Course construction is proceeding at a rapid pace. Last Weekend Motive Image was invited for a sneak peek at the layout and progress. Check it out in the Jeep Gone Country Weekend Course report.
A JKU goes through the course to check out flow, just wait for the rocks and concrete… check that flow then.
Joined in a recovery party just the other evening with four other rigs to pull a disabled Land Cruiser out of the Everglades. Not a runt among the pullers and good thing because the the stuck was a massive Toyota FJ-62. It was far back in deep mud, buried to the floor pans, abandoned the night before after the driver shattered the passenger side U-joint and axle yokes. Suffice to say that Yota was pretty darn stuck.
Looking at the ground around us (what little of the solid variety there was), I got to thinking how easy we could all wind up in the same serious trouble… or worse (yah there’s always that). Fortunately this was experienced bunch. They settled on an effective pull plan after one or two test tugs. They kept from tearing up the ground around them and always had a way out for all the oh-shucks situations that always arise.
Long story short, got the FJ out, dragged it back to the road and we’re all owed a beer or two.
To see what these guys did right check out….
The 43rd Annual Miami International Auto Show has left town. While it was here, it was the best way to see just about every consumer model available under one roof, and at that subjected to the brutality of the general public and the pawing admiration of their kids.
The new 2014 Corvette. Breaking with tradition, tail lights are not round… the YJ of Vettes (maybe not but I know you were think that.)
While the sport-ute and crossover market continues to grow, performance autos like the Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper and Shelby Mustangs enjoy massive popularity reliably drawing crowds.
Under the hood: If the V8 GT isn’t enough Ford has a massive super charged Mustang sure to satisfy your inner gear nut and speed freak alike.
But arguably the most popular and certain most unique feature of the show was Jeep’s capabilities ride. Attendees queued up in lengthy lines to see and experience for themselves what we Jeep owners have know for a very long time, that Jeeps are the most capable, sure footed and best handling vehicles for the money regardless if it’s a luxury SUV, crossover or full blown Wrangler.
Jeep’s new for 2014, Cherokee Crossover makes the 35 degree climb with four passengers, no problem and doing it all day long.
The Autoshow promoters posted a setup video from 2012. Pretty cool time lapse action. From the clip you can get a notion of scale. The convention center is a pretty darn huge space and filling it with all that carpet, wiring, lighting, stage hardware and cars is a feat unto itself… and the video is just a corner out of the whole center.
I guess we’ll have to wait for next year to see this years setup video.
Great day as the weather held out and Jeeps rolled in.
What’s a Jeeper top do after upgrading (and re-upgrading). Where do the take offs go? Morris 4×4 figured someone had to make it easier to get all those parts out of our garages and in front of other Jeepers.
With the cooler weather in October they opened the lot to the Jeeping community and held a parts swap meet. It was a great way for some folks to clear out the garage and others to get that paused project restarted.
In addition to Morris opening the lot to customers, Morris offered up a bunch of hard to find and out of production items at a discount. Just the ticket for anyone who bought the bumpers some time back but passed on the matching rock rails or that 5th matching rim for the spare.
Throughout the day all kinds of accessories such as Hi-Lift jacks to tire repair kits were raffled off. Naturally there was a lot Jeeps in a wide variety. The sleeper or the bunch was a silver ZJ. Something you’d walk right by, until the motor was turned on. A stock V8 never sounded do aggressive, not without a little intake and exhaust work of course.
And it’s not enough that owners leave their own unique mark on their Jeeps, but the factory has a whole host of special editions.
Oscar Mike Edition (on AEV Pintlers – very nice choice by the owner)
10th Anniversary Rubicon
On hand were manufacture reps from SpiderWeb Shades and Mile Marker.
Attendees checks out the SpiderWeb Shade JK
Getting the folks in Orage to pause for a photo
For more photos and bigger versions, check out the Motive Image Event Photo Page
This is an update to the Federal Parks closure report (due to the political logjam delaying passage of the current Federal budget.)
Some states are taking park matters into their own hands and ponying up the needed funds to re-open them. No surprise, Utah with some of the best known parks (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Zion) is first to act. Colorado looks like it’s going the same way.
Back home here in Florida, Rick Scott our governor has given an unambiguous order to NOT fund any Federal short falls, parks included. So it looks like we’ll all just need to be patient while 536 people in Washington tasked with passing and signing a budget already a week late fiddle at it a bit more.
That’s all the dirt for now.
Bring your truck, Jeep or ATV and sling some mud, bog it or bury it and have a good time blowing off some steam.
Port St. Lucie Mud Jam welcomes back MudLife Magazine! On hand will be mega truck racing catching air and running mud. Live music entertainment and after dark fire pit and parties… yah you know the ones.
For more info here’s the dirt St. Lucie Mud Jam
(Photo from Mud Jam Site)
Good morning, the park is closed… take your camping, fishing, hiking and sight seeing somewhere else (at least for the time being)
As part of the Federal government’s partial shutdown the following National Parks, forests and Preserves appear to be closed until further notice from the National Parks Service (Department of Interior) and National Forest Service (Department of Agriculture). For off road enthusiasts the Ocala national Forest and Big Cypress closure (which contains the Bear Island unit) are particularly disappointing.