Jeep’s CJ66 SEMA show-stopper

Take a Jeep Wrangler TJ frame, hang a 1966 Jeep Wrangler CJ universal Tuxedo Park body on it, add in Wrangler JK elements and fuel it with new Mopar-powered products, and you’ve got Jeep’s 2016 SEMA show-stopper. SEMA is the world’s largest accessory, tuning and aftermarket show and this year the CJ66, a unique cocktail of three Jeep vehicle generations, took pride of place on Jeep’s stand. Put together to showcase the many Jeep applications for sister company Mopar’s aftermarket products the narrow-bodied CJ66 is powered by a 5.7 litre hemi engine installed using one of Mopar’s new engine swap kits. Power – a healthy 285kWs (383hp) – is harnessed via a sixspeed manual transmission then transferred to the wheels front and rear through Mopar Dana 44 Crate axles. The painted, Copper Canyoncoloured body sits suitably high thanks to a two-inch lift kit, meaning there is plenty of room for the 35-inch BFG all-terrain tyres fitted to Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) 17-inch beadlock wheels. Oversized fender flares offer defence against trail obstacles at the front and rear, with added protection delivered by Mopar 10th Anniversary Wrangler JK Rubicon Bumper Kits, JPP skid and front bumper plates and JPP rock rails custom cut to fit the Wrangler CJ body. A Mopar Warn winch, with a fair lead adapter to guide the winch cable, and Mopar LED amber fog lights augment the CJ66’s offroad capabilities. Eagle-eyed readers will notice a 50mm (two-inch) cropped windshield, with the cockpit (complete with seats from a Dodge Viper) surrounded by a custom-built roll cage, using mandrel-bent tubes to match the windshield surround. Jeep was again one of the key exhibitors at the SEMA show with the Wrangler name “Hottest 4x4-SUV” on the trade show floor for the seventh consecutive year.