Shane Barrington owns Thunder Mountain Truck Outfitters in Logan, Utah. Not only is the surrounding countryside ideal for four-wheeling, but popular Moab is several hours away, where folks nearby and heading through Logan make their way to this great outback of America.

As the Jeep Wrangler JK has increased in popularity locally, Shane’s wife, Candi, wanted him to build her a Jeep. She wanted a slightly lifted Jeep that would be her “boulevard cruiser,” one where she could remove the top and cruise to the mall.

Shane was on board with adding a Jeep to the family’s collection, but he had some other ideas about the Jeep. He wanted a fully capable rock crawler.

As in all marriages, compromise is key. The Barringtons agreed on a fully capable rock crawler that would be street legal.

Today, Candi cruises to the grocery store during the week and Shane wheels it on the weekend.

Now, there were to be other compromises to make the build happen to please both Candi and Shane. The Jeep basically is a 2009 Wrangler Sahara. Candi loved the Sahara trim; but Shane needed a Rubicon, so he bought the four-door Sahara and he and his Thunder Mountain team went to work converting it to a Rubicon. They installed a Dana 44 in the front and added front and rear lockers.

Other modifications include: 4.5 Terra Flex long arm lift kit; Rancho RS 9000 adjustable shocks; Expedition One bumpers front and rear (painted to match Jeep); Hanson Offroad rock sliders (painted to match Jeep); American Racing Chamber Pro Wheels with bead locks 17"; BF Goodrich KM2 tires 37x12.50x20; Warn Power Plant winch (painted to match Jeep); Rancho exhaust; Airaid intake; Superchips programmer; custom aluminum long arm links by Thunder Mountain; Tom Wood’s custom drive lines; and aluminum tie rod drag link custom built by Thunder Mountain.

Future plans include: Katzkin Leather; and audio and video upgrades.   

Restyling magazine wants to see the inside of your business. Whether it’s a project car you’re especially proud of, a newly remodeled showroom, a great photo of your staff, or a clean, well-organized installation area, send us a large, high-resolution picture and a description of what you’ve done and why you’re proud of it to reeditor@nbm.com or Restyling Magazine, P.O. Box 1416, Broomfield, CO, 80038.