I Speak Jeep Apr 15, 2026

Easter Jeep Safari Concepts - Unbelievable Builds... Maybe

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Concept

taking the top off

“Taking the top off” refers to removing the Jeep’s roof panels and/or doors for open-air driving, a hallmark of many Jeep models. It’s especially popular in spring and early fall because it turns the vehicle into a more outdoorsy, weather-friendly ride.

Brand

Jeep

Jeep is the car brand this episode is about. They put on the Easter Jeep Safari and show off special off-road concept Jeeps there.

Concept

block of clay

In car design, a “clay model” is like a life-size sculpture used to figure out the shape of the body. The host is saying Jeep’s concepts are different because they’re built to be used outdoors, not just displayed.

Car

Ford Bronco

The Ford Bronco is a type of SUV built for off-road driving. It’s designed to go on dirt roads and trails more easily than a typical car. The podcast brings it up because it was around during the same timeframe as EJS.

Term

wind tunnels

A wind tunnel is like a giant fan test area where engineers study how air hits a car. It helps them make the car more efficient and stable.

Term

interior

“Interior” refers to the cabin components like seats, dashboard, and controls. The segment notes that many concept vehicles shown at events may not even have a finished interior, emphasizing that some builds are primarily for design presentation.

Concept

concept vehicles

A concept vehicle is basically a “what if” Jeep or truck. It’s built to show off ideas and see if people get excited before it ever becomes a real production model.

Car

Wrangler Rubicon

The Wrangler is Jeep’s off-road SUV. The podcast mentions it because it’s a common choice for serious trail driving and routes like the Rubicon. It’s brought up as something people consider doing for off-road adventures.

Concept

SEMA

SEMA is a big car show in Las Vegas where companies bring custom builds and new aftermarket parts. If something is “at SEMA,” it’s usually meant to impress enthusiasts and get attention from the industry.

Part

winch

A winch is like a heavy-duty pull tool mounted on the front or rear. It helps you get unstuck by pulling the Jeep out using a cable.

Term

37s

“37s” means the tires are about 37 inches tall. Bigger tires help the Jeep handle rough terrain, but they can make the ride heavier and more demanding.

Concept

tire size

Tire size isn’t just about looks. It can change how high the Jeep sits and how well it handles bumps and trails, but it can also affect ride and efficiency.

Concept

Non-removable roof

A non-removable roof means you can’t take the roof off. That can make the vehicle feel more solid and sealed, but it won’t give you the open-air “remove the top” experience.

Company

Kelsey Hayes

Kelsey Hayes was a company that made parts for cars, especially wheels and brakes. Mentioning it here is basically a throwback to older, classic wheel designs people get excited about.

Term

stock plastic bumper

That means the Jeep still has the factory bumper cover made of plastic. The speaker is annoyed because a custom build usually swaps that out so it looks fully upgraded.

Term

tow hooks

Tow hooks are the strong points on the front (or rear) of a vehicle used for towing or recovery. In custom builds, people often paint them so they look like part of the design.

Concept

JL builds

“JL” is the Wrangler generation. A “JL build” means a Wrangler JL that someone has modified, usually for off-roading.

Term

orange seatbelts

Orange seatbelts are a visual styling cue that can make a concept build feel more distinctive and intentional. In concept vehicles, color-matched or contrasting safety hardware is often used to reinforce the theme.

Term

A-pillar and bumper lights

The A-pillar is the part of the Jeep’s body right by the windshield. Some builds add extra lights there and on the front bumper to help you see better off-road.

Brand

Mopar

Mopar is the official Jeep/Chrysler parts brand. If a build mentions Mopar, it’s usually talking about Jeep parts made to fit and match the vehicle’s style.

Brand

BFGs

“BFG” means BFGoodrich, a well-known tire brand for off-road driving. People pick them because they tend to handle rough terrain better than regular tires.

Concept

resto mod

A “resto mod” is when someone restores a classic vehicle but also modifies it to improve it or customize it. It’s not just stock restoration.

Part

33 inch BFG All terrain tires

This describes a tire setup: 33-inch BFG all-terrain tires. The larger diameter and all-terrain tread are common in Jeep builds because they improve off-road traction and ground clearance.

Part

structural rock rails

Rock rails are the tough bars under the doors that protect the sides when you hit rocks. “Structural” means they’re built to help the vehicle’s strength, not just look cool.

Term

period accurate

“Period accurate” means the car looks like it belongs in that exact era. So the details inside and out are chosen to match the time period.

Term

Rubik's Cube on the dash

Putting a Rubik’s Cube on the dashboard is a fun throwback detail. It’s there to make the interior feel tied to a certain time period.

Brand

Motorola

Motorola is a well-known electronics company. In this context, it’s being used to point to the kind of old car phones people used back in the day.

Concept

NDAs

NDAs are legal agreements that stop people from talking about a project details. Here, it means we don’t get to know who built it or exactly what they did yet.

Car

1984 Cherokee

They’re talking about a Jeep Cherokee from 1984. It’s the older, classic generation that people like to build on for car shows and themed builds.

Term

33's

“33’s” means tires that are about 33 inches tall. Bigger tires need more room in the wheel wells so they can turn and flex without hitting the body.

Term

35's

“35’s” are even bigger tires than “33’s.” To run them, you usually need more clearance and more suspension/body modifications so the tires don’t hit anything.

Part

carbon fiber flares

Carbon fiber flares are the widened parts around the wheel wells. They can help fit wider tires and they also look really cool.

Concept

Easter egg

An “Easter egg” is a fun hidden detail you only notice if you look closely. It’s there to surprise and delight people who really pay attention.

Company

Nitto Recon

Nitto Recon is a specific off-road tire model. The speaker likes it because it grips well on rough ground but still feels stable and smooth. They’re basically saying it’s a good all-around tire for a Jeep.

LIVE

SFJ 4x4 Studios presents

In my oversized four-wheel drive Jeep

A Jeep podcast starring industry experts

Cure monocity

What? Say that again!

With mad scientist Scott Brown

I use my drill press as a sort of lathe

Our host, Neil Simpson

If one light goes on they all go out

Phil Bruce Shenanigans

We are really professional with Jeeps

This is I Speak Jeep

SFJ 4x4 Studios presents

In my oversized four-wheel drive Jeep

A Jeep podcast starring industry experts

Cure monocity

What? Say that again!

With mad scientist Scott Brown

I use my drill press as a sort of lathe

Our host, Neil Simpson

If one light goes on they all go out

Phil Bruce Shenanigans

We are really professional with Jeeps

This is I Speak Jeep

Good morning, afternoon, evening, wherever

However, you are joining us

This is the I Speak Jeep podcast

Presented by SFJ4x4.com

My name is Neil with Simpson Family Jeeps

And joined in Grandma's couch studio

There's a producer guy over there

Jeff, the Italian stallion

Man, you were quick to jump on that

But let's introduce the mad scientist

Scott Brown over there

Wearing his named hoodie so that everybody knows who he is

The Cherokee chief

How are you wearing your hoodie today?

I'm wearing a hoodie as well

It's like 70-something degrees out

And the heater was on when I walked in

So I came in early this morning

Odd thing is I got up and I walked the dogs

And I was in a t-shirt and I was like

Hey, it's kind of a warm breeze

I was fine

And then I was like I'll just have a hoodie

It's easier to take the layer off

I'll practice what I preach

I tell my kids this all the time

I got into the shop

And this is the challenge with the shop

Because it's concrete and cold steel

It was cold in here

It felt cold

It was not

I looked at the thermostat

And it was one of those cognitive dissonance situations

Where the thermostat did not say it was that cold

But compared to outside, it was cold

I was like nope, I'm turning the heater on

I'm keeping the hoodie on

I'm not having it

I was like spring is here

The Jeep should be naked

I'm good to go

Yesterday I totally wanted to strip down my Jeep

I really thought about it

The morning was a little breezy and chilly

But by afternoon it was amazing

Yeah, I really, really, really considered

Stripping the Jeep down yesterday

And I thought do I want to be that guy again

I used to love, love, love taking the top off

In March, April

And leaving it off until October

November pushing it

Man, I just

I don't know if it's

I like locking my stuff up in there though

That is the challenge I'm running into

Going to the stores and lock my groceries up

Or take the dogs with me

That's a little bit of the challenge I'm at

Anywho, today we are going to be unpacking

The Easter Jeep Safari concepts

I have not looked at them ahead of time

Other than you just walking in with the papers

So this is the first time

I have not followed along with it

Yeah, you know what

I think it's interesting

I think it's worth mentioning that

In the conversation that

I feel like there was not as much hype

And I wonder if

I was going to say from what I looked at

I'm still wondering where the concepts are

What you handed me weren't concept vehicles

And that's what we're going to unpack

And hopefully people in the comments

Will kind of weigh in and tell us

Their thoughts and how they felt about it

I felt like leading up to EJS

I recognize that we as a business

Are exceptionally busy right here and now

And while much of the world and the economy

Is a little downtrodden

We actually have a very full schedule

With quite a few jeeps on property

With quite a few logistics in process

And so I wonder if we just

Weren't conscious of the EJS releases

But like in the past jeep

Would do like teasers

They did a bunch of good quality marketing

Remember they did the blurt out

They had jeeps worthy of teasing

Hell, see you are just full of piss and vinegar

This morning

I went looking for them a couple weeks ago

And I was

Well we'll have to wait

It was a little mid

So we're going to be discussing the EJS stuff

And if you are unfamiliar

I'll bring you up to speed

That I did a kind of document

A timeline of EJS jeeps

Historically back to

Basically the late 90s, early 2000s

And so this is actually a concept

That I am particularly

Passionate about

And so I'm looking forward

I think I like this episode annually

While we talk about these jeeps

I think we need to define the word

Concept for jeep though

So they understand what that means

Well and we'll get into that

And then obviously folks

If you're interested in knowing what happened

In our personal lives

Stay tuned through the outro

And you can hear whether or not

Jeffrey has left the jeep community

At this point

Just sow those seeds

I think he might have downgraded

To like a Hyundai or a Kia or something

Oh this is going to be fun

So in the comments Billy Joseph

Said good morning, she was first

We got Jeanie saying good morning

Bill McWilliam saying good morning

Charles saying it's 70 in Texas

Fridgen

Yeah that's cold for Texas

Brad first checking in

Charles said he wanted to take the top off the YJ

But there's too much rain

That's fair

Billy Joseph is 64 here at the moment

In Pennsylvania

And Bill McWilliam's jeep people

Are recession proof

Sort of

At least we are

Resilient

I was going to say is that we're recession proof

Or we just don't know how to say no to jeep parts

I was going to say

Bullheaded

We like our jeep parts

Yeah we're resilient

And we still break our jeeps

Regardless of

What's happening in the economy

Also

Our jeeps transport us to our happy places

You know what I mean

And that's what the concept

Vehicles are supposed to do

They're supposed to tickle our imagination

And that's ultimately when you have the YJ

When you have the TJ

When you have the JT

That's built the way you want it to be

It tantalizes your imagination

Of where you could go with it

Whether or not you actually go on that epic road trip

Coast to coast or just camping

Your local off road park

The jeeps

They do that for us

So even in recessionary times

We need that hope

There's

You know we talk about in a recession

Alcohol increases right

Yeah

So I mean

I'll substance abuse

Well

Jeeps abuse me on a regular basis

That's true

So to me

Jeeps are your drug

Yeah I was going to say

Jeeps are certainly my drug

Before we get too far though from the comments

Do we need to do a wellness check on Nate?

Yeah Nate

That is crazy

Joe

I mean how

We got Ken jumping in saying morning guys

And Fred saying good morning

Good morning good morning to everybody

Yeah I hope that they're okay

There's a lot going on in the world

They may be just building another Jeep

With Nate that's actually possible

Potentially

Tickling our imagination

I'm obsessed with that term at this moment

It's

The concept vehicles are supposed to kind of

Transport us

As members of the Jeep community

To the potential

Or the possibilities

Of what a Jeep platform vehicle

Can be

So I have a fun game for us

Each one of us has to pick the best

Of the concepts on this paper

And the worst

I don't like this game

The worst

Both pages

The best that's not on there

What we have before us

If you're not familiar

Maybe you're tuning in

You're new to the Jeep community

I will unpack for the most

Briefest

For 20 years roughly speaking

Jeep has

Worked with

On a degree of a secretive level

With builders

Who are near the assembly plants

This is almost a geographical exclusivity

There are NDAs involved

Because these are not exactly

Individuals who

This is not like at the factory line

And this thing's over in the corner

And they're bolting this stuff on

Or doing things to it

And the cool part is

Unlike other concepts

Where it's a block of clay

That is on a turnstile

And you're just

It doesn't move

It doesn't do anything

These are literally going to the trail

They're getting used

They're functional

We've seen them then

At Jeep shows later

Which kind of

You know

We're the only brand

That does that

Correct

The only industry

And I know that this year

Bronco was out there

At the same time that EJS was

So Ford was

Yeah, you know

Because

And I don't pay attention

All that closely

But I recognize that EJS is either

Shortly predated

Or followed by a Bronco run

Which of course

Because it's not part of my community

I don't pay a lick of attention

But I do know

From friends of ours in the industry

That they actually had Broncos out there

Well hopefully they do it after

Sure

So they're not broke down on the trail

As a Jeep

Yeah

Go around them

Make the Jeeps go around

This is another obstacle

Traverse

But you're

I think you're

You're absolutely

You hit the nail on the head as a kid

I remember watching

Automotive engineers

Do clay models

Do cardboard aided design of sorts

And put them through the wind tunnels

And then

You know start to form it

And eventually you would get it at a car show

It would just be sitting on a turnstile

Most of the time they didn't even have an interior

Just be like top of seats

Or top of steering wheel

I mean they were just something to look at

It was a piece of art

And I remember in the 2000s

Buick made a concept

It was retro

And they could actually drive it

Had interior

The doors were suicide

That was the first time

I had seen any other automotive brand

Attempt to do what Jeep does

And like I said

These vehicles they use and abuse them

They wheel them

They go for a tour for the next

Year

Year or so

Which I can appreciate

And maybe you know with great

Great Jeep parts comes great responsibility

Yes

And so therefore

While I understand we're still having things

That are drivable

And you know a whole fleet of them

They've done so much better in previous years

I mean we've had

You know the hurricane with the Hemi

That was so cool that

Fisher Price had to make one for kids to drive

Yeah matchbox picked that up

And had the four wheel steering

And I mean

And this year we got a V6 Cherokee

Stop it

Okay

So and I will know that

Again

We know which one that touched him most though

Right

I really really love and appreciate

The Jeep brand for being responsive

To the community and doing this

And understanding the value of being present

At EJS with these vehicles

To torture test them to say your piece

Additionally this particular leadership team

In my opinion is

Harkins back to the early 2000s

Of the Mopar Underground

Where they want their concept vehicles

To be appreciated by the masses

If you're unfamiliar with that

There was this moment in

Somewhere between 07 and 10-ish

Where Mopar Underground actually had

A series of semi trucks

They were wrapped and they would stuff

The concepts the prototype vehicles

In the back of these semi trucks

It would roll into an event

It was very cool

And the Jeeps were over the top

Kind of what you were talking about

And I think we had a decade

07 was kind of meh

And then shortly thereafter

We had a decade of these over the top

I feel like we're back pre-Rubicon days

Where they had to prove to the higher ups

That this was worth doing

And ultimately that was EJS and the Rubicon

That was where the Rubicon

Not the trail but the model was born

Because again these

A little bit of the skunks work

So they had to prove it

Where I feel like this year

They're like hey guys

So we have no budget for this

And that's true

So there is truth there

And I was going to say

We have to mention that

This particular leadership team

Jeep is tanked for the last three years

Stalantis

Jeep not necessarily

Stalantis as a whole

And I spoke at length about this

Has just been on a downward slide

For several years at this point

And so

But this particular leadership team

Was highly responsive for the Toledo Jeep Festival

And I think you can count

On having all of these concept vehicles there

They brought a ton of vehicles last year

I bet you all six of these will be here

And then a smattering of them

Plus the V6 brakes

A smattering of them elsewhere

And then ultimately at SEMA

You'll have all six on display

Again

This particular grouping

I think is absolutely indicative

Of what is going on in our

Greater global economy

At the moment

It just is lackluster

I mean I would rather have had less

Jeeps and had cooler jeeps

With that said

Let's talk about them

And let's pick

We each talk about two

He's purposely not handing me the one with the Cherokee on it

That was fun

Don't give the Cherokee to the Cherokee guy

So I'll be honest with you

I handed you the one

What I think is the most disappointing

Personally

They're all disappointing

I'm sorry

Jeff was saying

Man, we're firing on this

And while you guys are kind of

I mean last year

Sorry to cut you off

But last year I remember we were

Basically we see you Stalantis

We have

TIT for TOT

JT's

Big tires, long armed

All that kind of stuff

We had a diesel they had

Not a diesel

This year we have

Something on 37s

Their JT is the

Is the least interesting

That was literally like

I mean there is just nothing about that JT

It's got a cool paint job

I like the paint job

Nothing else

I mean it's got a stock Rubicon front bumper

It's got a worn winch which I think they have to

At this point

It's got

37s on V-Lock wheels

Never seen that before

You know they got the

36 penistar

I love that they hyped that up in the right

I mean

They hyped that up

Give me something unique

Give me a D something

Or stitching

Or stitching on the buzz cut concept

I just read that I'm like that's your highlight

Yes

And then the 715 vehicle

Let's not get off the JT

We're not done beating that horse yet

I'm not done beating this dead horse yet

They have an ARB onboard air system

I just thought to myself

This is somebody's daily driver

And they were like hey

Give me a paint job

And we can put this in there

Like marketing just bought this red JT

So we'll just go ahead

Dana Spicer did this

For their SEMA booth like three years ago

It was just like a guy and a friend

Of like one of the marketing guys

Who was like hey do you want to set a tons

And they like got the Jeep

Locked the doors parked in their booth and walked away

It was just like hey he got some free tons for the weekend

You know

That's not even tonned out

That's just on regular stock axles

It's basically a red version of my Jeep

On 37

100% you guys

Custom graphics combining the

Jeff's former Jeep

As far as I'm concerned

I mean Jeff's Jeep

Is arguably better than this

I agree

At least Jeff's was long armed

I know right

I mean

It's got a cool deck system

This has got like wants to be

Rotopacks on the bed so you can't see out the back of it

I mean

I like the red

There was lots of storage to it

The goal was to

Give the overlander something

To sink their teeth into

It's not a good overland rig

Well and that's

Where do you sleep on your overland rig?

I was going to say there's not even an RTT

If you want to make that overland put an RTT on it at least

You sleep under it and

You get bit by the bugs and everything

I kind of think that what they're doing here

They didn't lift it here enough to sleep under it

Last year they had that

I probably wouldn't fit

They um

Last year they had that

And I don't exactly recall what it is

But in my mind

What they called the name of it

But in my mind it was the catalog Jeep

And from a business standpoint

I love this idea

It was a black Jeep and they had

Blue

Mopar performance products

Everything was QR coded

I thought that was brilliant

Absolutely

So why wouldn't you do that again

And you don't even tell us what lift is on this

Correct

So I think that that's what this Jeep was

Was basically a bunch of Mopar

Because I think that it's a Mopar performance lift

That's my guess

Then they should have told us that

Well who knows what the write ups are

Obviously I did not

That horse is dead and buried

So I'm moving on to my next hateful

The 715 concept vehicle

And

I'm sorry

I remember when I could buy this front end kit

For my JK

And just bolted on in the weekend

So this does not

Impress me

It's basically a 392

With an ugly front end

And a custom top

Again we've seen before

Because it's the safari

There should be someone with

A big elephant gun on the roof

And this should be

Gazelles running in the background

The wheels literally look like

392 ish wheels to me

I like the front end

Heavy duty steel and rear bumpers

You can order your Rubicon with that

Legendary

392 v8 power

Yep you can buy it with that

Custom non-removable roof

Non-removable

I think they've missed out

Who their demographic

We don't know how big the tires are

I want to see the front end of that

No you don't

He likes the front end so I want to see it

One more

With the stick

He's feeling spicy today

You're supposed to only do two

Give me that

We didn't say we were doing our favorites in that

You were just reading off too

Give me that paper

You can look at the front end

I think the front end is unique

That's ugly as heck

Unique is the word

Wow

I don't like the front end

If you

If you hadn't seen the name of that

The front end of that is almost like a Land Rover ask

I think that's exactly the market there

If you hadn't seen the name

Of it being

Would you have had any connection

To the 715

Alright

Do you want to go or you want me to go

He's going to try to be nice and stuff

I'm staring at the 715

Ask the front end of it

I actually

I don't dislike

This particular Jeep

The Anvil

Concept the Anvil 715

You love the

Fact the roof is

Non-removable

You know

You're not wrong so it's got that safari

Inspired kind of Range Rover

Land Rover

It needs a tire on the hood

And ultimately we're competing

For some third world

Countries developing

Malisha

Really I see you Jeep

It definitely doesn't have any protection

And they're going to die

Well that's what their Toyota Hilux is

From 40 years ago we're doing as well

Well Lisa will keep running

Wow

I do like that they gave us

I think this is the only Hemmy

That they gave us

Well

Yeah this should be the only Hemmy that I gave us

I think that the commander here should be the Hurricane

Straight 6 would be my understanding

Of that

Which we'll get to

Motor swaps are hard

Yeah okay I guess

I will get into

The next two even though I find them to be

Holy underwhelming they're more what I would call

The sticker package

Concept vehicles

Which they always have one or two of those

We always have one or two of those

This one's going to be the Laredo

Which is really confusing

For a lot of periphery

Jeep

Owners

Who like they don't understand

Like all of a sudden when they have something that's badged

Laredo they no longer have a Jeep

They have a Laredo

That's a weird thing that's lost on me

But here for those people

Here's a Laredo

So half doors

Never seen that before

Can't buy those at the dealership

Wow

And I think that

What I want to like out of it is

The purposeful rugged

And unapologetically

Analog interior

Feel

So they took a JL

And they stripped it down

Make it

Like a stripper package

They gave it a nice contrast trim

You got the bays

You got the striping

This is the one that they took the older

Dash

And they just removed the radio

And they took a tablet

Like went to Walmart got a tablet

Stuck it right in the middle

Stuck it in the center

And it just looks like that

Maybe

That would actually be fitting

I would understand kind of the throwback feel to it

They gave it the kind of the kidney bean

But they're not kidney bean but the slotted wheel

The aluminum wheel

Kind of a throwback of sorts

Kind of on a super side note

I had

Rob, our good customer

And friend there

Talked about the original aluminum

Slotted wheel manufacturer

Kelsey Hayes

Kind of a nod to the Kelsey Hayes days

That

Everybody got real excited about

This

Literally has the stock plastic

From bumper

That is what

Irritates me the most

Literally

You went so close

It is a stock plastic bumper

They did a contrast color match

On the tow hooks which you know

I'm okay with that

They matched that to the grill but then you had

The

At least took the plastic inserts off

Between the fender and the bumper

The air

The aerodynamic

I would have loved for them to have left that on

It actually looks worse like that

I just wish they would have done something

About that front bumper

Why it doesn't have a Rubicon front bumper on it

I would never know

The silver trim

Color match the trim

At least do that

I like the badgine

The aluminum wheel

I like the tan top

I like their attempt

The analog interior feel

The bone stock jail

And just put stickers on it

And didn't even bother change the bumper

And so

I mean

I can't help but

Think of like you know there's some really sick

You know

Jake Fenlocks JT

Which he made as like a scrambler

He stickered it up

That's what I'm feeling like

Like literally Jeep

You did something

That a guy on a family budget

Did

Three years ago

Our two boys could do that concept

And it's a good idea

And that's what I feel like

Everything, see I

At least like the fact that the anvil has

Unique stuff

Like the 715 has unique stuff

But they've done it before better than that one

I don't think this grille has been used before

That grille has not been used before

But that concept has literally been done before

And it was done better than that one

I was gonna say I think

They had the right ideas

They just didn't follow through with any of them to make them

It doesn't actually look like the 715

So this one

No I'm with you

There's not really much on these papers

That literally couldn't just be done right now

Also can we talk about it

I'm gonna jump back to the 715

I'm with you Jeff that's a great sentiment

Again we talk about Fenlocks Jeep

I think the 715

Why is it not a 725

Right because the 715

Is a pickup truck

And what you did was give us a Jeep

That has a non-removable

Roof

So unless I'm missing something this is a range road

This is a knock off range road

They could have literally gotten the see-through vinyl

Act out the windows

Put the little red cross on it

And had a cool

Hark back to a 725

And educated the people that don't know

About a 25

Into that

But instead they did like this half

Half vehicle

Because again they've done the Safari top before

On a different concept

And they had a, if I'm not mistaken

The other one was a truck

With the 715 ish grille

I think it had the Rhino grille on it

Which yes

But still

Or maybe there was actually a 715

And a Rhino concept

As well now that I'm noodling on it

But

Yeah and so

As I'm jumping around here

It didn't say about a lift on the quote-unquote 715

It does not look particularly lifted

When we made the guess

It's basically stock 392

Yeah

Right because that's got a little extra lift

To it and whatnot

So then the Laredo has the

2-inch Mopar performance

Suspension on it

Alright

And you know what

The thing is I spent a good bit of time

Unhappy

With

The Laredo

Jeff

I think I'm going to jump and grab one of these

Because I really want to track

You're doing the buzz cut

I really want to trash the buzz cut

You're going to go in the buzz cut

Because I want to talk about something

Good on these other ones

Go ahead

Do the buzz cut

Breaking news

And with this really

Stalantis Jeep Chrysler

Gives us potentially one of our most

Underwhelming

JL builds

It's a true door

Which is probably the cheapest Jeep on

The dealership lot that nobody wanted to buy

Last year

I mean

This was an attempt at the power to weight

Think of any of their pork chop

Or their lower 40

Any of the cool Jeeps they did

Where they had

And of course

I love the idea of

The 2-0 turbo

Is a great engine

Sounds like a diesel

They've worked a lot of the bugs out over the time

I don't know how it's going to last

As far as how the turbo is concerned

This one

Literally reminds me

One of my earliest

My dad's 95

4-cylinder

YJ that we drove to the Carolinas

It does kind of remind me of a 4-cylinder automatic YJ

That's what it is

It is the

The armpit

Of the topless doorless model

Ara vehicles

The 2-0 turbo is actually

A pretty healthy engine

This actually has the 8-speed automatic

Behind it

Has the Mopar cold air intake

Because they don't have to fix the clutches yet

So they had to be automatic in

I don't think we have a manual

Period

Because that really would have been the opportunity for the JT crowd

You could have put

That could have been a 6-speed

That really incredibly over

I'm not sure which one I'm more disappointed in yet

The

Red Rock concept

Or the buzz cut

The big take away

For the buzz cut

Is that it has orange seatbelts

And

Vitamin C orange accents

And stitching throughout

It's

People are really worried about those

Aesthetics

Of the interior

This one really speaks to the

Thematically inclined individuals

I think

You've got orange rings

On the lights

You've got really classic

A-pillar and bumper lights

You've got the Mopar

Rubicon bumper

Without the wings on it

It made it a stubby

That was hard for them

Taking those bolts out

At least it doesn't have a plastic front bumper

Looks like we're rocking KM3s

I think we're on

Yeah, there's a lot of BFGs

It's all BFG

BFG must have stepped up for

Purposes

Tell me what's on the 715

But

I think BFG stepped up

And sponsored tires

Are they the KO2s?

That's what you want when you're out

Give me that off the 715

I should have given it to Jeff

Anyways

The buzz cut

The buzz cut is supposed to be

That low center of gravity

Powered over

I'm just gonna keep talking over you

It's supposed to be

That LCG

Big-tired, big-horse power

They are a

Massive, they don't say

But I'm certain they're

I bet those are 37s

I don't know, let's google that real quick

Juggling is happening

Fortunately, Jeff's back for that

And they made sure to brand down

The hood of it

Buzz cut

On both

The red rock

And the buzz cut

What else can we show up with folks?

BFG, KM3s

And they've got the Rubicon

High clearance flares on both of those

So they've got 2 inches of lift

Thought it was 37, the high clearance

And the tires still up there

And you have a 2 inch Mopar lift

They started with a Rubicon

And put a 2 inch lift kit on it

Yup

Did they even start

With a Rubicon

It doesn't say anything about the lockers

Granted, we're not reading the full

Right-ups about it

If you like orange

This is the Jeep

For you

If you like thematic stuff

And you're excited about color

And you too can build this in your driveway

In a weekend

It's very relatable

I'm trying to find something nice

To say about it

I'm over it

Well, if you thought those were awesome

I actually really love

This next one

You love being broken down

In an old XJ

Alright

I get the XJ just because I know how much Scott

Loves this one

This rewinds the tape

Back to 84

As the Jeep brand's OG

Compact SUV remastered

Oh, wait a second

Breaking news

They chopped the top of

Buzzcut 2 inches lower

You can see that

It looks squished

I don't like it

I think I prefer Bradford Watson's

Low-key to Buzzcut

What was the point of taking 2 inches

Out of the roof line?

To make people that have any height to them

Not fit

I do think

That

Two-door JLs look a little goofy

They look a little bulbous

But I've almost started to

Appreciate

That

Hey guys, what can we do with

No budget

We came to McDonald's for lunch

Budget

I can cut 2 inches out

They're going to call it roll over protection

Because there's less metal that can squish

That's right

Oh man

I'm trying to defend them

I really have no good transition to this

It was just something I was aware of this weekend

On the JL owners community

Two-door JL owner

Just totally had

The most

Let me speak to the manager moment

You know

They went to EJS

With their two-door JL

Did they get confused with one of the concepts?

I seriously could have

Went and talked to all the

Different manufacturers

After talking to all the different manufacturers

Ended up

Buying with a rock-jock

Lift kit

Two and a half, three inches or whatever

All of a sudden the post

They do the install

And then

They're super mad

Because they're the person who has measured

Actual how much

And the Jeep actually

Netted them over five inches

Of lift

It's like 1995 again

Yeah

And of course

They did again

Well

They did not do lower control arms in the rear

So the rear axle

Is sucked forward

It really does look bad in the picture

They made bad choices

And they just did

Superficial research by talking to the reps

Who of course

Are going to sell their product

And got online

And then all of a sudden

They were talking about

Like oh oh oh oh oh

Because it was originally a Rubicon

So when you put

A three and a half inch kit

On a Rubicon

It only gets

Two inches or two and a half inch

Right this whole like

Which we all know is actually

Unless you have the sport sport sport

Basic nose down in the ground

Jeep which I don't understand that spring

Right

There are some Jeeps that like

The nominal difference between the two

Is not standardized

This idea that the Rubicon

Is lifted over this other Jeep

It has everything to do with like

What spring that Jeep got coming down the line

Not so much exactly the model

There is no if this then that

Then this the perfect

Scenario

We've seen sport S's

That are basically kissing the ground

With stock springs

We've seen sport S's that

Are tolerable

You know maybe need a little bit of leveling

So anyways they

They had they bought a three and a half inch kit

But they had a Rubicon

So they were hoping for two point five inches

Of lift

But then they got five and then

All of a sudden their post got to the point where they had

Seven and they were like

What am I supposed to do with seven inch lift

Because I bought shocks for three to six

It was the most like

Let me speak to a manager type

Of tirade

And sent there showed their

Screenshot of how the angry

Email they sent over the week

How much lift over anything on the concept list

Had totes right

Totes so come

Back to buzz cut and they were like

Actually we don't know how to lift a two door

So let's just remove two inches out of the top

It's fair that's fair that's how

I feel happened there

Back to the XJ they put a two inch

Suspension lift quick

Disconnects which him wait wait real quick

It's probably like old man email and that

That two inch probably

You know

Custom carbon fender flares

With reshaped wheel openings

For maximum clearance so the only thing cool

On this is they took the time

To do a Scottism and I can

Appreciate this they took

All the time and and blew the entire

Budget on the fender flares and

Painted them so that nobody else

Knows they did anything

That is so true

The biggest investment in this

In this resto mod which is

Most people will never know

Most people will never ever know

They'll look at him like something's different

But I can't quite put my finger on it

And then they'll see the oil stains

From the two eight and they'll be like

Oh why am I looking at this

I guess I'm

So disappointed because how

Cool would it have been

To put a three six swap into that

I really am surprised

That they didn't

Here we go too

You got custom painted

Wheels with 33 inch BFG

All terrain tires and I'm going to

Jeep nerd out

For a second

Because Neil hasn't had the

Displeasure of looking at the interior

Of this XJ

This you know where the little change

Piece on the old school

Cherokees right behind the shifter

Absolutely

That is for a four wheel

Two wheel drive switch like an eagle had

That's what that has

So it is

Such the armpit of Jeep them

That still has that

Switch No it does not

And the shifter for the four wheel drive

Is just like four high

Neutral and low

So it's a two oh

Eight or something transfer case

Yes vacuum

Vacuum actuated

Why

They put an integrated

Structural rock rails on this

They cut out the rockers that didn't exist

And put in tubing

Like anybody else in their driveway did

Who has an XJ

But this is the part that Neil's going to like

There's a series of fun

Hidden and not so hidden details

That nod to the era of cassette tapes

Big hair and stone wash denim

Including a custom color

And era specific

Ergonomic seat enhancements

It's got flat on the seats if I'm not mistaken

It has period accurate

Beaded seat covers

That's right

Cause those are

Rubik's Cube on the dash

Yeah

So Davey would want this one

He loves the Rubik's Cube

He took people that were born in 2000

And you're like

Let's do something retro

From 1984

Like they should have done

A touch tone phone on the dash

Or one of those old school

Like Motorola

Car phones

You know and again outside of the fact

That we don't actually get to know who the builders are

And the NDAs

I want to know what piece of junk

Who owns this piece of junk

I think somebody in

In the higher management was like

I think it would be quaint to own this

Vintage vehicle

But I gotta have a cooler on it for my beers

So I'm going to have an excuse

We're gonna use it for the concepts

And now I'm just gonna own it and take it to car shows

The concept is built from a well preserved

1984 Cherokee

Focusing on functional air quotes

OEM plus

Build rather than heavy modifications

Then why do we have to put rockers

Because there weren't

Because they found this sitting in somebody's

Backyard in Toledo, Ohio

There were no rockers on it

And they cleaned it up

To make this thing

And I just

And Notch Customs

Terrible company, just anybody who was around

Back in the day

Notch had all the opportunity in the world

They flittered

Their finances

And business management away

Notch had the

Market on these fenders

And of course they weren't carbon fiber

At that time

Which why did they bother to make them carbon

Because they're painted

And it's got 33's on it

Because we know that

You need two inches and high clearance flares

Just to run

33's in a functional manner

On an XJ

And it's a two door so they could have

Cheated a little bit back there

You could have cheated it up

You could have had 35's on this thing

Had this real low slung

But then the 2.8 would have just been like

I give up

I'm surprised it hasn't yet

I want to know how many miles are on the garbage 2.8

That's in this thing as well

Bill said rust belt resurrection

That would have been cooler

I'd love vintage vehicles

I think it would be so cool

That they would have took a 3.6

And an 8 speed

And shown that it could work

You know what? This exact jeep

As it sits

The carbon fiber flares

The paint

I know how hard that was

I'm okay with it being a hidden detail

Those who are going to know

Cool that type of easter egg stuff

That sells

People like me excited

But you're absolutely right

Put the V6 in it

And give me that nod to

These old school

They could have made the badge

Literally someone with a 3D printer

Yes

Not just the Lannis

Could have 3D printed the badge

On the back that said 3.6

Instead they took paint

Like they got their textures brushed out

And they painted over the 4x4 and stuff

I mean

I did cooler crap

When I was in high school with my Cherokee

I'm

The X-Day Pioneer is widely considered

A nostalgic highlight

Of the 2026 lineup

Where's the highlight

Our last one in the lineup

And I'm actually excited to talk about this one

Because I hated the commander

When that came out

I actually saw this one come out a couple days ago

And I absolutely thought of you

In the process. I'm glad that you did land with it

This one is

The full size premium SUV

Diled up with a functional off-road enhancement

Incredible stealthy capability

The commander is reporting for duty

So this is

They took the Grand Wagoneer

And they souped it up and called it a commander

35 inch tires

On 20 inch wheels

When the Grand Wagoneer has bigger tires

On it than the vintage build

That's

I'm excited with the Baja Designs

S-Pod lighting for enhanced visibility

In low light and off-grid environments

Custom protective skid plates

And custom side graphics

That reinterpret

Classic wood grain

And serious off-road

Facing vibe

What? Where?

Reinterpret wood grain

This picture doesn't...

I think it's inside

It's not on the outside

I think the wood grain is on the inside

Only we didn't have to wonder

With the concept vehicle

I mean at least the Wagoneer

Has got room in it

The commander had no room in it

But again

All they did was re-badge it

And soup up a couple minor things

And put a lift and bigger tires on it

Yeah

A couple minor things

That's what I'm saying

I'm sorry, take...

Go from six jeeps to three

If you have $150,000 to buy a freaking Wagoneer

You could do this too

Correct

I understand budget cuts

I understand what the economy is

I would have rather had three awesome jeeps

Than the six we got

And...

Even if there was just one

That was an over the top fund build

Which they had done before

Even if it was just the one

That's cool

The one with the four steering

And the hemi front and back

That was the one flagship

Cool jeep and the rest were kind of meh

All of these are meh

And anybody could build these

In their backyard

Rock crawler did the suspension

On this particular jeep

On the Grand Wagoneer

Commander

So we do have notice of that

But otherwise

It really is

About the skids

And I'd really like to know

What custom skids are under there

And here's where we could use the carbon fiber

And being cool

Funny thing is

It's got the 35 inch

Nitto Recon

Which is literally what we just put on

Scott and Jenna Bennett's jeep

Which was on a national

It's a...

And it's on 20 inch wheels

Wrapped in 35 inch Nitto Recon

Which I love the tire

They're balancing great

So it's a good quality tire

So balances off road traction

With auto stability

So that's a funny

I think that's the only jeep

That we see

That is not on BFGs

Roughly speaking

I think the anvil is not on

I think the anvil must be on Falcons

Or something

I don't think the anvil is on the alt

The ATs that you're thinking it was

Let's see if I can find the

Honestly this article says

That everybody loves the XJ the most

Just so we're all on the same page

They haven't had the

Misfortune of having experience

I think the thing is the XJ looks

Really cool for an XJ

Do you know what I mean? Like I could get

Into

We were in danger when I saw the grille

Because it's the early grille

Right

And then I saw the interior with the switch

The anvil is on 37 inch

No I already did that

The anvil is on the BFKM3

As well yeah

Doesn't look like it but I'm with you

I agree that picture doesn't matter

This is the only one that's on Nittos

I think that the

Somebody different built that

That's exactly what it was

I think that they're nodding

To the fact that

Rockcrawler suspension

I think that Jeremy at Rockcrawler put this

Deep together. That's my guess

Their performance

Whatever is their full size truck line

I guarantee

That they just shipped this over to them

And that Jeep is why we couldn't find the

Fifth Tire for our boat

At first right they were on national

Backorder because the first run

Of them were picked up

I feel like five of them were built

Out of Detroit

To Toledo Ohio

And the sixth was in

Eastern New York

They just kind of track that way too

I of course love

Big full size heavy

Dumb vehicles off road

That's my own

Of course I say that and I love

Power to weight ratio low slung

What we've had in the past

Like an XJ would be

With like almost 300 horsepower

From a 3 6 V 6

Listen to you

They were so close and yet

They just didn't do that

The stands were loaded

They had a good

Good hitter on point

And they just

I love his sports analogies

Barely hit the ball

Everybody left wanting

Looking over the stands going

That's where the ball could have gone

So what do you guys think

As far as our listening audience

We'd love to hear from you

You can reach out to us

And let us know what your favorite

Concept is or isn't

You could disagree with us

And you think that maybe

That Red Rock Gladiator has something

That we missed and it's the coolest

Jeep you've ever seen in your whole entire life

Simply because it's red

I don't know

I've read more than the next person

In the comments

Or someone from YouTube saying

As a 90's kid I definitely dig the rewind

I think it's a great bass

Color and sticker package is cool

The seats and the little Easter eggs are neat

And he digs a 5.7 and lifted with some 30.7s

In a two door

That's not this year

That was last year

Which also last year

And I think that we see this in life

I think that last year

They did a ton of stuff

But we can't

You can't

Get milk from a dead cow

Jeep

Is in one of its worst places

It's been since the 80's

In a grand scheme

Concept

They don't have any budget

Is my guess

I don't know

They have all the insider information

On the harness

The computers

They literally produce the motors every day

I don't see that as a big reach for them

You just need somebody that

Custom make some motor mounts

Whoopies

In the XJ

He's really hung up on the XJ

I just don't get it

The funny thing for me

For Laredo

Weren't

What would you say

The engine power plant in the 80's

Laredo was

I think of

Or was I thinking of Renegade

Typically you had the V8 package

Laredos

No, Laredos weren't the V8s

Renegades were V8s

There we go

You were thinking the early 2000's

Grand Cherokee Laredo

You go all the way back

Laredo and the CJ line

Was the

Cushy leather wrap steering wheel

Leather wrap grab bar

Nicer seats

A little nicer carpet

And then they made it

Irrelevant when they did it at the

Middle of the road jeep was a Laredo

And now everybody

You lowered the stock price of Laredo

By doing that

Now Laredo is basically your entry level

Correct

They have alienated

That

The original Laredo

So the only

And here's where it is of value

The Laredo

Concept is a six speed

So they are trying to

Hark into the fact that they are

One of the few manufacturers who are still producing

A manual transmission

I mean give them a little bit of credit

Where credit might be due

It is the three six with the six speed

In the

You know their Laredo

Concept vehicle

To be extreme

It doesn't chase

Overlanding trends or push radical design

Changes instead it seems to ask

Simpler question what if you took a modern

Wrangler and removed everything

That it doesn't need

To be there

Yeah

Subtle upgrades

While never losing the vehicle's core simplicity

I feel like it's really just kind of

A fluffed up idea

Like we really like I need you to buy

Into this so I'm just going to kind of spin

Doctor it to the best of my ability

I think they built what they could build

They had then marketing go sit down

Like come up what we can talk about

With this

I do like the retro style

Magged wheels

You know I don't know that I would ever

Put them on a personal vehicle of mine

I like the solid steel wheels better

Yeah

I do like when Jeep has done that in the past though

And they do a unique wheel

But don't you feel that Kelsey Hayes wheels

Are more appropriate on a renegade

Than Laredo

I do

Jeeps confused

And so I years ago I had this

This question I pull no punches

Great friend of mine

I want to reference him but I don't

Because I don't want to get him in trouble

He's in the industry he's on the inside

And I reached out to him one time

And I was like dude

Why is Jeep corporate

Doing X Y and Z

We did this in the 80's

And 90's

It failed miserably

I'm not saying we shouldn't dabble in it

But why are we

Seemingly confused

And without some direction

And his response was

Well

The engineers and the design team were actually

All born in the 2000's

So they weren't there when that

It's relatively apparent

And I think that this kind of

Speaks to this the fact that

This style

You know slotted wheel

They should have done a renegade package

Correct

And

And the Laredo should have had

Maybe a little something else going on

I'm not sure

Leaves you wanting a little bit this year

Definitely a little

Alright folks

I think

Unless there's any particular good

Conversations

In there

Just putting pinstripes on jeeps

Makes them look ugly her opinion of the concept jeeps

Really I love pinstripes

I was going to say I think the stripes are good

When used appropriately

I think I also like

Pinstriping as a design

Element

And an artistic

I was going to say if they're done with the artists doing

The actual brush on pinstripes

It's amazing

I like that old school pinstripe

But that's not what she's talking about per se

And Bill McWilliam said he's getting ready to paint

The Barbie jeep for Bantam

Concept custom players

Bill are you running

Are you doing the downhill race

We've been trying to get Davey to do it for years

At this point

Just doesn't seem to get behind it for us

He was almost behind it the one year

And then he flipped the jeep and got hurt

Out in the side

Such great coverage

I will forever

Live rent free in my brain

And I am so thankful

That not only is it documented

In video

But I was there to witness it firsthand

100%

As he crushed his family jewels

With the battery

From the Barbie jeep

Looks like a struggling turtle

On the back

If you don't know that one folks

You're going to want to go dig around in our YouTube videos

To find it, it's so good

So, so good

And Bill said he is going to run the race

I hope he's in a duck suit

Or an alligator suit

I don't know, something, some onesie

Maybe a pink bunny

He's got to be holding his beef sticks as he's riding down the hill

No, he has a bucket of ducks

And he's like using those a chuck at other

Contestants

Love it, alright folks

He said he needs a pit crew though

Uh oh

Might be interested

Davey's a pit crew

Folks, this has been a fun one

For us, hopefully you enjoyed it as well

We'd love to hear from you

Reach out to us at

Contact

Let us know what your take on

The

Concept vehicles are now and

Previously, and maybe what you think

You would have liked to have seen now or in the future

Additionally, you can text us

Text only number for 40855

2100

Don't call that number, it doesn't ring

It does whatever, but you can text it

And if you're interested in knowing

What's happening in our personal lives

You know, feel free to hang out

Through the outro credits and we'll

Update you accordingly. Until then

We've got like, I don't know, 25 to

35 vehicles on or

Around property

We've got some cool vintage resto mods heading to

The dyno today

To dial in

The fuel injection

We've got a lot going on

And we'll look forward to the next time

Until then, Jeep on

So I think we should need to make him

Go last for the

100% I'll jump in

You typically go first, so mine was

Just racing around

In said Jeep all weekend

Playing a little catch up on life

Since I was out of town

It has been a couple weeks

And so

I will just

Ever so slightly elaborate on the fact

That I was recently

In Charleston, South Carolina

Had a

Spectacular

Spectacular time down there

Other than

FedEx touching me

In a really big way, so one of the last

Times that we were on the podcast

I was talking about T-Force trucking

And

Did FedEx deliver picnic tables

And set axles again?

No, they were supposed to be the Easter Bunny

And they lost their

They didn't understand the

They didn't understand the assignment

And they fumbled the ball

Fumbled in a big hard way

Now, I thought was really hysterical

Was that

The last time I was on air

I was maligning T-Force

Because they set us way behind schedule

With the lift

You know, we had four lifts on a pallet

Basically being delivered

Delivered?

Delivered

And that pallet got lost

In transit, and eventually the driver

Explains to me that basically hey

We used to have 13 guys who were on this route

Now we only have five, can't hire anybody

Bop, bop, bop, bop, it's the world of Lebanon

I've heard it all now

One of our good customers

Actually works for FedEx Freight

Corporate

Customer and friend

Jeeps on property, and he's a childhood friend of mine

And he hits me up on the side

After watching, you know, that last podcast

And he was like, it was around

Easter, and he was like, oh, you know

Hey, just got done getting the

Podcast update, thank god

It wasn't FedEx for once, you know what I mean?

And I was like, but wait

There's more

Here is how FedEx has touched me

Yes, so

It actually prolonged

Our stay in Charleston by

A day or two, because I had done all this

Logistics, and then

I did have uncomfortable talk with the kids

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, so

We ended up, the Easter Bunny

Had to write an IOU

Because the Easter Bunny was unable to

Carry said package

In an Easter basket, instead it needed

To come via FedEx

And next time the Easter Bunny will try to pick a better

Shipping

Shipping company in the process

How was Charleston? Did you end up going on any

Of the ghost tours? I did not

I went to book the ghost tours

Honestly, we went and watched the river dogs

Played baseball

For opening weekend, it was

Spectacular, it was their fireworks

Night

It felt electric

We had

Beautiful weather

We cruised in the vehicles, the windows

Down with the music blaring

We did yard work, we

Easter egg hunted in the middle of the city

You know, it was

It was great, and I did not want

To come home, but then eventually

You know, did. Now the challenge

Because of the nature

Of, you know, traveling with the dogs

And the kennel and bringing back stuff

I drove the international down

That was an adventure

I don't mind the drive, but we all know

How that's really not

I keep getting on this podcast

And talking about how it's really not

A road trip vehicle

Road trip vehicle, and yet

You keep driving it across the country

Over and over and over

Glutton for friggin punishment

If you just kind of like, you really kind of

Boil it down

But that all went really well

I was very fortunate because the fuel

Here was not that expensive

Like in the grand scheme of the fact

That crippling fuel prices

And of course

The international's diesel

And I was actually able to fill up here

Drove down there

Drove around for the week now

Granted, when we're there

We drive our friend's car

So that's way more efficient and whatnot

But literally didn't put fuel in the truck

Until I was, you know,

A quarter of the drive back north

So that was manageable

At least

But kind of a fun vehicular

Road trip experience

This weekend myself

Was all about assembling

Stuff and working on the homestead

And the house build

And as I continued

I shared previously how I

Actually really enjoy vinyl siding

At this point

This was my first time

I finally closed off the eaves

To the g-shed

Made 11,000 cuts and interlocked

The eaves

And put the fascia board

Cover on

And dressed up the front of the shed

And that was all brand new

When we built the house

We actually had the Amish do

The eaves and the roof

Because it's because of the nature

Of it being cathedral ceiling

And so on and so forth

But obviously Jeff and I

Did the shed

And so I kind of wanted that experience

Of what is it like

Enclose it appropriately

And that's what I did this weekend

So all is well

I had a great warm weather

Work on the property

Race around in the Jeep across the county

Experience

So overall

Vehically everything is very good

I'd like to work on some stuff here

But time

So for me

I worked on

Getting the

Back of the car

The Model T project

Kind of figured out

So I got the tailpan welded

To the quarter panel

Which required me to finish this

Like trim

Basically it's like a cast

Piece of steel or something

I don't actually understand how it was made back then

But it basically looks like a T

From a top profile

And it goes from the roof

All the way down to where the

Bumper would be

And because of how the car has

Experienced its last hundred years of life

It was in multiple pieces

So thankfully it welds well

And I was able to kind of

Take and cut up pieces

And put them in

The hardest part is when trying to

Show that after the fact

It doesn't quite show that

The next problem is

When I got over the pasture side

Had things kind of clamped together

I released it and it sprung

The tailpan up

Like three-quarters of an inch

And I thought I got it

Sucked down and

I had the improperly clamped things

With a long lever arm

And pushed down on it

And I thought I had everything good

Until I went to close the trunk lid

Which is still hot garbage

But it still showed me that

I was still high on the other side

And I had welded it all solid

Oh!

So out came the saw-saw

And I cut across the top above

The opening and down the side

And shifted the panel

Clamped it again and then had to fill

In all that

Again, it's hard to see on my

Social update

I did think you're

Becoming quite the gifted metal worker though

I mean I can see

What you're doing to a degree

I can't even appreciate that

You know what I mean

But I was looking at it and I was like

Man, that's some really cool stuff you're working through

Got that done

Now the deck lid fits

And then I started

Because I had notched the frame

And raised the rear part of the frame

To lower the car

I had previously done the floor

And stuff using some old parts

Well now I needed to cap in the edges

So that you're not getting

Road debris

Inside the trunk opening

So I got that kind of

Designed the driver's side

Welded in and then late

Yesterday I welded in the

Actual wheel well

That you'll see right behind the tire

And it is amazing

One of the coolest parts about this car

Is it was literally in pieces

When I got it and all hot garbage

And as I keep adding things

It gets structurally more sound

And it comes more

What you expect the car like

You know you first close the door

Early on the whole thing would like

Shake my shell and now you close the door

And it's just thunk

And that's kind of cool to see it

Come back literally from the brink

Yeah

So that is the part I'm most enjoying

Is just being able to step back

And see that big impactful difference

And

At the same time

You know early on in my

Autumn of career if I would have done

That three quarter of an inch thing

I would have been devastated when it took me

Like a month to recover from that

And this time I was just like

Gotta make it right

So we're just gonna cut it up and make it right

It is what it is

So overall pretty happy

I'm getting to

Basically what I'm trying to do

Is get everything wrapped up

I have two more patches to make on the driver's side

Then the car is going

To go out spin around

And come back in and I'm gonna rinse and repeat

All up the other side

Got the bottom of the quarter

Will well box in the raise

Portion of the trunk

And the back corner will all have to be

Done on that side

Then we'll have like a

Actual car

And then I can make a new deck lid from scratch

Probably because it is so bad

At that point

Oh my goodness is it bad

Excellent

And the last but not least

Jeffrey got rid of his Jeep

So he's no longer in the Jeep community

Jeep's still there

Jeep was overdue for an oil change

So I had to go buy a car

Makes sense

Yeah cause time

What's that? And of course folks

If you recently joined us

You'll know that Jeffrey has left

His full time

Occupation here at SFJ 4x4

To pursue being a owner

Operator, restaurateur

And bar aficionado

So then

That's out of the area from

His commute

So here brings us to the

Ribbing of the Jeep and so on and so forth

Absolutely it's a long drive

Going through the gas mileage that the gladiators

Getting on 37 so

Had to find an alternative to save a little bit of money

And when you factor in a car

Payment and the price of gas

I'm still saving money

Over what I was spending in the Jeep

That being said

You guys have to guess what kind of car

Would I have bought

Well I know what's dealership you went to

And I know that they have Subaru's

Volkswagen's and BMW's

Now there's a Honda dealership right next to it

That I was also at so

Right but you had said specifically what dealer you went to

So I was discounting the Honda dealership

And I have tried

To do business at the Honda

I told you I was going to go to

The dealership but I'm telling you I went to both

So that you know that

That's fair but I was picking on you earlier

With the architect

Saying that you probably got a beamer

Ooh

I did actually say

To Kristen I wouldn't mind a beamer

I could see you be

You would totally be a beamer

I absolutely said I wouldn't mind one

Depending on what we found

But no I did not get a beamer

I think you wouldn't of

Because you're too frugal for that

I don't even know

What Honda cars exist anymore

Like I can produce a Honda Civic

Is like the only car

From Honda

So what I can tell you is Scott is right

I did end up at New Motors

Because I went to Honda first

I had a Honda Accord

I've tried to buy there before and it's hard

I walked a lot

Twice

How many tumbleweeds went by you

Several

Not once did a Honda rep come out and even say a word to me

Exactly

I'm going to New Motors

And this is all an eerie PA for those

That don't know

They have like seven dealerships

Right in a row on a product

The dealership needs to stop putting up billboards

In Nashville County and actually get their

Sellers out in the lot

Yeah

So then I walk

Or we pull into New Motors

Before I got to the first vehicle

There was a rep there

First of all that's a little too quick

I haven't even looked at your lot yet

But here's what I'm looking for

And I was like

I want a car that is efficient on fuel

But has room that I can put a couple kegs

And if I have to run down to Meadville

And pick up some kegs from our brewery

And

Other than that

I kind of don't care

New or used

Well there you have to guess that as well

Used

Subaru Forester

My money is it was new

Because it's just

It's probably more money

Conscious to buy a new one now

Than to buy used

That's exactly right

I looked at used but

In my head I needed to have reliability

And a warranty

Because I just

I can't have a vehicle that I'm just going to be investing

More time in

Specifically for that dealership

I'll make something up

Like 10 to 15 new vehicles on the lot

They'll have 3 used ones

They sell fast

They actually have a ton of used

Vehicles on their lot

But we were literally

He's showing us a used one

That's got a dealer warranty

Still applied

Low mileage

But the thing looks like

I drove it through the woods

And I'm looking at it and I'm like

This is only a couple of years old

Why is it looks so bad

Well people don't know how to park

And they ding things up

You're asking a lot of money for that

And Kristen's like what about this one over here

And there's a vehicle

Literally diagonal

On the next row over

So we walk over

And I'm like what about this one

Why don't you get the keys for this one

He comes back with the keys I go drive it

And I was like wow this thing's actually got

A ton of room in it for small of a car as it is

So that's what we ended up buying

I got stranded at the dealership because

Which was what? What was it?

I'm not telling you yet

I got stranded at the dealership because

Their finance office was so backed up

They had one finance manager on vacation

They know how the story goes

They're like well you could come back tomorrow

To finish if you want I'm like

I don't have time tomorrow this is the day I set aside

To buy the vehicle I will wait

And he's like it's gonna be a while

I'm like it's fine so Kristen went back home

With the Jeep and I just sat at the dealership

For hours

But

It was funny because trying to make the deal

Before she left they're like

Hey we're having trouble getting you approved

I'm like I'm already approved

I already have the approval

On this vehicle because I ran it through

The

Finance that I usually use

I'm already approved at way better

Rate than what you told me you think you could get me

Approved for and they're like

Well we don't know how that's possible because we work

With them and they're denying it and I was like

Here's the reference number right here

Use the reference number and I have for you

And they went and used it and they're like

Oh yeah you got approved for a really good rate

Uh-huh

Turns out

Because they were trying to run it again

And I already had an approval

It was blocking it

So they basically people

Were trying to buy multiple vehicles in a day

Without actually having the ability to buy multiple vehicles

So they auto block

If you get an approval from one lender

At least for this dealership

The rest are auto blocked

That makes sense

I mean you wouldn't want to

While it's all happening at the same time

You wouldn't want them to be able to buy two or three vehicles

From two or three different dealerships

So I have some qualifying answers

Assuming it's a hatchback-esque vehicle

So that puts out the legacy

Which

I don't know who buys those anyway

So we're down to a forester

An outback

Or a cross track

Said small so I think the forester is out

Cross track is the smallest

But I feel like that's too

Too small

For him

Well isn't the forester the biggest?

No outbacks the biggest

Oh okay well then

I stay at forester

I hold my cards at forester

So we know it's new

We know it's hatchback

And it's none of the three you just said

Is it that different model they just came out with?

You bought a Mercedes

Now we know it's a Subaru

It is a Subaru

I'm impressed that you haven't got it yet

There's a model that's actually

Half replacing the Ascent

But I don't remember what it's called now

Cross track, Impreza, Ascent

Outback, Forester

BRZ, WRX

Of those which ones are smaller ones?

Impreza

I bought the Impreza

It's actually in the compact

Car class

Now what color?

Blue

That was hard

I should have started with what color

Before we even went to any vehicles

None of us were surprised

And again it's the

The only car we drove that day

It's the one Kristen picked out and

We were happy with it

They had a red one, a white one, and a blue one

And I'm like well I gotta go with the blue one

I don't want white and I don't like red vehicles

How's the compact 5 door hatchback

Known for standard symmetrical

All-wheel drive

How's the culture shock going from up here

In 37s in the lift kit to on the ground

My 37s are taller than the car

I know

You said in prezzos like that, it's so little

It is, but when you get inside

There is an unbelievable amount of room

I could not believe it

When I got in it I'm like that thing's so tiny

But it doesn't look bad, I'll check it out

I sat down and I'm like

Yeah it's cavernous

Why is there so much room in here

You could park that inside my wife's descent

Yeah

Do you know what engine you got?

The 2.0

The little guy

They're 2.5

It doesn't need more than the 2.0 with the turbo though

I mean that thing is so zippy as a little car

Yeah the 2.5 is 182 horsepower

With an 8 speed

Transmission

But otherwise it's CVT

So we know how that goes

So you're at 152 horsepower

On I don't know what

1800 pounds of car

You know what I mean

That's so cool

Well congratulations

And I did drive it here today

And I planned to drive the Jeep originally

But I was like you know what

I'm going to park, we're going to see if anybody notices

If not maybe I get away with it to the podcast

I've had this vehicle for 2 weeks now

I've waited to post anything about it

For this moment

Man what a good day

Alright folks we'll do it again next week

We got a ton of Jeeps to get to

We've heard a lot of requests for

Continuing Tuesday updates

And Scott and I are trying to force those into existence

Yep

Because obviously Jeffery's not any help with that

We'll head

We got Jeeps to do today

So here we're off

About this episode

Jeep concept vehicles at Easter Jeep Safari get dissected hard—especially the “lacklustre” lineup and how Jeep’s budget/leadership constraints may be showing. Neil, Scott Brown, and Phil Bruce debate what counts as a true concept, then rank favorites and disappointments: the Buzz Cut, Red Rock/Laredo-style sticker builds, Anvil 715 safari theme, and a retro-inspired 1984 XJ resto-mod. The crew also calls out missed opportunities (engine swaps, overlanding practicality, and design follow-through) and ends with personal updates, including FedEx chaos in Charleston and Jeffrey switching from Jeep life to a Subaru hatchback.

33 inch BFG All terrain tires 33s 35s 37s A-pillar and bumper lights BFGs carbon fiber flares concept vehicles Easter egg interior

Ford Bronco Jeep Cherokee Jeep Wrangler

Original notes

We want to hear from you, Send us a Text

The Easter Jeep Safari has always been the proving ground for Jeep’s wildest ideas—but the 2026 concept lineup left a lot of enthusiasts scratching their heads.

In this episode, we break down all six builds—from the military-inspired Wrangler concepts to the retro XJ restomod—and ask the bigger question: did Jeep play it too safe this year? While the lineup leaned heavily on heritage cues and subtle upgrades, many felt it lacked the bold innovation and boundary-pushing creativity the event is known for.

Support the show

Thanks for listening, give us a review and check us out on YouTube -SFJ4x4 and visit our website to grab some great gear or products for your Jeep, SFJ4x4.com. Don't forget, you can email [email protected] for special content requests, blind react videos, suggestions, special guests, or general questions. Check out our Patreon patreon.com/ISpeakJeep

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