Every Jeep has a story.
For someone out there it may be the result of a long-held promise to graduate college. For another, it might be Saturday nights delivering meals to the less fortunate. Maybe your story is something you’ve experienced with your Jeep club or a cross-country trip with friends.
All these stories bind us. Captivate us. They prove to us that these iconic vehicles are something more than just hunks of metal clogging our driveways or invading our garages. In the process, they generate memories that last forever.
At The Quadratec Channel, we are all about the story. And we realize these great products we send out everyday to Jeep owners around the world can help make every story better – one shipment at a time.
Welcome to Tuesday's Tale - a Quadratec Channel Exclusive. On select Tuesdays in 2017, we will share someone's personal and passionate Jeep story in their own words. So come along for the ride and read all about what makes these vehicles so great for other Jeep enthusiasts. Or, even better, tell us your story: [email protected].
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This week we focus on a project build one of the Quadratec team members is assembling. A different kind of build, for him, as it is not something that will be modified out for extreme trail riding. Nor will it be built up for a mix of trail and daily driving. Nope, this one will be as different as the vehicle itself. See, there are a lot of TJ Wrangler's out there for sale. But very few - almost none - will you find still in pristine shape and with a stunning dearth of mileage. This one does. It wasn't easy to find, almost a 'barn find' kind of discovery. And so, to protect the vehicle's beauty, he has chosen to focus on parts that will enhance the Wrangler's appearance and performance for all his planned 'on-road' adventures.
So in his words:
Mike V - 2005 Wrangler TJ
Sometimes, the things we find are not things we are searching for at all. They just, kind of, happen. And so I present Project PearlJ - my 2005 low mileage Jeep TJ Wrangler. I was not looking to get a white TJ, but when I came across this one I quickly realized it checked off all the boxes for me. This will be a Jeep build-up project using non-drill quality parts that I feel are the best possible options from my years of experience here at Quadratec. Project PearlJ will not be a trail build - more of a 'mall crawler' that I'll use to take to shows or events throughout the year. I have other vehicle options for wheeling, many of you probably do as well, so Project PearlJ will be a perfect build-up to show off many of the high-quality products available that you can add to your vehicle, all while keeping it clean and manageable.
When I first started looking at buying another Jeep TJ (for those who know me, yes, my third Wrangler), I knew I wanted a certain year and level of options. I also knew I wanted to modify the vehicle, but not to the extent I've done in the past.
See, I've loved these vehicles since I was a teenager, when my first vehicle was a 1997 Wrangler TJ. I eventually totaled that one and quickly purchased another TJ - this time a 1999 - and went modifying crazy on it, to the point where it was no longer fun to drive back and forth to work. So I ended up purchasing a 2004 Grand Cherokee Limited as a daily driver, and gradually lost interest in the '99 Sahara until I eventually sold it to a good home.
A couple of years went by and I started looking at my dream Jeep vehicle, a 2010 SRT Grand Cherokee which most of you can appreciate. I purchased it used and with low mileage, so gone went the '04 Limited and in came that vicious modification cycle again. However, I didn't want to keep putting mileage on this Jeep because the SRTs are so limited, and the miles per gallon (obviously) was not great.
So what to do? Well, I decided to purchase a 2001 XJ Cherokee from a co-worker, and begin yet another build process so I could daily drive this one, as well as take it off road. After a couple years of doing just that, I eventually sold it and replaced with a 2016 Ram 2500 Diesel for a tow rig because I knew I wanted to drive the SRT at the race track more often, and then build up another Jeep down the road.
This brings me back to Project PearlJ.
Like I said, I wasn't searching for a white TJ specifically, but I knew I wanted something other than black and I wanted it with some sort of forced induction because, well, why not? Right? I also wanted the installation to be a very easy, plug and play, type. So, I decided to narrow the search to 2005-2006 Wranglers because you can re-flash the PCM using a handheld tuner. Other important features for me were a six-speed manual transmission, Dana 44 rear axle with the disc brake option, and a seven speaker sound system with sub-woofer. A hard top was a plus, but not a must.
I stumbled across the TJ which would become Project PearlJ, while surfing the internet. And while white, again, was not my first color choice, I quickly grew to like the Jeep. For a vehicle over a decade old, the mileage was only an astonishing 22,000 - with a price that reflected it, unfortunately. So I contacted the seller, and we emailed back and forth to make sure the TJ had all the options I wanted. When we talked on the phone, he told me "this is the cleanest Jeep you will ever find. I'm the second owner and I purchased it with only 4,700 miles from a local dealership. It has been garage kept, never saw rain, drove it one time in the snow and didn't like it because of the short wheelbase. It's a secondary toy I keep for use on weekends."
The seller sounded older, so I figured the Jeep was not beat up. I met him the following weekend with my truck and trailer, looked around the Jeep, and could not load it on the trailer fast enough. This thing was super clean; like brand new clean. Seats, interior, both hard and soft tops. All in perfect condition. Then we came to the frame, which was the best part. As we all know, Jeep frames like to rust away because there are no drain holes on TJ models. Well, this 2005 TJ's frame looked showroom new - not a spot of rust anywhere - and it even still had the dealer-performed body undercoating. Finally, the Jeep even had a rare 'MOPAR Performance Cat-Back Exhaust' which he was not aware of. I could not let this Jeep just sit around any longer. I had to have it. He even still had all the OEM speakers, radio, and fog lamps to give me which told me this guy was very particular and that I could trust him. Of course, I tried to negotiate a better deal, but the seller knew what he had. I made the deal and took Project PearlJ home.
After much debate whether to cut this thing up and wheel it, or just modify it and keep to pavement use, I decided on the latter. I didn't want to build this thing up and then realize it wasn't fun, or that I no longer had interest. Plus, the TJ was just too clean and would get ruined as a trail vehicle. Especially for what I paid. So, getting back to what I said in the opener, Project PearlJ will utilize a 'Mall Crawler' build. Basically, I want to make a really clean, solid, and powerful Jeep that I can take to various shows and gatherings during the year. I have no intent on wheeling it, or driving over snow-salted roads, because I really don't have that need. I have my Dodge Ram for those things. And I think many of you may be looking for a similar set up.For more on this build series, check out Project PearlJ.
