We want this Jeep to run so badly. We want to see this little four-wheel-drive testament to engineering gone insane to be functional, to drift corners with one front wheel hiked in the air while showering roostertails of snow and sludge everywhere. And that moment is coming…winter is still ongoing in Idaho and the guys at Grind Hard Plumbing Co. are making great use of the shop time with their latest build. With 100 horsepower, four-wheel-drive and more engineering than anything else that came before it. Yes, more than the hot-rodded Barbie Mustang. Even more than the flying princess-themed Jeep. 100 horsepower in a small car can be fun, but 100 horsepower in this thing will be properly exhilarating. Power to weight ratio, baby…this little beast will have it in spades.

So, sadly, it’s not running and romping yet. But that doesn’t mean you need to click that back button just yet. Ethan’s handiwork in turning basic stock into metalworking art that we’d love to take a rip around a dirt track in. In this episode, more of the physical chassis structure is put together. Shocks are sourced to keep the spine semi-intact and some early shock tuningis checked out to make sure that everything will be happy, and the seat is set in so that operator weight can be brought into the equation. It’s so close to making rude noises and dirt trails behind it. We can’t wait.