Featured Build: RockStar Garage's GRDLOC

When we heard that the team over at Rockstar Performance Garage was endeavoring to create the ultimate Jeep, we knew we that we wanted to be a part of the project. GRDLOC, which began its life as a 1983 CJ7, has been thoroughly transformed into a rock-crawling, nature conquering behemoth of a vehicle.

CREATING THE ULTIMATE ROCK CRAWLER

For our part, MagnaFlow created a custom exhaust system with 2.5” mandrel bent piping and a 4” x 18” round straight-through muffler to get the best performance and sound out of the beast’s 4.4L supercharged engine. That’s right. This olive-green speed tank had its anemic -odd horsepower heart transplanted with the boisterous motor normally found in the Cadillac STS-V! We took care (as we always do) designing GRDLOC’s exhaust to ensure that the vehicle would be able to harness the full potential of its pumped-up powertrain. Our custom exhaust solution also features a turn-down exit tucked high up under the Jeep to keep it far away from rocks that might otherwise damage it.

PUSHING THE LIMITS

The overhaul of the old Jeep didn’t start with the engine. Before swapping out the motor, the vehicle underwent extensive modifications in order to transform it into the ultimate off-roader that it is today. To begin with, a set of custom grooved 46” Mickey Thompson Baja Claw tires on forged American Force 20” beadlock wheels are paired with 8-piston front and 6-piston rear brakes from R1 Concepts. These upgrades provide GRDLOC with plenty of traction and enough stopping power to deal with those hefty wheels and humongous tires.

In order to improve durability and contend with all that additional unsprung mass, the axles needed to be upgraded as well. A Kingpin 60 axle out of an ’87 Dodge is installed up front. In the rear, an 11.5” AAM commercial-grade axle was drilled out to fit a 38 spline, and a Grizzly Locker and new 538 gear ratio from Yukon Gear & Axle were added. Inland Empire Driveline created a custom solution for the vehicle. GenRight outfitted the suspension all around and a PSC custom mounted high-pressure hydraulic steering unit was also installed. 3.0 x 16” IBP King Coilovers are placed on each corner, just like you would find on a trophy truck. As a result of this massive rework, the wheelbase stretched from 96” to a mighty 120”.

Rock Slide Engineering step sliders have been fitted, and GenRight armor is featured all around. The front of the monster Jeep also boasts a military-grade 12,000 lbs. winch connected to dual Odyssey batteries, where one battery is always isolated to avoid potential power surge issues. A total of six Mishimoto coolers are used to keep temperatures in check: including two transmission coolers, an oil cooler, a supercharger cooler, radiator and hydraulic steering cooler. K&N created a custom billet intake for the motor, which pairs nicely with the bespoke MagnaFlow exhaust system.

In the rear you’ll find a GenRight fuel cell, which utilizes an Aeromotive Phantom 340 fuel pump with integrated OEM fuel injection to keep the thirsty V8 satiated. A Power Tank system is fitted in the vehicle in order to make sure that those massive tires remain inflated. An Atlas twin-stick transfer case can also be found inside. GRDLOC uses a Maximum Offroad Transmissions 4L60e with manual valve body, which essentially means that the transmission is an automatic that can be shifted manually. The team at Rockstar Performance Garage also created a custom roll cage with a 4” chop.

(MINOR) CREATURE COMFORTS

Not all GRDLOC’s upgrades have been devoted to augmenting its off-roading chops. Some of the improvements that the team at Rockstar Performance Garage have made are targeted squarely at improving the life of the vehicle’s driver. For example, Baja Designs LED lighting is featured around the vehicle front-and-back to provide ample lighting in any climate, thus allowing the driver to see where any potential hazards are before there’s any trouble.

The cabin is surprisingly accommodating as well, featuring a Dometic fridge, customized GenRight dashboard with Dakota Digital instruments, an sPOD system with dual HD control panels and a full Kicker Audio 9-speaker sound system with 10” subwoofer. Custom PRP race seats keep the driver and co-driver in place. In addition to securing the fire extinguisher, the Scosche mounts that can be found throughout GRDLOC’s interior are vital in enabling the team at Rockstar to mount the cameras, microphones and other media equipment that make their awesome GRDLOC videos possible.

BORN CHAMP

GRDLOC clearly has what it takes to handle whatever the rocks, backwoods and trails can throw at it. One might even say that this outstanding creation is a champion among Jeeps. Clearly, we aren’t the only ones who think so, as the loveable rock-crawler won Super Jeep Champion Builder of the Year from American Super Jeep and Motor Trend at King of the Hammers after its first appearance.

The team at Rockstar Performance Garage knows that they’ve created something special. Since upgrading the engine, builder Nic Ashby notes that when it comes to even the craziest obstacles “this thing just does it.” At MagnaFlow we love to be part of builds that raise the bar. Not only do we get to make sure that the vehicle sounds awesome, but attaching ourselves to a project like GRDLOC also gives us the chance to put the best of our technology through its paces. By doing this we gain insights that enable us to take what we learn from these inherent stress tests to improve our products even further.

Congratulations to the team at Rockstar Performance Garage for creating a Jeep like no other! We look forward to watching GRDLOC’s continued evolution and are eager to finding out what their talented builders will come up with next.

Interested in upgrading your ride with MagnaFlow? Visit us at MagnaFlow.com, where you can shop for what you need by year, make, model and engine type.

Have questions about our products? Give us a call at 1-800-990-0905 and we’d be happy to help.

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