Is there a JL truck conversion out there yet?

[zrickety]

4-door vehicles outsell their 2-door counterparts 9-to-1. This is the pattern in sales mix whenever there’s been a 4-door and 2-door offered side-by-side, like it was for Honda Civic and Accord. Honda has since killed both 2-door versions.

Wrangler sales are gradually approaching those proportions. When JK first appeared, 4-door sales were 50-50 with 2-door. By the time JK came to the end of its cycle, sales were 25% 2-door/75% 4-door. And the trend has accelerated with JL. Last time I checked, 2-door accounted for less than 15% of total JL sales.

Consumer demand is the biggest driver for these sales patterns. 4-doors simply offer a lot more functionality to the vast majority of buyers.

In Wrangler’s case, FCA’s decisions play a role in driving 2-door sales lower. It hasn’t offered 2-door in several versions —i.e., Moab, North, Recon, Sahara, Sahara Altitude, High Altitude, 4Xe and 392. Despite all the 1941 Easter eggs, FCA continues to treat 2-door like the step child. For instance, you cannot get a tan soft top on most 2-door versions, while you still can in 4-doors. To make matters worse, FCA’s pricing policies place 2-door at a disadvantage; making Wrangler so expensive prompts many buyers to “step up” to the 4-door.

FCA is motivated by greed; it doesn’t give a shit; all it wants is to charge the most money for each sale. But these decisions are pushing sales of 2-door even lower.

PS - Bronco 2-door will sell well during the first 2 years. But I’d be surprised if Ford continues to offer it after its first redesign.

On the list of endangered species

Well, I'm sure the 4 door Chargers outsell the 2 door Challengers by a HUGE margin. Doesn't mean they should stop making them. Same for the Impala vs the Camaro. A 2 door JT might replace some 4 door JT sales, but your customers would be infinitely happier. That's what brings back business.

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[Dash68]

You mean something like this?

Yes! The 2005 Gladiator concept is what I thought the 2020 Gladiator would have been. The coolest features were the side mounted spare tire which screams Jeep and the rear window that dropped down into the rear bulkhead and the bulkhead could be slid into the cab for more bed storage area.

 

[Heimkehr]

FCA’s pricing policies place 2-door at a disadvantage; making Wrangler so expensive prompts many buyers to “step up” to the 4-door.

When I first started shopping for a Jeep late last summer, I do remember thinking that if I wanted a two door Wrangler and not the four door, I wouldn't have purchased the former. I would have walked away and kept my Honda. The JL was much too close in price to the JLU, in my view. This gives the illusion that the four door is a bit of a bargain, when in fact the two door Wrangler is arguably overpriced. One needn't try hard at all to blow past $50K when outfitting a JL as they like...and it doesn't have to be a Rube, either.

It's a shame, really, but if FCA and now Stellantis wants to steer the sales trends of the longer wheelbase Jeeps, their methods are plainly working.

 

[Dash68]

Here is the JK kit. It sold poorly, so it’s very doubtful there will be a JL version. It was cool, but you had to buy the JK first, then spend $5k for this kit and another $5k in labor (if you didn’t do any of the work).

https://uncrate.com/mopar-jk-8-jeep-kit/

I was never sold on the the Mopar JK8 kit. It didn't make for a very convincing pickup truck visually or functionally and I suspect the current staff of Mopar designers have similar thoughts.

AEV designed an exceptional pickup conversion kit for the TJ. The Brute, having a separate cab and bed, was a distinctive, stylish, and functional small off road truck that was exceptional as an off road camping platform. The AEV Brute conversion parts are no longer made so they are like owning gold if you have some.

The Mopar design teams approach to the J6 is spot on and I suspect Mark Allens less than enthusiastic reponse to its overwhelming exceptance by the journalists and jeep enthusiasts at the 2019 EJS was the fact that it stole the show over his 4 door gladiators and M-715 Five Quarter concepts.

The J6 is simply a delight to look at and reaches the emotions of many who enjoyed the small trucks of the 90's and 2000's such as the Comanches, Rangers, S-10's, Tacomas, and Frontiers. It would prove to be much more practical and functional as an off road pick up for where I live and wheel than the longer crew cab tiny bed version currently being offered. I could haul our bikes in the bed and be able to fully close the tailgate where I'd have full functionality of the backup camera. It would also be an excellent candidate to haul a Four Wheel slide-in pop up camper.

If Jeep put the J6 into production I'm sure it would sell well to the older demographic looking to rekindle there earlier years of enjoying a small pickup. The younger generation, without children, might also find it fun and useful as well. Many northern cities and college campuses use to have fleets of 4x4 S-10 and Rangers for snow plowing narrow ally's and small parking lots, so they may find the sport model useful as well.

If Mopar put the J6 conversion kit into production it would certainly sell better than the JK8 kit on appearance alone. It seems it would be a simpler conversion as well.

I'd prefer to buy a factory built J6 but I would settle for building my own if Mopar offers the J6 conversion kit.

 

[OM3]

https://www.ramyautomotive.com/blog/ramy-automotives-latest-project-is-called-jl-mercury/

 

[LOGS]

https://www.ramyautomotive.com/blog/ramy-automotives-latest-project-is-called-jl-mercury/

That would definitely fit my needs, wonder if they will actually make a kit. The more and more I think on it, I may be just going to settle and get the gladiator. In my mind it would be easier to cut a gladiator down than build up a JL(about 10 years ago I made a YJ into basically an LJ by extending the frame and tub and then dropped a TDI in it). Nice find!

 

[L1011]

I still drool over the J6 concept every time I stumble across it.

Same here! I want a J6 big time. I really wish Jeep would make it.

 

[helloyello]

I would argue that's not really true.
Manufacturers make the majority 4 door trucks, yes. But they don't even offer the 2 door, maybe if it's a stripped down work truck.
It's easy to say that's what buyers want when that's all that is on the lot.
Go back to the 90's and look at regular cabs vs the 4 door offerings...no contest.
Jeep would be smart to make a 2 door Gladiator. They have all the tooling.

I have always wanted a 2 door wrangler pickup. I think they would sell well. I have even contemplated buying a JLU and just using half doors in the rear and removing the back seat. Something similar to this that I found on reddit. Although I think this guy was just tired of waiting on half doors it appears.

 

[Marine2146]

Rubitrux has this for sale, it has a v8 and not a bad price. I live about 30 minutes from them, they’re located next to app state. They also have one that’s an LJ with a single cab top on it, not a true truck bed.

https://www.rubitrux.com/1999-custom-jeep-wrangler-5-3l-brute-conversion-yellow-489498.html

 

[betsy]

I would give AEV a call to see if they were planning anything. They brought us the Brute.

You have to remember that AEV made the 4dr brute that is now the gladiator, l don’t think a 2dr is in their future plans, also when they discontinued the TJ brute a large number of followers tried to get them to reproduce those parts and they said there wasn’t enough interest, I was one of those followers, still am !

 

[betsy]

Google dynatrac codex, nice extended cab gladiator, also gr8 tops.

 

[nowandthen]

Wouldn't such a truck, in addition to all the costs of bringing it to market risk taking away from sales of at least some JTs?

No loose loss of a JT sale in my case, as I will never buy one. But I would buy the J6. So +1 sale for Jeep should they offer the J6.

Cost to market may not be that high. The J6 uses the JLU wheelbase. So a slight lengthening of the frame behind the rear wheels would do the trick. They'd also have to make a bed and modify the cab.

J6 proportions are spot-on!

 

[helloyello]

No loose of a JT sale in my case, as I will never buy one. But I would buy the J6. So +1 sale for Jeep should they offer the J6.

Cost to market may not be that high. The J6 uses the JLU wheelbase. So a slight lengthening of the frame behind the rear wheels would do the trick. They'd also have to make a bed and modify the cab.

J6 proportions are spot-on!

I like this. I would buy and drive the bejeezus out of this!

 

[LooselyHeldPlans]

Honestly, if Jeep had put out a version of the Gladiator with the exact wheelbase of the JLU and a slightly better towing capacity, I'd have bought two... one for a work truck / daily and one as an offroad toy. The JT is just too damn long and ungainly.

I still drool over the J6 concept every time I stumble across it.

I almost bought a JK in ‘09, but waited 11 years for the pickup. Only when it was obvious jeep wasn’t going to make a 2 door JT did I buy my JLUR.

if they ever came out with one, I’d be a day one buyer.

 

[JP29]

No loose of a JT sale in my case, as I will never buy one. But I would buy the J6. So +1 sale for Jeep should they offer the J6.

J6 proportions are spot-on!

My sentiments exactly. I didn't buy a 2 door for the practicality, and I'll never own a JLU or JT. It's simply not worth it - I don't have kids, I don't overland, there's no need. And meanwhile, my first truck was a 2 door, with way more utility than the 4 door I eventually traded it in for. If a J6 comes to market, it's a no brainer for me!

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