Beschreibung
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Say hello to ‘JP24’, a 1995 Jeep Wrangler YJ Sahara in full Jurassic Park livery.
I purchased JP24 back in 2017 as a totally original Sahara specification car with the firm idea of creating a Jurassic Park Jeep. I searched for a long time to find a car matching my criteria:
• Sahara specification - for the all-important green and tan interior
• 4. 0 litre ‘high output’ – arguably the best Jeep engine of all time – more reliable and powerful than the 2. 5 litre and offers similar fuel economy
• Manual gearbox – essential for when you absolutely you ‘must go faster’
• 1995 - the only year to have a galvanised bodywork and frame
• Colour – the Jeep was originally Champagne Metallic, which is the closest colour match to the Jurassic Park’s ‘Sand Beige’ this means that all of the areas not covered by the full respray (such as under the bonnet) are a very good match.
I then ‘spared no expense’ to create one of the UK’s first Jurassic Park Jeeps (I believe only the third in the country at the time). I didn’t just want a Jeep that looked good, but that was also reliable, so it went through a very comprehensive restoration. I have a massive A4 ring binder of receipts and invoices covering service that document it all, but this is just a quick summary of the main expenses:
JP conversion:
• Half-doors £700. 00
• Wheels plus powder coating: £910. 00
• Side steps: £320. 00
• Light bar (custom): £220. 00
• Sahara interior sound bar: £125. 00
• TTI CB radio and 102” stainless whip and stainless ball mount: £150. 00
• Replica winch (non-functioning), winch tray, decals, fairlead: £250. 00
• Front tow hooks £140. 00
• Sahara front door pockets £200. 00
• Front spot lights £150. 00
• Rear fog lights £120. 00
• Miscellaneous parts for JP conversion: £430. 00
• Full set of 5 BF Goodrich all-terrains: £650. 00
• Private number plate: £300. 00
• Full respray in full JP livery (2018) £3, 260. 00
• Refresh of JP paintwork (2020): £1, 050. 00
As a founding admin of the Jurassic Park Motor Pool (UK Division) I have strived to make JP24 as accurate as possible. It is painted in the Jurassic Park Motor Pool approved colours of Chrysler "Sand Beige Low Gloss Metallic" with Ford "Performance Red" stripes, which really pop. The inside of the vehicle has been pained in textured green marine paint for a low maintenance and attractive finish. All of the other parts were sourced to be as close as possible to the screen used items. There is also a loudspeaker under the bonnet that plays the JP tune on demand (loudly!) or any other mp3 file that you want to upload.
Maintenance and improvements:
• Removal of vacuum operated central axle disconnect: £485. 00
• Banks stainless (part) cat back exhaust and Gibson tip: £450. 00
• Pioneer USB/ AUX marine radio and Kicker marine speakers: £305. 00
• Miscellaneous parts for restoration: £4, 230. 00
• Garage restoration costs in my ownership: £3, 680. 00
• Full gearbox rebuild, new clutch and rear axle refurbishment (2019): £2, 160. 00
• Full underbody inspection, stripping, repair and rust proofing (2019): £2, 650. 00
• Rust prevention top-up (2022): £970. 00
I have a huge photo record of all of the work done to JP24 – included is just a small sample.
Clearly this has been a passion project! I wanted a car that I could use reliably, so any issues were dealt with as they arose and preventative maintenance was undertaken as required. A few of the common Jeep reliability issues were resolved early in my ownership – the central axle disconnect is a known weak point of the 4WD system and has been upgraded – the gearbox syncros have been replaced and the gearbox refurbished – the rear axle has been refurbished with a new clutch pack for the limited slip differential – corrosion protection has been done and topped up when needed etc.
The paintwork was done in 2018, with a refresh in 2020, and there are now some areas that would benefit from improvement to make it perfect again. It is very presentable, but there are a few small signs of rust that would benefit from a touch up and there are some hairline paint cracks on the plastic wheel arches where people lean on the Jeep for photographs (JP24 always draws a crowd!).
JP24 has a full 12 months MOT with no advisories (as of 03/ 06/ 24). The vehicle was a previous Cat D at some point before I owned the vehicle - the damage was to the rear tailgate only (since replaced anyway). This was an economic decision of the insurers and not a safety issue. The current insurance valuation is £15, 500. 00.
JP24 has been a summer vehicle for me, so is fitted with a Bestop Bikini Top and has a fully fitted all-weather cover for when it is not being used. The vehicle is garaged over winter. I have the original soft-top frame if you wanted to install a soft-top later but I have found the vehicle far more fun without one. I have absolutely loved owning JP24. It has taken me all across the UK and Europe, to many car shows, comic cons, weddings, Motorpool meet-ups and other events and it has never let me down. It has allowed me to meet so many new friends and create so many fond memories. It has helped to pay its way via wedding and event hire. It really does put a smile on everyone’s faces wherever it goes. However I am not using JP24 as much as it deserves and there are other projects needing my attention and so I feel it is the right time for a change. I hope to find someone that will continue to cherish the vehicle and continue to use it and show it.
