Jeep Wrangler JK Goes from Stock to Built in Just Six Months

Doozy of a Post

For the most part, first posts from new JK Forum members are merely introductory, or they include pics of their personal rides. But in the case of Andrew William Lee, his first post was a doozy that included a quick six-month build that had already taken place.

Photos: JK-Forum

Many Obstacles

Andrew purchased this '07 Wrangler dead stock with the exception of Smittybilt side steps. But what makes this entire process even more impressive is the fact that he was a cash-strapped college student at the time.

>>Join the conversation about this forum member's JK build right here in JK-forums!

First Things First

In a fantastic showing of making the best of what you've got, none of those obstacles slowed down this build one bit. The first order of business was a new set of Falken Wildpeak AT3W tires, because the stock ones were basically bald. 

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Freebies

Andrew immediately tested out his new rubber with a trip through the Croatan National Forest. But then, it was back to the build. He encountered a great stroke of luck when his buddy bought a Jeep with a Rugged Ridge bumper that he was able to score for free and fix up himself.

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Making Due

He couldn't quite spring for new wheels, but he wanted a different look. So he Plastidipped the originals and added hub centric spacers to give the Jeep a more aggressive look. 

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Christmas Gifts

Christmas came and brought with it a host of new parts, including a switch panel, LED headlights and fog lights, a Smittybilt winch, and LED light bar and pods.

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Problem Solver

Andrew also showed his ingenuity by solving a couple of problems. He fixed an errant headlight issue by installing a resistor and battled wind buffeting from the soft top by lowering the light bar a few inches from its stock mounting location.

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Affordable and Durable

From there, he simply drove and enjoyed his modified rig while he saved up money for the next upgrade - a lift kit. He went with a Zone 3" coil lift kit with Hydro Shocks, an affordable yet durable choice.

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Finish Line

With the help of his brother and some pals, he was able to get the lift kit installed in a day. And with that little touch, this impressive six-month budget build was complete.

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Future Plans

Of course, that isn't quite the end of the story for this young man's Jeep. He plans on getting a rear bumper with a tire carrier next, for starters. So be sure and follow this build moving forward and drop him some encouraging words by heading over here!

>>Join the conversation about this forum member's JK build right here in JK-forums!

For maintenance and repair guides for your Jeep, browse our technical How-to articles right here at JK-forum.com!