XJ Junky
I received the August '10 issue this afternoon and, like I do every month, dove into it straight away! I really enjoyed the Trail Head this month as I frequent the salvage yards in my quest for the sweetest budget swaps. I was thoroughly satisfied (something Cappa can't always do) with all the XJ talk. I mod and wrench on my own XJ and seeing more and more info coming from Jp has me feeling a little more appreciation from outside NAXJA.com. I also was pleasantly surprised with seeing JCR Offroad's name in there. They're one of our forum sponsors and I've seen their facilities and products first hand. I hope the article gives their products some more of the much needed exposure they deserve.
As far as the topics everyone cries about, keep your personalities coming! Even if my views differ at all, I enjoy seeing a little bit of you guys coming through in the writings. And Jeep chicks are always hot. Keep up the great work, guys!
Josh Firestone
Small-town, IN
CJ-5 Err...7
I was just wondering about the orange Jeep on page 20 of the August issue above the caption about '72-'75 CJs. It appears to me to be a Jeep with a CJ-7 door opening in the tub but a CJ-5 wheelbase. What gives? Also, I would love to see more articles on older model Jeeps as there are still plenty of those on the road, just maybe not on the mega-hard rock crawling trails. More articles on milder mods and rebuilds of more stock/replacement parts to keep our CJs/FSJs running better would also serve a large demographic.
Jedidiah Green
Via email
Yep, it's kind of a mutt. It's an early CJ-5 but someone has grafted in later model '76-'86 CJ-7 door openings.
Hoo-Ya America!
I'm aboard the USS Tucson SSN-770. I'm currently deployed somewhere in the Pacific. I've been a long time loyal reader. Every time I have a question it seems to get answered in the next month's issue. Did you hack into the military's super computer that controls us GIs and guess what we're into? Great job guys! We have a stiff Jeep following on the ship; we are stationed out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, so we have to build for all terrain, even snow if you're on the big island. I'm on Jeep number ten. It's an '87 Wrangler. This model didn't make it to your August '10 ten best Jeeps of all time list ("And the Winners Are..."). The wife and I have built it into a monster worthy of mention. I'll send photos when we return to Hawaii.
I love your mag and wouldn't change a thing about it! With that said, all the angry writer/readers that have so much time to scribble about how your mag has caused them grief, why don't they try A: If you want to be heard, try writing your congressman/local rep if you need some huge changes in your life or B: If you don't want to see some girls in the mag, look the other way or pick up something else that will be less offensive to you when you're not...ahem...off-roading.
Keep up the great job you're doing don't change. Keep printing the pissed off letters cause it's good to see while we are at sea defending freedom of speech, some get to abuse it. Hoo-Ya America!
TM1 Stephen Porter
Lead Torpedoman
USS Tucson SSN-770
Weapons Dept.
Grand Input
It was so sad this morning on the 405. I got behind this somewhat-familiar looking SUV, but something didn't seem right. "What is it?" I thought to myself, then looked up and saw "Jeep" on a chrome strip on the liftgate. "Ohhhhhh, someone already bought an '11, but why does it look so strange?" Then, I realized what it was-the "truck" was uphill from me, and my headlights were reflecting off the new hangy-downy suspension arms-eww. There was the differential in the right place, but Mercedes mommy-wagon parts (and yes, my mommy drives an R-Class) were right where open spaces used to be. I imagined a driver straddling a rock and leaving one of those arms on the ground, but hey, if guys in the Middle East can happily drive a Bentley GTC AWD in the sand for YouTube, then maybe this Jeep will be a hit with the public (and I'll be able to buy one from the last gen on the cheap).
Trevor Reed
Via email