Gold Cobra

[Gold Cobra]

So after selling Red Dragons 10 days after I got the title in the mail, to pay our taxes I was left with no rig, again. So for months I frantically searched craigslist for rig. At first I was looking for a 91-92 MJ, then I changed my mind and wanted a already built 97+ XJ, then a built TJ, maybe a 4 door JK. I've always wanted an LJ but thought they were too priced too high. All the "cool kids" were buying coal-rolling trucks to drive and trailers so they no longer had to drive the Jeep. But I have a company vehicle that I take home, as well as my wife's family car. So I didn't need a driver, just a toy. After talking with Outdoors at the meet and greet, I was sold on getting an LJ Rubicon. So I looked for a few weeks until one popped up that had what I was looking for.

Here's what I ended up with:

Pic taken on the way home, in Centralia. Bought the Jeep at Milam Mazda in Puyallup. Nice place, I'd buy from them again.

Anyway, it's a 2006 LJ Rubicon. 4.0l 42RLE Auto 241 44's with 4:10s (Stock Rubicon fare) and came with an RE long-arm, 35" KM2s, bumpers, a Superwinch 9.5ti, LED tails, some fancy Mopar NAV deck (maybe it was fancy in 06), a ~1.5" body lift, JKS motor mount lift, Cobra CB, and maybe some other stuff I haven't discovered.

The next day I loaded the wife and daughter into it for a drive. In case you were wondering the easiest way to load a kid into a car seat in a LJ, is to open the back and lift them over the bench and into their seat.

A few pics from our drive,

 

[Gold Cobra]

So then it just sat at my house for 2 weeks, until Aaron's birthday run.

I realized while packing for this trip that I had no spare parts, not even a proper sized spare. So I figured I'd pack light, I brought a pillow, two sleeping bags, a small amount of food, and a 30-bomb of High Life. That's literally all I brought. At that meet and greet, Outdoors told me that with the back seat pulled and the passenger seat tipped forward you could sleep in the back at an angle, so I tested it out before I left, and it worked! So I didn't even bring a tent.

One of the "cool kids" dragging his Jeep.

My first time wheeling my new Jeep, I had a blast. It performed great, with no noises at all on the trail, no squeaks or bangs or clunks. Silent on the drive home too. We'll see how long that lasts.

Most of these are stolen from dellstopjeepswife.

 

[Gold Cobra]

On the way home from TSF I pulled off the highway to weigh my rig. According to that scale I weighed in at 4600 pounds. With me in it and no back seat(55 pounds), but equal weight in camping gear. Some thing I'd like to focus on on this build is weight. When Simple Green was stripped down to the basics it was such a fun rig to drive. Also less weight means less stress on moving parts. I'll try to document the weight in every modification I make to this thing, and we'll see how it adds up.

First "modification", lose the factory sized spare.

Wheel and Tire -68 pounds
Spare mount and 3rd brake light -9 pounds

 

[muddypunk]

I so want a TJ Unlimited Rubicon They are sweet and drive so nice compared to a standard TJ.

 

[XJ-00-1]

Calling it gold doesn't change the fact that it is yellow.

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

Calling it gold doesn't change the fact that it is yellow.

It's the Schaefer Short Bus:spin1:

I'm not jealous, at all..



:eye:

 

[crazymoose1990]

It's the Schaefer Short Bus:spin1:

I'm not jealous, at all..



:eye:

LOL I rode the short bus at the swap meet a few weeks ago, apperently the short bus has some advantages, like A/C, the drivers can take them home and some others which ecape me now. Kind of like your Darren.

 

[NW99XJ]

So how's those rear long arms do? Did you find they got hung up on things at all, or get dragged across every rock?
I like the idea of weight control for the "theme" of this build.... Does that mean alot of aluminum vs. steel armor? Maybe we'll see some carbon fiber? Gonna ditch the hardtop for a soft top?
Sorry for all the questions, -and congrats on finally breaking that thing in, I know alot of guys were giving you crap sayin you were never gonna wheel it...

 

[Gold Cobra]

According to my phone, the weather should be pretty nice the next few days.

So I decided to take advantage of that. I've been very eager to take the top off so after work today I got right on that project. I took the doors off then while I was waiting on Eric to come help me with the top, I came up with a clever solution to my mirror issue.

It's the rear view mirror I had lying around from simple green. I just drilled a hole in the base and ran a bolt through it. It's barely functional but it doesn't stick out, makes me legal, and it was free. When Eric finally showed up, we looked at the top for a few minutes and lifted it off. Eric carrying the light side and complaining the whole time. Then I took it for a drive!

No top and no doors is a blast! It was pretty cold on the way home though, and the heater is useless with an open cab.

Doors - 53# each
Top - 210# (that is just an average of the 10 different numbers I found on the Internet, there's no way for me to weigh the top on my sh*tty Kirkland brand scale.)

 

[olysteve]

Driving with the top off almost makes up for the frostbite on a 65 degree day. Better day today!

 

[olysteve]

Nice looking rig, although it IS the short bus.

 

[BoringDave]

You plan on keeping the 35's or stepping down to 33's like your amigo's?

 

[ruger81]

According to my phone, the weather should be pretty nice the next few days.

So I decided to take advantage of that. I've been very eager to take the top off so after work today I got right on that project. I took the doors off then while I was waiting on Eric to come help me with the top, I came up with a clever solution to my mirror issue.

It's the rear view mirror I had lying around from simple green. I just drilled a hole in the base and ran a bolt through it. It's barely functional but it doesn't stick out, makes me legal, and it was free. When Eric finally showed up, we looked at the top for a few minutes and lifted it off. Eric carrying the light side and complaining the whole time. Then I took it for a drive!

No top and no doors is a blast! It was pretty cold on the way home though, and the heater is useless with an open cab.

Doors - 53# each
Top - 210# (that is just an average of the 10 different numbers I found on the Internet, there's no way for me to weigh the top on my sh*tty Kirkland brand scale.)

Would of been a cooler poser pic if you would of been flexing on the jersey barrier

 

[kndrewa]

lol@ "it is the short bus"

 

[Gold Cobra]

Couple updates.....

Eric stumbled across a Craigslist posting where someone was giving away a "poor condition" factory soft top for free. I called him, drove to Sherwood Oregon and picked it up.

Apparently "poor condition" meant dirty, there's really nothing wrong with it. What does it weigh? I have no idea, my 1'x1' Kirkland scale is no good for weighing LJ tops. I'd guess about 50 pounds.

I also drove it to NWFest, wheeled it for three days, then drove it home. Only issues where a smashed tail pipe and my passenger fender is slightly frowning.

I also learned that my winch works and the soft top doesn't leak at all.

 

[NW99XJ]

All good news! :thumbup:
You happy with it's performance at NWfest?

 

[Gold Cobra]

I now have 2 headlights that point forward. I also painted the trim rings black. 'cause chrome is gay.

 

[BPB]

looks good. I like the bumper delete mod

 

[Snapple]

what happen to your beer

 

[NickDanger_XJ]

Oddly enough, I checked this Jeep out when it was at Milam.

I was there to look at an old Orange GM truck they had, but it was a total pile. Then, almost considered trading my TJ in on this since it's like a dream build already done, but figured I can just do it the slow way on my Jeep.