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Recommended small additions to new JK

4K views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  Bill Miser 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,

Seeing as my JK is in "I" status and waiting for inspection, I'm already building a list of things I'll want to add to my first Jeep in anticipation of it arriving (hopefully) before the end of the month. I'm not getting a bigger operation of a lift or bigger tires just yet (probably a year away from that at least).

To give a bit of context I live in Toronto, so winter-related suggestions are certainly welcome too, and here's what my X-mas present to myself will look like:

- Manual, 2-door Sport S in Baja Yellow
- Power convenience group
- Dual top group
- Connectivity group
- Uconnect 430 radio

So far I'm thinking about:

- Krown rusting (going to opt out of the dealer rust proof package)
- AntennaX (5-inch)
- Grabars
- Gas cap door
- Sprint booster (maybe)

So far I think the Krown is an automatic, and the shorter antenna is just $20 so I'll get that for sure.

But for the grab handles I'm wondering if anyone can suggest something else? I like the Grabars since it doesn't need to wrap around the roll bars. But I'll want something since I didn't get the side steps - it's more for my passengers than myself.

I'd like the MOPAR fuel door because it looks good and solid, but for $120 I'm not entirely convinced I'll get that right away. And if I do get one I feel like I should get one that locks. Thoughts?

The Sprint Booster is something I'll consider after driving the Manual tranny for a while -if I really can't stand the drive-by-wire system. My car now is still a traditional cable system, and some rentals I've driven over the years with electronic throttle control just plain suck -I hate them so much. Not having tried a manual with electronic throttle control will be a wait and see situation, but for $300 it's definitely something I won't get on a whim.

Are there any other small additions anyone can recommend?
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Floor mats for sure, I personally love the WeatherTechs. Grabars are awesome too, but you already have them listed there. The Mopar gas cap cover I love, it provides some protection and it looks much better. Regarding the locking, if you are in an area where possible gas theft is an issue or you have a ex girlfriend who would throw sand down your gas tank, then get a locking one. Otherwise, the Mopar one is fine. Finally, I would think about the grille mod where you get that radiator a little more protection with some screening that covers the grille openings in the front.

Other than that, you are headed in the right directions. Congrats on your soon to be delivered new JK!
 
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#4 ·
X2 on the weathertech floor mats. Pricey, but I've tried Husky liners and Mopar slush mats and these are by far my favorites.
Door sill protectors definitely worth it.
One of my favorite mods (very easy to do and easy on the wallet) is mounting a Mag Lite on my drivers seat bracket. Write ups are everywhere on how to do it. May even be on YouTube. It's Very handy. Wife and kids know the one in my Jeep is off limits!


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#5 ·
How does the Weathertech material feel? I'm willing to spend a little more for good floor mats but it looks like my shoes would slip and slide, which makes me think a mat with deeper treads would be better, no?

Which door sill guards would you recommend? Do they stick out when the doors are closed? and how come they're a must?

That's also a good point -I'm also weary of the bugs/debris that would hit the radiator as well; would anyone be able to recommend anything that protects that?
 
#6 ·
I personally like the Mopar style or Quadratec with the deep grooves. If you're in a snowy area, when the snow melts off of your pant bottoms and boots, plenty of room for the melted snow to go. With the Weathertech, while providing more area of protection, I think your boots will still be slopping around in melted snow.
It comes down to personal preference.
For the door sill guards, the plastic ones are fine. The door sill is painted/exposed and will get messed up with lots of in/out. Just a nice little finishing touch.
For the screened radiator protection, there are tons of options - make your own, buy a kit to make your own, or buy one of the many kits on the market. Can't really go wrong with any of them. Again, personal preference.
 
#7 ·
I did a homemade job on my grille. A roll of black plastic gutter mesh, small zip ties and wire anchors at Home Depot cost me like $15 total. The kits cost much more and even some of the full screens go for more than $100. Here is how I basically did mine, only I used black plastic gutter mesh than the metal type.

Did the mesh grill mod to mine today - Jeep Wrangler Forum

I was going to give you the rear headrest mod, but I see you are only a 2 door so it's a different set up than the 4 door.

Also, the Wethertech mats hold the rain and slush just fine and you feet do not slide around on them. I have them in both my Jeeps and won't put anything else in.
 
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#8 ·
I did a homemade job on my grille. A roll of black plastic gutter mesh, small zip ties and wire anchors at Home Depot cost me like $15 total. The kits cost much more and even some of the full screens go for more than $100. Here is how I basically did mine, only I used black plastic gutter mesh than the metal type.

Did the mesh grill mod to mine today - Jeep Wrangler Forum
Looks like a good Sunday afternoon project. How easy is it to take out the grill?
 
#9 · (Edited)
The grille comes off easily, remove the black retainers from the top edge then pull it away from the radiator. There are spring tabs along the bottom and next to the turn signals that will unsnap as you pull the grille off.

While you have it off maybe think of swapping the headlights for better ones. And might as well plastidip spray the chrome emblem if you want to see what black or another color would look like.

I agree with the other recommendations. I went with the Mopar door sills, they were cheap on Amazon. The Mopar fuel door is very nice looking. Personally, I'd be more concerned with wheel locks on the spare or a hood lock versus a locking fuel door/cap.

You might want to consider a longer antenna if you are concerned with radio reception. AntennaX also has a 13 inch one...

Finally, since you have the 430N, you could add a backup camera to it. Same with the grille mesh, you can buy a complete camera kit or piece one together for cheap. Plenty of threads on the various forums about cameras.
 
#10 ·
Awesome good to know. Now that you mention it I'm interested in spraying the emblem black against the Yellow paint.

I'm going to stick with the stock headlights for now, but I've browsed some Xenon and HID lights just to see and I like some of the looks. But with those costing about $200 or more, I'll hold off on that for now heh.

I think I have the one-year free subscription to Sirius, but for 95% of the time I listen to my own music from the iPod or USB stick, so the antenna reception isn't a huge deal to me.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Yeah, the new headlights aren't cheap! I went with the Hella H4 conversion and so far have been happy with the improvement.

I found the satellite radio quality to be really bad, way worse than FM. The 430N has a hard drive but loading music is painfully slow so I'm using a thumb drive, specifically one of the tiny sandisk cruzer ones. I just leave it plugged into the front of the 430N (I took the little cover off completely). Works great.
 
#12 ·
I added Trek Armor seat covers to my 2dr and like them a lot.

I have had Weathertek floor mats (as well as Husky's) before and agree with a poster above about slush/water accumulating on them. I have the Mopar mats in my current 2dr and they are very good. No slipping.
 
#14 ·
Thanks to everyone again for the suggestions. I opted for the MOPAR mats since they were readily available at the dealership for $60 CAD. Definitely will be going back to get the door sill guards.

I didn't realize how dirty the door sill gets until I hit some snow and slush this week. Even the fender flares and bumpers get filthy pretty quick without any splash guards. But I wouldn't have my JK any other way :D

I did the grill modification in the first week. Even with the right scissors those gutter guards are a bitch to cut, but it was worth it. I ended up spray painting it black to go with the Baja Yellow.

Is plasti dipping the front emblem as simple as a few coats and peeling it off without any other type of pre-spray or coats of other chemicals? I'm youtubing it and I feel like I could screw it up somehow.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Nice additions! I'm really impressed with the coverage of the Mopar mats and the sill guards are a piece of cake addition. You might save some money buying them online. I got mine off Amazon.

The plasti dip really is that easy. I did my Jeep emblem with 5 or 6 coats and with about 30 minutes wait in between. Just mask off a crude rectangle around the emblem and cover the surrounding area. I cleaned the emblem with alcohol before spraying. The overspray within the rectangle peels right off the paint. I used a tooth pick to peel up and remove the bits inside the emblem. They took a little more care to remove without scuffing the emblem with the toothpick. Make sure you spray in a ventilated area, it smells like it really would be harmful to your health, worse than spray paint in my opinion.
 
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