MattScott
Approved Vendor
I've had a series of vehicles in my overland history. Sadly, many of them never saw much use outside of a day trip to an OHV park. This was because at the time, living in the midwest, I didn't have the great trail access that I now have in Prescott, AZ. It was time for something new.
My 1993 Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series. It had too many problems and too much rust to keep.
I went through a brief period where all I used for transportation was motorcycles, a variety of sport bikes (Ducati, Yamaha, Kawasaki) and then finally a variety of Harley Davidson. I still enjoy motorcycles, however, my lady, does not. All of the reasons I was drawn to them, the noise, the feeling of being connected to the road, the open air; were all reasons she was drawn away. We decided the Jeep Wrangler was the best combination of the two, we could take the top down, and the doors off, and have a four wheeled motorcycle to drive.
I decided to find a TJ model with a inline 6 engine. I'll be honest, when I bought my first off road vehicle, my Land Rover Discovery, it was because I could not afford a Jeep Wrangler. They were still stretching what I wanted to spend to be honest.
I ended up finding a deal on a modified 1999 Jeep Wrangler Sahara, with just over 110,000 on the clock, and all of the "expensive" modifications done already. It was a bit beat up, but everything was there, and most importantly, the price was right.
She's happy in the Jeep.
How she currently sits, cleaned up.
Here she was when I brought her home.
The previous owner, who was not very interested in selling, neglected to clean the mud out of the vehicle, or from underneath the vehicle. It was as dirty as you could possibly imagine.
But I was able to pick it up for about the going price of a bone stock 1997 Wrangler with a 4 cylinder, cleaning did not bother me.
Buddy, my dog, has claimed the vehicle as his own.
The more I looked through the Jeep, the more I realized that it had already installed.
First on the list was replacing anything that was worn, or could leave me stranded.
Second on the list was converting the vehicle to something a little more useful as a long distance traveler. My new environment in Prescott provided me with a plethora of options for trails, I wanted something I could take out on the weekend, camp for a night or two, and drive to work at the Expedition Portal HQ on Monday.
The previous owner had the vehicle set up for mud, and rocks. It was something I was interested in when I lived in the Midwest, but now, I'd rather go travel and explore. Here's the plan, in no particular order:
Replace the Tube Fenders with the AEV High Fender Conversion Kit. (The Tube fenders aren't my style)
Lower the Jeep a few inches by installing 2-3 inch springs. When combined with the Long Arm Kit, this should produce a great ride.
Armor up areas that are vulnerable.
Equip the vehicle with better lighting.
Work out a better storage system.
Resource Lists:
Oil Filter Comparison
My 1993 Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series. It had too many problems and too much rust to keep.
I went through a brief period where all I used for transportation was motorcycles, a variety of sport bikes (Ducati, Yamaha, Kawasaki) and then finally a variety of Harley Davidson. I still enjoy motorcycles, however, my lady, does not. All of the reasons I was drawn to them, the noise, the feeling of being connected to the road, the open air; were all reasons she was drawn away. We decided the Jeep Wrangler was the best combination of the two, we could take the top down, and the doors off, and have a four wheeled motorcycle to drive.
I decided to find a TJ model with a inline 6 engine. I'll be honest, when I bought my first off road vehicle, my Land Rover Discovery, it was because I could not afford a Jeep Wrangler. They were still stretching what I wanted to spend to be honest.
I ended up finding a deal on a modified 1999 Jeep Wrangler Sahara, with just over 110,000 on the clock, and all of the "expensive" modifications done already. It was a bit beat up, but everything was there, and most importantly, the price was right.
She's happy in the Jeep.
How she currently sits, cleaned up.
Here she was when I brought her home.
The previous owner, who was not very interested in selling, neglected to clean the mud out of the vehicle, or from underneath the vehicle. It was as dirty as you could possibly imagine.
But I was able to pick it up for about the going price of a bone stock 1997 Wrangler with a 4 cylinder, cleaning did not bother me.
Buddy, my dog, has claimed the vehicle as his own.
The more I looked through the Jeep, the more I realized that it had already installed.
- 35x12.50x15 Goodyear MTR's (90% Tread) with American Racing Steel Wheels
- Rubicon Express 6 Inch Long Arm Lift
- 4.56 Gears
- Line-X'd Tub
- (Brand Unknown) Rock Crawler Tube Fenders
- Slip Yoke Eliminator Kit (SYE) + Correct Driveshafts
- Besttop Sailcloth Top with tinted windows (Nearly New)
- Swingout Rear Tire Carrier
- Homemade Front Bumper
- Smittybilt 10,000 LB winch
First on the list was replacing anything that was worn, or could leave me stranded.
Second on the list was converting the vehicle to something a little more useful as a long distance traveler. My new environment in Prescott provided me with a plethora of options for trails, I wanted something I could take out on the weekend, camp for a night or two, and drive to work at the Expedition Portal HQ on Monday.
The previous owner had the vehicle set up for mud, and rocks. It was something I was interested in when I lived in the Midwest, but now, I'd rather go travel and explore. Here's the plan, in no particular order:
Replace the Tube Fenders with the AEV High Fender Conversion Kit. (The Tube fenders aren't my style)
Lower the Jeep a few inches by installing 2-3 inch springs. When combined with the Long Arm Kit, this should produce a great ride.
Armor up areas that are vulnerable.
Equip the vehicle with better lighting.
Work out a better storage system.
Resource Lists:
Oil Filter Comparison
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