Mods and the Jeep Wrangler go together like trails and the Jeep Wrangler. We’re not just talking rock rails and bigger tires, though.
At this year’s SEMA show, Webasto introduced a quartet of products for the JK, starting at the top – literally. The rivetless Throwback folding fabric roof is one piece with “flush-mount rear connections to the factory hardtop that seal using the Freedom Panel’s original attachment points.” Webasto has tested the $779.99 unit’s robustness for three years on a variety of trails, including the Rubicon. Installation is as easy as using the Wrangler’s factory tool kit.
For keeping everyone hydrated and cool out in the wild, there’s the $649.99 Fridge Freezer 31. It can run on 12/24V DC or 115/230V AC power (although the supplied pic above shows a different AC rating) and chill 45 12-ounce cans in either ECO or TURBO (Max) mode.
That fridge can slide out on Webasto’s $179.99 Dual Cargo Slides, which can be attached to a $199.99 base plate and lock into place at certain positions.
Both the Fridge Freezer 31 and Dual Cargo Slides can be paired with Webasto’s $419.99 Cargo Security Surround, designed to keep valuables out of sight. To make room for longer cargo such as skis and rifles, it features a removable pass-through.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
