KAOS RESURRECTED

Words: Kristie Real

Photos: Dale Martin

The Jeep J10 is a storied vehicle – one that diehard Jeep fans admire for its rugged capabilities in a coveted truck form. The pickup truck was made by AMC spanning from 1974 to 1983 and featured in a variety of trim options, including the Honcho, Golden Eagle and 10-4 packages. It was touted as Jeep’s “performance truck” until its final days.

Getting your hands on one isn’t that hard these days, thanks to the Internet and social media. When it came down to choosing the base vehicle for a build, Taylor Sprayberry knew it had to be the J10 after he heard rumors of Jeep introducing another modernized pickup truck (which has now been named the Gladiator and was first unveiled at the 2018 LA Auto Show). “I thought it would be cool to emphasize the legendary Jeep pickup in honor of the new Gladiator JT,” he admits.

Originally, the thought process behind the build was to nix the truck bed and instead have “more of a tube-style chassis back half,” Taylor explains. But like any customizer who knows how things really go down, initial designs always changed. “Although this would have been an extremely cool aspect of the build, I decided to keep it a little more along the lines of its traditional appearance by keeping the bed on it.” However, he did shorten the bed and chassis by nearly two feet, which gave it a distinct look.

But one thing that didn’t change was the fact that Taylor wanted the J10 to have a modern MOPAR color scheme, considering it was an old-school Jeep. Desiring something that stood out, he went with a HEMI Orange Pearl as the main color, and Transparent Copper by Prismatic Powders for the accent color. “It’s not something you see paired with orange too often, but I thought the contrast between the two colors would work perfectly!”

And he was right! The final result draws the eyes thanks to the unique color combo, in addition to its various mods, such as the Jeep JL bumpers and sliders, link suspension with 14” coilovers and filled body lines. Taylor enlisted the help of his dad, and the two were quite busy doing all the work themselves, including the suspension fabrication, paint and body work in four month’s time. “This build was something I truly value due to the fact that we taught ourselves how to do everything, and that my father and I completed the build together in our own garage.”

Naming his creation “KAOS,” Taylor put more than $30,000 into his build that consisted of a total of three trucks to piece it all together. The J10 was officially unveiled at the 2017 Lifted Truck Nationals, but was slightly reworked to feature Bodyguard Bumpers for last year’s SEMA Show. “Everyone loved seeing another piece of history resurrected from the dead being displayed amongst all the newer model vehicles. The Jeep J10 is not an average build that you see everyday at shows, so people are always enthused by seeing something out of the box.”

As the public eagerly awaits the production of the new Gladiator truck, they can feast their eyes at its predecessor whenever Taylor showcases it at events, with the occasional joy ride here and there. “I’m beyond pleased with the outcome of the build, but it will never be truly done,” he admits. “I’m always looking at ways to improve the build and achieve ultimate functionality.

GEAR: 1982 JEEP J10 “KAOS”

WHEELS / TIRES

20×10 American Force EVO Beadlock wheels
38×13.50R20 Nitto Trail Grapplers M/T tires

PERFORMANCE

Stoptech brake rotors
AMC 360
Comp Cams cam and lifter kit
Hedman headers
Edelbrock Performer AMC intake
Holley carburetor
Custom aluminum radiator with electric fans
Taylor spark plug wires
MSD distributor
3000 TCI stall converter
5.13 Yukon Gear and Axle gears

SUSPENSION

Rough Country long arm control arms
Rusty’s Offroad link tabs and shock hoops
Artec Industries trusses
FOA 14” coilovers
Locked Offroad bumpstops

EXTERIOR

BodyGuard Jeep JL front bumper
BodyGuard Jeep JL rock sliders
Custom fabricated rear bumper
Shortened wheelbase 2 feet
Bobbed and shortened factory bed
Filled body lines
Trimmed and modified factory fenders
Custom bed cage to hold upper shock mounts and spare tire
Tailgate delete
Bed liner done by DB Kustoms

RECOVERY

Rough Country Pro Series 9500 winch

LIGHTING

(8) Rough Country rock lights
50” Rough Country single row rear mounted LED bar
12” Rough Country single row bumper LED bar
Rough Country rocker switches
TS Lighting retrofit factory side markers, taillights, and headlights
Rough Country MLC-6 Light controller

ACCESSORIES

(2) Optima batteries
Evil Twin Fab offroad mirrors
Decals by Back Country Signs

INTERIOR

Custom center console and speaker box
Paint-matched dash with custom switch panel
Custom console for touchscreen radio
Dakota Digital gauges
PG Upholstery seats, dash pod and door panels

AUDIO

Pioneer AVH 8400 7” screen
Rockford Fosgate R400 amplifier
Wetsounds 6” speakers
(2) JL Audio 10” subwoofers