Influencer II
I purchased my H3 in 2010 because my jeep decided it wanted to be a submarine. It was good timing because I was on medical leave for a shoulder surgery. My family drove me from Delaware to our home in Indiana to recoup from my surgery. While on leave in Indiana, I bought the H3 because I wanted something unique and capable for off-roading.
This was taken the first day I purchased it. As you can see it had a lot of chrome on it, that would be corrected quickly. I ordered a few parts for it a couple days before I picked up the vehicle so I could begin the transformation.
My parts arrived the next day and I brought it in to have them installed. I put 35x12.5x16 Goodyear Duratracs on to replace the stock 31s it came with. I switched out the rims to a set of MotoMetals for a more blacked out look. While it was in the shop, the door handles and mirrors where replaced for black versions. The running boards where removed for more ground clearance. The big change was the front grill. I wanted something different than the all black version that was popular, so I opted for a dark flat gray that matched the steel bumpers. Gas mileage definitely went down because of the tire change, but that was ok. Upon my arrival back in Delaware, I added a few more modifications to make it stand out.
I painted the front skid plate red to add some accent and outlined the pressed H3 logo for a more professional look.
I purchased a wilderness basket to add more room for fishing/camping gear.
A couple days later and I added my CB radio which I mounted the antenna to be symmetrical with the stock radio antenna. I had to modify the CB antenna bracket to fit in the spot. The location provides protection to the mounting point because it is behind the front fender. The antenna is a Wilson Flex so I did not require the spring adapter. The radio itself is a Uniden 980ssb which is hidden in the center console. The location is nice because it doesn't interfere with vision and it looks clean. With the lid of the center console closed, I can still hear everything clearly. On the hood, I added handles which I bolted through the metal so they can be functional, but they are mainly for aesthetics. At this point, I also leveled the torsion keys so the front had more ground clearance. This gave it a much better stance.
Better view of the CB antenna mount and location.
After a two week Overlanding trip through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, I wanted to add extra lighting to increase my visibility at night. I purchased the OEM rooftop light bar because I got a great deal on it. The lights greatly improved the lighting at the front of the vehicle. I also purchased and installed OEM front and rear lockers and a 4.10 transfer case. I also purchased a Purple Cranium rear differential cover because I had a small leak from bouncing case off a rock somewhere along the trip. The cover is the same color as the front skid.
Since I lived in lower Delaware, we where prone to flooding. My USCG station was on a small peninsula that had the ocean on one side and the bay on the other. The highway and roads leading to the station would be underwater. With being first response personnel, we still had to make it to the unit even with the flooding and conditions. The National Guard vehicles where located on the other side of the inlet so they could not taxi our members to our station. With the flooding and severe sand erosion, I purchased an ARB safari snorkel so I would be able to cross the flooded zones. My vehicle was given the nickname "Hurricane" because it was the only vehicle to make it to the unit through the flooded streets after Hurricane Sandy.
This was taken the 2 days after Hurricane Sandy passed. Around 400 yards to the right of the bridge is our CG station. As you can see, the roads leading to the bridge are completely covered in sand.
This picture was taken during the hurricane. As you can see the ocean has covered the road and merged with the bay to the left. This picture was taken on the opposite side as the above picture, so my station became a tiny island to the left of the bridge. The bridge was closed to all personnel because of the possibility of unknown damage. The National Guard base is on the south side of the bridge, my unit is on the north side of it.
Zoomed in picture of the flooding at the bridge. On a normal day, there is 40 feet clearance between the bottom of the bridge and the water. At the peak of the storm, there was about 15 feet clearance.
This was taken the first day I purchased it. As you can see it had a lot of chrome on it, that would be corrected quickly. I ordered a few parts for it a couple days before I picked up the vehicle so I could begin the transformation.
My parts arrived the next day and I brought it in to have them installed. I put 35x12.5x16 Goodyear Duratracs on to replace the stock 31s it came with. I switched out the rims to a set of MotoMetals for a more blacked out look. While it was in the shop, the door handles and mirrors where replaced for black versions. The running boards where removed for more ground clearance. The big change was the front grill. I wanted something different than the all black version that was popular, so I opted for a dark flat gray that matched the steel bumpers. Gas mileage definitely went down because of the tire change, but that was ok. Upon my arrival back in Delaware, I added a few more modifications to make it stand out.
I painted the front skid plate red to add some accent and outlined the pressed H3 logo for a more professional look.
I purchased a wilderness basket to add more room for fishing/camping gear.
A couple days later and I added my CB radio which I mounted the antenna to be symmetrical with the stock radio antenna. I had to modify the CB antenna bracket to fit in the spot. The location provides protection to the mounting point because it is behind the front fender. The antenna is a Wilson Flex so I did not require the spring adapter. The radio itself is a Uniden 980ssb which is hidden in the center console. The location is nice because it doesn't interfere with vision and it looks clean. With the lid of the center console closed, I can still hear everything clearly. On the hood, I added handles which I bolted through the metal so they can be functional, but they are mainly for aesthetics. At this point, I also leveled the torsion keys so the front had more ground clearance. This gave it a much better stance.
Better view of the CB antenna mount and location.
After a two week Overlanding trip through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, I wanted to add extra lighting to increase my visibility at night. I purchased the OEM rooftop light bar because I got a great deal on it. The lights greatly improved the lighting at the front of the vehicle. I also purchased and installed OEM front and rear lockers and a 4.10 transfer case. I also purchased a Purple Cranium rear differential cover because I had a small leak from bouncing case off a rock somewhere along the trip. The cover is the same color as the front skid.
Since I lived in lower Delaware, we where prone to flooding. My USCG station was on a small peninsula that had the ocean on one side and the bay on the other. The highway and roads leading to the station would be underwater. With being first response personnel, we still had to make it to the unit even with the flooding and conditions. The National Guard vehicles where located on the other side of the inlet so they could not taxi our members to our station. With the flooding and severe sand erosion, I purchased an ARB safari snorkel so I would be able to cross the flooded zones. My vehicle was given the nickname "Hurricane" because it was the only vehicle to make it to the unit through the flooded streets after Hurricane Sandy.
This was taken the 2 days after Hurricane Sandy passed. Around 400 yards to the right of the bridge is our CG station. As you can see, the roads leading to the bridge are completely covered in sand.
This picture was taken during the hurricane. As you can see the ocean has covered the road and merged with the bay to the left. This picture was taken on the opposite side as the above picture, so my station became a tiny island to the left of the bridge. The bridge was closed to all personnel because of the possibility of unknown damage. The National Guard base is on the south side of the bridge, my unit is on the north side of it.
Zoomed in picture of the flooding at the bridge. On a normal day, there is 40 feet clearance between the bottom of the bridge and the water. At the peak of the storm, there was about 15 feet clearance.
