SIN CITY JKU

Built to Represent, Built to Run

- WORDS BY DEVAN ENCE

Every once in a while, a rig shows up that speaks for more than itself. For Sin City Diesel & Offroad in Las Vegas, this 2016 Jeep Wrangler JKU Rubicon was built as a calling card. It's a shop-built project, yes, but it's also a testbed, an attention grabber, and a representation of what can happen when you do it right the first time.

Built entirely by Sin City Diesel & Offroad, this JKU is more than just a flashy wrap and oversized tires. It's a ground-up rework of everything Jeep gave the platform—refined, reinforced, and repowered. Ted Loh, owner of Sin City Diesel, didn't just want something to cruise the Strip or park at shows. He wanted something to take on King of the Hammers one weekend, then represent Sin City Diesel at Trail Hero the next. And it does.

The heart of the build is a 6.2L LS3 E-Rod crate engine from GM Performance. It's a clean-swap, emissions-legal V-8 backed by a Maximum Offroad-built 4L80E with a full manual reverse pattern valve body and 2800 stall converter. Everything's cooled by a Mishimoto stack, and the entire swap rides on GenRight LS/4L80-specific mounts. The transfer case is an Atlas II with 3.0:1 low range. Power gets to the dirt through JE Reel 1350 driveshafts, a Currie Extreme 60 RockJock up front, and an Extreme 70 out back—both loaded with 5.38s and ARB air lockers.