Before the Wrangler Unlimited morphed into the Gladiator for the 2020 model year, conversion packages had to make do. The AEV Brute comes to mind, and this fellow here is a great example of the off-road pickup truck.
Chassis number 1C4BJWFG7EL104763 started life out as a 2014 model year Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon with a total price of $43,205 as per the window sticker. That’s $8,710 more than the base price of the Rubicon trim level, a difference that’s explained by the options and $995 freight charge.
The AEV Brute DC350 conversion package tallied $39,999 including labor, bringing the total price to $83,204. Add a few extras on top, and the final price comes in at $85,399. American Expedition Vehicles installed a 6.4-liter HEMI at 15,000 miles (24,140 kilometers) according to the first owner, which is a huge upgrade over the factory-supplied 3.6-liter Pentastar mill.
One of 15 AEV Brute double cabs produced, this unit is listed on Cars & Bids with a high bid of $30,666 at the moment of writing. That would be great news for people like you and me if there wasn’t a reserve price on the online auction listing, but nevertheless, it’s ultimately bad news for the seller because he’s not going to recoup too much of the original investment.
Finished in Arctic Silver over a black interior with embroidered headrests, the dual-cabbed pickup now rides on 17-inch Pintler wheels and 35- by 12.5-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 rubber boots. A 3.5-inch suspension lift, 4.10 gears, Alpine touchscreen infotainment, and a color-matched top also need to be mentioned, along with rear-bumper water storage tanks and a beefy winch. Involved in a rear-end collision in April 2018, the Wrangler-based truck also happens to exhibit a small number of flaws.
Rock chips on the front side of the rear wheel arches open the list. The grip tape on the rear bumper is peeling off, the center cap on one of the wheels is also peeling off, there are dim pixels in the instrument cluster display, and the underbody shows a little rust. Last serviced at 52,173 miles (83,964 kilometers) in September 2020, this rig would make the Gladiator proud even though it’s a much tougher sell than the Gladiator.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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