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Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport!

The Fixer

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Here's the backstory - my wife leased an '18 JLUS in May of '18, and the first time we took the doors off and put the top down I knew I had to get my own :LOL: . So, when the lease was ending in 2019 on my Go Mango '16 Dodge Charger R/T my son and I went to the dealership and wandered the lot looking for Wranglers. I really like bright colored vehicles, and started looking for Punkn' Wranglers, but decided it was too close to the Go Mango and this little 2018 Mojito! Sport caught my eye. I peeked inside, saw the crank windows, and it brought me back 30 years to when I was 17 and those simple days of cruising in my buddy's '90 YJ, or my old '85 Monte Carlo SS, or any of the cars my parents had when I was a kid.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_1903.JPG


My son and I were in agreement - this was a perfect Jeep for someone who was going to go out and play on the trails, and I have always wanted to do that! The only options are A/C, tinted soft top, 2.0T with the 8-speed, and the M220 rear. I struck a fair deal with them - after all, this was July of '19, and the 2020 MY Wranglers were going to start shipping pretty soon. So, who would want a 2-year old Jeep with crank windows!? Me, of course!

The first couple of mods were cosmetic - I removed the Wrangler Sport decals from the fender, added some JK-style Wrangler lettering to the hood as an homage to the old CJ Wrangler, and removed the bumper fairings.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_1933.JPG


I scored my next mod a few months later - a set of slightly used Mopar tubular aluminum steps. I picked these up from a fellow Forum member.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_E2203.JPG


In November of 2019 I treated myself to a birthday present - a takeoff Rubicon suspension from a 2019 I found online locally that had basically just delivery miles on it. These are the 60/61 and 90/91 springs from a 4-door HT/steel bumper Rubi. This pic was taken in the garage of the guy I bought them from; I wish I had a lift!

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_2261.JPG


Since it was winter and I didn't have 33's yet, there was no point to install them. I stored them away in my shed and waited for a good deal on a set of take-off wheels and tires. I was looking for white letter KO2s on the base Rubi wheels, lower mileage the better, and a budget-friendly price.

Eight months later (good things come to those who wait!), the perfect set popped up on Craigslist. These were off a 2020 with 4K miles.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! 2020 Rubi takeoffs


After a few emails back and forth, my son and I took my wife's JLUS and cruised out to pick them up.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! RKTC5875.JPG
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The Fixer

The Fixer

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In July of 2020 my son and I got around to installing all of the goodies in my driveway. He worked on one side, I worked on the other.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_2930.JPG


Here's the stock shock removed and swaybar link disconnected. I'm getting ready to unhook the brake line bracket from the frame to allow enough droop to remove the spring.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_2932.JPG


Bye bye stock spring!

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_2934.JPG


A few minutes later, we had the new Rubicon goodness installed.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_2935.JPG


Yeah, that's a pretty noticeable difference between the front and back!

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_2936.JPG


Moving on to the rear...

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_2937.JPG


And a short while later, the new rear shocks and springs were in. We had a bit of a battle getting those upper rear perches to seat, but with the two of us working we came up with a plan and got the job done.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_2938.JPG


After adjusting the 3rd brake light, we bolted on the spare and took a pic. Not bad for 4 hours worth of work!

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_2939.JPG
 
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In October of 2020, we took the 101 Class out at Rausch Creek. I figured I should get some protection underneath, so I scored a deal with an Ebay coupon for a Rough Country M186 diff skid.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3155.JPG


I also figured I should close off the wiring for my foglights, so I got out the Dremel and went to work on the original fender fairings.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3031.JPG


We pulled the nutserts out of the bumper and just reinstalled the covers with trim clips leftover from an old project car.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3033.JPG


I'm glad I put them back on :LOL:. We had a lot of fun, got the Jeep a little muddy, and learned a lot about the Wrangler's capabilities. I can't wait to go wheeling again!

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3173.JPG


The latest mod I added was the Quadratec aluminum front skid. It doesn't hang down as low as the flimsy plastic piece and is really well-built.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3317.JPG


All in all, I am super happy with this little Jeep. I know a lot of 2-door owners take their rear seat out for cargo space, but that's not practical for me with two teenagers. If I need to pick up something larger, I'll go with my wife's JLU or my son's KJ.

Mo Green is a great commuter (20 mpg average in all stop 'n go traffic) and is super easy to park in tight spots, which is what I'm doing 98% of the time I'm behind the wheel. For that other 2%, the short wheel base and extra clearance from the Rubicon parts makes it really nimble off road!
 
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jason mojito jl

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what a great story and amzing pics of the progress. i too bought a mojito sport , but 6 spd, and crank windows ! There is so much joy in going back to something simple ! i am looking to do similar mods as you, once the weather gets a bit nicer here in montreal. I was impressed with the soft top and cant wait to go cruising.
 
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what a great story and amzing pics of the progress. i too bought a mojito sport , but 6 spd, and crank windows ! There is so much joy in going back to something simple ! i am looking to do similar mods as you, once the weather gets a bit nicer here in montreal. I was impressed with the soft top and cant wait to go cruising.
Thanks, and welcome to the site, fellow Mojito owner! It's such a great color - on the way home from work today, I saw a little girl out for a walk with her mom. The girl pointed as I was coming up the street and said "Look at that car!" (I know, not a car, but it was cute to see!)

And I agree, the soft top has been great, even with the snow on it this winter it held the weight just fine and brushes off really easy. The mods were a great DIY project with my son, and we really enjoy wrenching on this Jeep. I've owned a lot of "fun" vehicles in the past and the JL is right near the top of the list.

Thanks for checking out my build!
 

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jason mojito jl

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Thanks for answering ! I too have had some fun cars , including an 86 Omni GLH turbo, Challenger RT, Mustang LX 5.0 and honestly my JL is right on top of the list as you said ! I too love it when the kids point it out, its just such a fun color and has kept me (more or less) sane during these crazy times ! I was going to get some Quadratec Retro alloy wheels, but i think i am going to look for a set of Rubicon take-offs like yours, i found a set with 1500 miles for 2500$...hoping he will go down a bit in price. I did place my order for some retro renegade style decals and will post once i get them on. I must say, nice people on this site...must be a jeep thing ! PLeasure to meet you!
 

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My biggest regret is not going for the mojito when I was shopping... black one 500 miles away or mojito 700 miles away.. I should've just gone a little farther! Yours looks great!
 
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Thanks for answering ! I too have had some fun cars , including an 86 Omni GLH turbo, Challenger RT, Mustang LX 5.0 and honestly my JL is right on top of the list as you said ! I too love it when the kids point it out, its just such a fun color and has kept me (more or less) sane during these crazy times ! I was going to get some Quadratec Retro alloy wheels, but i think i am going to look for a set of Rubicon take-offs like yours, i found a set with 1500 miles for 2500$...hoping he will go down a bit in price. I did place my order for some retro renegade style decals and will post once i get them on. I must say, nice people on this site...must be a jeep thing ! PLeasure to meet you!
Wow, we have similar taste in vehicles LOL! My 2nd car was an '87 Shadow Turbo, then a few '80s Monte Carlo SSs, '96 Impala SS, a few boring vehicles, then an '01 XJ and recently a Charger R/T. I always liked the Fox-body Mustangs and got to drive a few, just never owned one. Anywho, I'm not sure what the market is like for the Rubicon wheels up in Montreal, but that price does seem high. I paid about $1K less for my set. For that kind of $$ you could order up a set of Quadratec wheels. Definitely post some pics when you get the retro decals, they will look awesome!

My biggest regret is not going for the mojito when I was shopping... black one 500 miles away or mojito 700 miles away.. I should've just gone a little farther! Yours looks great!
Thanks very much!
 
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Chotaling

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Used to have a Synergy Green Camaro - needed more space - but had to stick with a similar color!
 
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Used to have a Synergy Green Camaro - needed more space - but had to stick with a similar color!
Your JL looks great - I checked one of your threads and saw the pic after you installed the lift! Where did you get the hood decals from? When I got mine I only found JK-style font, but I'd like to swap them for the JL font.
 

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Chotaling

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Your JL looks great - I checked one of your threads and saw the pic after you installed the lift! Where did you get the hood decals from? When I got mine I only found JK-style font, but I'd like to swap them for the JL font.
I went back through credit card statement and it was PayPal so I think eBay. Funny you should ask - I just removed those Wrangler decals yesterday after 1 1/2 years - just was a bit too busy for my taste after a while
 
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The Fixer

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I went back through credit card statement and it was PayPal so I think eBay. Funny you should ask - I just removed those Wrangler decals yesterday after 1 1/2 years - just was a bit too busy for my taste after a while
Thanks for the response! Since you have the flag on the hood, I agree, it might be getting a little busy up there. I like the open letters so you can see the body color behind them...I got a PM from @pixeldecals so that's likely who I'm gonna use when I replace the JK letters in the next few weeks. I just want some legit warmer weather to be here before sticking the new decals!
 
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I haven't updated this thread in quite awhile, but I've done a few more simple upgrades to Mo Green in the last few years. Here's a small writeup about how to swap JT grill vents into a Sport grill. I originally posted this info in the Has anyone installed the Gladiator Sport grille mesh into a JL Sport or Willys grille? thread.

I installed Mopar P/Ns 6QN21RXFAC, 6QN22RXFAC, 6QN23RXFAC. After you remove the 6 pins that hold it in across the top, just unclip it from the core support. It's super easy to take off.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3317.JPG


Remove the 2 Phillips screws that hold the left and right air dams and lift them out. Then push in the middle of the white clips to slide them out, and remove the T20 screws holding the left, middle, and right sections in place.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3317.JPG


Now, push those tabs down, and push the other tab back to release it. You'll start with the middle section, then do the left and right sides.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3317.JPG


Here's the new center section.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3317.JPG



You can see how well they line up in this pic here; that's the JT center section laid right on top of the JL Sport center section. The outer holes and center slots line up perfectly, and so do the lower clips.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3317.JPG


Here's the JT grilles installed. Make sure you install the left and right sides first, then add the middle section. The original side air dams will not be reinstalled.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3317.JPG


Make sure you hook the upper tabs underneath the hooks on the grill first, then snap the lower clips in place. This ensures a nice flush fit. The JL middle section does not install this way, but the JT does.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3317.JPG


Here's a closeup of the JT grille mesh installed.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3317.JPG


And there you have it!

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! IMG_3317.JPG


Hope the detailed pics help out anyone looking to do the swap!
 
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The Fixer

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I also added an eBay Fauxpar Rubicon steel bumper. Here's all the info that I posted about my install from the Ebay Rubi Steel Bumper Thread condensed into one post.

Top tip - remove the plastic trim piece between the bumper and grill. It's only 8 push pins. You can access the bumper nuts easily while standing over it instead of underneath once it's out of the way. I got them all loose with my 12" breaker bar, a 3" extension, and an 18mm deep socket. I removed the lower outer nuts on each side with a 6" or 8" extension from the bottom. The other six I did from the top.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}



Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}



Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}


Youā€™ll need a T20 for the fog light brackets, and a 13mm socket to remove the 4 screws holding the inner steel support.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}



Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}


I used my grinder with a cutoff wheel to cut the crush cans out of the steel support and installed with my OEM hooks.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}


The bumper fits nice, but as mentioned, the paint is a little thin. I discovered the fog light brackets they supplied did not line up with the holes they drilled on the inner support, but it doesn't matter because the halogen fogs don't fit in them anyway.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}


I drilled new holes and mounted my OEM halogen fogs with the brackets from the Sport bumper. I wound up trimming the ear off the outer edge because it was rubbing the inside of the bumper.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}


Here's the whole assembly. There were pre-drilled holes on the inner structure so I clipped the wiring harness in a few spots. You can see where I trimmed the fog light bracket to fit inside the bumper.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}



Overall fitment is pretty good. Everything lined up and it's nice and straight. The crush cans were easy enough to add, so I think anyone installing one of these bumpers should take the extra time to slice them out of your original bumper and pop them in.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}


I ordered some repop covers from Quadratec without the sensor holes. The finish on them is great, very similar to OEM. I dunno if it's because the plastic was so cold, or the holes are not really in the same place, but I had a helluva time getting the pins installed. I have OEM-style plastic rivets that I'm using.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}


I touched up a few spots with Testors Flat Black Enamel and Iā€™ll see how it holds up for the winter. I think Iā€™m going to paint the aluminum Quadratec front skid in the spring time to match.

After driving around a few nights I didnā€™t notice any bouncing with the fog lights and they are secure, so it seems my solution was successful.

Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}



Jeep Wrangler JL Meet "Mo Green" - My Mojito '18 JL Sport! {filename}
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