Jeep® Build Showcases Shop Talent
Truck Toyz Unlimited shop owner Rich Villar is no stranger to custom projects. His fascination began in 1983 with a brand new Toyota SR5, stripped and reassembled with a 750 horsepower big block Chevy 454 engine. Nicknamed Pure Insanity, its assertive power, dominant off-road stance and 44” Super Swampers were enough to intimidate the tailpipes off any muscle car.
Fast forward a few decades and not much has changed for Villar except a business venture that guarantees access to proper tools and fabrication machinery. Now he can pump out one custom project after another. The latest, a Jeep® build that’s fierce and futuristic in appearance with more bling than Kanye. This 2011 Jeep® Wrangler JKU Sport means business, with a 6-7” Rubicon Express coilover conversion kit that isn’t for show. Villar will meet you on the trails for a test drive.
But the bad boy is more than a weekend warrior with an aggressive Fab Fours Grumper smile; it’s a hardcore shop project showcasing the mild-to-wild customization skills of Truck Toyz Unlimited in Rocky Hill, CT. And in true fashion, this Jeep® build has undergone its fair share of transformation that started, well, before it was technically purchased.
“Funny story, so I had the Jeep® build out for a test drive and took it back to the shop to throw on some 35’s and a 4” lift. The local dealership called and was like ‘What are you doing?!” I told them to calm down, that I was going to buy it and would show up tomorrow to do all the paperwork,” laughed Villar. “I stopped the next day and they were asking where the Jeep® build was. I kept pointing and they were like nah and I was like yahh!”
A purchase price of $27,000, multiple vehicle wraps, 40” tire swaps and gear changes eventually led to a stripped skeleton and $38,000 aftermarket price tag. That number will swell over winter, as Villar looks to supercharge the wow factor under the hood starting with an LS swap from a Camaro or Corvette.
“I always have something in my vehicles that I technically shouldn’t have,” said Villar. He likes to keep things interesting. “(The price of) a HEMI swap could kill this project, so I’ll likely do a 6.2L swap,” he laughed. The cost is another $12,000-$15,000 in performance upgrades, but the result is a hook for customers. “YOU can have this, too!” and the team at Truck Toyz Unlimited is eager to deliver.
Jeep® Build Parts List
• 6-7” Rubicon Express coilover conversion kit
• Rubicon Express hydraulic bump stops
• ReadyLIFT high steer kit
• Fox Shocks ATS Stabilizer
• 2” Performance Accessories body lift
• 2008 Chrysler Viper throttle body
• 35 lbs. injectors
• Long tube headers and hi-flow cats
• DiabloSport I2 tuner with custom dyno tune
• Auto Meter boost gauge
• Auto Meter air fuel ratio gauge
• Fab Fours Grumper grille
• Smittybilt XRC rear bumper
• Smittybilt XRC fenders and body armor
• Smittybilt 9500 lbs. synthetic rope winch with Factor 55 D-ring mount
• Warrior Products tubular doors
• RIGID 50” radiance bar and rock lights underneath and under hood
• Oracle color changing halos in factory headlights
• AMP Research PowerSteps
• BedRug interior carpet kit
• Rugged Ridge stainless hood latch set
• Bestop Trektop NX in twill
• Toyo Open Country MT 40 x 15.50/24
• Custom made front and rear driveshafts
• Custom in-house, over-the-axle dump exhaust
• Custom steel hood
• Door handle inserts
• Factory hinges with stainless steel bolts
• Custom limo tints on all windows with a full windshield tint
• Third brake light mounted in tailgate behind an ORF spare tire delete plate
• Kenwood stereo system with two 12” subs and 500 watt amp
• Rockjock 60 axles with 5:38 gearing and Detroit Electronic Lockers front and rear
• Prodigy Performance large intercooler
• Ripp supercharger
• Altitude pulley
• Fuel Hi Luster Forged Wheels 24 x 14
• BDS Long Arm Suspension
