do a road trip up there with it.
keep posting up pics!
what does the inside of your top look like.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FLWWL4O/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Yes they are bright but the low beams do not adjust very well. I get flashed by other drivers quiet a bit. I was having issues with them not coming on or one would go out and flickering. After messing around with them I cut the lights connecter off and just crimped on blade terminals and plugged those into the Jeeps wire harness. Now the lights work great without any cut outs or flickering.
I still run some PIAA amber driving lights on the bumpers pointed a bit to the sides of the road to help spot animals at night.
I lived in Fairbanks at Ft wainwright 1997-2000, If I lived there now the expensive lights with the heated lens would be my choice.
My jeep has the 2.5 as well. I did not own a jeep in when I lived in Alaska but I would love to do a road trip up there with it.
keep posting up pics!
what does the inside of your top look like.
ejay
TJ Addict
I have LED headlights. As I understand it, in colder climates, don't you want the heat of incandescent bulbs? Otherwise you'll need to buy heated LED which aren't cheap.
All of my spot/flood lights are incandescent as I prefer a yellow glow to cold white.
All of my spot/flood lights are incandescent as I prefer a yellow glow to cold white.
I run these KC H4 Headlights
https://www.extremeterrain.com/kc-hilites-7-inch-halogen-headlights-0717.html
Hardwired to the battery with this harness
https://www.ksuspensionfab.com/store/p6/H4_Upgraded_Headlight_Harness.html#/
They do great
https://www.extremeterrain.com/kc-hilites-7-inch-halogen-headlights-0717.html
Hardwired to the battery with this harness
https://www.ksuspensionfab.com/store/p6/H4_Upgraded_Headlight_Harness.html#/
They do great
I am running Trucklite LED headlights. Mine were before they had heated ones but I have only had one instance of severe icing and the windshield iced over at the same time so it made little difference. Better quality lamps have much better beam patterns which usually translates to not offending on coming traffic.
Icing over is usually more of a problem at +30°F than -30°F. So, icing isn't usually a problem in Fairbanks. However, I don't care for 6000°K color temp, strobe flicker effect or the "hard light" throw of LEDs. (I'm a photographer that notices such things!) I need more lux down the road, though. I'm going to check out the headlight harness and KC lamps. I'm haven't ruled out LEDs, just don't see much on the 3 issues I have with LEDs.
. However, I don't care for 6000°K color temp, strobe flicker effect or the "hard light" throw of LEDs. (I'm a photographer that notices such things!) I need more lux down the road, though. I'm going to check out the headlight harness and KC lamps. I'm haven't ruled out LEDs, just don't see much on the 3 issues I have with LEDs.
Not many people can say they drove 5K miles for a modification on their TJ.... I had a 65 Jeep Wagoneer when I was stationed at Ft Richardson 1981-83 the I only got to drive for about 3 months before the engine gave out on me. Then I had a 1967 Merc Cougar.... Did more than 1 360 during the winter with that thing as it wasn't setup for winter driving.
Drove a 1960's GMC pickup as a kid when I lived in Barrow but my main mode of transportation was a dog team. I lived in Barrow from 1970-1973. Got tons of great memories of my time in the Last Frontier. Stay toasty
I had a 65 Jeep Wagoneer when I was stationed at Ft Richardson 1981-83 the I only got to drive for about 3 months before the engine gave out on me. Then I had a 1967 Merc Cougar.... Did more than 1 360 during the winter with that thing as it wasn't setup for winter driving.Drove a 1960's GMC pickup as a kid when I lived in Barrow but my main mode of transportation was a dog team. I lived in Barrow from 1970-1973. Got tons of great memories of my time in the Last Frontier. Stay toasty
DETOUR
TJ Enthusiast
Doug
Being old school ,I’m sticking with incandescent halogen headlights ( integrated sealed beam bulb )
- all things considered like price, availability and performance it’s plenty good in our neck of the woods
- I do have a set of 9” light-force “frying pans” mounted though ,which by now are 15 years old and still letting me count 4 to 5 power poles in distance with the reflectors starting to fade !
- at work, we’re installing heated LED headlights on our utility truck fleet
DETOUR
TJ Enthusiast
By the way don’t hesitate to look us up if you ever travel trough Dawson Creek again!
My headlights are surprisingly bright since the snow hit the ground! Won’t need anything brighter until next August (snow melt in April coincides with longer days, so don’t need headlight ”reach”) which gives my plenty of time to plan my lighting needs and mounting options. Halogen sealed beams look to be a good option for my cold climate, though.
Thanks! I will. My wife lands in the emergency room with vertigo when we fly, so your end of the highway is very familiar to us. FT. St. John is a little easier to navigate than Dawson Creek, so I usually stop there for coffee (Tim‘s donuts have lost their luster but the coffee is still good), gas and the NAPA store just off the highway.
Head Lice
TJ Addict
We were at Pink Mountain till the end of September. Have taken more than a few moose there. Buffalo were open there also.
Lots of G-bear in that country.
Like your TJ ! Very nice.
Lots of G-bear in that country.
Like your TJ ! Very nice.
Here’s a short
Thanks! Pink Mountain is why I carried 2 Jerry jugs of gas on a hitch rack. The gas stations there are so unpredictable. I never know which ones will be open or closed for the season. Here’s a sunset silhouette when we were driving through the area October 1. The road was empty except for a little Jade Jeep