When we ran into Robert Girard we were struck by how a guy in a clean JK could take any line he wanted. Then we got to looking underneath his Jeep and noticed the hammered skidplates and hand-siped BFG MTs and we knew there was more here than a new JK owner. It turns out that Robert has been wheeling Jeeps since CJs were all the rage and is just loving the ability of his new Rubicon compared to all the other Jeeps he's owned.
Model: Wrangler Rubicon
Year: 2007
Owner: Robert Girard
Hometown: Commerce, Michigan
Estimated Value: A bazillion dollars
Build Time: 8 months (so far)
Years Wheeling Experience: 30
Favorite Wheeling Spot: Moab, Utah
Why Choose This Vehicle To Build: Love of off-roading
Favorite Terrain: Moab, Utah; Mounds off-road park, Michigan
Engine: 3.8L V-6
Aspiration: Stock EFI with Hesco Supercharger kit
Transmission: Stock automatic
Transfer Case: Stock NVG241OR
Front Axle/Differential: Dana 44
Rear Axle/Differential: Dana 44
Ring and Pinion Ratio: 4.88
Front Suspension: Rancho 4-inch standard lift with Bilstein shocks
Rear Suspension: Rancho 4-inch standard lift with Bilstein shocks
Wheels: 17x8 American Racing Mohave
Tires: 35x12.50R17 BFG Mud Terrain T/A KM
Other Cool Stuff: Skid Row transmission and transfer case skidplates, M.O.R.E. stubby front bumper, Mopar rear bumper with tire carrier, Banks headers and exhaust
Favorite Mod(s): Supercharger
Least Favorite Mod(s): Plug wires melted to headers
If I Had To Build It Again: Swap in a V-8
Take a Cherokee, lift it 31/2 inches, install Truetrac limited slips front and rear, add some 33-inch tires and some rocker protection, and you've got a combination that can cover 85 percent of the trails in Moab. Add a 26-year-old first-time wheeler and even cynical magazine guys like us remember how much fun we had back when we started.
Model: Cherokee
Year: 1998
Owner: Kevin Girard
Hometown: South Lyon, Michigan
Estimated Value: Priceless!
Build Time: One weekend
Years Wheeling Experience: 0
Favorite Wheeling Spot: Drummond Island, Michigan
Why Choose This Vehicle To Build: It was there
Favorite Terrain: All of it
Engine: 4.0L
Aspiration: EFI
Transmission: AX-15 five-speed
Transfer Case: NP231 J
Front Axle/Differential: Dana 30
Rear Axle/Differential: Ford 8.8
Ring and Pinion Ratio: 4.10
Front Suspension: 31/2-inch Rubicon Express
Rear Suspension: 31/2-inch Rubicon Express
Wheels: 15x8 Unique
Tires: 33x12.50R15 BFG Mud Terrain T/A KM
Other Cool Stuff: JCR Rockrails, 40 series Flowmaster, K&N drop-in air filter
Favorite Mod(s): 8.8 Ford rearend and the rocker guards
Least Favorite Mod(s): The spare tire carrier
If I Had To Build It Again: Change nothing