Before we rescued it, the YJ had been sitting for a couple of years with no top, so the seating was pretty well gone, as was the carpeting and other interior appointments. 4 Wheel Drive Hardware Super Sport recliner seats and premium carpet kit really cleaned up the interior. We mounted the seats on driver- and passenger-seat brackets and sliders from Bestop. Bestop also supplied the rear seat cover that matches the rest of the spice interior. A Bestop Supertop keeps occupants dry and warm on wet, cold winter days. During the summer, the top will be stored away for open-air off-roading.
It's tough integrating computer-controlled gauges in later-model Jeeps with an engine swap. We decided to replace the factory gauges with Auto Meter Ultra-Lite gauges. The 3-3/8-inch tach and speedometer fit in the gutted factory position, and the 2-1/16-inch gauges fit in the factory dash holes by using a gauge bracket from Drivetrain Unlimited. The electronic speedometer can be easily programmed when tire size or gear ratios change. Advance Adapters also sent a Lokar cable shifter for the Wrangler. It's crisp and precise.
Throttle response is fabulous, not only due to the 5.3L V8, but also because of the Toy Shop 4L60E tranny. The Rockworx suspension design, coupled with the Walker Evans Racing shocks, exhibits no weird lifting or jacking of the Jeep when hanging it out off-road. The Wrangler climbs like a goat, also helped by the unbelievably sticky 37-inch BFGoodrich Red Label Krawler T/As. The 5-inch-longer 98-inch wheelbase helps greatly too. The steering is easy with the heavy-duty ram assist, pump, and steering gearbox from PSC.
Rockworx took this '94 Wrangler from ugly duckling to super Jeep by taking superb parts and using their considerable know-how to put them together. This project turned out better than we could have hoped! Check out the photos and see for yourself.