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Back in 2019, I did something very unexpected and very impulsive: I became a Jeep owner. Before owning my Wrangler, I’ve owned mostly GM products, with my last vehicle being a super badass police Tahoe with a 6.0 swap, decent sized cam and full exhaust. I’m the proud owner of a toxic trait where I get bored easily … to a fault – and that is how I came to own my Wrangler. It’s a Jeep thing – I’m going to help you try to understand.
I’ve always been somewhat interested in Wranglers because I love to modify cars and play with them. Jeeps are the perfect car to make your own and take on adventures. Somewhere in mid September, I listed my Tahoe for sale as a feeler on Facebook … and it was ready to be sold within a day, which meant, I needed to find a car. We met my buyer at the mall parking lot, and luckily enough for me, there was a Jeep dealer across the road.
Let me tell you how impulsive and easy I am to deal with:
- Does it have heated seats? Yes.
- Is it a non-metallic gray? Yes.
- Is it a manual? No … but I couldn’t find a manual with heated seats in Sting Gray to save my life. SO 8-speed auto it is.
- Is it a hard-top? Yes.
- Can I afford it? Yup. K SOLD.
I came and picked it up the following day after work. My first brand new car, all on my own.
I made it five days before I ordered my first parts : sliders. For whatever reason, non-Rubicon Jeeps don’t come with sliders or steps. I chose a set of Barricade Offroad sliders because they were coated and simple looking. That’s one thing about my style when it comes to my cars – I do not like gaudy or obnoxious.
After the sliders arrived, I had already ordered some Jeep gear for Harve: a sweet seat cover *aff link* for him to sit on (and protect my seats) and a seat belt *aff link* – because safety first! Dude LOVES going for rides in his Jeep! The seat cover is top notch – with many fastening points to keep it on the seat surface and holes for the seat belt to plug in. It’s easy to clean and super easy to store in the tool compartment when he’s not with me. The seat belt is essentially a bungee leash that plugs in like a regular seat belt but fastens to his collar or harness like a normal leash. He gets enough of a lead to go from window to window, but not enough to leave his seat. 10/10, love both of these products.
I got pretty self conscious quick of owning a plain-Jane Jeep, so I ordered a set of Rugged Ridge 17×9 Steel Wheels and hugged them tight with some 33″ Milestar Patagonias M/T’s *aff link*. I freaking LOVE my tires. They look badass, they’re not super loud and they’re not awful in less than ideal weather (they’re definitely not perfect though). I’ll probably go to 35″ tires and add a lift once the current tires wear down. Yes, it is OEM ride height with no lift or leveling kit.
Let there be light!
After a decently long time of not messing with the Jeep, I upgraded the OEM halogen headlights with Axial LED halo headlights – which are absolutely kick ass. They illuminate SO MUCH MORE while driving and look SO DAMN GOOD. The same day we upgraded the lights, we swapped out the OEM front bumper for a Barricade Offroad Adventure HD bumper. It looks tough AF.
Finally, Greg got me fancy LED fog lights from Diode Dynamics. I chose yellow LEDs because of how the human eye processes yellow light. Long story short, yellow light removes shorter blue/violet wavelengths from the spectrum, making it easier for the eye to see at night, in fog or during rain.
You’ve Made It This Far … Want a Discount Code?
In the past month, I’ve been sponsored by Barricade Offroad and am a member of their CORE Team. I love Barricade parts … they’re simple to install and they look SO DAMN GOOD.
Use my code to get 5% off of your order at ExtremeTerrain.com or AmericanTrucks.com! 5BAR0563
I would absolutely love to see your cars or projects. I’m a car girl, through and through, no matter how much I don’t want to be. Share your IG links in the comments below so I can check out your cars!
