When was the last time you saw a Jeep Wrangler YJ pickup? Maybe never? The Big Tire Garage’s YJ Shop Truck isn’t a resto-mod or a tribute. Instead, it’s a wild 100-percent custom ground-up, off-road beast with a Throttle Down Kustoms frame and an Aqualu Industries all-aluminum body. A workhorse 5.3-liter V-8 drivetrain powers the truck, which is purpose-built to take a beating.
This crazy-cool build is a vision of a vehicle that never existed but should have. The YJ front grill and the VIN tag are among the few original pieces on the truck.
The YJ Shop Truck differs from many vehicles on the Parts of America tour, as the build is nearly complete. When eBay Motors called Ian Johnson this summer, he had 15 trucks in the warehouse—all in various states of readiness. But the hauler dimensions ruled out many of them.
When they measured the Big Tire Shop Truck, it fit. As luck would have it, the truck was due for a refresh after collecting dust for two years.
eBay Motors’s “Parts of America” launched on September 21. Before the tour is done, the eBay Motors hauler will roll into a dozen US communities, explore regional car culture, and pick up unique modded vehicles along the way—each created in partnership with star builders.
To follow the tour and dive into the builds, visit eBay.com/PartsOfAmerica.
Origin Story
Johnson started building the truck in 2016 for the Easter Jeep Safari. He explained:
Until then, we were bringing our tube buggies to Easter Jeep Safari. But when you bring a super capable off-road-ready tube buggy to Easter Jeep Safari, it feels like cheating. So I decided to build a Jeep.
The initial plan for the truck was super-shiny with a high-end paint job. Then, Johnson’s buddy showed up at the shop with one of his 1950s shop trucks. Everything changed. He decided on a faux patina paint job.
Johnson said:
Everybody loves it. Now, I pull into gas stations, and old-timers are like, man, I haven’t seen one of these in forever. They have memories of the truck, even though it never existed.
Built From eBay Parts
Big Tire Garage had amassed all the necessary parts over the years. So the YJ was built how a frugal old shop truck should be built—from existing parts.
Johnson explained his scavenger strategy:
I had a 5.3-liter engine, a couple of 14-bolt axles, and some knuckles. I picked up a used Turbo 400 transmission and a transfer case. Literally, over the course of a single weekend, we took it from a pile of parts into a rolling chassis.
Once the truck was mobile, Johnson hauled it from his buddy’s shop to the shop at his house and finished there.
He said:
I get a lot of my stuff off eBay, including all of my axles, engines, and transmissions. I usually get them shipped to me for free, which I love. They get delivered right to the shop with a warranty.
It’s Been Everywhere
Johnson told us that driving the Shop Truck on the street is scarier than off-roading. It’s built and geared for crawling rocks, not the open road. Johnson keeps it to below 60 miles per hour on the highway.
The Shop Truck has conquered many of America’s greatest off-road destinations.
Johnson said:
It’s done all Johnson Valley, Wrecking Ball, Sledgehammer, Moab, 21 Road. It’s wheeled across the country. It just flat-out works.
Johnson made his first major media appearance on an episode of Jesse James’ “Monster Garage” nearly two decades ago. Since then, he has climbed to the top tier of automotive media.
Big Tire Garage currently produces four different shows for Motor Trend. While it can be a hectic schedule for Johnson, it gives him a chance to do what he loves best. “I get to build cool junk just for fun,” he said.
