Have you ever been walking down a crowded sidewalk and bumped into a person who looks like a total freak show? Maybe they've got a Mohawk haircut with metal spikes stuck through their cheeks, or maybe they're just dressed completely in orange. Point is, you think to yourself, "What in the heck were they thinking when they woke up this morning?" Regardless of whether or not they fall into your category of moral or social values, you've still gotta share the air with them.
Sometimes it's a lot like that with the Jeep Shots submissions we get. We could tell you stories about some of the scary fabrication we've been witness to over the years, and some of the most gawd-awful, airbrushed paint jobs still give us nightmares. While we still can't bring ourselves to show you any of the latter, we are trying to open our minds to those who dare to be a little different. Hence the tiger-fur Jeep or the '80s acid flashback you'll spot in this story. And, of course, there will always be the tried-and-true vintage Jeeps, hard-core off-road machines, and dual-purpose weekend warriors and daily drivers that make you all warm and fuzzy.
Drew Burroughs first came to the pages of Jp by skying his silver '70 CJ for the Sept. '03 cover ("Coolest Jeep Ever"). Fast forward five years, and Drew is working at Poly Performance and skying the company's silver JK. Sure, he's in the industry now, but Drew is technically still a Jp reader, and this was one of the best action shots we had on hand to open this story up with.
Dave Gregg of Andrews, Texas, gave his '80 CJ-5 a full fur job in tiger-print fabric, including a tail. A 4-inch lift clears way for 33-inch Interco Trxsus STS tires on steel wheels. Dave didn't specify, but we're betting the dual exhaust signals the little CJ is running a V-8 to put some power down to the stock AMC 20 rear and Dana 30 front.
Even though Noah Bedell's YJ is only sporting a set of 30x9.50-15 Remington Mud Brutes under the stock suspension, there's just something about the way he's hitting the stream at full blast that makes for a killer photo. Maybe it's the six roof-mounted lights or the sheer violence of it all. We just know we like it.
OK, it's her dad's Jeep. Dennis Jansen is a member of the Eastern 4 Wheeler's Club and sent us a photo of his worked-over TJ taken at Paragon Park in Pennsylvania. While he didn't send any specs on the rig, the bead locks, Swamper tires, and other upgrades make it look like Dennis's daughter is going to learn to wheel in style.
From Trinity, North Carolina, Gary Roberts sent us these showoff shots of his mostly stock '47 CJ-2A. Still sporting the factory flathead, T-90, and Spicer 18 as well as Dana 25 front and Dana 41 rear, Gary lists the estimated value of his Willys as $1,500. Gary, the check is in the mail. The TSL Swampers are a skinny 28x8.50-15 size and fit with the stock suspension. We like the two-tone mud treatment, Gary. Don't wash it.
Before we even read Mike Carter's letter, we thought his '90 Cherokee looked a lot like an XJ version of the General Lee. Sure enough, Mike lists the paint as General Lee orange and purposefully lifted the turbine mags off an '86 Cherokee because of their similarity to the General's wheels. The little General sports a 6-inch lift and 33-inch Pro Comp Mud Terrains as well as a homebuilt winch bumper to house the 8,000-pound Ramsey. Mike hails from Spruce Grove in Alberta, Canada, so maybe he'll paint a maple leaf on the roof instead of a rebel flag.
Daniel Parsons of Ignacio, Colorado, sent us this photo to dispute the myth that the Rock Gods get angry. We agree, Daniel. We don't see any rocks in the photo. Daniel's '82 CJ-7 runs a built 400hp AMC 390 from an AMX and sports a Dynatrac Dana 60 rear and Dynatrac Dana 44 front with ARBs and 3.73s. The 37-inch Swamper SSRs are never going to wear out unless you keep the rubber side down, Daniel.
If you weren't alive in the '80s, feast your eyes on this time machine. Bill Berkebile spent the early '80s beating this '75 CJ-5 nearly to death in the mountains near Somerset, Pennsylvania, before turning it into this. The drivetrain is comprised of the original 304, T-15 tranny, Dana 20 T-case, and Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear. The gearing has been changed to 5.38 to help turn the 44-inch Ground Hawgs, but we don't hold out hope the axleshafts or steering linkage will survive much more than a mole hill with that much weight to push around. Regardless, Bill is happy wowing crowds with the Jeep's exhaust flamethrowers, old-school graphics, and plethora of Daylighters.