AMCJeepMJ

So, do they still put salt down on the roads in MN? What about rust prevention like rhino lining the bottom half of a vehicle?

Put a set of satin black Cherokee Sport wheels on with new 235/75s. Too bad they're only 4 ply instead of 6 ply tires. Regardless, smooth as silk at 75.

FINALLY a pic of the rig now that I have resurrected it and brought it to the house. Has a towing package for what it's worth. Image Not Found Tranny shifts hard from first; will have to do a drain/fill to see if that improves its performance any. Power steering pump leaks and leaves tennis ball sized spot overnight. Paint is badly oxidized, but a little Goof-Off takes care of it fairly quickly. In the image above the driver's side of the hood has been restored but the passenger side and pretty much the rest of it hasn't. Canopy has a 6" crack in it along the top, most likely from the hit on the drivers side; leaks rain and snowmelt into the bed. Canopy has glass intact and locks with key. Running boards were removed and thrown into bed.

I paid $4.03/g in Redmond OR this morning for 87 octane. When down at Infineon Raceway this past weekend, the track had 116 octane leaded for $9.99/gal, but I believe that's as high as the pumps were able to display.

As it turns out, the black FXX #30 in the first pic is the one that was owned by Michael Schumacher and shown on Top Gear in 2009.

Vid I shot of Saturday's race. The 458s were loud enough to drown out the public address system. If it doesn't load right, skip a few seconds into it. Darn youtube and their technical difficulties.

We drove 500 miles to Infineon Raceway this past weekend for the Ferrari Challenge races going on there. Sunburn, pleasant weather, and millions of dollars in cars there. Multiple 599XXs, FXXs, and a few F1 cars were there in addition to 458 and 430 Challenge cars for the series. One of the F1 cars was a Michael Schumacher practice car. My younger daughter was really into the Ferrari scene and had a lot of fun posing for pics. My older daughter was bored after two hours (I blame the age... 15.) Various pics below in no particular order. My daughter and I at the GG Bridge the same day: More pics as I upload em. On a side note, we picked up a 2011 Mazda 6 with only 120 miles on it as a rental...black with black interior... sporty little car for what it was- peppy little 4 banger in it and felt rock solid doing 95 on Interstate 5. When we were done it had over 1300 miles on it. It did great on the tight turns of the Lombard Street zigzag.

I see those 5-spoke Jeep wheels on the local CL frequently. Should check yours to see if there's any good deals. I picked up a set of these http://www.finishlinewheels.com/JEEP/CHEROKEE/1990/A-09030U10/ for only 50 in fair condition. I use them for winter wheels since the clearcoat is shot on them.

Try contacting KTVZ directly via e-mail. It's still a small town market in Bend, and perhaps they can e-mail you the video file. You should ask them to update the article with what type of pickup was involved, should you decide to contact them. I was going to try to post just the video when I started this thread so I didn't have to link directly to their site, but couldn't figure out how to do it.

The all-mighty and all-knowing wikipedia defines cult following as: The above mentions nothing about vehicles, and the term only seems to fit pop culture. With that in mind, wouldn't 'rabid fanaticism' be more appropriate than 'cult following'? ;)

Was watching the local news last night, and I jumped out of my chair when I saw this video segment: http://www.ktvz.com/news/27567691/detail.html. I jumped up not only for the XJ's damage, but again for what hit it. No, it was nobody I know involved, but I drive past that intersection every day to work. Dibs on firewall back of the one that hit the XJ.

Ewww, Burns! I haven't been there in five years and don't miss it a bit. A fun drive in that part of Oregon is on Hwy 26 west of John Day through the gorge near the fossil beds. Did that one in our Escape a few weeks ago. Surprisingly scenic for what it is. Government Camp is a lot of fun too, but not in the snow. Going through the Warm Springs reservation on 26 has some white knuckle stretches for flatlanders when breaching the rimrock.

Court appointed attorneys aren't always free- they sometimes they just have a list of attorneys for a court to throw defendants to (and you have to pay). Not all give a crap, but some do. Your best bet, even if you're poor, is to consult with an attorney who is familiar with the the local laws and ordinances, and pay the 100 dollar consultation charge (or however much it is) to see exactly where you stand with this antique vehicle. Obviously it was designed to carry firefighters per the standards when it was built new. Perhaps some digging on what the state laws were when the firetruck was manufactured would be time well spent, since the truck had to meet the laws/standards/regulations/etc of the time to be put to use. There very well may be an exception for firetrucks, but it may be seen as a parade or special occasion/event vehicle and have a fine to pay in the end. Remember, if you lose, you will have that reckless endangerment or whatever it was hanging over you next time you get pulled over and less slack will be cut when you are pulled over in the future. Remember too, that the prosecutor's job other than to win, is to make you feel small, that everything you did was wrong, that you are a danger to society by your actions, what a horrible person you are, and to destroy your case. They go to law school for years to do this and it is nothing like Judge Judy or People's Court. Having an attorney on your side (paid or not) is better than going in by yourself and having a crash and burn (and a traffic conviction) as a result.

So, for old time's sake, I watched Any Given Sunday tonight. You remember it- Al Pacino as the coach, Jamie Foxx as the up-and-coming QB, Cameron Diaz as biatchy owner trying to fill her daddy's shoes. What I noticed in the credits while I was being too lazy to turn it off, and what may be old news is that after the five hundred music credits, during the 'we would like to thank...' section Irving TX is misspelled as Irvine. Last I checked, Irvine was in CA. Anyone else catch it?

Taking a Miata down that road would be a blast! There's lots of mountain roads that are twisty with dropoffs in Oregon, but that one is far more interesting/scenic. Nice vid.

replaced the radiator and a pile of hoses under the hood. Start to finish about 2 hours. easy stuff.

Pretty cool! The first looks like the McKenzie pass near here, and the second remind me of a few places on the Oregon coast.

Took a road trip yesterday and snapped this. Yes, the lighting isn't the best. Painted Hills off Hwy 26 near Mitchell, Oregon:

I love me some 80s Volvos. Had 3 240 in the past. 86 245, 89 244, and a 90 245. Super easy cars to work on and built like tanks. Most of the parts I used for repairs I sourced from salvage yards since older Volvos are plentiful in that regard, but when I can't find something I get in touch with http://www.ipdusa.com/. Besides, they're very knowledgable really know their stuff.

I purchased a 1" budget lift (rear shackles and coil spacers) from RR and I had it in less than 1 week. Granted I have only ordered from them once, but their shipping was fast and their in-house shackles are solid. No complaints so far.

The issue is the offset. The Caravan/Voyager/T&C all have FWD offset and MJ/XJs have a RWD offset. By putting FWD offset wheels on (if they'll even fit, for that matter) is that you are going to have brake clearance problems, tire rubbing, and it will look silly even if the first two issues were bypassed. It will make the track of the vehicle more narrow and that is never a good thing. For example, I've put XJ wheels on an Aerostar and a Ranger with no problems, but they both have RWD offset wheels to start out with (and fortunately the same bolt pattern). I've even put my MJ's wheels on my Ford Escape with no problem (even though the tire came very close to the fender when turning the wheel). Even though the Escape has FWD offset it for the most part worked and it made for a wider track and an aggressive stance. Assuming the bolt patterns are the same and wheel diameter is the same or greater: RWD -> RWD = yes RWD -> FWD = yes FWD -> RWD = no Someone else please feel free to chime in just in case what I have stated is incorrect or if there are exceptions to the rule.

Only rust where it was hit, and at that has a big stripe decal down the side to 'protect' it. It does have dull paint, however. Pics are coming when I get out to it this week with a battery- tis about a 35 minute drive away.

Interesting you say head gasket. I had to add about a half gallon of coolant to it upon checking it out last Friday. Battery was dead so didn't get it started, but the existing coolant looked good- just low.

Just a big dent in the side where the bed where it meets the cab. Drives straight with no abnormal tire wear (accident damage years old). It an 89 regular cab, long bed, matching canopy, fugly running boards, has a 2.9, and is a 2wd slushomatic. Anyone know anything about these rigs? Anything they are notorious for (other than being a 20 year old Ford)? I'll get a pic up of this atrocity when I pick it up in the next day or two. I understand they share parts with a Bronco II? I suppose if nothing else I can get 150 from a salvage yard for it or make a trailer out of the back half...

I know it! All cloudy and rainy. Very disappointing. Not raining, but cloudy enough for the moon to appear as only a bright spot in the clouds. Shame, too- This is the closest the moon has been during a full moon in 15-odd years.