Body And Interior
The first thing that most people notice about this Jeep is the airbrushing. We'd call it purple, but Mike tells us that the black is actually a metallic black base, and the "purple" is actually "amethyst reflections". All of the paint and airbrush work was done by Chris Lewis at 3 Deuces Customs in Cheyenne, Wyoming
The front bumper and rear crossmember are both custom pieces, but the front tubular fenders, rocker guards, rear corners and rear tube fenders are all TnT Customs parts. Mike did a lot of grinding, filling, and sanding to get them ready for paint. We'd have just shot color on them, but Mike wanted it to be "right" and so all of the normal tubular fender welds and seams are now gone resulting in a really clean look. A MileMarker winch sits atop the front bumper ready for the off chance Mike gets stuck.
Inside, the stock seats still remain with the fronts receiving a pair of Bestop seat covers. The seats are bolted to a TnT Customs roll cage kit which was welded in by Mike with some added custom trussing and tubes here and there. A Kenwood CD player provides the tunes when the horses aren't let loose and running free. Recovery gear, tools, and the Hi-Lift jack go behind the rear seat while the spare axle shafts and driveshafts are behind the front seats, where Jeep thought the rear passenger's feet should go. A space-saver CB is mounted under the dash, and on longer trail runs, a soft sided cooler gets console duties between the two front seats.
Good, Bad, & What's It For
Normally 37-inch tires with a Dana 44 front axle and a Ford 8.8 rear axle shouldn't work together. Throw in a V-8 and the axles should liquefy. With Mike's devil-may-care attitude with the gas pedal, any weaknesses should have already given up the ghost. Yet the undersized axles live day in and day out, and he keeps on giving the crowds a show. Also, somehow the transmission puts up with the abuse and wacky angles that it is regularly subjected too also seemingly without a complaint.
Considering the number of Jeeps we see, it is still rare to see a full-bodied Jeep with the seats mounted to the roll cage. Given the usage this Jeep gets, we figure that was a very prudent move.
Hard Facts
Vehicle: '88 Jeep Wrangler
Engine: '75 AMC 360
Transmission: TorqueFlite 999
Transfer Case: NP231
Suspension: TnT Customs Coil Conversion
Axles: Ford high-pinion Dana 44 (front), Ford 8.8 (rear)
Wheels: 15x8 Eagle Aluminum Mod
Tires: 37x12.50R15 Goodyear Wrangler MT/R
Built For: One Jeep to drive on extreme trails and on the road
Estimated Cost: $16,000
Why I Featured It
Michael is a cool guy who, aside from theatrics has no problem lending a hand when someone breaks down and has a good amount of mechanical know-how. Put him in a Jeep with a V-8, axles we'd typically expect in a Jeep with a six-cylinder and 35s, and then watch him drive with more skinny pedal than typically needed because it's more fun that way. Somehow the Jeep stays together and rubber side down, and I just have a good time watching Mike's unique driving style. Don't get me wrong. He isn't all gung-ho with no style or no driving skill. He's got both, and uses them. It's just that he uses them with a liberal application of throttle.- Pete Trasborg