With so many Jeep Wrangler JKs flooding the trails and mall parking lots these days, it’s hard to be different. They all look the same—boxy, rugged and ready to go off-road at a moments notice. That’s great, but what if you want more than stock? What if the cookie cut JK isn’t for you. Then you must modify, my friend.
Meet Weston Blackie, professional rock crawler and owner of Trail Jeeps. Blackie has been around Jeeps and dirt all his life. He grew up on a 300-acre ranch in Texas where he got hooked on off-roading at a very early age. He also competed professionally in W.E. Rock and XRRA, earning the W.E. ROCK “Sportsman of the Year” award. One could say that Blackie knows a thing or two about off-road.
Lately, Blackie has been focused on building high-caliber Jeeps out of its shop in Golden, Colorado. Blackie and the Trail Jeeps crew specialize in bringing to life Jeeps that are capable of tackling any trail. They also have a knack for making them look good. Some of their off-road services include complete vehicle outfitting, Hemi conversions, JK8 conversions, superchargers, suspensions systems and other Jeep modifications.
We ran into Weston Blackie in Moab, Utah, with his latest Polar JK build. The beautiful sapphire blue Jeep really stood out from the crowd. Not only did it have a striking look, but it also was modified well beyond stock. Blackie chose the Polar JK because he really liked the new Hydro Blue color. We concur.
The Trail Jeeps Polar JK is powered by the 284-hp 3.6-liter Pentastar petro engine, five-speed automatic with Command-Trac NV241 part-time, two-speed transfer case. Under the hood, an AFE Power Intake matched with catback exhaust system makes this Jeep purr. Blackie plans to pump up the power with a Magnuson Supercharger soon, adding between 80-100 HP and 60-70 lb-ft of torque.
Recently, Blackie completed a 4,000-mile trip to the Northwest as part of the JK Experience (http://www.jk-experience.com/), which tackles a number of off-road trails and scenic highways in the United States. They had absolutely no failures, topped with an excellent time.
Off-Road.com takes a closer look at the Trail Jeeps Polar JK to see what makes it such a solid rig.
TRAILSIDE WITH BLACKIE
Weston Blackie, what are your favorite places to go off-road?
Blackie: Anywhere in Colorado, Moab, St George, UT and the Rubicon
All time favorite trail is Pritchett Canyon
Favorite mod on your Polar Jeep JK?
Blackie: My Dynatracs, never let me down!
Any future mods in the works?
Blackie: We are planning to add on an Evo Double Throw Down suspension and a Magnuson Supercharger
BAM! There you have it. Make sure to check out Trail Jeeps’ website and social media channels for even more radical Jeep builds.
See you on the trail.
SOURCE
Trail Jeeps
303-495-7595
http://trailjeeps.com/