1988 YJ Jurassic Project

[CajunHiker]

Sweet, congrats on the freebies. I wish I could be so lucky.

[MA88XJDude]

Forgot earlier, I was too pumped about the rest of the stuff that happened today, but I got my inspection sticker, passed with flying colors, I was kind of surprised!

[SnowdogMarc]

Originally Posted by MA88XJDude

when I get back from Canada!

Shoot...take a detour out West to Alberta and you can pick up the running boards.

On that note...Went wheeling this weekend and had a slight disagreement with a tree...It tore the edge lip off the top part of the passenger side plastic step, like 18". I'll get a photo to you if you want it after I finish getting the mud off it. Not sure how perfect you want them to be.

[90JWYJ]

I'm going to be taking the factory sidesteps off mine in the coming weeks, when I do i'll shoot you a PM. All you'll need to do is shoot a fresh coat of paint on them.

[MA88XJDude]

Originally Posted by SnowdogMarc

Shoot...take a detour out West to Alberta and you can pick up the running boards.

On that note...Went wheeling this weekend and had a slight disagreement with a tree...It tore the edge lip off the top part of the passenger side plastic step, like 18". I'll get a photo to you if you want it after I finish getting the mud off it. Not sure how perfect you want them to be.

Haha, thats a little bit of a detour! Thanks for the offer but I really need them to at least be completely there. I feel your pain with the tree though, been there done that! thanks for the offer, much appriciated!

I'm going to be taking the factory sidesteps off mine in the coming weeks, when I do i'll shoot you a PM. All you'll need to do is shoot a fresh coat of paint on them.

That would be great. Let me guess your getting rock sliders or rocker protection?

[90JWYJ]

I will be eventually, for now I just want them off. I have the extension that has the flare end right where it's even with the door.

[thefewtheproud]

Originally Posted by MA88XJDude

I also just bought these!!!
They are the rims I need in good condition, all with center caps, 4 have 32's on the but two are apparently junk. Then there is the spare with no tire on it. I will be getting five Treadwright LT 31x10.50R15 OTR. I will be picking them up problably friday or this weekend when I get back from Canada!

Everything is looking good so far! So you're not going with the BFG All Terrain T/A's?? Also, I wonder if that paint would come in a normal finish instead of the low gloss..

[MA88XJDude]

Originally Posted by thefewtheproud

Everything is looking good so far! So you're not going with the BFG All Terrain T/A's?? Also, I wonder if that paint would come in a normal finish instead of the low gloss..

The BFG A/T's are nice but they are quite expensive and I already have a lot of other parts to purchase, the way I see it I can go with some cheap tires to wheel for a while then eventually get the BFG.

Also from what I know there were two options for the sahara colors, a low gloss (satin) finsish and a gloss finish. However I cant confirm that, I just read it somewhere, and I forget where haha.

[thefewtheproud]

Originally Posted by MA88XJDude

The BFG A/T's are nice but they are quite expensive and I already have a lot of other parts to purchase, the way I see it I can go with some cheap tires to wheel for a while then eventually get the BFG.

Also from what I know there were two options for the sahara colors, a low gloss (satin) finsish and a gloss finish. However I cant confirm that, I just read it somewhere, and I forget where haha.

That makes sense. Yeah I plan on doing a sahara theme with my CJ7 without going all the way and doing all the JP decals and such. I like the factory paint color on the JP jeeps but I think I would rather have the gloss finish since I'm not doing the complete JP theme. Of course seing it on someone else's jeep instead of just screenshots the movie could change my mind on the finish..get painting!!!!!

[JPJEEP18]

It's a thread like this, guys, when I wish I was going ahead with my Jurassic Park Jeep replica!
I bought my Jeep in September of 2008, from Oregon...and I'm in Pennsylvania!! Only reason I bought it from there is because I was looking for the exact car... a '93 or '94 Jeep Wrangler Sahara, half-doors, soft top, correct JP wheels, fog lights, etc. and because it only had 33,000 Miles on it, now 39,000!!!! But, it's automatic. I honestly couldn't find this exact car ANYWHERE, so I felt I had to jump on it whether or not it was manual. I really wanted to make Jeep #18 or #29, and seeing as they're both manual (so was #10, but, a Wrangler - roll cage = not happening...ever. ) and I'm probably one of the biggest perfectionists when it comes to these kind of things, I had decided I'd go with #12; Nedry's Jeep, because it was the only auto Wrangler in JP. So immediately, I knew there was more to Nedry's Jeep than the others (the four fog lights on the light bar). So, I went on a search for the lights. Whilst watching JP, I paused the movie when there's a dashboard shot of Nedry's Jeep and saw that there were four controls mounted on dash over the book compartment. They looked strikingly familiar to these lights I'd seen before, and they were! They're Jabsco Marine Remote Controlled Spotlights, about $200 each, times four, add shipping, almost $1000 bucks I'd have to spend just because my Jeep's auto and of my perfectionism!! Most would be like, 'no way, I'll just do without them', but, I didn't stop there.

I found everything else I needed: the Ramsey REP6000 winch and winch plate, MOPAR light bar, BFG Radial All Terrain T/A tires, the EXACT ball and spring CB mount and antenna used in JP, which, by the way, I already bought and have no use for, so, MA88XJDude, if you still need to buy that, I'd probably sell it to you for a good price. PM me!

But, amongst all of my searching, I almost forgot about the 2 little a-holes I couldn't find in the first place, the rear taillight-mounted amber fog lamps. I literally searched EVERYWHERE for those damn things! I found quite a few that bore a striking resemblance to the ones in the movie, but they weren't EXACT and my big pet peeve is: if they existed in 1993, there's gotta be more of them somewhere, so, I kept looking. I thought I was on a roll when I figured out that the three red fog lamps mounted on top of the Ford Explorers in JP are the same as the rear amber lamps on the Jeeps, but I still had no luck finding them. After exerting all this effort into finding those lights and everything else, I got thinking... I wanted to take this thing to shows, I wanted to keep it nice and shiny, pretty...which technically means, I'd have no fun with it at all. IT'S A JEEP! You're supposed to get it dirty and not be afraid when people step on your fender flares as they jump into it and make the paint web up! That's what I always wanted in a Jeep, not to be always worried about my carpet getting screwed up (I know, I know, just take them out) and stuff like that.

PLUS, in the beginning, it didn't seem like a lot of money to do...well, compared to other movie replicas like the BTTF Delorean or Ghostbusters Ecto-1, it's absolutely NOTHING, but, now, being 19 without a full-time job, yet, and not generating a lot of income, yet, it's really an expensive venture that, unfortunately, I know I'll regret in years to come.

Think about it:
$1,800 for Champagne and red striping paint job.
$500 for professional vinyl decals.
$500 for Ramsey Winch.
$100 for Winch Plate.
About $60 for CB accessories.
About $800 for tires.
About $800 on spotlights.
About $100 on light bar.
About $100 on amber lamps(when I freaking find them).

That brings me up to $4,760!!!! Now, I'm a filmmaker. I recently just bought my camera equipment and there is still equipment I need to buy, but, I was stupidly gonna put nearly 5k into a project rather than 5k into my passion, you know?
So, if the failure of finding the rear amber lamps wasn't enough to scrap this project, the money was! So, I decided to not make the JP Jeep, but rather, find another Jeep, 6 cyl. 4.0L , YJ or TJ, but 5 spd. this time and a lower price for what I paid for my Jeep!

So, I put it up for sale, in the hopes that someone else out there looking to make a Jurassic Park Jeep replica will find mine, buy it, and turn it into what I originally bought it to be! Or, of course, someone will buy it just to buy a good Jeep! Seriously, if anyone out there is looking to make a JP Jeep, mine is ready to be JPized!!

But, good luck to you, MA88XJDude, and anyone else here on making the JP Jeep! Seriously, any questions at all about the JP Jeep that you have, except for the amber lamps , I'd be more than happy to offer my expertise!
Also, I sincerely apologize about the Harry Potter book I just wrote you guys, but, I really haven't vented out all that yet to anyone, and who better to vent about Jeeps than to Jeepers?! Feels good!! But, I thought I'd share 'cause, I mean, next to my Jeep being JPized, showing you guys, THE JEEP COMMUNITY, a build thread and such was a REALLY big excitement of mine, so, thought I'd share what I had almost built!

[SnowdogMarc]

Originally Posted by MA88XJDude

The BFG A/T's are nice but they are quite expensive and I already have a lot of other parts to purchase, the way I see it I can go with some cheap tires to wheel for a while then eventually get the BFG.

Take a look at the Firestone Destination MT, I have them and they are awesome in the mud...I love them and would buy them again.

[MA88XJDude]

Threw in a air horn that was given to me by the guys at my shop. It kind of sounds like a train but not quite, kind of lame but hey it was much better than the horn that was in from the PO, it was like a boat horn or something and you couldnt even hear it.

Tomarrow I am picking up my rims and tires, and perhaps sand down and re-paint my freebie bumpers.

I really want to order something for my Jeep but I can decide what, I am really thinking a window re-seal kit and new bestop replacement soft top in tan (because it rained for three days here and my winsheild leaks and my rear window has partaily seperated from the canvis and my back area is a puddle), but I really cant decide. I also really want to order up my light bar and fog lights because I think having that on my jeep will look awsome. The winch isnt quite in the cards for a couple weeks or maybe after the paint job, but I am most exited for the winch.

[MA88XJDude]

So I picked up my rims/tires today, it was a hour and a half drive in my yj on the highway , then my directions sucked so I was all messed up getting there, and then I ran out of gas in the guys drive way because I wasnt paying attention, luckly I got it up the road and some nice guy gave me a bit to get it to the gas station which was two more minutes up the road The trip was not that fun, but hey at least I had a buddy with me haha.

So then I put them on when I got home! They are Bridgestone Dueler M/T (32X11.5R15LT) I dont think that they are made anymore which sucks because two are in excelent condition but the other two are bald, if they still made them or if I can find some I will get three more and have a full set plus spare.



Then decided to test its articulation. It doesnt take much to make a tire come off the ground, but hey it only rubs when I turn the wheel to much. I am keeping them on for about two weeks until I get the rims sent out to be sandblasted and powdercoated red.





Also I figured out that its not my winshield leaking water in so much as it is my cowel vent. I figured this out because today after I put the tires on I went for a little trail ride with my friend and brother, and while going through some muddy water it all got splashed up and came in on our feet. Yay! So now I need to figure out how to fix that little problem.

[SnowdogMarc]

Originally Posted by MA88XJDude

Also I figured out that its not my winshield leaking water in so much as it is my cowel vent. I figured this out because today after I put the tires on I went for a little trail ride with my friend and brother, and while going through some muddy water it all got splashed up and came in on our feet. Yay! So now I need to figure out how to fix that little problem.

There's a drain hose on the passenger side of the box that runs into the eng bay...10 to 1 it's clogged. It's about 1 1/2" in diameter and is slightly crimped at the bottom.

[Houston_JP]

lookin good man!