That ain't a toy model kit. If you've been waiting on Jeep to release an official successor to the Scrambler, the Mopar JK-8 Jeep Kit ($5,500) is as close as you'll get for now. This heavy-duty, officially-supported kit will turn your Wrangler Unlimited into a pickup, using a 44" x 50" steel bed, inner and outer bedsides made from stamped sheet metal, sport bar extensions, a removable fiberglass hardtop with sliding rear window, and a fiberglass bulkhead. As for those sweet Scrambler decals, you're on your own.
Wintertime is nearly here, and with it comes the prospect of getting stuck somewhere with a flat tire or dead battery. Consider the Energizer Jumpstarter & Air Compressor ($135) your insurance against such a debacle. It features a 12V, 18Ah sealed lead-acid battery with an external charge indicator and a 12V internal charger for charging it up, a 250 PSI internal air compressor with pressure gauge that can inflate most auto tires in 10 minutes, two 12V DC and one three-prong AC power socket, and 4 gauge cables with a 29-inch reach, 400A insulated battery clamps, shortened clamp and reverse polarity audio alarms, and a clamp docking station in the handle. Blankets, flashlights, and a flask of belly-warming bourbon not included.
This post is brought to you by Goodyear. Click here to learn more about Winter Reactive Technology from Goodyear.
Even if you're an experienced off-roader, you can still sometimes find yourself stuck in a situation where you could use a little more lift and a little more traction. The LiftTrax Off-Road Recovery Device ($250-$300) offers both in a rollable, portable, inflatable package. These ultrarugged air mats feature a flexible outer shell covered in rubber grips which offer traction in nearly any condition to vehicles weighing up to 8,800 lbs., letting you get on with your adventuring no matter what sort of 4x4 you're driving.
Have a longer than average driveway, or live so far out in the sticks that the DOT laughs when you ask if they're going to clear your road? Fight the good fight and plow away the snow yourself with the Meyer Home Plow ($2,600). Engineered for SUVs and light pickups, the Home Plow attaches using a Quick-Link system that lets you attach or detach it in less than a minute with zero tools, and features 14 gauge steel construction, a width of 6 feet 8 inches, and a patented auto-angling system that detects which side of the plow is seeing the most action and angles the blade in that direction for maximum efficiency. You'll never look at your shovel with contempt again.
Behold the awesome old school goodness of these vintage-printed, buttery-soft Homage T-Shirts. They turn back the clock with shout outs to eclectic moments and personalities in sports, music, politics and popular culture. From Bruce Lee to Larry Bird, the tees tell stories of triumph, individualism and hustle. Pay Homage.
Lest you actually have to start your car with your car keys, Viper SmartStart ($300-$500) is a cool new system that allows you start your car with your iPhone or iPod touch. Using a GSM signal, SmartStart either plugs into your existing Viper security/remote start system or comes bundled with one, letting you not only start but also lock or unlock the car, arm or unarm the alarm, open the trunk, and activate the panic mode, no matter how far away you might be from your vehicle. [Thanks, Dan]
Outsmart your local speed and red-light cameras with the Cheetah GPSmirror ($250). Packing a built-in GPS that checks through a massive database of enforcement cameras throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia, the GPSmirror also offers voice, tone, and visual alerts, advisory speed limit announcements, a GPS-based speedometer display with compass, and the ability to give you your GPS coordinates should you need to call for help. [via]
Turn your Jeep into something even more useful with the AEV Brute Jeep Pickup ($9,000). Made for TJ Wranglers, this complete conversion kit turns any average Jeep into a manly truck in just 60 hours. Winner of the Daimler/Chrysler Design Excellence Award, the kit includes mid- and rear-frame extensions, a hardtop with dual integrated skylights, a cab closeout, a complete bed assembly with tailgate, and more. [Thanks, Stu]
Leave nothing behind on your summer travels with the Yakima SkyBox LoPro Titanium ($700). This quick-installing, low-profile cargo box is great for holding any type of luggage or goodies, whether it's backpacks for hiking, extra clothes for the beach, or tourist knick knacks that you got suckered into buying. In addition, it will fit crossbar spreads as short as 24 inches, so it fits on nearly any vehicle, and has the added bonus of a solar-powered lighting system, which kicks on as soon as you open the box.
Keep track of your driving history with this Driving Activity Reporter ($230). Powered by an internal 16-channel GPS receiver, the USB device mounts anywhere in your car and records locations, routes, date/time, and speeds of every trip you take. It stores the reports — up to a 100 hours of them — on its built-in flash memory. When you're ready to see your stats, just pop into your computer and use the included software to examine it. Google Earth integration makes things really interesting. Also great for catching cheating lovers.
Save your auto's flooring from the nastiness of winter with WeatherTech DigitalFit FloorLiners ($100/up). Made using digital laser measurements of interior surfaces and made from patent-pending High-Density Tri-Extruded material, these ultimate floor mats also feature channels to help keep fluids and debris off your carpet. [Thanks, Joe]
Less than a month after crowd favorite Dash ceased making hardware to focus on software solutions, longtime software provider Telenav has announced its first full hardware solution the Shotgun ($300). The device is Internet enabled to receive up-to-the-minute updates on everything you might need to get you from point A to Z. While the device normally includes three months of free service, if you act today, you can get six months free as part of Telenav's Cyber Monday bargain.
Get a better view of the road ahead with the Navigon 8100T GPS ($600). This brushed metal GPS offers a 4.8-inch display and Panorama View 3D, a new feature that offers a true 3D experience by leveraging NASA terrain height data and a built-in graphics accelerator to provide geographic guidance complete with digital elevations. Other features include free real-time traffic updats for life, voice recognition-driven destination entry, Bluetooth, a charger built into the car mount, visual lane guidance, Zagat ratings and reviews, and more.