A Jeep Wrangler pickup is coming. Just not right now. Eventually. The desire for it is strong and plenty of people (including many of you) will pay up for it when Jeep actually produces it, but no amount of money burning a hole in someone’s bank account will bring the next-gen Wrangler pickup to market any sooner.
However, a certain amount of dough will buy a JK pickup. A pile the size of $35,000 – or the base price of a 2017 Wrangler Unlimited Sahara and some change. For that starting price, a company called Bruiser Conversions will take the JKU you bring them and add a 5′ x 4’6″ bed to the back of it. No word of what other mods come with that, although the pictures on the Bruiser Conversions site show a lifted rig with hardcore rubber, bull bar, and winch. The company says ultimate pricing of its JK Crew Conversion “is dependent on the full build sheet.”
Bruiser also offers other body conversions for both two- and four-door Wranglers. It performs engine swaps, too. Bruiser will install a Cummins 4BT turbo diesel paired with either a 4l80e HD automatic or NV4500 manual gearbox in any 2007 – 2011 Jeep Wrangler. Both Hemi and LS power plants are available for those who want their Wranglers to run on eight cylinders. The GM engines can pump out as few as 450 horsepower and as much as 1,000, but Bruiser says the 450-hp LS3 has the most takers. Prices start at $23,500 for the DIY version of the LS3 conversion kit for a 2012+ Wrangler. The Hemis come in 5.7-, 6.4-liter, and 7.0-liter sizes. Kits are priced from $19,000; conversions begin at $22,500.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
