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Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:20 am

Just got back from the Catskill Mountains Jeep Jamboree. Holy crap, what an incredible weekend. You pay $265 a person just to beat the ever living s**t out of your Jeep. 10 different trails all ranging in difficulty. We started on a mid level, which was all rock. My jeeps not that big but it made it through with no damage. Second day we went for an easier trail, alot of mud since it was rained all day friday and I busted a marker light and pushed in my passenger front fender. I have some pics of me and one of my buddy's. I'm the yellow one.

If any of you guys are into this and a jamboree comes around, do it. We met lots of great people, and best of all did not break anything. One guy we were with punched a hole in his trans pan, he had to get winched out of the hole he was in and then dragged out of the woods. His jeep was just about a year old! Good times, good times!!

Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:32 am

I have owned several jeeps, one of which was a new 72 CJ5 I had when I was stationed at Plattsburg AFB up in the North Country near the Canadian border in NYS. I used to hit some hunting and power line trails up there which were also used as back roads to another town. One I found was about 25 miles long through the deep mountains in the Adirondacks..which a couple of times I had to use my front winch to get out of trouble..some of these trails in these mountains would be as equal to or more than what you did.

I had fun doing all of this until I got out of the service and moved to North Jersey..

Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:10 am

My first vehicle was a Jeep. I drove it for almost 20 years daily and only recently sold it. The soft top was never up: Winter (leather jacket), summer (no a/c), rain (bikini top only so whole left side of body wet) ... good times. I now have a newer (and safer) version of my old one that the kids can ride in. They love it! I now have a sunrider top so in a few seconds, I can flip the whole front section back- brilliant design and very convienent.

It tows vws, 4x4s on the local beach, hauls loads, is the official family camp vehicle, convertible top, and 1/2 daily driver to work when I am not in a vw.

It looks like you are getting good use of yours as well. Enjoy.

If they ever make a true flat fender -esque new model I would roll that. For now though, my 06 TJ is fine.

Life is too short to drive boring cars...

Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:42 am

I guess you could say I'm into jeeps. I've been in the off road industry for about 13 years now and worked at a Jeep specific suspension MFG for 10 years now. Traveled all over the country doing trade shows. In fact next weekend I'm going to the Pomona Off Road Expo. Earlier this year I went to Lake Havasu city for the Havasu Desert Run, Rubicon Trail Jeepers Jamboree, Sierra Trek, and a Truck Fest in Denver. Last year I went to truck shows in Orlando and Atlanta. In about a month I'm going to SEMA.

Most of the people at work make fun of me owning VWs. It's ok though. I like them and it provides a brake from the day job. Having your hobby also be your day job can kinda take the fun out of your hobby.

Eric.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:14 am

My son and his friends go out about once a month, to different locations.

http://www.wolfenet.org/gallery2/v/Jeep/bigbear/

Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:32 am

Im about to be into jeeps. My brother just bought a 49 cj-? that he wants me to help him with. Needs a lot of work.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:36 am

My 96 Cherokee is the best car I've ever had and was my daily driver until I got my Bug.

It's a 2wd 4.0 and 5 speed so it's a fast little beast, but with that open rear end and 2wd it SUCKS in the snow.

It might not be able to ford rivers, climb giant piles of rocks and leap tall buildings with a single bound but it's driven over something most Jeeps never will... 375,000 miles of road!

Sun Sep 28, 2008 10:16 am

This is my 3rd Jeep. MY first was an 85 CJ7, then a 74 CJ5 which I just recently sold. I bought this back in feb of 07 and this is the first time I took it in the woods. I "lifted" it with 1 inch spacers and put 32/11.5s under it. It took a hell of a beating then drove it 2 hours home. One of our trail guides had an insane cherokee. One guy dropped his front shaft on this pile of rocks, the guy in the wrangler couldn't get it out of park so he just dragged it out with the rear wheels locked. It was pretty crazy.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:47 pm

I like off-roading in my Jeep, but it's all stock and my daily driver so I'm afraid to beat it up to much. I've been down to Haspin Acres in southern Indiana a couple times.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:58 pm

Looks good Andy. There were a bunch of stock Jeeps there, even a bone stock grand cherokee. If they come to your area you should give it a try, very family oriented.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:05 pm

Here is my last one cruisin' the Rubicon, sold it around '04... a serious money pit. Sucks living 20 minutes from that trail and having no Jeep.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:18 pm

I know the Catskills real well, lived near them most my life, Mike Tyson grew up there too. But I agree with your first statement, a lot of money to beat the crap out of your car, not worth it, their trails are too rough, its a shame to see the nice jeeps get messed up. Unless youve got the money to waste then go for it, its just a car I guess. I wonder if that shows up on carfax :lol:

Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:24 pm

Brace For Impact.

SKT should be here any minute! :shock:

Sun Sep 28, 2008 10:24 pm

My daily driver:

1" lift springs with 2" spacers, Dana 44's front and rear with lockers out of a wrecked Rubicon, 32" BFG A/T for the road and 33" BFG M/T for fun. Quick disconnect links in the front and a winch added since this picture was taken. Funny thing is that it's 2WD at the moment. I was having fun one day and sort of 'gently rested' the front driveshaft on a really big rock. I love my Jeep, but I hate that it's an automatic. I've been posting on Craigslist for quite a while looking for someone with a manual willing to trade trannys. I've even offered to do the work myself and replace their rear main seal that is probably leaking. No go yet. :cry:

My wife drives the Liberty in the background.

Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:44 pm

Looks good glowplug. Mine is just about the same. 1 in spacers on stock springs with 32s. It is my DD as well so I didn't beat it up too bad. The good thing about the jamboree is that if you didn't want to do the "hard" way there was always a bypass.

Kantdrivefast, your jeep looks pretty serious. There are no trails around where I am, atleast I don't know of any. Your right, I have two money pits!

Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:17 pm

I've actually been to a Jeep Jamboree in upstate New York years ago. At the time I drove a beat-up 90 Cherokee with a homemade lift. I broke a rear u-joint (smell a theme here?) on an off camber hill and damn near lost it on the first day. I was heavy on the gas when it snapped and the driveshaft whipped around under a rear tire, crushing it as I slid sideways. Of course, this broke the other u-joint. Now, I had spare u-joints, but a spare driveshaft sorta slipped my young, cheap mind. I was pulled out by a guy with a MEAN Suzuki Samarai. My group waited up for over an hour helping me install the driveshaft that was donated by a complete stranger. Good folks.

I plan on going to another Jamboree with this Jeep whenever I get a chance.

By the way, it is my DD during the week, but make no mistake... I treat it like a Jeep whenever possible. I've picked up quite a few dings and tree scratches since the pic was taken.

Also, I'm not so sure about your immediate area, but some of the best trails I've ever seen are in the northeast. I've wheeled big rocks in Utah and NM, but nothing compares to slippery, wet, wooded trails IMHO.

Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:24 pm

baja65,
What company do you work for? ill be at the off road expo myself, stop by the Gale Banks Engineering booth and say whats up!

Moy

if any of you guys need headers, exhaust or an intake system from Banks email me. ill work you guys out a great deal, just let me know youre from The Samba.

[email protected][/quote]

Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:38 pm

My first car was a 49 Willy's CJ3A that my grandfather gave me. In 88 I fell on hard times and had to sell it, been kicking myself ever since. Later that same year I bought my 3rd VW a 66 Sedan. I still own that car and would only give it up for an other Jeep. Funny thing is several times I've had people come up to me and tell me how much they like my jeep as they're reffering to my Bug. I take that as a compliment.

Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:00 am

Yup:

Just kidding. The second car I wanted to buy was a Willys MB Jeep full of rust holes at a swap meet. The first one was a Kaiser Manhattan at a junk yard. My dad wouldn't let me buy either one. I still feel like kicking his ass.

Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:29 am

Ruptured Tortoise wrote: My first car was a 49 Willy's CJ3A that my grandfather gave me. In 88 I fell on hard times and had to sell it, been kicking myself ever since. Later that same year I bought my 3rd VW a 66 Sedan. I still own that car and would only give it up for an other Jeep. Funny thing is several times I've had people come up to me and tell me how much they like my jeep as they're reffering to my Bug. I take that as a compliment.

Ok, Now we're talking REAL Jeeps and not the over engineered prone to breakdown hard to fix crap that wears the Jeep Label today! The mid 60's were probably the last of the good jeeps, its been downhill ever since. A fact proven by the US Military developing the Hummer to replace them.
once American Motors took on Jeep....well we all know about American Motors and what they built and what happened to them. Heck most people reading this probably haven't ever heard of American Motors or Rambler!

dave