J8 to be built in South Carolina ???

[haven]

Jalopnik.com posted this news:

"The Jeep J8's will be assembled by Jeep Government and Military Sales, which surprisingly isn't a Chrysler company, instead owned by parent company Jankel which is in the military and tactical vehicles business. The company has headquarters in both Surrey, UK and Duncan, South Carolina and that South Carolina part is important as they're planning to build the military spec beast down there. Currently the J8 is built as a knockdown kit in Toledo and shipped to Eqypt for final assembly and sales to foreign militaries (unless it's sent to AEV who sells them domestically)."

http://jalopnik.com/5400490/jeep-j8s-invade-detroit-veterans-day-parade

While this doesn't mean we're any closer to buying a J8 through a dealer in USA, it does mean the J8 is popular with military customers. So maybe Jeep will get the message eventually.

Jalopnik also has a gallery of J8 photos at a Veterans' Day parade in Detroit, including this unit, which looks ready for the real "Rat Patrol."

 

[gpndave]

Nice rig. What's up with those side bars hanging so low? Those boys in SC know better than that. Looks like they belong on an H2 street machine.

 

[Desert Dan]

Look pretty good but the side mounted gerry can would get torn off in narrow spots

 

[mikeg1713]

The 3 door Jeep will be built in SC for civilian use. A hand full of them are currently on order. The j8 shown above is a border patrol vehicle. That jeep is outfitted with a package designed for a particular application. Many J8's in this design are used in Africa.

 

[thethePete]

This is the part that caught my attention "Currently the J8 is built as a knockdown kit in Toledo and shipped to Eqypt for final assembly and sales to foreign militaries (unless it's sent to AEV who sells them domestically)."

I wasn't aware you could buy a J8 through AEV. I don't see one listed on their site...

 

[Dan Grec]

This is the part that caught my attention "Currently the J8 is built as a knockdown kit in Toledo and shipped to Eqypt for final assembly and sales to foreign militaries (unless it's sent to AEV who sells them domestically)."

I wasn't aware you could buy a J8 through AEV. I don't see one listed on their site...

You can't.

They were going to offer them, then Chrysler pulled the pin and decided they didn't want to go that route, so AEV never sold any of them.

-Dan

 

[thethePete]

That's what I suspected. Jalopnik's journalistic integrity has kinda taken a dive in the last 8 months or so. They were always my go-to for car news, but lately they seem to be succumbing to the half-*** click-bait that everyplace else on the web is doing.

 

[Dan Grec]

That's what I suspected. Jalopnik's journalistic integrity has kinda taken a dive in the last 8 months or so. They were always my go-to for car news, but lately they seem to be succumbing to the half-*** click-bait that everyplace else on the web is doing.

...That article is from 2009.

Someone bumped a very old thread.

-Dan

 

[thethePete]

Aaahhhhh.... I hadn't looked at any of the date stamps. Explains everything, but my statements about Jalopnik stand, however irrelevant to the conversation they may be. Lol

.... Carry on....

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

 

[mikeg1713]

It popped up in a search after I commented I saw the date.

AEV wanted to sell a J8 with no drive train. The 3 door J8 was $42,000.00 as a roller kit car. Chrysler gave AEV 2 J8's a 5 door and 3 door to test. They put AEV stickers on it as well as a AEV hood. Greg Henderson welded a J8 snorkel scoop on the AEV hood to make it look as if it were built by AEV. The advertisements and videos on YouTube titled it as a AEV J8 built and sold by AEV. That of coarse was not 100% accurate. Chrysler builds them and sends them out in complete knockdown. If there are any modifications to be made Jankel Tactival Systems in Duncan SC gets the vehicle. Jankel is the soul supplier for the J8 to the US and our allies.

Currently Jankel is building a civilian J8 (civilian name not yet given) in SC that will be sold at Jankel Jeep dealers built on the JK Unlimited. They are currently taking orders for the 3 and 4 door vehicle and are being built to order. No stocking units are being shipped to dealers yet.

Hope your trip is going well Dan! I'm watching and very jelious.

 

[puravida73]

"Currently Jankel is building a civilian J8"

^ Well that is HUGE news - bumped again

 

[mikeg1713]

Rumor has it being called a few things so for now I just say Civilian J8 Wrangler. It is huge news. I had a J8 out in Moab this year for EJS.

 

[haven]

It only took 7 years...

Here is the Jankel web page for the J8 http://www.jankel.com/jeep-j8

and here is the page for an upfitted Wrangler they call the Thrasher http://www.jankel.com/thrasher-by-jankel

I think it's likely that the J8 won't be available in USA, while the Thrasher will be.

 

[Haf-E]

Looks like it is just a regular civilian (i.e. 4 door coil spring) JKU with the military bumpers and such - not a real 2 door J8. They are calling it the "thrasher" -

http://www.jankelts.com/media/images/THRASHERJankelBrochure_711.pdf

 

[Haf-E]

THRASHER Model Includes:

Heavy Duty Front and Rear Bumpers
Heavy Duty Skid Plate
Heavy Duty Spare Tire Carrier with Elevated Third Brake Light
Heavy Duty Rock Rails
Steel Fender Flares
2.5" Suspension Lift Kit
35" Tires
17" Aluminum Wheels
LED Head Lights and Tail Lights
Cooled / Heated Front Bucket Seats
All Weather Protective Floormats

THRASHER X Model Includes:

Dynatrac ProRock 44 (front) and ProRock 60 (rear) Axles
Ox Electric Lockers (front and rear)
Wide Body Heavy Duty Front and Rear Bumpers
Heavy Duty Spare Tire Carrier with Elevated Third Brake Light
Wide Body Steel Fender Flares
Heavy Duty Rock Rails
3.25" Suspension Lift Kit
35" Tires
17" Aluminum Wheels
LED Head Lights
Military Style LED Tail Lights
Military Style Turn Lights
Cooled / Heated Front Bucket Seats
All Weather Protective Floor Mats
Steering Stabilizer