SpaceCoastJeeper
New member
I moved to Florida a few months back and decided that the Honda Accord that I was driving just didn't fit the lifestyle that I was going for. So I researched for weeks trying to find exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a barebones two-door sport with a soft-top. The only optional extra that I wanted was A/C. I wasn't interested in leather, bluetooth, power windows, or power seats.
After several weeks and haggling back and forth with dealerships, I finally found exactly what I was looking for about 100 miles away. It was a 2015 Sport in Hydro Blue Pearlcoat. I immediately fell in love with the color and drove out to the dealer to sign the paperwork. I ended up getting it for exactly $24k out-the-door after tax, tag, and title. I have to admit, coming from a smooth-driving Honda Accord, the 100 mile drive home down I-95 in the "brick on wheels" was an eye-opening experience, but I was hooked.
I got bit by the mod bug pretty quickly and less than a week later I had ordered a bunch of goodies. I started out small, with floor mats, rear grab handles, a stubby antenna, and the mesh grill mod.
I drove it around like this until I decided that the stock steelies and tires had to go. I wasn't a big fan of the mail Jeep look and the stock tires were slipping and sliding a lot in the heavy Florida rain. I wasn't ready to put down a ton of money on new wheels so I got a pair of take-off 17" Moab wheels off of Craigslist. I didn't want to run wheel spacers, didn't want to get a lift yet, and I needed to keep some semblance of decent gas mileage, so I settled on a set of 255/80r17 BFG KM2s. I honestly can't say enough good things about these tires. Road noise is very manageable and they handle great.
AEV Procal was next to get my speedo and odo back to normal. Can't recommend this product enough!
It was about at this point that I decided I wanted to take this build in an Overlanding direction and eventually take it out to Colorado, Moab, BC, Alaska, etc. As fellow owners of 2-doors are well aware, space is a major concern, especially for long trips. I ordered a Gobi Ranger rack as I wanted a rack that didn't require any drilling and I read nothing but positive reviews. It should hopefully be here in a couple of weeks. After the rack, my plans are to add a 2.5" OME HD suspension lift, front and rear AEV bumpers, AEV tire carrier with fuel caddy, CB radio, and winch.
Until then, I've been exploring as much of Florida as I can. I've been blown away by how capable an almost stock Sport is. It's handled everything I've thrown at it without a hint of trouble.
After several weeks and haggling back and forth with dealerships, I finally found exactly what I was looking for about 100 miles away. It was a 2015 Sport in Hydro Blue Pearlcoat. I immediately fell in love with the color and drove out to the dealer to sign the paperwork. I ended up getting it for exactly $24k out-the-door after tax, tag, and title. I have to admit, coming from a smooth-driving Honda Accord, the 100 mile drive home down I-95 in the "brick on wheels" was an eye-opening experience, but I was hooked.
I got bit by the mod bug pretty quickly and less than a week later I had ordered a bunch of goodies. I started out small, with floor mats, rear grab handles, a stubby antenna, and the mesh grill mod.
I drove it around like this until I decided that the stock steelies and tires had to go. I wasn't a big fan of the mail Jeep look and the stock tires were slipping and sliding a lot in the heavy Florida rain. I wasn't ready to put down a ton of money on new wheels so I got a pair of take-off 17" Moab wheels off of Craigslist. I didn't want to run wheel spacers, didn't want to get a lift yet, and I needed to keep some semblance of decent gas mileage, so I settled on a set of 255/80r17 BFG KM2s. I honestly can't say enough good things about these tires. Road noise is very manageable and they handle great.
AEV Procal was next to get my speedo and odo back to normal. Can't recommend this product enough!
It was about at this point that I decided I wanted to take this build in an Overlanding direction and eventually take it out to Colorado, Moab, BC, Alaska, etc. As fellow owners of 2-doors are well aware, space is a major concern, especially for long trips. I ordered a Gobi Ranger rack as I wanted a rack that didn't require any drilling and I read nothing but positive reviews. It should hopefully be here in a couple of weeks. After the rack, my plans are to add a 2.5" OME HD suspension lift, front and rear AEV bumpers, AEV tire carrier with fuel caddy, CB radio, and winch.
Until then, I've been exploring as much of Florida as I can. I've been blown away by how capable an almost stock Sport is. It's handled everything I've thrown at it without a hint of trouble.
