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Screenname/Name: Resharp001 (Russ) Jeep’s name: Rara Avis
Location: DFW metroplex area
Jeep Info: 2013 JKUS
Stock Options: 3.73 gears and the power package/u-connect was all I opted for.
Suspension/Steering Mods: Built Rubi axles with 5.13 Yukon gears and Nitro shafts and PSC diff covers Method 105 beadlocks wrapped with 37” Nitto Trail Grapplers Rock Krawler 3.5” springs paired with Fox 2.0 shocks Metalcloak control arms Metalcloak track bar Synergy tie rod Yeti26 flipped drag link Dynatrac ball joints JKS quick disconnecting sway bar links
Exterior/Exhaust Mods: Crawler Conceptz rear skinny bumper Smittybilt stinger front bumper (for now) with Smittybilt 10k X2O synthetic Ace Engineering inner fender liners PSC hood louver GenRight fender deletes PSC rocker and rear corner armor HyLine Offroad a-pillar armor Customized rubi rails Rock Hard skids Adams 1310 front drive shaft Adams 1350 rear drive shaft AFE exhaust y-pipe Thrush Welded muffler in factory location JW Speaker Gen 2 LED headlights Rigid Dually bumper mounted lights Rigid Dually D2 a-pillar mounted lights
Interior Mods: Katzkin graphite leather Rear seat recline blocks Custom storage trunk with fold flat sleeping surface Raptor lined tub Excessive industries 40-bar rear cross member Kicker speakers Tuffy under seat storage drawer ARB CKMTA12 dual compressor mounted under passenger seat 6-switch sPOD mounted above rear-view mirror A-pillar mounted garage door buttons Bully Dog 40417 programmer
Future plans: Still need to upgrade brakes (Mopar BBK), and address hydro steering with WTO’s RNR.
Me:
General pic:
Top of the World, Moab '18
Flexy on Golden Crack, Moab '18. Ran Poison Spyder, Golden Spike, and Gold Bar Rim in summer of 2018. Drug along a buddy in a rented jeep that day. Didn't see another sole out there. It was peaceful. Was prepared for just about any possible repair/trouble, and expected it to take the entire day. We made it in 8.5hrs, and that included 3 stops of at least 30 minutes each. What a great day!
Fun at Hot Springs Offroad Park
Picked up a hitch-hiker!:
Last edited by resharp001; Apr 25, 2019 at 11:47 AM.
Nice rig. Why is it named Rara Avis? I looked that up, and it means 'rare bird'... so I'm thinking there's a story to this?
It’s a long story, but the jeep’s original name was Ironhide (named by young daughter at the time). Couple years later one of my buddies sent me a picture of a Jeep named Optimus and said it was my cousin….to which I said “what the hell are you talking about?” They were like “you know…the whole transformer thing…...you've been driving a Transformer this long and didn't know it?? ”. Well, I grew up in the 80’s, and I was a huge fan of the original Transformers, but have to admit I didn’t recall Ironhide…..and ugh, I DID NOT want nor intended to be driving a Transformer (no offense to those that like those names based on their jeep “transforming” in to a built rig, just not for me). I was conflicted. After some thought, the jeep got renamed. Rara Avis is Latin and loosely interpreted as “rare bird”. The name struck home with me and seemed to fit on a few levels:
1) I wanted something that was not common….something that people wouldn’t really know what it was, would really have to think about, or would have to care enough to ask about if they wanted. I intended the font to be harder to read. On the preview, you really had to look closely at it to tell what it said, but I accidentally ordered larger letters than intended and didn’t care enough to pay for new decals. In smaller form, with that font, the letters are trickier on the eye.
2) My jeep is a franken-build…..a mix of different component brands rather than a boxed kit. It was built over time with no loyalty to any specific manufacturer. A unique mismatch of parts….for better or worse, resulting in most likely a one-of-a-kind combination of crap and some things that were “customized” (not necessarily in the good sense) .
3) I’m very much an introvert. I like meeting people with common interests, but it takes time to warm up and really get to know them. I’m a bit more of a lone wolf than a person that likes to hang out in big groups…..no jeep clubs for me. In that sense I’m a bit “different” and the name just had a bit of a personal connection for me…..I think I could easily go be a hermit somewhere in the boonies.
4) When I was re-branding the jeep with its new name, my daughter came out in the garage and asked me why I was naming it that……and without hesitation I shot back that it was like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, the jeep was rising and taking a new form from the remnants of IronHide.
The pic at Golden Crack is impressive, that's a lot of down-travel!
Y, my front shocks are pretty long, which created some headaches along the way. I don’t get near the same travel out of my rear (as you can see below) cuz my brake lines, though extended, aren’t long enough to let it travel further. Funny picture…. a buddy was still able to put my jeep in this predicament while driving it to go rescue HIS jeep which he had just gotten wedged against a tree! I was sitting in the passenger seat and looked at him, shaking my head, asking "how the heck did you just miss that line so bad?" I honestly thought it was going over....I slowly slid out of the passenger seat hoping the absence of my 200lbs wasn't going to be the final difference as it teetered.
There's something to be said about having fun with a simple build like what you've enjoyed. They all go fun places! The write up for this sub-forum took much more effort than I was originally thinking it would, but I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's build and pictures.
Russ - May 2019 Winner
”. Well, I grew up in the 80’s, and I was a huge fan of the original Transformers, but have to admit I didn’t recall Ironhide…..and ugh, I DID NOT want nor intended to be driving a Transformer (no offense to those that like those names based on their jeep “transforming” in to a built rig, just not for me). I was conflicted. After some thought, the jeep got renamed. Rara Avis is Latin and loosely interpreted as “rare bird”. The name struck home with me and seemed to fit on a few levels:
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