Last Call: The truest statement about Jeep drivers

Colby Buchanan

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Comments

I’m pretty sure every time I’ve seen someone park on top of the curb as an intentional flex it’s been a Jeep. The times where it’s just one wheel is clearly an accident and that’s when it’s usually an F-150 or something. Little do these drivers know, we aren’t actually impressed by their parking. In fact, we usually just think they’re a douche. But who am I to judge when I scrape getting into most driveways. Maybe I’m just jealous because I can’t do it? No, I don’t think I am.

https://twitter.com/JoeLigo/status/1252247556140216320?s=20

Last Call indicates the end of Hooniverse’s broadcast day. It’s meant to be an open forum for anyone and anything. Thread jacking is not only accepted, but it’s also encouraged.

About

Colby Buchanan

Colby Buchanan

My name is Colby Buchanan and I love all things car-related all the way from rusted 240sx’s to McLaren Senna’s and of course I have a soft spot for American Muscle. You can spot me in my bone stock ’06 350z named MackenZ.

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25 responses to “Last Call: The truest statement about Jeep drivers”

  1. ptschett Avatar
    ptschett

    At least this guy upgraded the wheels & tires, unlike on the otherwise customized Jeep that Kamil saw in his Walmart’s parking tower(?!?)*

    (*I’m used to Walmart parking being vast acreages of asphalt that were formerly farmers fields, or in my hometown’s case overlying the site of the local restaurant where Cheryl Ladd had worked in her high school years.)

    Reply
    1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
      Wayne Moyer

      They really leaned on that Cheryl Ladd connection. I mean they had Cheryl Ladd merchandise and named a room after her. Of course this is what you would expect for a happening place on Sunday’s after Church that had opened in mide 1906.
      Trust me I can’t talk. I live among the Mennonites and most of the businesses are closed on Sunday out here. If they could pull on a connection like that they would do it. In fact, I’m kind of surprised Shady Maple Smorgasbord hasn’t already. Which is about thirty miles south of me.

      Reply
    2. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      I was wondering about having a high-lift jack on full display, but no obvious roll cage. Because that little roof rack isn’t going to help you when you roll.

      Reply
    3. 0A5599 Avatar
      0A5599

      I know someone who put really big tires on his Jeep, but then it was geared too high. He bought a new rear axle assembly with the gearing he needed for the tires, but kept the front axle stock (with original gearing) and just left it in 2WD all the time.

      Reply
      1. Batshitbox Avatar
        Batshitbox

        It’s a Jeep thing, you wouldn’t understand.

        Reply
        1. outback_ute Avatar
          outback_ute

          I’ve seen rental Wranglers with the front driveshaft so they are 2wd and thus not allowed off bitumen (where there would be plenty of opportunity to do so).

          See parking like this when shopping centres are busy.

          Reply
  2. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    My latest rabbit hole: Motorcycles with dual-range transmissions; that is, all the gears are available in Hi and Lo range. Evidently it was a thing on dirt bikes in the ’70s, but somehow it also ended up on the 1980-83 Honda CB900C.

    Gaze for a moment at the lavishly chromed and two-tone glory that is the shifter side of the CB. If you’re familiar with motorcycles, you may ask out loud, “What the hee-heck is going on with that thingie there?”

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8c2c8bedbd2f128949f6081058356b9f9927f84ae8ea2da0a768178164d1411c.jpg

    Well, it’s a transfer case, with a heel/toe shifter lever all it’s own. Also with it’s own oil to check. Why it’s there can be answered only in a strictly mechanical description; why it exists at all is still sort of a mystery. The T-case takes the power from the 900cc engine’s output sprocket on the left, via a short drive chain, and transmits it over to the right side via a shaft (one 90 degree turn). There it drives a shaft drive (another 90 degrees, and another oil system) which drives the rear hub (and our final 90 degree turn, for a left and two rights, and a chain driven shaft drive.) This could be accomplished with a simple layshaft (or jackshaft as they’re referred to) but evidently the cocaine hadn’t run out and Honda decided to throw a Hi-Lo range option in the mix. After all was said & done they had to stretch the frame of the base model bike just to fit it all in.

    Now that you know how it works quantitatively, let Regular Car Reviews tell you how it works qualitatively.

    Reply
    1. Troggy Avatar
      Troggy

      Fascinating. It made me think of the Mitsubishi ‘super shift’ used in the Mirage (Colt in Australia) – it was also a secondary gearbox (more like a splitter than a dual range). It was labelled as “sport” and “economy.

      Also like the Honda, it didn’t seem to be designed around the concept, just that the Colt gearbox was under the engine, and rotated in the wrong direction and needed an extra idle shaft which could be operated as an extra gearbox.

      Similar to the Honda, which had to transfer power from the left side of the engine to the shaft on the right. It also shortened the drive ratio, so why not make it a secondary gearbox?

      I had no idea that there were motorbikes with dual-range transmissions.

      Reply
      1. outback_ute Avatar
        outback_ute

        Haven’t you come across the Ag versions of the Honda postie bikes?

        Reply
        1. Troggy Avatar
          Troggy

          Of all the things I have seen or heard of done to and on Postie bikes, I had no idea.

          Reply
    2. Batshitbox Avatar
      Batshitbox

      They were still on the streets in the mid-late ’90s; I remember seeing them in SF here & there. I knew they had 10 speeds but never looked in to how they worked until now. The Regular Car guys really liked the bike as a motorcycle. Super smooth, comfy, quick enough and handled better than a 600 lb bike ought to.

      Reply
  3. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    The “angry eyes” grille alone makes me want to remove the valve stem cores.

    Reply
    1. William Byrd Avatar
      William Byrd

      As a JK owner, I haaaaate the angry eyes. It was one of my most popular Autotrader.com/oversteer articles.

      https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/whats-all-angry-modified-jeep-wranglers-268492

      Reply
      1. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        Ugh, I detest them too. I hesitate to stereotype (ok, I don’t hesitate, because I’m writing about it), but there are basically three types of Jeep owners:

        1. Stockers: These people use their Wrangler for what it is. They might appreciate the 4WD, the versatility, or just the feeling of freedom that the Jeep gives them, but they don’t mod it. It may be their commuter, their work truck, their kid hauler, or whatever, but it’s basically just their everyday vehicle. They might be passionate about the truck or just see it as a means to an end, but regardless, they keep it pretty stock.

        2. Legitimate 4WD enthusiasts: These Wrangler owners may daily their rides, but they’re set up specifically for off-roading. Mods are made for expanding functionality, not for show. If something is added (or taken away), it’s done so only with the thought of usefulness on the trail. These people could generally give a damn what you think of their ride.

        3. Peacocks: These guys will do anything to make their Jeeps look “badassed”. They don’t typically care whether the modifications are a functional improvement– it’s all about achieving the desired look, and more is always better. Be it oversized wheels/tires, lifts, angry eyes, body armour… anything goes, as long as it draws attention. They may even add a winch if it fits their theme, even if they don’t know how to use it.

        My brother-in-law, who has a JKU Oscar Mike, leans towards the third category. He’s only shown restraint because my sister put a limit on the budget, but otherwise he’d inject as much testosterone in the thing as possible. I think my minivan has spent as much time off-road as his Jeep.

        Reply
        1. William Byrd Avatar
          William Byrd

          Pretty solid rundown. I’ve got a stock 2017 JKU Big Bear and the only thing I plan to do to it will be a soft top. I love the look of the hardtop, but in the summer the soft top is way more versatile (used to a have a 2012 soft top). Although there is a folding soft cover that covers the freedom panel area that I might consider.

          I drive it to an office building every day (or I used to) with a specific height restriction. So I have no urge to lift it or put big loud tires on there.

          Reply
          1. Zentropy Avatar
            Zentropy

            I had soft and bikini tops for my CJ-7, but honestly rarely used them. When the weather permitted I would leave the hardtop on and just remove the steel doors, or maybe put the soft half-doors on. I ran 32×11.50s on it, which I thought were plenty big enough. I had a mildly warmed-up 360 V8 under the hood, which was as far into the “Peacock” category as I went.

            I’d like to find a 4.0L manual TJ just for fun, but I live in the Rust Belt and it hasn’t been kind to the undercarriage of those Jeeps. The few nice ones I find are usually four-bangers, but I dislike both the AMC 2.5 and the Chrysler 2.4.

  4. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    “Winter Summer is coming”, they say, but it snows all day and this is what meets me on the way to work:
    https://i.ibb.co/pWwq18n/IMG-20200513-080305.jpg

    Reply
    1. nanoop Avatar
      nanoop

      I just went cross-country skiing in my lunch break at home office, the track starts a couple of hundred meters from my house. I had to carry the skis only once.

      Reply
    2. Batshitbox Avatar
      Batshitbox

      Yep! It’s 5 weeks ’til the Summer Solstice and my family in the Northeast reports snow & ice. I don’t know why they never followed me out here to California.

      Reply
      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Yeah, the logical next step. But…we might have 200+ days of rain and 5 months without direct sunlight on the house – the remaining days are awesome though.

        (On a macro level, it is fascinating to see internal migration patterns in the US, with Southern states winning over more and more people. Not sure how much of that can be explained by the climate/weather though.)

        Reply
        1. Zentropy Avatar
          Zentropy

          My wife brings up the “when we retire” conversation often, and it always includes moving south, a notion that she knows I don’t favor. I’m uncomfortable when ambient temps get above 79F/26C– my ideal day would start around 55F/13C and rise to about 72F/22C. Despite my southern accent, I’m not much inclined towards southern U.S. climate, culture, flora, or fauna. My parents have a place in Florida and I cringe every time my wife suggests we go there for spring break. To each his/her own, but it’s not my thing.

          Reply
          1. Sjalabais Avatar
            Sjalabais

            Oh, I understand that very well. Norwegian summers are pretty similar to what summers were like in Germany when I grew up – except for more rain here. Now, German summers are unbearably hot. Climate change might turn a lot of these areas further South in some sort of desert; not an enticing prospect.

            Btw, I thought about you guys last week. As a member of the green party, my wife strictly opposes the purchase of a limo as a nr 2 car. But she also understands the attraction it has for me. In light of what we have discussed here earlier, I was as clear as I can be about how happy her support for my stupid idea made me. I cross my fingers for you guys figuring out a way to get your car hobby rolling again.

          2. Sjalabais Avatar
            Sjalabais

            Oh, I understand that very well. Norwegian summers are pretty similar to what summers were like in Germany when I grew up – except for more rain here. Now, German summers are unbearably hot. Climate change might turn a lot of these areas further South in some sort of desert; not an enticing prospect.

            Btw, I thought about you guys last week. As a member of the green party, my wife strictly opposes the purchase of a limo as a nr 2 car. But she also understands the attraction it has for me. In light of what we have discussed here earlier, I was as clear as I can be about how happy her support for my stupid idea made me. I cross my fingers for you guys figuring out a way to get your car hobby rolling again.

          3. Zentropy Avatar
            Zentropy

            Hey, I’m just glad that– for the meantime– I can live vicariously through you and others on here. It’s great that you found your dream ride, and that your wife put aside her reservations in order to make it happen. Unfortunately mine isn’t so flexible, and while I’m a patient man, I don’t intend to suspend my interests forever.

  5. nanoop Avatar
    nanoop

    I always like it when I see such vehicles parked in/on the snow heaps from clearing the parking lot. Much better than consuming two spots with their oversize cars, and at least a hint of appropriate husbandry for the commuter car.

    On grass I don’t agree, it’s often very soft and swampy here, and creating and maintaining these, be it public or private, is not cheap.

    Reply