I cant even begin to calculate the amount of time I have spent during my life building stuff to make my vehicles unique, different, or work better.

 The other day I was driving my beater 1997 TJ down the road. I live in Southern Arizona, and the AZ winters can get pretty chilly with the top down. We are talking like 55-60 degrees Farenhight here people. Anyways I reach over to crank the heat up to high and the the brittle old fan speed selector knob breaks off in two pieces. When I got home I glued it back together with some high test modeling glue--I am an expert on modeling glue. I think I like the fumes-- Anyways, after drying, I popped it back on the metal shaft sticking out of the dash and tested it out. It broke back in half almost immediately. I tossed the two halves of the old knob in the trash, cut of the head of a great big grade 5 bolt I had, drilled it for the metal shaft on the drill press, drilled and tapped a hole for a set screw, and put it in place. That' not gonna break.

 Who out there is building a JK? Yeah? What have you broken so far?

 I'm not talking about "my radio presets keep disappearing:" or "I get a squeak where the Freedom Top meets the windshield frame."

I want to know about nasty, gritty, really busted stuff. Did you frag your stock tire carrier? Blow up your front axleshafts? Sever your front axle tube? Got a rod hanging out the side of your minivan 3.8L? Driveshafts pop? Something else?

Hit me with your calamity at "My Busted JK" at christian.hazel@jpmagazine.com

Not a fan of Jp's Facebook page? Then you didn't see this photo before everybody else did.

 At the moment, we can't upload photos to our Blogs here at Jp on-the-fly from our smart phones. So, what do we do to keep in touch with our friends until we can get back to the computer to pound out a Blog or write a story for print? Post up on Jp's Facebook page, that's what!

Come on over and hit "Like". Hang with fellow Jeepers, share your ride, poke some fun, win some stuff, give us feedback and answer polls, and just watch what we're up to.

 Want a direct line to the Jp editors? Watch cool wheeling vids? Free schwag giveaways? Useful gearing calculators, trail finders, and more? Get online and hook yourself up to Jp's digital side!

 Jpmagazine.com: You're here already! Blogs from the Jp editors on any topic of interest from insider peeks at project builds to that jerk who parks too close to everybody; forums our editors, moderators, and other readers are always patrolling to answer your questions or share feedback; and online stories from the pages of Jp magazine digitized for your free online viewing pleasure.

Jp iPhone app: off-road park finder; feeds to online stories, features, and reviews; gearing calculator; crawl ratios; and more! And it's free!

Jp on Facebook: We're all over that page like a rash on a baby's bum. Updates several times a day on funny stuff we see, Jeeps we're working on, where we're going, what we're doing, and we even answer some tech questions! We've also started free giveaway contests, so swing by often to be a lucky winner of Jp logo clothing, stickers, back-issues, or simply old junk parts of interest from our garage! Come on over and Like us.

Christian Hazel on Facebook: Lemme know about your trail run, Jeep you think is feature-worthy, or just say hey.

Christian Hazel's Page: just hit Like or the world will end in 2012.

Pete Trasborg on Facebook: What's Pete doing now? Come find out!

Verne Simons: Jp's newest action-figure! Now with opposable-thumb monkey grip for extra Jeep building hijinx!

 When I was younger I enjoyed having a shiny car or Jeep. Washing was a chore and I hated finding new chips in the paint and and new door dings, but the looks of a clean rig made me happy. As I get older I find that I kind of like leaving mud and dirt on my Jeeps. Now that's not to say I never get my Jeeps washed. Washing them acts like a big ol'e reset button because the mud helps me remember the adventures that I have had.

 I really started thinking about this when I was washing the underside of my WJ the other day as I was working on a Tech article and I saw orange/red mud from Moab UT. I love Moab, and there is something very cool about having dirt in my driveway that was once the rocks around the Utah town.

The Mud on my TJ is from a wheeling trip near my house after a brief and rare desert rain.

So what do you think? Shiny or muddy?

 Ever since I moved to SoCal, I don't pay much attention to the weather forecast.

In the winter, it is gonna be sunny and chilly, and in the summer, sunny and hot. Pretty basic.

So, of course it was right when I pulled the front axle apart on the Comanche that we get 3 straight days of rain... at least where I was up in the mountains.

I had just pulled the knuckles and shafts and such and went into town to put the balljoints and studs in the new knuckles. I got home pretty late that night after running a bunch of other errands, and my friend down the street mentions about the rain coming, of course over the weekend.

So there I am at 11 pm one night with ziplock bags and duct tape. I almost didn't do it, but now, almost 3 days later, with the rain stopped, I went out to check it. The entire front axle is soaked. Glad I bagged it.

 Uh oh, stuff is happening in Hazel's garage once again!

Not much has happened in my garage since I became Editor of Jp. Instead, it's been a lot of work on the computer, organizational stuff, staffing, reports, planning, and so on. I'm finally getting on top of it all and now that the ducks are lining up in a row, I can start focusing my attention back to where I derive the most enjoyment from this job: in the garage.

It's a small step, but it's still a step: I cleaned the mountain of Christmas overflow, kid sports equipment, bikes, boxes, and luggage from around the CJ-6 where it had accumulated. I have the CJ hanging from jackstands in mid air and I'll eventually finish stripping it all down. I think my plan is to go down to bare frame, get the tub laying on the garage floor, and then assess what I want/need to do with it.

But before anything major can happen to the CJ-6 I've gotta yank the T-case and tranny from the DJ flattie. It needs a new clutch, I need to install the Spicer 18/ATV Mfg Overdrive, I need to gut the front axle and put in some new axle seals, and build a new rear housing and shafts for the offset T-case.

Then, I can swap the engine, tranny, and T-case in the Cherokee Chief, swap the engine in the YJ, and then finally get back into the CJ-6. It's gonna be a pretty hectic spring and summer. Wish me luck!

Here are a few cool cars I saw at Barret Jackson

So yesterday at Barret Jackson I saw one of the most frightening "Jeep Rock Crawlers" I have ever seen. This thing was all kinds of wrong, and had not only rolled across the auction floor, but some poor fool bought it! It should have been sold for scrap. Here are the promised pics:

 Here are the rusty tractor parts:

This is actually a decent idea for a spring retainer, but a piece of metal and one bolt would have been easier.

One more. This vintage Nissan Patrol (Nissan's version of the FJ40 or CJ) looked kind of cool until I noticed someone shortened the tie-rod by cutting it stacking it on top of itself, and booger welding it to itself. Scary. If that came loose on the highway a very rare vehicle (in the US) is going to get ruined, and probably a few people are gonna get hurt or die!

I live in a suburb of Phoenix. If you have ever been here for any length of time you know when Berret Jackson and other auto auctions are going on in Scottsdale. I have never been to an auto auction, but I would concider myself a car nut. Honestly though I have no use for cars that don't get driven. They are nice to look at, but basically usless in my opinion and kind of sad like toys that don't get played with. Maybe low milage expensive unrestored cars would be good as part of a museum.  

Anyways I got a chance to go to Barret Jackson today, my first big fancy auto auction. It was cool to see the nice exotic cars and some of the nostalgic restored muscle cars, and the vendors area was cool, but basically it was underwhelming in my opinion. Here are a few Jeeps that I saw. Later I'll post about non-Jeep cool stuff I saw and some downright frightening stuff I saw too!

 Something's not quite right with the DJ-5B-M postal Jeeps. I mean besides the fact that they're right-hand-drive, have non-removable windshields, a hard-top, and a sliding side door.

 You ever have a friend with a mustache...then one day he shows up without the mustache. You can't quite put your finger on it, but something seems different?

A WWII flattie has a 9-slot grille. Just about every other Jeep out there has a 7-slot grille. But the DJ-B, DJ-5C, and so on up to the '84 DJ-5M all have a 5-slot grille. I'm sure many take this as fact, but I never really took a good look at one. The bulbous grille with 5-slots and the weirdo protuberance came around in '71 to squeeze AMC's inline-six 232 and 258 engine. Prior to that, the DJs used a 153-cube Iron Duke four-cylinder from Chevy.

Anyway, one of these days I still may pick one of these things up and mess with it. I'd certainly swap the ugly grille out for a proper 7-slot CJ grille. Maybe a twin-turbo V-6, cut the roof off, and run sand paddles. Keep it 2WD and hit the dunes in Glamis with it. Who knows.

 Yeah, I really love it when this happens.

 For those of you who live charmed lives and have no idea what that dirt pile with the paper towel is, that's a bearing. An outer hub bearing from a Dana 44 front axle. This is what happens when it falls out of the freshly removed hub and rotor assembly, bounces off your foot, away from the relatively clean paved driveway, and right into the pile of dirt behind you.

 I've lived at this same place for about 4 years, and until now, Google maps had someone else's vehicle in the driveway.

 Now I can see Big Mini (YJ on 40s), and my M-715, Moses, on the satellite image Google has on their mapping program.

Yep, the pyramids, the Great Wall, and two of my Jeeps lol.

 So about a year ago I got my first iphone. Like most people I like music. My Wife got me this case for it at Christmas! Ain't it cool! and it was cheap! (I wrote the Led Zeppelin thing on it.) Some of you probably don't know what its supposed to be. It looks like a tape. Google it!

Anyways this iphone was also the second ipod or digital music widget I ever personally owned (My wife has had one for a long time, and I did use it occasionally, my previous phone also stored digital music).  So I am not really on the cutting  edge of music and technology. Fine. I like my iphone, sure its not perfect, it drops calls, autocorrect is fairly annoying, but I am not perfect, I have accidentally hung up the phone on people, I cant spell, and I am sure many people think I am annoying.

I also love listening to music on my phone. Its pretty cool. I like shuffling through my music and listening to digital radio or whatever it should be called (think Pandora). I am not sure if I really like my phone and its musical abilities or because I really disliked CDs which besides the radio was my main source for music after the death of tapes and up until 4 or 5 years ago. Sure CDs sound great, but I am hard on stuff and I have been known to scratch a CD while getting it out of the package. Seriously. Generally every CD I have ever purchased skipped because of scratches acquired later the same day. I liked tapes. They were durable enough for me, sound quality was not great, but better than a skipping CD. Now tapes are pretty hard to find (if you even know what one is) and not nearly as convenient to use as CDs or digital music widgets.

How does this apply to Jeeps?  I would think that you should be able to buy a cheap head unit for a car with what is basically an earphone jack (to plug in a phone or digital music device) and a radio. This is an assemblage of technology from like 40 years ago! Cheap and proven.  After looking a little bit it would seem I am wrong. All modern car head units have GPS, memory for digital music, USB ports, touch screen, ipod/iphone controls Blue Ray capabilities, Blue Tooth, cameras, a food processor, cork screw, three piece socket set etc. Most car stereos still have CD players and some even have tape decks. Really? I guess the people designing these products don't know my phone has its own controls, memory, music, phone, GPS, Blue Tooth, Apps etc.  I want a car AM/FM radio with an earphone jack so I can plug in my phone! I already have a phone charger that will work on almost any car.

 I found another stash of digital photos from my flattie buildup. This time on 156MB mini-discs from my antique digital camera.

 One of these days I'll have to scan some of the old black-and-white photos from when I first bought it. Anyway, here are the Wilwood master cylinders going in.

 Old Jeeps never die....they just wait to be put into service again.

 It's almost never that I see a Jeep so bad I think it's beyond use. Cracked frames, rotted tubs, missing components. Almost all are usable in one way or another. I was thumbing through old digital photos and ran across this snapshot I took at Boyce Equipment in Ogden, Utah, about nine years ago. I'm sure each of these M-715s has been out on the street, trail, or farm doing some kind of work for years.

That's what I like about Jeeps...and Jp readers. We just won't let this stuff die.

Buying a used Jeep is always an adventure. Part of it is the mystery and excitement that occurs when you find out more about the history of your new acquisition, in this case our new (to us) '78 J10. Sometimes this comes when you find paint from a business or service on the doors, sometimes this comes with finding actual tools, trinkets, and widgets in the Jeep, and the last is when you find out what's wrong with your new toy! Sometimes the last two are pretty intertwined!

 We tore into the Jeep and found out why the seat seemed loose...it was. 4 nuts will fix that. Under the seat we found this cool dwell meter. In the glove box we found a bunch of spare fuses (that don't fit the J10s fuse block), a Jeep emblem, a hex wrench, an improvised electrical test light, and some old radio wiring. We also found two 22 caliber bullets. But as a friend pointed out what's an old truck without a couple bullets in it?

We also pulled the dash apart a little to see what the wiring looked like and to bypass the Ammeter on Editor Hazel's recommendation (since that caused him so much trouble in his '78 Cherokee). He's the boss! As a result of this exploration we now know that someone has at some time messed a little with the wiring of our J10. The heater fan switch was disconnected as were some vacuum lines behind the gauge cluster. One look at the fuse block showed that a couple of fuses have been pulled. With a switch disconnected, pulled fuses, and a makeshift test light we are starting to wonder what electrical gremlins will turn up as we make this thing ready for the road! Also check out the interesting vacuum line plug just behind the carb! We found a couple other issues with the J10, but you'll have to wait for the full coverage of buying this beast in the pages of Jp!

Like the rest of the world, Jp Magazine and its editors are on Facebook. Come on over and "Like" us.

Yup, click here to come on over to Jp's Facebook page for original content and photos of what the editors are up to at the moment, links to blogs and stories of interest, video, and good old Jeep fun. Wanna see what's in our driveway? See what project we're about to undertake? Share your Jeep build? Let us know about your club run? Give feedback on stories? We're there daily. Like what you see? Suggest us to your friends. Don't like what you see? Suggest us to your enemies. We'll make 'em pay!

And don't forget to pop by our Editor's pages and Friend 'em. Click the name to go to the page.

Christian Hazel, Editor

Pete Trasborg, Associate Editor

Verne Simons, Feature Editor

So is it just me or have you too always wanted a cool old truck with some vintage sign painted on the side? I have. I'd love something like "Verne's Hot Rod and Customs" painted by some famous old Hot Rod painter. I guess sometimes you don't get exactly what you want!

  I just bought an old Jeep truck, a 1978 J10 with a 2bbl 360, T-18 and Dana 20 to be exact. And while I realized before I bought it that it had some kind of US Government paint labeling on the doors, I only later found this hand painted sign for Greedy Pigs All Service just below it. I dont know what Greedy Pigs did, or what they serviced, but I am kind of liking the piggy with a stogy! Now what the hell is the GSA?

Did you read Jp magazine between the years of 2000-2002? If so, you probalby remember former Feature Editor, Verne Simons. If not, let us introduce Jp's current Feature Editor, Verne Simons!

Yup, Verne is back on board. The Eagle has landed. He's come home home to roost. The train is in the station. He's gone full-circle. He's jumped with all the other lemmings...oh, wait...too far.

Seriously, it's with great pleasure that I (re)introduce our newest full-time staff member, Verne Simons. Verne is a perfect fit with Jp's hands-on, down-and-dirty, tech-oriented sensibilities. He brings with him an incredible passion for our sport and his values and sensibilities are in sync with the core of Jp's focus. Plus, he's just one helluva good dude. In short, I'm sure Jp will benefit from his talents and many years of enjoyable editorial lie in our collective futures.

Welcome back, Verne!

If you live in California you'd better get worried. And even if you don't, let this be a rallying cry for land use issues in your state...because what happens in California eventually happens in other parts of the country.

If you live or ride in California then you’d better take action because the dirt you ride on is systematically getting pulled out from underneath you and the biggest tug just took place. I don’t care of it is a motorcycle, a jeep, a snow machine or a quad, in fact of you drive your Subaru down a dirt road to go hike a trail, the implications of Governor Jerry Brown terminating the term of the OHV Commission’s Deputy Director, Daphne Green will have a negative impact that cannot be measured. This is a highly political move and stems from environmental pressure due solely to the great job Director Green was doing

In her position working for the California State Parks in the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division she managed to successfully meet the very difficult demands and  regulations put upon those parks for everything from sound regulations to particulate matter standards and water quality issues. In fact many on the OHV community thought she was working for the “other side” because she knew it was her job and required by law that the parks under her supervision meet those requirements or they would be shut down. Only lately have we seen the true benefit of her hard work, in the background the division had studies done and challenged existing studies to show that our OHV parks and areas were in fact in compliance and the OHV activity was not the cause of the problem. Parks like Oceano Dunes remain open and there is action on the Clear Creek OHV area because of the hard work and dedication of Daphne Green and her staff.

The Deputy Commissioner is an appointed position and works at the convince of the Governor, so it is his call to appoint anyone he sees fit. So all it has taken is some pressure from somewhere to terminate Daphne Green. A replacement has not been named and the timing of the whole event is as suspect as can be, during the holidays when no one is around to take action or answer questions about how, why, or what is next?

We could list off the accomplishments of Green and her staff during her term of over seven years and through the course of three Governors. It is long and unexciting to those not directly involved. Those accolades basically create a sustainable OHV program for the State of California that meet the needs of all groups involved, including the environmental interests. But the environmental interests have no use in a sustainable OHV program and they simply will not be happy till we go away. If they get their way on this one, they are one huge step in the direction of shutting down the OHV commission.

Other pro OHV commissioner’s have sent the Governor letters to support Daphne and they could also be terminated for showing support for or going against the Governor on this. And that will only foul the OHV commission further as environmental interests are looking at destroying us by running the OHV commission from the inside out.

You need to take action and get involved in this one. The only way to effect any change in this is to send a letter to the Governor’s office and to any state representative that may be able to help us out on reversing this decision. Like the Lead Law we just overcame, we have to make our voice be heard. 3.7 million of you recreate on OHV on public lands and we need to get it together and make a difference on this one. And please notify your friends and family and do this as soon as possible.

If you are short on time, use the following link:

http://capwiz.com/amacycle/issues/alert/?alertid=58845501&queueid=

Steps to really make a difference:

1 – Send a short (they are most effective) letter of support for Greene’s reappointment to:

Governor Jerry Brown

State Capitol, Suite 1173

Sacramento, CA 95814

FAX: 916.558.3160

Email: veronica.ortiz-torres@gov.ca.gov\

2 – Utilize CAL4WD’s Letter Generator

CAL4WD Alert and Letter Generator

http://capwiz.com/cal4wheel/home/

3 – Send a copy of your letter to State Senator Joel Anderson. He will hand carry your letters to the Governor.

Email Senator Joel Anderson

saveohv@gmail.com

 I've finally got a new Wrangler to mess around with. Well, kinda. My idea of "new" is taking over Jp's 5-year-old '07 Rubicon that former-Editor Cappa beat on for the last 80,000 miles.

 It's all good, though. I'd much, much rather have a used "new" Wrangler than a brand-new one. It tells me so much more about the vehicle's longevity, build quality, and other critical stuff than if I just got a brand-new one with zero miles.

I'm currently tossing on parts one-at-a-time in my driveway to up the stock power levels a bit with a focus on how that translates into increased or decreased acceleration and mileage. I'm starting with some basic stuff like cleaning the crankcase and top-end, then moving on to other stuff like synthetic oil, some power parts from Advanced Flow Engineering, and finally some ignition tricks. Look for that story in a summer issue, coming to newsstands sometime this spring.

I also fixed a couple suspension and steering issues, which you can check out in Jp's April '12 issue.

Aesthetics count. For those who are familiar with my writing, opinions, and the rusty, patina'd vehicles I own, it may come as a surprise hearing me say this. But yeah, aesthetics count.

 Keep in mind, when I speak of aesthetics I'm not talking about shiny paint, chrome plating, curb feelers, tubing with superfluous bends, or an airbrushed mural of Jesus standing next to your Jeep on the tailgate. Rather, I'm talking about the lack of  these things.

No matter what I build, I try to keep it as simple as possible, with clean lines and only functional items added. Maybe it's just me, but I'd much rather be in a dirt-simple Jeep like my red '89 "Why-J" project or our Art Director, Alan Huber's, now-defunkt '93 ZJ than some $100K show-pony with a flip-flop paintjob, 20-inch wheels, and 14-billion watts of forward-facing lighting.

Unless I missed my guess, readers of Jp feel the same way....or don't you?

 Lately I've been getting a lot of questions on Facebook and via email about my short-lived project '48 CJ-2A, aka "The Bindle Bucket". Here's a little recap.

 I bought it in a po-dunk high-desert town in California from a toothless meth-head. A lot of internet tough guys called me a sissy city boy for throwing my money at the dude, turning tail, and running. But I've been in enough sticky situations that I know when I'm being sized up to take a dirt nap. I've had a gun pulled on me more than once, stared down the wrong end of a switchblade, and swapped knuckles with more than one idiot. And with this dude, I was feeling like a gimpy antelope in a field full of hungry lions.

Anyway, here's the story: A Comedy of Errors

Eventually, I got the Willys whipped into top mechanical condition. I changed the sludge in the Dana 41 rear, bought and installed a new T-90 and Spicer 18 T-case, rebuilt the driveshafts and brakes, replaced the broken axleshafts, did a new head gasket (twice), and replaced the fuel pump, water pump, radiator, hoses, carburetor, battery, and most of the electrical system, including swapping in a one-wire alternator that I outfitted with a low-rpm tractor diode.

Eventually, I lost interest when it came time to fix the body tub, which was caked with Bondo and I unloaded it at a substantial loss. I think it lives in Florida now.

It's almost a given in the Jeep world: there's better engine choices than a big-block Ford, Chevy, or Mopar. But is that thinking trickling into other areas of automotive building?

With Gen III and Gen IV Chevy engines easily making over 500hp with only 6.2 liters of smooth-running displacement, junkyard 5.7L Hemis, and even 5.0L and 5.4L Ford engines littering the want-ads, how long until it's not economically feasable to run heavy, expensive big-block dinosaur power?

I'm hoping never. I love the thumping grunt of a big-block-anything. There's massive torque down low and (if you build 'em right) super-scary horsepower up high. Sure, their large size and big weight pay a penalty in terms of handling and fitment, but why not?

I spotted this big-block on a pallet in our company's shop next to a late '60s El Camino. Hopefully the two will become one.