I have been an entertained subscriber of Jp since it hit the market. You guys have gone through a lot, but you haven't lost your basic scope - entertainment of the reader.You can't bat a thousand every issue, granted some issues aren't "memorable." The June '06 issue was not a technical Pulitzer Prize winner, but it was entertaining as hell. Hazel's rendition of a $3,700 Jeep being sold to a self-described poverty victim with a Hemi Durango was simply entertaining. I have pulled this stunt before (I do believe I missed the sick wife thing, though).The 211/42-ton military truck for $8,500 ("Baddest Jeep Ever") brought back memories of driving one and a M715 in about 1971 for Uncle Sam. Sorry, but I still don't want one.Anything written by Willie Worthy is worth reading several times. Remember Granville King?The story about loosening rusted bolts ("Rust Welded") was a good piece. I have used PB Blaster, it's OK, but JB80 is better. The JB80 is hard to find, it's expensive, and it's retailed by Justice Brothers - it's worth every penny. Try some.Ten ways to tell your Jeep is outdated ("Livin' In The Past") hit too close to home. I loved the comment about the lift kit/deer stand.Finally, guys, my opinion only, the Ask Bree Three stripper/hooker thing is fun to look at, but it doesn't do much for your publication.Keep the entertainment coming, and I'll keep subscribing till I'm on fixed income. Mike Dick (not a typo) Via e-mail
I am e-mailing you in response to Mr.Drennen's "Type-O" letter in Mailbag (April '06). I have a '95 ZJ with a 4-inch Rock Krawler lift, 31x10.50R15 BFG All-Terrains, K&N cold air intake, swapped-in NP231 transfer case (used to be NP249), and a few other mods. I am working on getting the front driveshaft rebuilt so I can join the Lowcountry Jeep Club here in Charleston, South Carolina, and finally hit the trails. I would really like some front-end protection, though. So if I am the winner of this little contest, I would really appreciate a Trail Ready front bumper. But if that is out of the question, then I will take what you're willing to give me. I found 47 errors in Mr. Drennen's letter. Mike KlineMt. Pleasant, South Carolina
Well Mike, you got the closest. We found a total of 48 errors ... A bumper, ehh? I suppose you could duct tape your new Jp T-shirt up there. Good luck with that.
I think the "Steal-J" (June '06) article was titled wrong. It should have read, "How to Be a Weasel and Score a Jeep." The only thing that didn't surprise me was Chrisboy didn't offer himself or his wife to the guy to get that real fine ride. He sure was proud of his extreme weaselness. If Chrisboy came to my place and began weaseling like he did, he would have gotten a quick kick in his weasel ass and sent home to his pretty wife, so she could tell him, "It's OK, weaselboy, you already have enough Jeeps. Now get outside and wax my $40,000 Hemi Durango, or I'll kick your weasel ass too!"Hey Chrisboy, here's a bulletin for you. That $40,000 Dodge is worth about $25,000 now (that's if it has less than 15,000 miles on it). Come on, guys, you can do better than this kind of drivel. Real Jeep enthusiasts have more integrity in their glovebox than Chrisboy has in his Jeep-filled garage. Forget karma, weaseldog, it's more about how your head hits the pillow at night.Mike GillernFort Myers, Florida
It is with total disgust that I am forced to respond to the quality of the article "Steal-J." I do not believe "lie and cheat" to be options. If we don't have integrity, we have nothing. I've enjoyed Christian's articles, for the most part, but this one gives insight into a disgusting individual that gives all Jeepers a black eye. What happened to looking a man in the eye and sealing the deal with a handshake? I have no qualms about showing up with a wad of cash and letting the money talk. I do have a problem with being a total punk and lying and cheating and bragging about it! If you need to stoop this low for readers, then you have lost me.Mike BrewingtonVia e-mail
I discovered your magazine last weekend and was eager to read it because I am restoring a vintage Jeep. As I read Christian Hazel's article ("Steal-J"), I learned only that he succeeded in taking an informative and resourceful Jeep magazine and quickly turned it into a high school student publication, if only measured by his article. Sad.Working hard to get a great deal or "a steal" is commendable. Repeatedly lying and demeaning another in the process speaks of poor character and weak personal credibility. Lying to get a deal is suspect, but all the boasting and cynicism completely draws the reader away from useful information while setting the magazine apart, in a poor manner, from other professional publications.
Some examples:. Insisting he e-mailed right from the start as a way of "starting slowly.". Proudly stating he did not listen to the seller's answers on the small talk.. Telling the seller his wife drives a crappy minivan when she actually drives a $40,000 Hemi Durango. . Claiming he wants to save his wife's lousy holiday season. "She got everything on her Christmas list and then some." How impressive. . Offering to pick up medication for the seller and then telling the readers he hadn't bothered to pick it up after loading the Jeep.. Contemplating charging the seller a couple hundred dollars to return the $400 cell phone.. For whatever reason, he closes with a reminder of his wife's $40,000 SUV with new information on a "pert and pretty" wife. Now I'm impressed.Even if there is no thing such as karma, there is a more important and certain daily power: personal integrity and character. Teige McShaneOrlando, Florida