enginerd4ni
New member
2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited TJ/LJ Rubicon Located Near Austin, Texas
Mileage: (since engine swap in 2013) ~22,000
Engine: New (at the time) 2013 GM 5.3L V8 Iron Block 799 Heads from a SUV that was totaled out from hail damage prior to delivery (according to builder)
Transmission: New Venture NV 4500 5 speed manual (I think it is the Dodge version with 1st gear 5.61:1, 2nd gear 3.04:1, 3rd gear 1.67:1, 4th gear 1:1, and overdrive of 27%)
Transfer Case: Atlas 4 Speed (2.72:1, 3.8:1, and 10.34:1)
Axles: Front and rear Rubicon Dana 44, sleeved, Revolution 4.56:1 gears, ARB air lockers, front with RCV shafts, rear with Revolution chrome shafts
Front Hubs: Warn Premium manual locking with what I think are Chevy K10 style hubs and 5 lug on 5.5” circle
Front knuckles: Reid Racing High-Steer
Suspension: Clayton 5.5 Competition with full skid plate, 1505500 front springs, Bilstein, ACOS
Wheels: ATX Series AX181 Artillery Teflon (I think) with IROK ND 37x12.5/16
Roll Cage: GenRight full cage, welded, sealed, tied to ARB twin air compressor as an air reservoir and air chucks on driver and passenger side
Body: GenRight aluminum fenders, body armor, steel boat sliders, AEV High Line hood, Hi-Lift 60” Extreme mounted to passenger side
Bumpers: ARB rear bumper with swing arm and Titan12 gal gas reservoir, MEO front winch bumper with shackle mounting point extensions, Warn 9000i recently rebuilt with Master Pull Superline DB-08-050-SEP 50 feet soft eye and Factor 55 aluminum fairlead
Tops: Rally hard top, bimini top included
Doors: Quick access guide pins for conventional doors and set of tubular half doors included
Gauges/Switches: Speed Hut with GPS speedometer, tach, oil, temp, volts, fuel, air pressure, custom switch panel built into ceiling console
Comms: Yaesu FTM-400XDR 2m/70cm and Midland MXT275 GMRS mounted into custom ceiling console, DIN radio with detachable faceplate
Storage: Custom 48” full extension aluminum drawers on AccuRide heavy duty slides, aluminum Line-X coated deck plate including aircraft track tie-downs, original back seat no longer mounts but is included if you want it, wired for ARB or similar fridge/freezer to sit on deck plate
Vehicle Purpose:
This vehicle is set up for a more technical and aggressive portfolio of trails. I designed and waterjet cut the drawer/deck system to provide an overly generous amount of multi-lockable storage but also allow robust aircraft track style mounting points for your additional overlanding kit like fridges/coolers, Zarges cases, etc.. Similarly, I designed and cut the overhead console for switches and the radios to keep them as high as possible in case your water crossing is a little deeper than you expected.
Why I’m selling: Shortly after I purchased it from my friend (the original builder) back at the start of Covid19, my family situation changed. I have not been able to use it for its intended purpose and only drive it enough to keep the gas fresh. It is an amazing vehicle and extremely capable while still being acceptable on-road. However, I just don’t have the time to use it and fix the little things that I think it needs to be worthy of something like Ultimate Adventure. I spent my spare time fixing some small things and spent way too much time and money on the drawer/deck system and don't have time left to really justify it.
What is right with it: Well, GenRight, is a good starting place. The unit looks great and performs well. It can crawl at 264:1, it can front dig, it can get into and out of crazy obstacles. It has plenty of secure storage for all of your overlanding or rock crawling needs. It is relatively easy to work on and relatively simple to operate. The experienced off-road driver will know that this is a very comprehensive build with all the hard work already out of the way. The newer driver will have an amazing rig that will perform better than the driver’s skill for years to come. Most importantly, it passes inspection in Williamson/Travis counties. Carfax available on request (note that the odometer was reset to zero at the time of the engine swap).
What is wrong with it: I believe in honesty and integrity and I want the buyer to know what they are purchasing to the best of my ability. Here is a list of things I wanted to fix but ran out of time:
- Clutch can get a little grabby sometimes, would probably be a good idea to eventually surface the flywheel while you're at it
- Inner seals on the front and rear diffs have slight leaks that let fluid make its way through the axle tubes over time, might consider installing and axle end-seal as well to protect the tubes/sleeves from water ingress if you plan to ford deep water regularly and don't want to preventatively change the diff fluid after each trip
- Aeroquip fuel hoses are notorious for leaching/smelling like gasoline, not really a hazard, but would consider replacing them with something else to avoid the smell
- Fuel tank rollover valve sometimes gets sticky (known issue with TJ) and then filling up the tank takes a long time, simple fix but need to drop the tank
- I purchased some Black Magic brake pads but never got around to installing them (included with sale)
- Air conditioning worked when I bought it but has since lost its charge. I never used it so I never bothered to fix it.
- Like most V8 swaps, the motor creates a lot of heat. There is an automatically controlled fan and a manually controlled fan mounted to the aluminum heat exchanger. I’ve never seen it overheat, but it gets toasty in the Texas summer heat. Would consider further upgrades to the cooling system to bring down water/oil temperatures and decrease the engine bay temperature in general.
- Some of the hard top seals by the rear glass don’t seal very well and can let in some water
- The 37” tires are old rubber and need to be replaced if you really want to drive this on the highway safely. They are fine for crawling though. IROK no longer makes the 16” rim fitment tires so you might want to upgrade to a 17” rim as well.
- Some of the wiring is not up to my standards. I rewired much of it but didn’t get to everything.
- Beyond that, there are squeaks and rattles that are expected for a 20 year old Jeep and other things that just go along with having a custom vehicle.
- I can include a kit of spare parts, fluids, u-joints, etc.
Negotiable:
- I can include a recovery kit of new or like-new gear including ropes, shackles, tree-savers, pulleys, extensions, etc.
How to make the deal:
I have the clean/clear title in hand
For local buyer, I will meet you at your banking institution during banking hours for the test drive. If you decide to purchase, we will go inside and you will obtain a cashier’s check from your bank, in person, made out to me the seller, for the full agreed upon sale price. I will then sign over the title and provide a bill of sale. If you would rather pay by personal check, or a pre-issued certified or cashier’s check, that is an option but I will not hand over the vehicle or title until the check completely clears both banks (usually within 1 week)
For non-local buyer, we can private message about details. Most likely I'll want a fully cleared payment prior to release of the title and handing over the keys
Pictures attached below and additional pictures can be viewed at this link: (yes I am a private seller)
https://www.automotivating.com/Jeep2005/index.html
