Breathing New Life into a JK

Project vehicles are all part of wheeling and this dedicated DIY’er takes us through some paces of bringing ‘the old back to new.’

by

Words and Photos by Peter Boyer

Heading into Fall 2020, following the first wave of COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, my thoughts turned to the long winter ahead. I started thinking about how to best pass the time other than communicating on social media, watching Netflix and reading through a stack of novels. My solution was simple - purchase a project Jeep JK to get it ready for the better days of summer 2021.

With the many benefits of buying a project Jeep, I quickly learned that it’s important to do proper research, determine a budget, and decide how much effort and dedication would be required. There’s nothing worse than an ol’ heap that you had grandiose plans for just to sit in the driveway for months on end collecting rust after losing interest. It’s also important to do a complete vehicle inspection, and determine what the vehicle can and cannot accommodate, which is also a great way to prevent any of the ‘buyer beware’ surprises and the oh-so-common disappointments down the road. 

For me, the decision to buy and take on a project jeep came easily. As I am fortunate to have an empty clean, bright, and heated two-car garage, I had space, the means and, of course, the time to take on such a project. Yet, I must admit it wasn’t without a little effort, research, patience, and a good ol’ fashioned perseverance to get the results I wanted. So, in hindsight here are a few of the trials and tribulations I endured and steps to consider for your project jeep. 

The Search and What I Bought

To begin with, what I needed to do was find a project vehicle suitable for my purposes. I decided to focus my search on a 2-door Jeep Wrangler JK since they are many choices between 2007 to 2018 and there’s an abundance of new OEM, aftermarket and used parts readily available. I then reduced the infinite field of possibilities by creating a list of personal parameters for the vehicle. These included no corrosion damage, a base model with a manual transmission, the ability to start and stay running, driveability, and low mileage. I also wanted it to be as near to stock as possible.

I knew that with these parameters, a project JK should be affordable, especially the older models. It took me approximately a month to find a vehicle that I was ready to test drive and possibly purchase. It was located in Bancroft, ON, approximately three hours from my residence in Fergus.

It was a mid-series, 2011 base model, 2-door JK (with the old-style 3.8 L Pentastar engine that Jeep updated with a 3.6 ) with a soft top and 75,800 km (47,099) on the clock. Although it only had one owner, the chassis was rusty (but the body was in OK shape), and it still had the original 16”(yet rusty) steelies with 29” OEM tires – 225/75/16. It was perfect and just what I was looking for. I test drove it, bought it, paid cash and took it home.

OK, maybe it wasn’t perfect. In fact, it was evident that the only maintenance that was completed on this JK was the changing of the engine oil. Its suspension was soft and weak, there was a broken front spring, the brakes were indifferent, steering was vague, the soft top zippers were seized, and it definitely needed new wheels and tires. It also had heavy surface rust, the engine compartment was gritty, and the chassis and frame were coated in sand and mud. But, it did start and the 4X4 functioned well. I was confident I could perform all the necessary work to give this rig many more years of dependable use. 

The Build

The beauty of a basic JK is it’s based on a simple 4X4 platform. Modifications, upgrades, and repairs are well within the skill set of a tech-savvy, untrained mechanic (such as myself) and with the right mods, it could be as trail-worthy of a rig as you could wish for. With that in mind, my thoughts were to create a clean, dependable daily-driving Jeep that my wife and I could enjoy during the summer, take on some mild trails and make trips to the beach with the top down. 

The Process

My modest goal meant project costs would be minimal and a plethora of used JK parts were available. For example, halfway through the winter, I purchased a complete, almost new Rubicon suspension for $200. Plus, repairs and routine maintenance involving changing fluids and filters would be minimal work. 

My first task prior to placing it on jack stands in my garage was to pressure wash and degrease the chassis. This is an important step after purchasing an older, used vehicle as it minimizes dust later in the shop. I also knew at some point I wanted to descale the surface rust on the chassis and axles, and apply a semi-gloss black chassis paint – POR 15. So, blasting off 10 years of mud, grit, and crust off the underside was going to be necessary anyway. 

Surprises and Lessons Learned

There’s always a ‘buyer beware’ mentality when purchasing any used vehicle. Someone famous once described geopolitical uncertainty in terms of ‘known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns.’ The same could be applied to used Jeeps. Fortunately, most of the work on my project Jeep fell into the category of “known knowns” – things I had anticipated and expected. However, four issues still surprised me including: 

I knew the soft top zippers were seized but after a good soaking, applying lubricant, and thorough cleaning, I realized they were beyond repair. Fortunately, I was able to find an almost-new Bestop NX Supertop at a very modest price. Nevertheless, it was still a cost I wasn’t anticipating. 

While the rear caliper pins were seized, I was able to free up one side but I broke a worn pin on the other creating a domino effect. This ultimately resulted in changing both rear brakes. I purchased new ones for safety’s sake but it was another cost I wasn’t expecting.

My initial plan was to purchase new tires and wheels. However, during my many Kijiji searches for other parts, I found a set of low mileage, take-off 17” OEM wheels from a 2017 Sahara that came with OEM Goodyear Wrangler SRAs 255/75/17, a 32” tire, which is the maximum OEM size for a stock Jeep. While not suitable for a hard-core trail rig, they are nice tires for daily driving. What I didn’t realize was that the TPMS sensors were changed in 2013 from 315 MHz to 433 MHz, thus they wouldn’t work on my 2011 Jeep. Since the life of the old TPMS sensors is about ten years old and nearing its end, I decided to buy new replacements, which was another unforeseen cost.  

After changing the tire size from 29” to 32,” the speedometer on my JK was inaccurate. I found a local shop to reprogram the speedo for the new tire size but the cost was the same as doing it myself with a dedicated Jeep reprogramming tool. The one I used was a Superchips Flashcal. It worked great, but it was another overlooked detail, and yet one other unplanned expenditure. 

Conclusion

It was these mods and more that I completed during the winter and my efforts paid off, especially now that it’s mid-summer. With some TLC and replacing the suspension, new rear seals, giving it a modest 2.5” lift, and some other ‘surgery,’ my 10-year-old project Jeep now looks almost timeless. Although it’s always nice to buy new, project vehicles are a great way to exercise your DIY skills and perfect a rig to your wants, needs and personal preferences. It’s also a great way to save money, and it’s not all that difficult to get great results with a little time, effort and dedication. 

Has Your Project Vehicle Hit that Milestone 100,000 km? Here’s what Maintenance to do:

Upon buying a project vehicle (or any off-road rig that hits 100,000 km (62,000 mi)) your best bet for added longevity is to do a full service and inspection. Many of the items listed below can be done by the tech-savvy DIY’er or reach out to a local shop if you need extra assurance. . With some care and attention, an older rig can be every bit as dependable and capable as a new one - and still look great!

  1. Clean, degrease and descale the engine bay and chassis, especially on the inside of the frame.
  2. Treat the chassis with a rust converter and then coat it with rust-preventative paint.
  3. Remove floor mats. Dry and clean thoroughly and then inspect for rust on the floor pans. 
  4. Inspect for and repair any corrosion on the sheet metal and/or body tub.
  5. Rust proof the underbody with Fluid Film or a similar solution.
  6. Inspect all mechanical components that are essential for vehicle operation and source/repair with used, aftermarket or OEM parts.
  7. Change all fluids including engine oil, differential gear oil X2, transfer case oil, transmission oil, brake fluid and engine coolant.
  8. Inspect and replace any degradable components such as filters, spark plugs, ignition wires, battery, windshield wipers, serpentine belt, plus rad/heater hoses.
  9. Replace all broken and missing OEM parts such as bump stops, mirrors, door latches, seat belts etc. 
  10. Remove stock components and install key accessories to meet personal preferences including a VHF radio, winches, recovery bumpers, suspension, tires/rims and other performance parts.