SEMA-bound Jeep Pickup Build Will Steal the Show This Fall

Florida-based Bruiser Conversions to build one-of-a-kind Jeep JL Wrangler for this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas.

The annual SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada is the place for the industry to showcase the truly ambitious, inspired, and yes, even bizarre innovations and builds that both reflect and shape trends in the market. Rarely do we get a chance to see the process of creating a custom build for SEMA, however. YouTubers Crawl TV allowed us an unfettered look inside a custom Jeep JL build by Bruiser Conversions that will be sure to create quite a buzz at SEMA. In a series of videos, we go through the many steps Bruiser Conversions goes through to make their vision of a Jeep JL pickup a reality. Yes, a Jeep pickup.

First off, we should note that you’re going to see a beautiful new Jeep JL be sliced and diced. It’s tough to watch, but just keep telling yourself it is for a good cause. In previous videos the crew at Bruiser chopped the rear end of the Jeep off. Now, with just 66 days to go until SEMA, there is a lot of work to do, and time is a serious factor.

With the added weight of the modified pickup body, the crew is also adding a jig, or internal structural skeleton to hold the new rear end, fortify the body panels, and ensure that every part lines up perfectly. Next, the Jeep body is lifted from the frame, for a full conversion as well to accommodate the engine swap. The frame is then rolled out and disassembled.

The JLU team gets to work on modifying the body to fit the the truck bed. The body work is done very thoroughly in a painstaking process to create a seamless pickup body from a Jeep JL, no easy feat. In addition to the aesthetics, the measurements must be done exactly right this to come together and line up perfectly.

The video is a great watch, and a fascinating look into all that goes into a SEMA quality vehicle. To follow the build, and learn a great deal about the conversion process, keep checking in with the Crawl TV You Tube channel. And to marvel at some of Bruiser Conversions other projects, past and present, check them out on Instagram.

Join the JK-Forums now!

S.J. Bryan

Longtime automotive journalist S.J. Bryan has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is an editor with Ford Truck Enthusiasts and regular contributor to F-150 Online, Harley-Davidson Forums, and The Mustang Source, among other popular auto sites.

Bryan first discovered her passion for all things automotive while riding in her parent's 1968 Ford Mustang. The automotive expert cut her teeth growing up riding on Harleys, and her first car was a Chevy Nova. Despite her lead foot, Bryan has yet to receive a speeding ticket.

The award-winning former playwright was first published at age 18. She has worked extensively as a writer and editor for a number of lifestyle and pop culture publications. The diehard gearhead is a big fan of American muscle cars, sixth-gen Ford trucks, and Oxford commas.

S.J. can be reached at sherryjbry@gmail.com.