Is a Jeep Wrangler with a Defender Front End considered blasphemy?

[krick3tt]

Were you ashamed of it being a Jeep and wanted to disguise it? Perhaps add a Mercedes emblem to the grille to really confuse people. Maybe add a Ferrai badge to the back too.
It's your vehicle and you should be able to do what you want but seriously?

 

[shays4me]

Were you ashamed of it being a Jeep and wanted to disguise it? Perhaps add a Mercedes emblem to the grille to really confuse people. Maybe add a Ferrai badge to the back too

That would all be ok but I really draw the line when people add a rolls Royce grill, lol!

 

[DaveInDenver]

That would all be ok but I really draw the line when people add a rolls Royce grill, lol!

Simply not true.

 

[shays4me]

Simply not true.

View attachment 619755

That’s exactly what I’m talking about!

 

[DaveInDenver]

That’s exactly what I’m talking about!

You know in your heart of hearts that's the epitome of style and self assuredness.

 

[shays4me]

You know in your heart of hearts that's the epitome of style and self assuredness.

I wouldn’t be able to drive it without constantly laughing at the looks I’d get!

 

[DaveInDenver]

I wouldn’t be able to drive it without constantly laughing at the looks I’d get!

Like I say, you'd have to be really sure of yourself and not give much weight to what anyone else thought. You would certainly not fade into the woodwork driving one.

 

[Heading Out]

Simply not true.

View attachment 619755

I remember their being quite a few of those hoods around SoCal in the 70's
Personally I liked the 40 Ford hood better.


But back on track, I wouldn't buy the rover front end, if I was going to do something like that
I'd go with the Gladiator front end kit.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I remember their being quite a few of those hoods around SoCal in the 70's
Personally I liked the 40 Ford hood better.
View attachment 619779

But back on track, I wouldn't buy the rover front end, if I was going to do something like that
I'd go with the Gladiator front end kit.View attachment 619777

Mimicking an old J-series is appropriate and I think very cool looking.

 

[Jurfie]

Did I miss something? Is the OP selling kits? If this is a one off custom, have fun with it. If you start thinking about selling these, consult an attorney (who will probably say “No”).

OP edited his original post; he had originally said he would consider marketing it for sale if enough people were interested.

 

[bird_2112]

Looks ok in my view well done on making it work. Would certainly match one of those adverts for a Land Rover when in the description it keeps mentioning jeep !!!

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

 

[nathane]

Looks great to me, fantastic job.

 

[94Discovery]

Land Rover ideas for Jeeps

I posted a few Defender dimension a few days ago but I was wondering exactly how the overall size of the Defender compared to the JKU and LJ (with a Safari Cab hardtop) so I did this scale drawing. The numbers under each vehicle is the wheelbase. FWIW, the TJ Unlimited has a 103.5”...

expeditionportal.com

i say you need to compleet it ,the fender flares they need to match and the roof is doable check the like above.

View attachment 619512

I think there are a lot of us out there that love classic 4x4s but, don't off road. I'm one of them. We buy classic 4x4 vehicles and enjoy sharing stories when we run into fellow enthusiasts. Twenty years ago, I purchased a 1977 FJ40 and slowly fixed it up. Today, it's a beach buggy and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. When I sold my company a few years ago I was going to buy a Defender 90 but, decided on a 1992 Mercedes 250 GD 'Wolf'. Now I enjoy both but, I ran into some similar issues with the Wolf that I have with the FJ40.

Recently, I purchased a 2nd home and contemplated a 1995/1997 Defender 90 for when I vacation there but, after thinking about how much of a pain in the butt old vehicles are I decided against it:
* most old 4x4s are under powered (wolf = 80HP, FJ40=120HP)
* it is difficult to remove the doors on both vehicles
* generally stiff suspension - although the wolf has coils which make it much better.
* significant waiting time when new parts are needed. It can take a week or more.
* finding a mechanic that wants to work on the vehicle
* noisy at speeds above 40 MPH
* terribly time consuming to go topless and put back on especially for sudden rain
* tops sometimes leak in the rain
* generally a miserable ride if the top has to be on
* no highway riding as the vehicles have high winding engines at speeds over 50MPH
* no cruise control, electric windows, backup cameras, heated seats, etc.

I wanted a cool classic vehicle like the Defender that had modern bells and whistles. I agree that I can add some of the above features to older vehicles but, it all gets very expensive and very custom which isn't ideal if something has to be fixed.

I decided to get a Jeep Wrangler and see if I could put a Defender front end on it. I searched the web and I couldn't find anything from anyone who had done it. So, I gave it a shot and I'm pleased with the results. I'm going to start a company to do it for other Jeep owners. Pictures of my Jeep/Rover made it to social media where Jeep and Defender purists, had mixed opinions. There were haters and some who had positive things to say.

Do I need to worry about my Jeep/Rover's paint getting keyed because some enthusiast just can't stand the thought of a 4x4 that celebrates two great vehicles from different manufacturers? I'm interested in everyone's opinion. Please be constructive.

 

[jscherb]

Land Rover ideas for Jeeps

I posted a few Defender dimension a few days ago but I was wondering exactly how the overall size of the Defender compared to the JKU and LJ (with a Safari Cab hardtop) so I did this scale drawing. The numbers under each vehicle is the wheelbase. FWIW, the TJ Unlimited has a 103.5”...

expeditionportal.com

i say you need to compleet it ,the fender flares they need to match and the roof is doable check the like above.

Having designed and built hardtops for both LJ/TJ and JK/JKU Jeeps (including the one you linked to on the red Jeep) I can tell you that it would be easier to make a new roof panel for a factory hardtop than it would be to modify that LJ hardtop to fit a JK 2dr.

If it were my project, I'd probably start with a factory hardtop and make a new roof panel like the images below. I'd make the contours of the top panel to accept Discovery 1 Alpine windows. Building a upper rear door to attach to the Jeep factory tailgate has been done multiple times before.

Or you could just buy a Smittybilt hardtop that already has a raised roof: https://www.smittybilt.com/product/index/282.htm although they're lacking quality and features - the Alpine windows are plastic, there are no drip rails, no full rear door.

 

[billiebob]

Hi Ben,

By the time I got to Africa my Jeep had about 75,000 miles on it (around 120,000 kms)

I met people with Defenders that were just a few years old with 90,000kms who had already replaced the water pump, clutch, oil pump, starter and alternator.

Of course I met people with older defenders with more miles than mine who were having nightmares.
For what it's worth, mine now has 185,000 miles on it (almost 300,000kms) and I *just* replaced the alternator last week. Basically nothing else.

While I agree the Defenders put a huge smile on faces and they're a different vehicle for a different purpose, the number of people I met who were utterly fed up with theirs in Africa and South America makes me extremely hesitant to trust one.

-Dan

I have no idea about other 4x4s but my 2005 TJR just past 400K kms. Other than u-joints and a new engine at 300K kms, with the exception of the battery it is all original. The engine was running fine but leaking main seals and valve cover plus it would creep in gear on a grade with a trailer so I just did it and exchanged the engine for a remanufactured one. I had an accident last month and bought a low mile 2006 TJR. I have owned Jeeps since 1972. Never has a reason to try anything else. 48 years later, Jeeps have never left me stranded.