Grand Cherokee Pickup Conversion Is Your Budget Gladiator
Why buy a Gladiator when you can just convert a Jeep Grand Cherokee into a Ute for $3K instead?
Last year, Jeep fans rejoiced. The time had finally come where they could purchase a Jeep based pickup once again. Fortunately, in addition to simply arriving at dealerships, the Gladiator impressed critics and pretty much everyone who spent time behind one. But what if you didn’t have to spend upwards of $35k to get a Jeep branded pickup?
That seems to be the thinking behind a recent vehicle developed by Smyth Performance. Basically, the company engineered a conversion kit for the “WJ” Jeep Grand Cherokee. The kit essentially turns any 1999-2004 model into a pickup. Not only that, but it does it for the low price of around $3k. With decent used examples likely costing that much, it certainly doesn’t sound like a bad deal to us at all!
A Jeep Ute?
The is not the first time Smyth Performance introduced a pickup conversion kit. But it is their first Jeep. It’s not exactly a mystery as to how the company goes about the task of converting an SUV into something with an actual truck bed. Nevertheless, it’s pretty cool. With any type of kit that removes a substantial part of a vehicle’s structure, rigidity concerns are paramount. Fortunately, it seems Smyth Performance more than compensated for that with their conversion. As you can see in the above picture, the company installed a beefy B-pillar reinforcement that should help keep the truck from feeling wobbly or being unsafe.
Additionally, they added subfloor bracing. That connects the bed floor to the front bed wall. Overall, everything connected to the bed is infused with aluminum. The bedsides are made of one 1/8″ aluminum plate which connects the wheel well and spring perch areas to the B-pillar. Smyth Performance also redesigned the tail light wiring and installed a fully functional tail gate. The company uses the third brake light and tail gate window from a Chevy Colorado. They don’t explain why they chose the Chevy, but our guess is that those parts work because of their size and their cost. Crucially, the pickup conversion boasts some excellent dimensions. The bed itself measures 5.5 feet. That’s exactly as long as most full size pickups trucks, like the Ram 1500. It’s 5 feet wide too.
Breathing New Life Into Old Jeeps
Overall, this seems like a great idea if you own an older Grand Cherokee and need a pickup, but don’t want to pay too much for one, especially if you don’t know its history. The company seems well versed with these kits too. In addition to the Dodge Charger conversion, which you can see in the above picture, they also offer kits for the Subaru Impreza and the Volkswagen Beetle. Those don’t seem like the type of vehicles you’d traditionally associate with trucks, but that’s kind of the point, right? Regardless. This all seems pretty damn cool. Perhaps the best aspect of this conversion is that it’s a kit. The company ships everything to you. After that, you can do the work yourself or work with a local body shop. Deposits are now being taken for the kits, which are expected to start shipping in May 2020. Head here for more information.
Photos: Smyth Performance