Over the weekend, Mark Smith, founder of Smyth Performance, revealed the first finished Jeep Grand Cherokee pickup truck conversion kit from his company. It is a pickup for people who need a truck but do not want to pay the price of a new rig. The Jeep Grand Cherokee conversion kit backstory Smyth Performance is …
Usually, wrenching on your car means changing the oil or fixing the brakes. But kit cars offer a whole new meaning to the phrase. Wrenching your own car together isn’t exactly easy. But besides really getting to know your wheels, a kit car can also offer an opportunity to own a modern vintage machine for …
Ever come across the term “kit car”? Wonder what they are? Are they toys or real, driveable vehicles? Just what is a Kit Car? Kit cars are component vehicles. Some kits contain all the components necessary to complete the car, except the fluids. Other times, the “kit” from the manufacturer will require a donor vehicle. …
Although the Jeep Gladiator, whether Trail- or Desert-Rated, is an amazing off-roader, it’s also an expensive one. In top Rubicon trim, the Gladiator stickers at $45,370. And that’s before you add any accessories. Luckily, Smyth Performance, the company behind the DIY ute kits, has a solution. Initially, we only heard rumors that Smyth Performance was …
Mark Smith is the father of Smyth Performance. In recent years his company has gone from focusing on creating motorcycles and mid-engine sports cars to creating “Utes.” That is where his company hit the jackpot. What is a Ute? Utes are a category of vehicles that have come and gone in the United States. They …
As pickup trucks have grown, there’s been a demand resurgence for trucks that scale closer to cars. Car-based trucks, aka ‘utes’, like Chevy’s El Camino, once formed a popular segment, though it’s been dormant for some time. Chevy first attempted to bring it back with the SSR. Honda and BMW then made some functional one-offs …
It’s beginning to look like we should prepare for a flood of new small pickups to hit the market. Ford car-based truck test mules have been spotted running around Australia. Kia is allegedly planning a similar-sized pickup for release there, too. While no pickup version of Ford’s baby Bronco exists officially, there’s a good business …
