The Rubicon Jeep Wrangler Almost Didn't Happen: The Story of a Couple Guys & a LOT Of Patience! 

Super cool interview. Interesting to hear how this happened. How it was pushed by two passionate guys at Jeep.

I went to Camp Jeep with my dad all those years ago. We got to test drive the then new Rubicon and I bought one the next year in '04. I still have it! You guys did a great job on that program. It was everything I wanted in a Jeep. Thank you for all your hard work. OIIIIIIO

These dudes are legends. Awesome to still see them with the company!

I read this story back in the day 20 years ago. These guys secretly upgraded jeeps and stuck the corporate guys in it during events and they couldn't pry the guys out because they performed so well. The executives were afraid the average consumer didn't know what dana 44s and 4:1 transfercase was. They just sae a sticker and tires to try to justify the huge price increase. It became instantly popular and the transfercase was a big choke point in production. The air locker was from a no name supplier but they never could break it. Cool story how it became to be.

I miss my TJ. Bought my first one 20 years ago and, 4 owners and 200K+ miles later and it’s still in my home town. I should go buy it back.

Your best interviews are always with the Jeep guys! They always seem more enthusiastic about what they’re doing than any other industry folks. I suppose it’s obvious you guys also love Jeeps. Really, really great!

I think the TJ is the best generation of Wrangler (probably the LJ, most specifically). It had a bunch of improvements over the YJ, and the Rubicon obviously had even more features, but it still has that older vehicle charm, and it was still a small vehicle before it became so inflated with the JK. Not that I currently have the money to buy one, but if I could find an LJ in Solar Yellow... mmm, that would be just beautifully perfect.

Sitting here looking out the window at my Flame Red LJ Rubicon. 😎

this means so much to me. i think the tj is the best too, got one in my garage and learned everything about it. it was a golden era.

Thanks to them Jim and Dave , what an incredible jeep you built

Awesome video! I miss my 2004 Rubicon dearly, sadly it was victim to road salt in New England. So when I purchased my 2018 Rubicon Recon first thing I did was spray the whole frame inside and out along with the underbody with Fluid Film. So after 5 years it's pristine. Thanks again for this video!

Can they make a jeep with all the suspension stuff but with out all the extra electronics

Then one day the guys at Dodge saw a Rubicon drive by and said “hold my beer”… then poof! Power Wagon!

So those two guys are the OG's of the Rubicon package.💪👊👍👍🇺🇲

A great example of an American ingenuity. Hats down to these guys.

Great interview, I bought a 04 Rubicon, then a 2011 JKU Rubicon, and now a 2022 Gladiator Rubicon, wheeled them all , modified them all, went to Moab in the 2011, became part of the local Jeep club, met my now fiancé through the Jeep club. Jeep life is a real thing.

This video is great because it still validates that buying a sport wrangler can still get you into a lot of fun, capable off-roading!

Bean counters, lawyers, and regulators take all the fun out of vehicle production.

Love my '03 Rubicon. First Jeep I ever bought and will be with me until I am gone!

Awesome interview, these guys should write a book about the Wrangler and the Rubicon development!!

Maybe I am nostalgic but I love this video because I can see the guys whom made history making the already big off-road aftermarket much more bigger to die hard jeepers and amateurs; you rock guys!!!

the unsung hero's of the brand

Kind of shocking and disappointing that they had to qualify themselves as "Jeep people". Every single employee at Jeep should be a "Jeep person"...disappointing that wasn't the case. What type of person were those other employees, if they weren't Jeep people?

What a neat story. Had no idea. Thanks for sharing.

Am I the only one that’s annoyed they don’t pay these guys enough to buy brand new rubicon?

This video makes me so happy, why, in July of 2003 I ordered my Flame Red TJ Rubicon with the Khaki Interior and tops (I had to special order it because it was nearly impossible to find Red with Khaki). Unfortunately I waited a little long and mine had to be ordered as a 2004. It came in on Christmas Eve of 2003 and I am happy to say it is still in my garage. Great to see a Flame Red and love the backstory. Thank You for highlighting it.

Bought one new in 03 , 26000 , its still going, bad paint and some dents but still rocking

My first Wrangler had a sticker price of $14,100 with 225s. And it did the Rubicon on 31s which were BIG in 1993, and 33s were huge., 35s were alien tires.

I bought a TJ Sport in 2005 and built my own Rubicon. I installed 33's (now 35's), a 4:1 transfer case from a Rubicon, ARB lockers, gears, Nth Degree lift, etc. They are amazing little rigs! Still have it and I don't believe I'll ever sell her!

Those two guys certainly did their best to dress up America's parking lots

You cannot outElvis Elvis.. And you cannot outJeep, A Jeep. LOL>>

I really enjoyed listening to these down to earth Jeep engineers since they helped in the design of my 2001 TJ. I have bought, all new, an 1978 CJ, a 1987 YJ, a 2017 JKU. I sold all of them for numerous reasons at the time but in 2021 I bought my 2001 TJ as a retirement gift to myself. I love it! I found the build sheet on line and found that it was a special order TJ. It was built with a 44K rear axle, 3.73 gears with a trak-lok differential as well as the upgraded sound system, ps, pb, cruise, automatic trans, the upgraded stereo system, the 4.0 six and it originally came with both a soft top and a hard top. It has had 6 previous owners but this Jeep was sold in Arizona and has never left the state. So it has zero rust. Since I bought it I have added the front bumper w/winch, the rear bumper w/a tire carrier, the 3.5" Tereflex suspension w/quick disconnect sway bars, side rock guards/steps, hot head head liner, Banks exhaust, 33 x 10.50 BFG K02's on black 15x8 steelie wheels, led headlights and 2 sets of led off-road lights. I'm not done with my Jeep but it pretty much goes wherever I have taken it here in Southern Arizona. As a side note I had a chance meeting with a gentleman at Sportsman's Warehouse that worked his entire life at the Jeep factory that built the TJ models. It was a very interesting conversation to say the least.

The day the Wrangler dies as a true offroader, is the day Jeep dies as a brand...

That was really interesting! Thanks for a great interview! I’ve had 2 CJs, a Rubicon TJ, and 2 Rubicon JLs.

Love these guys, what they did for Jeep in the form of the Rubicon changed the brand entirely, love their down to earth and raw story, they truly are enthusiasts disguised as engineers

Gawd, how I wanted a TJ Rubicon when they first came out. Even now, Rubi's of that vintage command a hefty premium over more "pedestrian" TJ's. It's awesome to hear the story from the guys who made it happen. Love the renegades within the machine!

Awesome to see the guys trying to get by the bean counters and build the stuff people want.

This is why you don't let the beancounters dictate the design of vehicles. The guys that actually use the vehicles know what the customers want. Reminds me of the 60's when Chrysler engineers had a racing team called the Ramchargers. They would push the stock parts to the limits and redesign what ever broke. The Chrysler engines and transmissions from that era were bulletproof.

Excellent interview! I’ve talked with Jim Repp at length about the Rubicon development and I’m glad to see these guys, the “lunatic fringe”, finally get the acknowledgment they deserve! The TJ Rubicon is the high-water mark in the Jeep line in my opinion!

Old CJs came with a 304 V8 in the 70s

So much nicer than the new ones. A true Jeep. 2 door, 4.0 I6, a stick shift. The new one just a massive school bus.

Hope those guys were well compensated for their efforts and ideas. They’re responsible for millions in Revenue for Jeep.

Truly the pioneering spirit. Well done gentlemen. You’ve created a real cult.

Lovely little Jeep. 🥰

I have an 03 TJR I’ve owned for 7 years now and don’t get me wrong I love it but shame on Jeep for the 42RLE. The previous of owner of my Jeep had to replace the transmission and I now have parked the Jeep because it needs another transmission!

The 241 and front 44 were the real ticket. There was a rear 44 offered in TJs with factory 3.73 gears, but only the weak low pinion 30

wow give the customers what they want what a concept :)

Love it. Thanks guys. This was awesome.

Cool little backstory on how the Wrangler Rubicon came to be, with that said I really enjoy my JK Unlimited Rubicon!

Outstanding!! Hats off for these guys!!

Now, could you offer a Rubicon with 37" tires and 4.88 gears from the factory, please...

Those boys have been eating good ever since! Seriously though, as an owner of a TJ Rubicon, I am grateful for their forward thinking and the mark they made on the Jeep brand.

Those guys are awesome. Love the bootstrapping grit. Jeep corporate owes them everything. For real!

Found this 10 months later, but these guys remind me of Sheldon at Toyota talking about the Tacoma 2024. Super down to earth, know their stuff, and been with the company for years. These are the guys that should be introducing new Jeeps. I always feel like the other Jeep interviews just get filled with "corporate speak."

You can have that 392 limo bus. I'll take the TJ Rubicon over that goofy 4 dr any day! There's no substitute for character, grit and true utilitarianism that the TJ exudes. Jeeps aren't about speed, they're about getting to places that are otherwise impossible for most other vehicles, period! If I want to go fast, I'll do that in a '68 Camaro or similar classic muscle car, not a goofy 4 dr over techno heep passing itself off as a Jeep! For the same reason I told my wife as she ordered an iced carmel latte, when I want coffee, I order it black as always, when I want ice cream, we'll hit our favorite ice cream shop that makes the best shakes on the planet. The old saying applies, just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Jeep went off the rails in '07 and for millions of diehard Jeepers like me, it ended in '06. This brand has been is in name only since '07. And True Jeepers know this, although most won't admit it. Gutless wonders who are sellouts like this on this platform. 🙄 It's NOT the same vehicle, not by any stretch of the imagination. A Jeep is a Jeep from '41 - '06. '07 - present are suv heeps. Comparing apples and oranges. O|||||||O 🇺🇲 Only in a 2 Dr 🇺🇸 '41 - '06

I know this story well, If you spend enough time on the TJ forums you’ll know their names and have read about how the Rubi became what it was.

The lockers were wired to disconnect at 10 mph. Any wheel spin and it was basically a normal 4WD. Luckily there was a simple fix that took about 5 minutes.

That was awesome!

1 Question. If the bean counters thought at most 2,500 Rubicons would be sold the first year. How many did they end up selling.

Can tell the interviewer became a Jeep “fan” during the jk era.. Disappointing. I’d be gitty to talk with these guys.

Execs typically 1. don't want to listen to people they've hired. 2. if it ain't their idea , it's "the lunatic fringe"

The older Jeeps could be had with a 304.

Which engineer was responsible for the design of the door/roof seals and gaskets on the JK that results in unfixable water leaks? And who was the engineer responsible for installing dissimilar metals between the door panel and the hinge, resulting in galvanic corrosion issues which went on for literally a decade. The thin wafer gasket is not enough to prevent electrons from transferring over since they dip everything in an electro-chemical primer bath, and that primer. So dumb

Need bring back the 4L

The two locker air actuating pumps are impossible to get now turning old rubicons into rubican’ts by disabling their lockers. I own a 2006 and feel this pain once mine go out.

I got my Jeep Rubicon brand new 20 years ago. I still drive it today. Just not every day any more. It also look a lot different as it sits on 37s. I would get a 20th if we could get it with a 3.6L

best rubi ever

Everyone wants a Rubicon. I have a 2003 Rubicon....

Next time can you ask them why can't they install more comfortable seats? It would be nice for long driving,

Great Job! Spearheaded by a couple of jeep guys. that under stood and a tip of the hat to corporate, they did build a few to market and see if the lunatic fringe dept. was on to anything .

If engineers ran the company, you could probably still get a Rubicon under $40K.

The rubicon wheels on the TJ were the best looking wheels ever made for Jeeps.

Excellent! Well done Roman, and I don't even care too much about Jeeps. 🤪

Very cool story!

When the brand has employees who actually listen to there consumers

after 20+ years, still looks better than many new vehicles

I’m buying one just like it on Saturday.

Jeep needs to drop Fox shocks, absolute junk. 21 Mojave front shocks terrible creaking sound. Being replaced under warranty, on back order from China of course. $3200 each plus labour in Canada if no warranty. My 2010 wrangler rides nice with original shocks. Dealer said this isn't the first set of crappy Fox shocks.

What a cool story. Makes me want a jeep even more.

Old one still looks damm hot , they should build again I wish .

Maybe I am nostalgic but I love this video because I can see the guys whom made history making the already big off-road aftermarket much more bigger to die hard jeepers and amateurs; you rock guys!!!

Thanks for everything you did.

One of my all time favorite episodes!

It would have been better if the front axle had been a high pinion design, like the XJ models. Once you lift it the front driveline angles become more severe and the front driveline vibrates on the highway. Soon you are buying lockable front hubs.

Great interview

This was really cool! I digged that history lesson. These two (and their crew) pretty much changed an industry ... which took almost 20 years for anyone (another car company) to compete. Really cool episode.

Awesome interview! It would be awesome to hear more stories from them on the podcast. I was surprised they didn't know the Electronic Sway Bar Disconnect was added in 2007, on the first year JK and JKU, long before the 10th Anniversary Rubicon in 2013.

I could listen to these two guys talk for hours

Back when it was a jeep not a fiat

The standard tj axles were awful, as were the late YJ and CJ before that. Adding locking dana 44’s is the best thing Jeep ever did!

I still want an Unlimited Rubicon.

Roman does a good job for knowing what people are interested in

Bought a 2004 brand new with the 4;30 gears most reliable new Jeep I have had all black with dual tops. Sticker was 28k

I had the pleasure of working with Jim in his final year before retirement, and it truly is amazing how a single person (or two in this case) changed the course of a brand. Jim ALWAYS cared about the Jeep customer and that was his motivation.

Awesome video

These gentlemen did more for the used Jeep market than they get credit for. Those TJ Jeeps, even non-Rubicon Sahara models fetch a steep premium on the used market today.

Super cool backstory. As an auto engineer who moved to Detroit after college to enter the industry, hearing these guy's story from back in the day is gold. Thanks Roman for this interview

Hey Jeep fans, a few years ago there was a Rubicon Hard Rock Edition. How did that differ from a Rubicon?

Learned a lot. Great interview! (BTW: I'm still happy with my JL Sport S.)

Great Video! Thanks for the stories! Cheers from a Jeep Wrangler JK guy!