February 15, 2023 Update – To say the bidding on the auction for this Jeep was feverish is an understatement!  After 107 bids, we’re pleased to report the high bid of $33,600 exceeded the seller’s reserve price of $29,900.  Congrats to both the buyer and seller!

GuysWithRides is pleased to offer Lot 183, a 17,560-mile 2005 Jeep TJ Wrangler X in very good condition and modified with an AEV Brute pickup and cab conversion kit.

Bidding opened Wednesday, February 1, 2023, and continues for fourteen (14) consecutive days ending at 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.

This 2005 Jeep Wrangler X currently resides in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, just over the U.S-Canadian border in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  GuysWithRides has experience with U.S. bidders importing Canadian-based vehicles and can recommend several services to help import the Jeep stateside.

(NOTE: Click on the picture to stop the slide show and expand the pictures. Scroll down to see all photographs)

The Deets

Winning Bid: $33,600

The Jeep “TJ” is the second generation of the brand’s iconic Wrangle off-road vehicle. Unveiled in January 1996 at the Detroit Auto Show as an early 1997 model year introduction (Jeep skipped the 1996 model year), the TJ was an evolutionary update. It arrived in Jeep showrooms in April 1996 after six years of overall investment and a 36-month production development phase.

Instead of leaf springs, this updated Wrangler featured a modern coil-spring suspension, both front, and rear, based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, for better ride and handling and a return to the classic CJ’s round headlamps. The engine is the same 4.0 L AMC 242 Straight-6 used in the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee.

TJ Wranglers are also notable for being the last production vehicle to use AMC-related parts. The AMC Straight-6 engine and the door handles (the latter of which first appeared on AMC vehicles in the 1968 model year) were retired along with this generation in 2006. Like the YJ Wrangler, the TJ Wrangler used both the AMC passenger car door handles and the larger door handles of the AMC-built Jeep CJ for higher-end models.

Unlike today’s “Unlimited” versions, Jeep never offered a pickup version of the TJ Wrangler. Consequently, a cottage industry of aftermarket companies offered DIY pickup kits. One of the better-known examples was Advanced Expedition Vehicles (“AEV”) which offered an all-steel pickup bed kit. The kit cost approximately $8,000 when new and required approximately 60 hours for someone to assemble before final paint.  A bonus is that the converted cab features a removable SMC top.

Other features include oversized aluminum wheels mounted with Dick Cepek tires,  a front-mounted 9,500-pound Warn winch, and custom chrome bumpers front and rear.

As with many customized Jeep Wrangler conversions, this 2005 Wrangler X became an AEV Brute pickup conversion candidate when it sustained front-end damage in October 2005. This Jeep received a proper front-end repair and the aforementioned AEV conversion components.  Originally a Western New York state-based example, the second owner was a Lodge located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, in October 2008.  This Jeep was used lightly on the lodge property from 2008 through today.  The third owner acquired this Jeep as part of his purchase of the lodge property several years ago.  With less than two hundred miles added during his ownership, the seller has elected to sell their Jeep as it is simply not used currently enough.

This seller notes that everything save for the speedometer works as designed and considers the vehicle in very good condition that drives well.  The only item worth noting is that while the factory speedometer works, the oversized tires and aftermarket rims conflict with the speedometer’s mileage calibration.  To compensate, the seller installed a GPS speedometer that will be included in the sale.  In addition to the AEV Brute pickup conversion kit, this TJ Wrangler features custom chrome front and rear bumpers, a 9,500-pound Warn front-mounted winch, and custom aluminum wheels mounted with Dick Cepek offroad tires.

In the spirit of full transparency, here’s what we know about the history of this 2005 Jeep Wrangler AEV Brute Pickup Conversion:

• April 2005: This 2005 Jeep Wrangler was originally sold new in Jamestown, NY.
• October 2005: This Jeep sustained front-end damage sufficient for the original owner’s insurance to write off the Jeep.
• November 2006: National 4WD of Burlington, Ontario, purchased and imported this Jeep on a salvage title and proceeded to rebuild it using American Expedition Vehicles (“AEV”) Brute pickup conversion kit.
•  July 2008: the second owner purchased this Jeep from National 4WD mainly for use on his lodge property.  Sadly, not long after this, the second owner suffered paralyzing injuries in a cycling accident unrelated to this Jeep.  Consequently, the Jeep never saw much use on the lodge property.
• March 2022: The second owner sold the lodge property, and as part of the sale, this low-mile Jeep was included as part of the sale.  The new lodge owner and this Jeep find he doesn’t have a use for it, so he’s contracted with Guys With Rides to sell it in this auction.

For our American bidders, this 2005 Jeep TJ Wrangler AEV Brute will require importation back into the U.S.  Since it is a U.S. manufacturer vehicle originally sold here, importing it is a straightforward process for such a relatively new vehicle.  For budgeting purposes, Borderbuddy.com estimates the importation cost to be about one thousand dollars. That estimate does not include shipping from the seller to your address.

A second alternative recommended by one of our prior customers is US Canada Auto Transport.

Here is a complimentary CarFax® for this 2005 Jeep confirming the extremely low mileage and the timetable summarized above.  One note about the mileage shown in the CarFax:  Knowing this Jeep originally started service in New York State, this Wrangler’s odometer reads in mileage.  Once imported into Ontario, it’s clear the various CarFax mileage readings likely reflect people thinking the reading was in Kilometers and not Miles.  Through our due diligence and noting the condition of the truck’s underside, we believe the mileage shown of 17,560 is currently accurate.

To review the CarFax, please click on the picture below. When finished, click on your browser’s back button to return to this listing:

Undercarriage Pictures

(Click on each picture to expand and navigate between each one)

This 2005 Jeep Wrangler X represents an excellent opportunity to purchase a converted TJ Wrangler, as AEV no longer offers these kits. Unlike Jeep’s modern Gladiator 4-door pickup you now see everywhere, this Wrangler AEV Brute two-door pickup stands out from the rest of the Jeep crowd that will be the envy of all your fellow Jeep Peeps at every offroad event you drive this too.

To help you make informed bids, we’re providing access to Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the Classic Car market, that provides an interactive graph of recent comparable sales year-to-date. By clicking on the green dots, you can navigate to each comparable car sold as a way to help you make an educated bid on the car we are featuring for auction here:

If you have any questions about this 2005 Jeep TJ Wrangler X AEV Brute Pickup Conversion, please leave a comment below or feel free to call Rudy directly at 877-468-6497.  Thank you for looking, and happy bidding!