John Hendrix has 24 years in the collision industry, many factory certifications, is a heavy structural technician, and has over 10 years as a self-taught fabricator. We chat with John about his JKL, Flobuilt, that he hopes to make a full-time gig.
what made you decide to do your first JKL conversion?
I bought my first JK in 2016 new for the purpose of making it a JKL.
I always loved the LJ but also wanted the drivability of the JK. I got my inspiration from the stomper, built by Jeepworks.
what’s the process of turning a JK into a JKL?
The process starts with the teardown of the entire interior. Gas tank and wire harnesses have to be moved or removed. Then you locate and drill out the spot welds in the floor and belt rails.
After that, the body and roll bar are cut. The body is separated and then the frame is cut in the factory mid section. Everything is cleaned and the body and frame are put back together with longer panels to give it 10” over all length. The rest is finish work and paint.
how did FLOBUILT start?
Flobuilt started as an idea for my future.
It is my plan to get away from corporate body shops. I want to only work on Jeeps! Stretches, JKU conversions to trucks, lift kits, accessories, not just rock crawlers but the whole package.
And to live the Jeep life – traveling, meeting people and wheeling America.
what is your favorite Jeep you have worked on or built so far?
My first purpose built crawler was my favorite. The Music city flop project or “The Flop”.
And of course my JPmag feature DumpsterdiveTJ.
Both were to close to pick just one favorite. Most recent will be Elevated JKL.
where are your favorite places to wheel?
The hills of Tennessee! There is great scenery and many great obstacles. One in particular is Golden Mountain Park. I have never been to Moab.
