Starwood Motors Bug-Out Jeep Wrangler – Texas Instruments

Starwood Motors Shows Off the Black Jeep of the Family

Photos by Tristan Buster

It's been said that everything's bigger in Texas. Sometimes the Lone Star State seems like the last refuge for true freedom. You won't find the tyrannical firearms regulations there like the ones many of us face elsewhere in the country. Its residents are blissfully beyond the reach of rules that blame misspelled words on one's pencil. Do you car buffs also get emails from SEMA tipping you off to proposed legislation under the pretense of safety and environmental protection that limits the modifications you'll be able to make to your vehicles? Try making those same ideas fly in Texas. You'll quickly be told not to let the door hit you where the good lord split you.

So aside from my diatribe that retirement or permanent relocation to Texas may be in my future, we at RECOIL do so enjoy seeing the vehicle builds that come out of that state. The name Starwood Motors has graced these pages before, as they've had a hand in other builds such as John Wayne Walding's F-250. We caught a glimpse of this 2014 Wrangler they built and knew that our readers would also be interested in a 4×4 outfitted with necessities like a .50-caliber machinegun and a Browning 1919. So let's check out another creation that represents the 28th state in fine form.

Owner Chris Thompson had been pining over Jeeps since his high school days because his friends all had Wranglers. After spending several years in the Marines riding around in Humvees, his urge to eventually own a Jeep was punctuated by the desire to add a machinegun to it. After seeing an ad for Starwood Motors' “Full Metal Jacket” Wrangler package in an issue of duPont REGISTRY, the die was cast for Chris to pick up the phone and start the collaboration.

The Wrangler Full Metal Jacket option offered by Starwood comes with enough options to make your head spin. Chris decided to take it a step further by adding a Magnuson supercharger, K&N filter, and DiabloSport tuning software to the motor. ARB front and rear air lockers and air compressor, along with Rubicon Express driveshafts, a Fox ATS steering stabilizer, Curry Rock Jocks axles, King coilovers, and a Rubicon long-arm system make this thing look like a real-life version of those Stompers that children of the '80s remember playing with.

Smittybilt body armor and bumpers with Starwood's Kevlar finish help protect the exterior from the elements. Rigid Industries lights keep the path illuminated, while PROCAR seats, Gunner Fab rifle and pistol mounts, Tuffy lock boxes, an Alpine stereo and backup camera system, and a Poison Spyder cage keep all the occupants safe and privy to their surroundings.

And who can forget the fun stuff? The turret was built and designed by H&H Tool Shop and sent to Starwood to install. It was fitted with an M2 .50-caliber machinegun that was essentially a brand-new Korean War gun. The door gun is a 1919 chambered in .308 with a pistol grip converted to a spade grip. Both guns came from Scalpel Arms and had never been fired. Gotta love that military surplus.

Although Chris has sold the Jeep, here's a lesson in freedom at its finest. Ninety percent of the time Chris drove the Jeep around, it was with the guns mounted and the police just stopped him to take pictures and ask questions. God bless the USA; let's try and keep Chris' case study in judicial respect for law-abiding citizens going for the rest of us. It's an election year, and we need it more than ever.

Full Metal Jacket/Cal 50 Jeep

Make: Jeep
Model: Wrangler
Year: 2014
Engine: supercharged 3.6L V-6
Drivetrain: five-speed automatic
URL: www.starwoodmotors.com

1. Machinegun
Make: Browning
Model: M2 .50 Caliber
URL: www.scalpelarms.com, www.jbiarmory.com

2. Door Gun
Make: Browning
Model: 1919 converted to .308
URL: www.scalpelarms.com, www.jbiarmory.com

3. Machinegun Light
Make: SureFire
Model: Hellfighter 4
URL: www.surefire.com

4. Turret
Make: H&H Tool Shop
Model: Custom
URL: www.hhtoolshop.com

5. Lightbar
Make: Rigid Industries
Model: 50-inch
URL: www.rigidindustries.com

6. Light
Make: Rigid Industries
Model: Dually
URL: www.rigidindustries.com

7. Bumpers
Make: Smittybilt
Model: Stinger JK
URL: www.smittybilt.com

8. Winch
Make: Warn
Model: Zeon 10s
URL: www.warn.com

9. Side Steps
Make: AMP Research
Model: Powerstep
URL: www.amp-research.com

10. Pistol Mount
Make: Gunner Fab
Model: Pistol Mount, 4 Door JK
URL: www.conditionzeromounts.com

1. Wheels
Make: KMC Wheels
Model: XD Bombs 22-inch
URL: www.kmcwheels.com

2. Tires
Make: Nitto
Model: Mud Grappler 40×15.5×22
URL: www.nittotire.com

3. Cargo Net
Make: Safari Straps
Model: Jeep JK 4DR
URL: www.safaristraps.com

3. Wheels
Make: KMC Wheels
Model: XD Bombs 22-inch
URL: www.kmcwheels.com

4. Roll Cage
Make: Poison Spyder
Model: Trail Cage
URL: http://shop.poisonspyder.com