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Watch Where You Park!


joefrog

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I'm thankful I don't drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee and park it under a huge dying tree in the Sequoia National Forest. Ouch. Are there caches in there? Could've been looking...

 

squishedjeep1.jpg

 

squishedjeep3.jpg

 

(nope, I didn't take the shots... found them on the net!)

Edited by joefrog
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Perhaps, but we recently purchased an Explorer, and the next weekend took it out on our first geocaching test run. It just happened that that day was the first one cold enough to freeze the moisture on the bridges and overpasses. Emergency personnel were busy all day.

 

On our way home that evening, we happened upon yet another accident, this time before any of the EMTs arrived. We stopped and did what we could. It turned out that two vehicles a few minutes apart hit the same patch of ice and rolled down the embankment onto the on-ramp. They slammed into the guardrail side by side. The driver of the Explorer, which had the same safety features as ours, walked away with only a little bruising.

 

I really don't care about the re-sale value. If anything, I'll drive the vehicle until it isn't worth fixing anymore. And if I end up slamming into any guardrails, I'll be glad I'm in the Explorer...

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It turned out that two vehicles a few minutes apart hit the same patch of ice and rolled down the embankment onto the on-ramp. They slammed into the guardrail side by side. The driver of the Explorer, which had the same safety features as ours, walked away with only a little bruising.

Four wheel drive and anti-lock brakes will usually perform rather well on ice, but you need to have the 4wd activated. As you can see from the photos, Jeep makes the worlds strongest rear tailgates ;)

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It's an overpriced thing.

 

Jeeps are good vehicles, but for their increased simplicity (far less

complex than most cars)  you pay more.

 

Let's see... you want me to pay a whole lot extra for less... sure.

It's not about the amenities; it's about goanywheredoanythingness. Jeeps are more capable than other 4x4s that cost two or three times as much.

 

A lot of people crave Hummers (no dirty jokes, ok?). They're capable vehicles, but a $10k Wrangler with $20k worth of modifications is a much better off-road vehicle than a $60k H2, and it's only half the price.

 

You may not think you get much for your money, but you do. When you're buying a Jeep, you're buying capability, not creature comfort (although the Cherokees are pretty nice!).

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Where can you buy a $10K jeep?

 

For $30K I can get a 4X4 truck and build it at least as

capable as if I spend $30K on a jeep.

 

Jeeps are good, but they aren't any better than other 4X4s.

 

I can get a 5 year old Toyota 4Runner and make it more capable

than any Jeep for about $15K. You could make a Jeep as capable,

but you'd spend a lot more.

 

Jeeps are like Harleys... way overrated by a bunch of people who

think that the logo somehow enhances performance.

 

Though Harleys have one statistic that other bikes can't match...

90% of the Harleys sold are still on the road...

the other 10% made it back home.

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Now, the older Jeeps are still about the best 4x4's on the road (or off of it) but once AMC started making them, the quality and durability really went downhill. I had a Toyota 4wd pick up for 18 years that would literally drive circles around a stuck Jeep (I know, I did it, in two-wheel drive). It was stock except for the 31 inch mudders I added.

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I work for the NWS as a storm chaser, and back in 1990 got caught by a tornado....just prior to being picked up and carried 100 yds, I was hit by a tree that had to have come from a mile over in the next section, at the closest. The tornado set me back down on my wheels, but the ol' 1985 Toyota 4x4 took some damage from the tree. I just sold the truck about two months ago. I called it the "Storm Buggy", as it had all kinds of damage from getting too close to the action on several occasions.

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... the ol' 1985 Toyota 4x4 took some damage from the tree.  I just sold the truck about two months ago.  I called it the "Storm Buggy", as it had all kinds of damage from getting too close to the action on several occasions.

And it probably still ran great and was more reliable than any other car made!

(If it'd been struck by lightning you could've named it sparky)

 

Someone should Photoshop that jeep to yellow, and submit it to the Yellow Jeep

Fever locationless cache. Maybe add a Gecaching Bumper Sticker 146103_3600.jpg and slip an

ammo can under the rear bumper.

 

Or email it to me (after the color change) and I'll submit it along with my find when

I get one (I know where one is, but I can't take a camera to work with me,

so I have to wait until I am off on a normal work day and do a drive by).

Edited by Mark 42
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And it probably still ran great and was more reliable than any other car made!

(If it'd been struck by lightning you could've named it sparky)

 

 

Actually, it was struck by lightning twice. Once while I was in it (kinda melted the tinting film on the windows) and once while I was about 20 feet away cowering in a ditch!

 

And, yes, it was still one tough 4x4! Hated to get rid of it, but needed something bigger to haul rocks and dirt for next spring's newest landscaping project my wife has ordered for me to do.

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I put almost 200,000 miles on my Toyota 4X4 ('81), and sold it to my

nephew. It had over 300,000 when he sold it to an uncle on his wife's

side of the family, and last I heard it still runs fine.

Mine had over 275,000 on it. Oh, but my this is getting a tad off topic, huh? Well, I'm just glad I never parked it under a dying tree like the jeep that started all of this off! (There, that got us back on topic! LOL)

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I want one of these:

 

mdf421911.jpg

 

But this is what we have, and it will do for now:

 

146103_2900.jpg

 

146103_3500.jpg

Hummers are worthless except in the desert. To wide and they drive like crap. The brakes are inboard so when you come to a moderate quick stop the truck feels like it goes forward a couple feet and then bounces back like it's hooked to a rubber band. The fact is it acutually is doing it and the older they get the worse it gets. It is driveline slop through portal hubs and CV's.

We had a couple show up at a local 4x4 event. One left on a roll back when he granded a Hub assembly and both took HEAVY body damage including about ripping a D piller on a wagon clean off. Same spot these too guys trashed their trucks I walked in My 75 Jimmy I paid $1 for..

If I was going to go with a vehicle that took up that much realestate I'd get a Unimog 416 or U1300. At least it would be usefull if I needed to haul something big or heavy. They can be picked up used from anywere from $7500 for a retired swedish Military 404 to a 100K camper conversion or a Dakar Ralley mog. From places like this. http://www.eurotruck-importers.com Cheaper if you buy from a private owner. I know the guy that use to own the Silver Streak mog.

 

Cool Centurian. I'd keep ahold of that. They are getting pretty rare. A friend has one he pulls his trail truck with. He out ran me in the hills one day while i was in my trail truck. The real insult is he had a EB Bronco with 1 ton running gear on a very heavy trailer. LOL

Did you have the tailgate problem yet? To build such a unique truck and then skimp on some rust prevetive stuff. :ph34r:

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No tailgate problems... I think there may be holesdrilled in the

bottom of the gate to drain water. I'll have to check, and add

them. I had heard something about rust, but you make it sound

more common of a problem than the impression I had.

 

I can paint the bottom inside the gate too, which may be a good

idea. I recently lubed the window regulator, and started with WD-40

(actually John Deere's spray lube, which is better IMHO).

 

There is a centurion Yahoo Group, and they tend to find the

ones for sale and post them. They show up on eBay occasionally too.

 

So far, I like the truck (except the extra foot of wheelbase compared

to my old Suburban). I'll like it even more when I get 39.5 tires, ditch

the running boards, and put a big roof rack on it, and a bunch of other

stuff like bumpers, winch, nerf bars...

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no mention of the venerable land rover.. can't say as i've owned one, but someone i knew a long time ago sweared on his. i did like the idea of the magnesium body panels among other things (before rustproofing got better all around, and to some extent still, missouri winters can be really hard on the steel.)

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