Hot or Not? SmythKitCars Jeep Grand Cherokee ute conversion

By Josh Needs 2 Min Read

Fancy a Jeep utility but don’t want to wait for a Gladiator? How about taking an old WJ Grand Cherokee and turning it into a pickup…is this thing hot or not?

The Gladiator will lob Down Under in May and it’s available to order right now. It ain’t cheap, though as you can read HERE. So, we searched the Interweb and found this thing. In America. So, it’s probably not relevant for us…but that’s not the point. It’s all about blokes in sheds building stuff. But, whether it’s hot or not is up to you.

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So, what are you looking at? Well, SmythKitCars has released a conversion kit for the WJ Grand Cherokee, made between 1999 to 2004. Now, sure, this is a US kit but there’s nothing to say you couldn’t potentially import it into Australia and have it fitted and engineered… We had a look around online and you can find a WJ ready for conversion for around $4500. The conversion kit costs USD$2990 ($4600). After installation you’re left with a Grand Cherokee single-cab pickup.

The WJ was chosen because it’s the last of the live axle Grand Cherokees. According to the SmythKitCars, the kit includes strengthening the frame “to make it incredibly strong after cutting”. There’s a B-pillar reinforcement plate and subfloor bracing “connecting the bed floor to the front bed wall. The bedsides as on all Smyth kits are 1/8-inch aluminium plate and connect the wheel well and spring perch areas to the b-pillar plate for astounding strength”.

“The rear tail-lights are sliced and modified with included computer cut parts. The tailgate is fully operational. The bed is about 5.5-foot long and 5-foot wide.  The rear window is also the same as the Chevy Colorado unit we use in the Charger ute kit,” SmythKitcars said.

So, is this thing hot or not?


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