Help! I married a guy! "Not that there's anything wrong with that," as Seinfeld would say, but that's just not my cup of tea. My concerns started when I noticed a major clue that my wife was not who or what she claimed to be. Please understand that I pinch myself on a daily basis because she's pretty as can be, devoted, charming, and sweet. In other words, she's everything a guy could hope for in a woman. However, on the down side, and this falls under the deal breaker category, she apparently used to be a man. Despite the seemingly flawless conversion, the doctors forgot something: A few Jeep-related vestigial brain waves somehow survived.

When we first heard about the Sprint Booster, we wrote it off as electronic snake oil. We found it hard to believe that a plug-in module that eliminated the delay in a vehicle with Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) could make a difference you could feel. We were wrong - big time!inline_mediumwraptextright25995929/techarticles/electrical/154_0911_sprint_booster_plug_in_throttle_delay_eliminator25875056.jpgTrue

In the first installation we showed you how we swapped a fuel-injected 5.7L Chevy V-8 into our '94 Wrangler in the parking garage under our office building. Well, since then, our office has come under new ownership that isn't nearly as gearhead-friendly as the old owners were, and we had to relocate the project. So Trasborg took it home and shoehorned it into his over-crowded, one-car garage to continue working on it.inline_mediumwraptextright25882847/techarticles/engine/154_0911_parking_garage_motor_swap_part_2154_0911_01_o+5.7_chevy_v8_engine_plumbing+garage.jpgTrue

Yeah, it sure would be cool to have a rip-snortin' blown big-block or maybe even a vintage flathead V-8 in our hot rod Jeep. But the truth of the matter is people don't just give these away and we weren't willing to spend much money. Actually, we weren't willing to spend any money. So we had to settle for pretty much the used-toilet equivalent of the hot rod engine world: a GM inline-six. And this six is not even a powerful or larger cube version that enjoys aftermarket support. Besides, the flatrod had to live up to the Sloppy Seconds name Hazel dubbed it, even though I'm still unsure if he was referring to all the second-hand parts, or to the fact that it will likely be the slowest vehicle to ever hit the 1/4-mile raceway once it's done. Needless to say, Hazel stole the corner of our garage with a greasy pathetic '60s-era 194. At some point the block had a crack in it, so there is evidence of a butch arc welding repair near the oil pan and bellhousing. Yeah, it leaks a little oil, but not enough to spin wrenches. Overall the engine looks kinda cool and vintage, and the inline-six should sound awesome with an open pipe exhaust. With the chassis basics pretty much laid out in the last issue, we went to slapping the inline-six into the flatrod. Keep an eye out for the next issue, where we'll install the body, run the cooling system, build a cool fuel tank, and more.inline_mediumwraptextright27105022/projectbuild/154_0911_sloppy_seconds_part_2_drivetrain154_0911_01+installing_a_inline_6_engine_jeep_rod+frame.jpgTrue

We've said it for years: If you want your four-cylinder-powered Jeep to have power, sell it and get a six-cylinder-powered Jeep or swap in a V-8. The other thing we've been harping on for years is that some company needs to step up and bring to market an affordable bolt-on turbocharger kit. The Jeep 2.5L four-cylinder isn't a bad engine, it's actually downright bulletproof by today's engine standards; it just needs a shot of power that most bolt-on modifications can't provide.inline_mediumwraptextright27096505/techarticles/engine/154_0911_505_performance_turbo_system_for_jeep_4_cylinder154_0911_01_+505_performance_turbo_system_for_jeep_4.0l+wrangler.jpgTrue

If you don't pay much attention to new cars (and who cares about a Coke can on wheels?) you might not know that the wiring we have all come to know in our older Jeep vehicles is gone. That's not to say it just disappeared one day, but vehicle wiring as you and I both know it is going the way of carburetors, gravity-fed fuel systems, and hit-and-miss engines (those things are cool!). The only thing that is ever going to be constant is change. Well, except for those new pennies that non-God-fearing people designed. Oh wait, I'm talking about different change.inline_mediumwraptextrightThis is the brain of the system. All switches go to this mastercell and it then sends requests to the power cells downstream. The mastercell is programmable by computer or by face-mounted, push-button momentary switches. If that ain't enough, it is also waterproof to one meter. That means that you can sink your Jeep in water about up to your neck and this system will still work. Try that with a regular wiring harness.31210176/techarticles/electrical/154_0911_november_2009_randys_electrical_corner154_0911_01+working_the_controller_area_network_bus+brain.jpgTrue

For a few years, Jp magazine ran a Q&A column in each issue called Ask Bree Three. For the benefit of our new readers, the column featured a different photo of a scantily-clad model that just happened to be into several types of motorsports, along with three question-and-answer submissions from Jp readers.inline_mediumwraptextrightToyota Chick? Although "Kyle W." sent in these photos of his 22-year-old wife standing in front of his 33-inch-shod '96 XJ, he shares that he's building her a Toyota pickup with a 350 Chevy V-8 to wheel. Maybe when it breaks down she can just take Kyle's Jeep instead. Kyle W., Townsend, Washington26853430/jeepshots/sideways/154_0911_november_2009_sideways_jeep_chix_edition154_0911_01_z+hot_4x4_jeep_girl_pictures+1996_xj.jpgTrue

Anti-KJ
Jess and Sabrina of Cedar Park, Texas, is another couple that graciously sent pictures so we wouldn't be forced to run any more Liberties in the magazine. This '01 Wrangler has been upgraded with front and rear Dana 44s stuffed with Eaton E-Lockers and 4.10 gears. Old Man Emu stepped in with a 4-inch lift kit and long-travel shocks to provide a great ride and clearance for the 33x12.50R15 BFG Mud Terrain tires. The picture was shot in the hills near Marble Falls, Texas, and Jess tells us that the Jeep was built to be capable on the trail yet have great road manners. From the other pictures we saw, we'd say these Texans succeeded.inline_mediumwraptextright27243454/jeepshots/154_0911_november_2009_jeep_shots154_0911_03_o+november_2009_jeepshots+2001_jeep_wrangler.jpgTrue

You ever flip channels while watching TV and stop on Jeopardy! to hear what the current question is, instantly know the answer, then shout it out loud even if you're all alone? You feel pretty superior, don't you? Like, this show's not that hard. Then inevitably you get the next five wrong and give up and switch over to Overweight People Dating In The Dark While Dancing With Stars On a Rock Of Love Bus or some other reality show, right? Us, too. And that pretty much sums up why a Jeep game appears in each issue of Jp. Think of it as "Jeeps for $500, Alex" every month, a game in which you are undeniably superior. And that's why this crossword with an engine theme awaits you. Answers on page 90.inline_mediumwraptextright27214186/web/154_0911_november_2009_jeep_game_crossword_puzzle154_0911_01+jeep_4x4_crossword_puzzle+photo.jpgTrue

Like most fads in the automotive world, the "rat rod" craze has gotten out of hand. This trend started with guys cobbling together junkyard vehicles that performed well, even if they looked a little rough. Now there are fat-wallet car buffs spending tens of thousands of dollars to have someone build them a new vehicle that looks like a rat rod, which defeats the whole purpose.inline_mediumwraptextright31182807/featuredvehicles/154_0911_1951_willys_m38_sand_rod_dragster154_0911_01+1951_jeep_m38_sand_dragger_rod+side_view.jpgTrue

We were likely less than 100 miles away from catastrophic failure.inline_mediumwraptextright31073817/projectbuild/154_0911_55k_mile_jeep_wrangler_jk_rubicon154_0911_01_z+55k_mile_Rubicon_jk_modifications+side_shot.jpgTrue

If you have read Jp magazine for any length of time, areas such as Moab and the Rubicon are likely to be familiar names to you. There are, however, excellent wheeling locations to be found all over the country. No, really! Take for example Clayton, Oklahoma. We recently headed to Clayton to spend the weekend with the friendly folks from the Jeeps of East Texas.inline_mediumwraptextright26948902/eventcoverage/154_0911_wheeling_in_clayton_oklahoma154_0911_01+jeep_trails_in_clayton_oklahoma+water_fall.jpgTrue

Most of us can't afford to just write a check for some shop to build our dream Jeep, and Greg Johnson is no different. He has been building his CJ piece by piece for the last ten years. Along the way, he has added some high-tech components; they came not at great expense, but from a lot of horse-trading, hard work, and a little luck. They say that no project is ever truly finished, and that is definitely the case with Greg's Jeep. Greg started the project when he lived in Arizona and currently lives near Reno, Nevada. Instead of waiting for his Jeep to be done, he keeps wheeling it hard all over the western United States and upgrades whatever part proves to be the weak link.inline_mediumwraptextright25821935/featuredvehicles/154_0911_1974_jeep_cj5_4x4154_0911_01_+1974_jeep_cj5_4x4+rock_crawling.jpgTrue

Libertad
I would like to thank you for placing my KJ in your magazine. I can not wait each month for the magazine to arrive and I was completely shocked with it being in there, not to mention honored, since it was my KJ, not our TJ or WJ. I belong to several Jeep clubs. All they do is complain about your magazine and the people behind it for the fact that you won't put a KJ in it, and for the fact that you say it like it is. Now I am facing the wrath by some jealous people saying that my pic is a poser pic and that there are way more worthy KJ's out there. They seem to be plotting some sort of game together to flood you with KJ submissions now since they feel mine was only put in since ya had no other worthy Jeeps to put in. Well, in my eyes all that matters is I made it in your awesome magazine and I will continue to look forward to it arriving each month not just because my Jeep was in it, but because I enjoy your magazine. I am not a Jp hater! Watch out for the flood of KJ pics from all the haters out there trying to prove a point. Maybe some day we will see you out on a trail and ya can see my KJ isn't a poser.Tammy MeyersFrackville, Pennsylvania

Driving cross-country is like hitting the reset button for me. I like to explore old roads, new roads, roads I've never been on, and even roads I've been on a million times; I always find something new. Last summer one of my favorite pastimes was somewhat stifled by fuel prices. I mean at over $4 a gallon, it wasn't like they were simply giving the stuff away. That, combined with a Jeep which was barely making 15mpg (the way I drive it), and it didn't make a whole lot of sense to hit the road. So this summer I made sure to get out on the pavement a little more and I took a few notes that might be helpful in your travels. Sometimes I follow the rules, but other times I skip a few to ensure adventure.

Ten years ago, selectable locking differentials were about as rare as a brain in a celebutant's head. Today, selectable lockers are more common than child-star substance abuse. These lockers can be locked and unlocked using everything from air pressure to cables, and in this case, 12-volt electricity. The Auburn ECTED is actually a limited slip and a true locking differential all wrapped into one. The limited slip mechanism of the ECTED is a clutch plate-style limited slip. The locking mechanism is engaged by an electromagnet via a 12-volt switch. It's a fairly simple install if you have a few key tools and some axle experience available to you.

Spartan Locker
The Spartan Locker is a newcomer to the game, and it was obviously designed by someone who has installed one or two lunchboxes in their time. The pins are bigger, there is no skinny screwdriver or right-angle pick games to play. Again, we sourced this unit from Randy's Ring and Pinion for all the reasons mentioned before, and at the time we went to print, it was the only game in town for this brand-new locker.

Look, before you go getting riled-up, we realize that the only TJ parts on this "Jeep" are the grille and hood. However, there are other factors that make this rig interesting in its own right. Such as the fact that Brett Jerome missed first place by one point, and after the competition was all over, offered rides up and down the Tank Trap in his four-seater. That is to say, he was driving both ways (up and down) the event course that claimed more flops and rollovers than all the others combined, just for fun and liability-be-damned. That's the kind of spirit we like to see at these events, and we wish more people nowadays had Brett's attitude. So here's a look at the rig that missed winning Top Truck by a second.

By far one of the most unique Jeeps we have seen show up for Four Wheeler's Top Truck is this '63 FC-170. Wayne Sheeley likes older Jeeps and felt that something a bit more unique was in order for this year's Top Truck. If the Sheeley name sounds familiar to you, that's because this couple was at Top Truck in 2006 in a Vette-powered TJ with Addie behind the wheel and Wayne spotting. This time roles were reversed, with Wayne driving and Addie spotting, but an LS6 still made an appearance and Wayne sure put on a show with plenty of wheel-standing action and even a backflip in the Tank Trap. Wayne owns a couple of carwashes up there in New York, so the "Washofen" license plate on the FC makes a lot of sense.

"What in the world are you doing?" My wife caught me red-handed, and I had no reasonable explanation for secretly looking at pictures online in the middle of the night. She had her suspicions recently, because any time she drew near, I'd clumsily hurry to make sure there was nothing inappropriate on the screen. I'd try to play dumb, and even though that comes naturally, she had to wonder what I was doing. After I got caught, her response cut right to the core: Why did I have to look at those kinds of pictures? She reminded me I already had something waiting at home that would make any red-blooded man go weak at the knees and drool with envy.

Go Green
We are so fed up with the "Go Green" mantra the sycophants are running around spouting because it is the in thing that we gag every time we hear it. The new camouflage Switch and Dash panels from Daystar are the exact opposite of that. With all the features of the other Daystar interior parts (made in the USA, computer designed for great fit, and UV-resistant plastic), there is nothing to be worried about here. If you are into camouflage, the company also offers a winch isolator in a similar woodland camo pattern. Information: Daystar, 800/595-7659, daystarweb.com

Until recently, there hasn't been much in the way of selectable electric lockers outside of OEM applications. A couple of years ago there was the Detroit Electrac, but the unit was overly-complicated and proved less than durable in Jp's long-term testing. Eaton must've agreed because a short time after it bought the Detroit brand, it yanked the Electrac from its product line. Thankfully, Eaton has lots of experience producing electronically selectable lockers for OEM applications, like GM's gold-chainer Hummer H2 and others. So it didn't take much for the company to lock its engineers in a candle-lit room and pelt them with melon balls until they came up with a viable design for the aftermarket that didn't require air lines, a compressor, or super-long lengths of cable to operate.

It's hard to believe I'm in my fifth year here in magazine-land. It is also hard to believe that it took me this long to agree to go to Four Wheeler magazine's Top Truck Challenge in Hollister, California. Every year Cappa tells me I should crash it with him, and every year it's always something-I'm out of the country, I have four Jeeps and none of them are capable of making the trip, or whatever. Well this year, the stars aligned and I went. I gotta say that I'm a dumbass for not going sooner.

Jeep News & Rumors
*Forbes is reporting on the most overpriced "cars" (we're throwing in the quotes because these "cars" aren't all cars in the real world). Care to wager? H2? Anything with a "Rover" in it? Anything Italian that isn't Chrysler? The Liberty, for one. Its true market value is 20.9 percent lower than its MSRP. And the Dodge Ram 2500 is worth 26 percent less than MSRP.

Taller, heavier tires, a higher center-of-gravity, and softer springs on a modified Jeep conspire to reduce braking effectiveness. Sometimes the problem is severe enough on extreme rigs to warrant high-dollar racing parts and a custom braking system. That's all fine and dandy, but to get better braking without completely melting your credit card try upgrading to some high-performance pads and rotors from EBC Brakes. EBC pad friction material comes in several levels starting with the low-dust, extended-life replacement Ultimax pads. Stepping up the stopping power next are the Redstuff and Greenstuff (6000 and 7000) series. EBC's grip flagship is the high-friction, aramid fiber Yellowstuff pad which gives ultimate brake performance.