Mods, Mods, Mods
No two jeeps are alike. Or at least that’s what I had always heard. I guess at one point when jeeps roll off the assembly line in Ohio, there are plenty of jeeps that are the same. But once a jeep is purchased most owners begin the path of making their jeep their own and putting a signature to the look of their rig. I even began my walk through making my jeep mine, by adding an Apple sticker at the dealership before I left.
When looking for new jeeps, I always thought about what this jeep would look like in a year. It was a mixed thought of what do I want in my jeep now AND what I think it will look like in a year or two. I didn’t need a ton of new features. What I wanted was a capable jeep that had some basic items. I wanted it to look good on day one AND I wanted decent tires and wheels to start with. I didn’t want my first mod to be tires and wheels. I will do that sometime in the future but I didn’t want to do that right away. One of the main things I liked about my jeep was the Bridgestone ATs and the wheels were black and looked good. It was a good start.
So, I looked at a few killer jeeps and began to make notes about some of the smaller mods that I could do with an amazon gift card that I had. I haven’t done anything high dollar yet. (I will, I know). I wanted to do some cosmetic items that didn’t come from the dealer and I set out to do those. First and fore most, I needed a mount for my iPhone. I loved the way I had my iPhone mounted in my previous car, but there just wasn’t the space or flat surface to do that in my jeep. So, I ordered a Rugged Ridge mount for the dash. It actually mounts in the tray on the dash. The mount I originally ordered didn’t have the phone attachment (Rugged Ridge 13551.11 Dash Multi-Mount System (Black)). So I had to return it and get the one with the mount. I need to learn to read the listing. The Rugged Ridge 13551.16 Dash Multi-Mount Phone Kit worked perfectly. It’s as if it was always part of the jeep. After getting it mounted, I realized I didn’t want to have one of the white USB cable from Apple. It was too white and not long enough to keep it from just laying in front of the head unit. I grabbed a NativeUnion braided 4 foot cable and it looks great.
I wanted to get some internal grab bars. So I added roll bar grab handles for the front and headrest handles for the back seats. These look cool and are great for additional places to grab onto during driving or rough terrain. I saw red ones that would probably look great against my red exterior but you just never know if the reds will match. My firecracker red is very distinctive and might not match other reds. I know I’m too picky. So, black it is.
I struggled with the next small mod that I did quite a bit. I wasn’t sure if it was actually important or needed. I was also concerned with cheap or poorly made materials. But, I truly hate bugs and dings in any radiator, much less a radiator that is clearly visible through the grill of a jeep. So, researched and read tons of reviews for grill inserts or mesh behind the grill. I chose clip in grill inserts. These are black plastic inserts with plenty of sturdy clips. To do this install correctly, it requires a partial or complete removal of the grill. This is fairly easy with the removal of 6 clips. I really like the look of the inserts and it’ll keep the rocks and bugs out of the radiator. I have a before and after of the install on this one. I think it adds some nice contrast in the grill and a little tougher look.
My favorite mods have come in the form of vinyl. I have a friend that does amazing vinyl work and has done so for me. I asked for a few smaller decals and he wowed me with some of the work. Remember that apple sticker? He made me a black one to replace the white one. I want only two colors: Black or Red. Thanks, Scruft! I love the way these look and every time I see them, I smile!!
There will be more mods. That I am certain! What mods have you done? What mods should I do? Let us know.