[gatesjr03]

Back in June/July of 2007 in search of my first car/truck - I decided I wanted something more fun, orginally a small pick but I'm glad I got a Jeep instead.
My parents found a few Jeeps upstate, The one I ended up purchasing was a 2003 Jeep Wrangler X, kahki (tan) colored, had just under 14k miles.

So this is my build thread, I like to think of it as the different stages of my Jeep, so here you are.
Feel free to comment about anything - Let me know what you think...

--

Came with a few mods too ^_^

• Brush Guard / Breaklight Guards
• Side Steps
• Panasonic Radio Face
• 30x9.5 on 15inch Raven Rim [Upgraded Jeep Rims Package]

(But no rear speakers)
Picture of it on the used lot:


My oldest brother shortly got his 4door JK Sahara and met guy who called himself 'Wrangler Rob' - which became very ovious why [everyone] called him that. lol - After going off roading in my brothers stock JK, I knew why I bought my jeep and decided it was time to build it up.



Couldn't forget me and my friend installing fog lights for the first time at 12 midnight try to figure out what the heck we we're doing. Not to mention how badly we failed at installing the rollbar speakers, eventally we got kicked out of his out after the Jeep was completely taken apart - and got both installed along with the silverstars the next day.

I bought some toys for the Jeep before a half a year of owning my Jeep

• Fog Lights 6" (KC)
• Front Tow Hooks
• Silverstar Headlights
• Sirius Sat Radio
• Rollbar 6" Speakers with 2" Tweeters and Dome Lights
• Cobra 19LT CB (walmart) and Antenna (fake radioshack firestick)

Finally when winter hit i decided it was time to get a lift, and since I was in high school - at the winter of senior i bought myself a little budget boost :]
We went up to Robs house, and for 6 hours, in the freezing cold tried to figure out the installation proccess - it even snowed shortly after we finished. What a cold day/night, wish we had a working heater but it was well worth it!



Official shopping list:

• 2" Rubicon Express Budge Boost [Spacers / Twintube shocks]
• Steel Whip CB Antenna
• K&N Drop-in Air Filter
• 31" Toyo AT Spare [As a temp]

Decided to upgrade my antenna to something a little better, steel whip
Also while messing around in my back woods, I got a flat and needed a new tire, i bought the Toyo thinking it was what I was ganna use after the lift.

Come Christmas time, parents made me a little 'gift cert' for my Jeep
And using that and soem other money replaced the Toyo tire and bought myself four new tires. BFG A/T

Yet the stock rims, noone told me, where going to have to go and needed something with a little more backspacing - luckly for me andrew (thejafe) had a set for steal rims he decided he wasn't going to use after purchasing them.


[New Tires]


[New Rims]

What was installed above:

• BFGoodwrench A/T - 32x11.5 on 15 inch
• Cragar Soft 8 steel black - 15x8 / 5 on 4.5

[gatesjr03]

My jeep finally got to a point where it wasn't just another stock Jeep on the road ^_^
So I did what anyone else would do, cont to go wheeling and bought more stuff for the Jeep..
To be exactly, I purchased:

• PA Speaker - Mounted under hood
• Hood Decal 'Mud Rascal' (Jeeps Nickname)
• Removed the top break light from spare
• Oh-**** Handles

While wheeling, My Jeep had finally gained a name - Mud Rascal - being the youngest usally, the rascal part was a given, the one who wasn't sure what he was doing and had a playful attitude, maybe a little mischievous.
And to make this official, instead of trying to be a Rubiclone - I got a decal made up and stuck it on the hood so all would know.





My closest friend, during all this got himself a Subrau Impreza so alot of work we did to my Jeep needed to start being done to his while helping him I became a little more street and wanted my Jeep to look just as good as I could get it - It started to turn into a blacked out thing, making everything black on there stand out and tinting windows, since the soft top was already tinted. Also have another friend who was way into CB radios and talked me into getting a 80watt 10-meter radio, instead of the standard 4watt CBs. -While I was at it I wanted to hear my music better and feel more comfortable all around with my Jeep and its new found indepence of any jeep around here (at least).


Me and a friend took some pictures one night, this was my favorite.

What exactly was it that I added this time?

• Magnum s3-80 / a10 Meter Radio with 80watt linear
• Hood Fog Lights (Complement windshiled lights -not shown)
• Reverse Fog Lights
• Spray painted the fenders
• ATK 12" Subwoofer - 700watt max
• Duel Amp - 580 Watt
• 20% Window Tints (to match softop)
• Window Vent Guards

I also decided to use some spare parts to make a homebrewed flag mount that sits opposite of the CB radio on the breaklight guards.

Again trying to gain the look of my Jeep, I decided that [ X ] and WRANGLER logo had to go along with my idea of tinting my windshield, which I never followed through with, I decided that I was going to need HIDs in my head lights so I could see alot better - And with my HIDs came halogen bulbs for all my fog lights so they would be whitish and not yellowish compared to the HIDs. Also I figured since I didn't want a softop and the winter mornings defently sucked - a remote started would be very beneficial.



This time the mods I did:

• Removed the [ X ] logo from side & the *caked-in* magnets
• Remove the Wrangler logo from the side
• Ultra Bright White bulbs for all fogs
• Windshield Tint Strip 5%
• Hornet remote start (No Security)

When money was low, that didn't stop me from trying to find things to do to my Jeep and I decided while we we're replacing something on my other friends WJ that I would be painting my bazels and the 'KC' on the rock guard.

• Painted the KC on the Fogs
• Painted the headlight bazels to a flat black

So I finally got my new headlight housings and the HIDs in and wouldn't you know it - they're wasnt enough power through the stock wiring so I needed to get a wiring harness - about a week later everything worked perfectly though, and I could really see everything


What'd you do:

• Xertec 5000k HID Kit
• New Housings (Org for a Porche)

Here's all my lights just incase you missed it

[gatesjr03]

My long over due birthday gift finally came from a friend and I replaced the amber indicated with clear ones, that was one of the easier mods, though I want to get LEDs to that you cannot see the amber through the clear lenses.
But the thing is lately around town they'res two other khaki lifted Jeeps and about four or five not lifted - that for some reason people thing it could be me. So I started on a mission to add pinstrips to the body and hood for an unnoticed unique style. Yet since its winter time I was only able to do the body and still waiting for a nice enough day to do my hood. Also I decided I'm putting a grenade decal (snowboarding company) on the opposite side of the gas door in silver.





I also finally got my braket to get my whildshield lights mounted, It just needs to be painted yet its been too cold

In the future I'm hoping to replace my bumpers, get myself a real set of rocksliders. I just can't seem to find anything I like and of course money is kinda low - I have also considered a Magna flow cat-back and maybe a new air intake, who noes...eventally I will also lift her higher too

[4pointOH1998]

It looks like you're off to a good start. Get some more pictures off the pavement

[gatesjr03]

Yea I havn't gone off roading too much because the friend I usually go with had his 35s and Rims stolen right from under his jeep over night :| I'm hoping to be going real soon - the 4th of July was the last time :|

[gatesjr03]

[[More Random Pictures:]]

[gatesjr03]

Put on the pin stripes from the door to the tailgate
still need to add the ones on the hood
its a thin silver then a lil thicker black

[tufrthnails]

Gotta Like the nickname. looking good.

[gatesjr03]

If you know grenade (gloves) the snowboarding company you might recognize this decal
I decided I needed one last thing to make it my own.

[2006_Sport]

nice jeep man

[dbarnhart4]

hey man this thing looks great

[gatesjr03]

Finally, I got rid of my stupid brush guard!

Using the wrong tools got all but one bolt off, finally went out and got a T-55 and was able to take it off and perfect.

Anyways what you guys think...








Also,
if you look closely you can see i finally finished the pinstripe on the hood :]

[01grandcher]

My WJ doesn't even compare

Awesome jeep bro

[justanotherhemi]

Great looking Jeep.

[gatesjr03]

It was a beautiful day friday the 17th (april) so we decided it was time to take the ol'jeep to the beach