Chrysler’s Mopar division previewed its Jeep JK-8 pickup bed conversion for the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited a few months ago at the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari, and now Jeep pickup enthusiasts can purchase the kit that converts their four-door Wrangler to a modern Scrambler for $5499, installation not included. With the least-expensive Wrangler Unlimited, the air-conditioning-free Sport trim, starting at $26,345, this means that it’ll run you nearly $32,000 for a Wrangler pickup—and that’s not counting the time or cost of the actual conversion.
The kit consists of new body panels that make up the pickup bed, a new bulkhead behind the front seats, new B-pillars, roll bar extensions, and a removable fiberglass roof. The installation is a bit more than a simple plug-and-play affair, and requires several spot welds in the body to be cut (along with the B-pillars and portions of the existing roll bar), and the kit’s new body panels to be welded in place and painted. At Mopar’s April unveiling of the JK-8 kit, the company said that it might offer a simpler, “backyard bolt-in” kit, and apparently that easier-to-install option has been shelved.
Despite the reasonably involved installation process, Mopar seems confident that a motivated do-it-yourselfer could feasibly execute the conversion. For the less daring conversion buyer, the kit can be installed at any Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, or Ram dealership; with this much welding and bodywork, however, it might be wise to find a dealership with a decent body shop. Perhaps the kit’s best attribute—besides the fact that the conversion creates a Jeep with a pickup bed—is that the whole shebang is warranted for three years/36,000 miles, and it is available now through any Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, or Ram dealership. If you want to see the JK-8 in action, head over here.
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