Jeep Stephen Finally Bought a Jeep

[Stephen]

It was bound to happen, right? You stick around RME long enough and eventually you'll end up owning a Jeep.

So how did I, the quintessential automotive non-conformist, end up getting one? Well, my best friend down in St. George has had one sitting in his back yard for awhile and the last time I was down there my son took a liking to it. It's a 2009 Wrangler with a bad power unit, completely sunbaked paint, worn out tires; so pretty much a full rebuild. But I got it for nothing, so why not?

The plan is to rebuild the power unit so it has a bit more oomf, these Wranglers are snails! I mean, the Samurai has more guts than these! It came with portals, which was an unexpected bonus. Probably throw a two inch lift on it, new shoes, and a full repaint.

Should be a fun little project! I'll post up some pictures here shortly.

 

[Stephen]

OK, so this is what it looked like when we checked it out a few months ago. My son right away identified that it didn't work and my friend said the battery was toast anyway:


Hauled it up to my parents house a month later since it's going to be a surprise for my sons birthday on June 2nd. My mother was thrilled to have another derelict vehicle stored there.

Taking the whole thing apart was super easy, all it took was a Phillips screwdriver. No wonder people like modifying Jeeps! So much simpler than a Nissan...:



You can see the portals here:



Next step was getting it all cleaned up after sitting for years:

 

[Stephen]

Then it was time to tackle the lack of power in this thing. Rather than just replace the 12-volt battery with a new one, I swapped in a 20-volt system that uses Craftsman V20 batteries. I also installed a "soft start" module and "brake reduction" module so the power comes on smoother and when you let off the peddle, it doesn't just slam to a stop.



Since my parents live at the mouth of Parleys, I had to wait for a day when the wind wasn't howling in the evening to get it repainted:



I think the Duplicolor "Electric Blue" was a pretty solid match for the original color.

Then it was time to reinstall the power unit:



I also upgraded the wheels and tires to a sweet set of Harbor Freight 13" pneumatic hand truck tires. Should really improve the off-road performance over the factory plastic ones. I'm not sure why more Wrangler owners don't go this route, at under $15/per tire its a cheap upgrade:

 

[Stephen]

Finally, I threw it all back together and added a "retro" sticker pack as well:











Anyway, thanks for reading! RME was a great source for information on Wrangler builds and I hope you guys got some inspiration for your next build from this! I'm sure my son will be excited to drive it for the first time on Sunday and will be seeing all of you on the trail soon!

 

[glockman]

Power wheels huh.

 

[The_Lobbster]

Got it for nothing eh? Wanna double your money on it right now?

 

[Kevin B.]

I ain't buyin' it.

Power wheels huh.

I was thinking an RC crawler, but I like this too.

I just know for damned well Stephen didn't haul a busted YJ or whatever up from St George.

 

[Stephen]

Got it for nothing eh? Wanna double your money on it right now?

You'll have to talk to my son about that. And I tell you what, its easier negotiating with terrorists than it is with toddlers!

 

[N-Smooth]

I had all my power wheels mod info locked and ready but you did all the things I was going to recommend. Hopefully the gears hold up okay with the traction the rubber tires provide. That's all the relevant input I have left.

Oh and your son is way cooler than you already...

 

[Stephen]

I had all my power wheels mod info locked and ready but you did all the things I was going to recommend. Hopefully the gears hold up okay with the traction the rubber tires provide. That's all the relevant input I have left.

I fully anticipate that the motors and gears will be fried soon. Fortunately you can buy upgraded units that are designed to handle the extra power and grip for pretty cheap. The Power Wheels aftermarket scene is both awesome and insane.

Oh and your son is way cooler than you already...

All comes from his mothers side.

 

[Herzog]

Time to have the "duck" talk...

 

[Hickey]

Finally, some real tech from @Stephen

 

[The_Lobbster]

That's way cool! Been wanting to modify a powerwheels for my daughter.

Where did you source the electronic components you used?

 

[Stephen]

That's way cool! Been wanting to modify a powerwheels for my daughter.

Where did you source the electronic components you used?

ML Toys | Power Wheels Upgrades and Stock Parts

Upgrade your Power Wheels and ride-on toys with faster motors, and custom upgraded parts including tuned kits, gears, batteries, lights, tires and more. Give your kid the fastest, coolest toy on the block and make your Power Wheels toy better!

mltoys.com

 

[nnnnnate]

So how much are you into it? $60 for the tires. What else?

 

[Kevin B.]

OMG the Harbor Freight steelies. 😍

 

[Stephen]

So how much are you into it? $60 for the tires. What else?

Total is about $200. Still less than a new one and way cooler.

 

[glockman]

One of my co-workers would wire a 6v battery in series connected to a momentary on button labeled "NOS". I thought that was pretty rad.

 

[STAG]

The original 4XE

 

[Stephen]

The original 4XE

I've thought about what it would take to make it true 4WD, and I think that'd be pretty cool. But, the time and expense to do that isn't worth it for a 3-year olds toy thats just going to get beat to hell.