Every year for about the past decade or so, the staff of Jp has made it out to the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari held by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers club. Why? It's only the biggest, best, and most fun off-road event in the world. And for our money, it's held in the most beautiful area of the country.
Although snow, rain, and cold weather early in the week-long event, coupled with crazy-high fuel prices, threatened to stymie the fun of the 42nd annual Easter Jeep Safari, this year's event was as good as any. Since by now we've covered the trails and the obstacles to death, we've once again decided to focus on a smattering of cool Jeeps we encountered during our all-too-brief stay in Moab. Whether it's a full-gonzo monster or a cheapie stock Jeep, you'll find it on the trails during the Easter Jeep Safari. You can check out the host club's Web site at rr4w.com for more on next year's event or for info on keeping these great trails open for use.
When a CJ on 39s rolls by we tend to take notice. We liked Erik Striegel's '82 right off the bat. From its AMC engine to its 1-ton axles to its battle-scarred exterior, we could tell this Rangely, Colorado-based Jeep had seen its fair share of use. Erik bought the Jeep mostly built, but he's currently putting his stamp on it with a new rear suspension and by stretching the wheelbase out to 106 inches.
Model: CJ-7
Year: 1982
Estimated Value: $27,500
Build Time: Eight months
Owner: Erik Striegel
Hometown: Rangely, Colorado
Occupation: Pipe liner
Years Wheeling Experience: 21
Favorite Wheeling Spot: The Rangely Rock Crawl Park
Why Choose This Vehicle to Build: Got a good deal on it and it had everything I wanted (axles, steering, etc.)
Favorite Terrain: Rock
Engine: AMC 360
Aspiration: Holley 2-bbl injection
Transmission: TF727 automatic
Transfer Case: Dana 300, 4:1 low
Front Axle/Differential: Narrowed Dodge Dana 60, Detroit Locker
Rear Axle/Differential: Narrowed Dodge Dana 60, Detroit Locker
Ring and Pinion Ratio: 4.88
Front Suspension: Coils with radius arms and track bar
Rear Suspension: Spring-over leaf springs
Wheels: Poison Spyder Customs 17x9, bead lock
Tires: BFG 39x13.50R17 Krawler
Other Cool Stuff: On-board air, tube fenders, PSC hydro-assist steering
Favorite Mod(s): Krawlers
Least Favorite Mod(s): Rear leaves (hop a little)
If I Had to Build It Again: Currently having rear four-linked and stretching the wheelbase to 106 inches
So what does the title of this mini-feature mean? Honestly, we haven't a clue. Sometimes stuff like this just pops into our heads and we have to run with it. Brett Baur got in the magazine via the shrapnel effect. He was standing close by while we were shooting a feature on his buddy's rig when we started noticing how cool his '00 TJ was. Check the spec sheet for the full scoop. We bet you'll wind up thinking it's as cool as we do.
Model: Wrangler TJ
Year: 2000
Estimated Value: $50,000
Build Time: Five years
Owner: Brett Baur
Hometown: Ogden, Utah
Occupation: Owner, Brett's Towing Company
Years Wheeling Experience: 15
Favorite Wheeling Spot: Moab, Utah
Why Choose This Vehicle to Build: It's a Jeep
Favorite Terrain: Rock
Engine: 4.0L six-cylinder
Aspiration: Avenger Supercharger, factory injection
Transmission: Factory three-speed auto
Transfer Case: Atlas II, 4.3:1 low
Front Axle/Differential: Teraflex Dana 60, ARB Air Locker
Rear Axle/Differential: Teraflex Dana 60, ARB Air Locker
Ring and Pinion Ratio: 4.56
Front Suspension: Three-link wishbone with coilovers
Rear Suspension: Triangulated four-link with coilovers
Wheels: 17x10 Trail Ready bead lock
Tires: 14/42-17 Interco Irok
Other Cool Stuff: Warn 9500 winch; full hydro steering; front and rear torsional antisway bars; cut-down Hanson Enterprises bumpers; Poison Spyder Customs tube fenders, Crusher Corners, and Rocker Knockers
Favorite Mod(s): Wheelbase stretched to 110 inches and coilovers
Least Favorite Mod(s): Nothing
If I Had to Build It Again: Build it like it is now from the start instead of plodding through all the trial and error