Light Bars

One of the biggest modifications that you can make to your Jeep is the lighting. While this is suggested for more skill Jeep enthusiasts you can always get some on there. Most people put them on the hood or bumper and like it.

But there is one style of after-market lighting that can be a little controversial; Roof Light Bars.

These are a great after-market product to add to a Jeep that makes it look a lot wilder. However, it has its benefits and drawbacks. 

Here are the benefits:

·         The extra lighting lets you see so much more.

·         The extra height increases how dominant your Jeep looks.

·         And you can blind people that are going really slow.

Some of the drawbacks are:

·         Less clearance

·         More wiring needed

·         Possible drilling required

·         Those things are a pain to change.

o   Eh. Take the top off.

It really boils down to two things then.  One, how big is your garage. And two, how small is your patience. If either of these are to one extreme or the other it almost calls a need to have a Roof Light Bar.

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WD-40 IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

When working on cars, old or new, this could not be truer.  I have never found anything that gets some stuck gears, hinges, or bolts moving faster than WD-40. There have been countless times on more than Jeeps I have found this to be one of my favorite tools in the shed.

A good example of this was when I took my doors off for national topless day. If you’re taking off the top you have to take off the doors! It’s like running around outside without shoes on, you have to take off the socks to get the full effect!

Anyways……

So I was taking off my doors for the first time since winter and was having some trouble. The passenger side popped off after a lot of effort and leverage. However, the driver’s side wouldn’t budge. I was lifting the car weight off the suspension and it still wouldn’t lift. I was almost to the point of grabbing a screwdriver to pry the hinge off (Hurts the paint on your car. Don’t do it.) Instead I decided another tactic.

Coming back towards my Jeep with the all-powerful weapon of WD-40, I was confident that I could get this door off.  I applied the spray to the inside of the hinge and around the connecting parts. I also, moved the door around to allow more of the liquid to flow through the hinge. Finally, I gave it one more shot. I crouched down onto the balls off my feet, arched everything under the open door, and pressed up with as much pressure as possible.

Instantly, the door popped up a little then it finally came off. But it did not come off and slowly inched its way up. No, the second after the door popped up a little shot up into the air and landed on its side.
*ouch*

I got it! And at fast speeds…  Just need to be is a little more careful. 

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The Jeep Wave

If you have ever driven a Jeep Wrangler or have ever been in the passenger seat of a Jeep Wrangler, you probably have experienced the Jeep Wave. That’s right, it’s not just Harley’s and Corvette’s, there’s a Jeep Wave.

It was an odd experience when I first bought my Jeep. I would drive around town and other drivers of different Jeeps would casually raise their hand to wave at me as we passed. At first I thought it was just people being nice because we drove the same car. However, later I found that it was EVERY person driving a Jeep Wrangler. It didn’t matter the age or gender or race of the person, they all waved. And that’s when I realized that there was much more to owning a Jeep. Unlike a Cruze, an Impala, or a Century, Jeep owners recognize and respect each other simply for their taste in cars. When you purchase a Jeep you join a family that has similar interests and is so loyal that they indulge themselves in their cars and group up for events and could talk about it to strangers for hours. (I’ve been there, in both ends) The motto “It’s a Jeep thing, you wouldn’t understand” has never been truer.

Immediately I joined in with my fellow drivers and gave a casual wave to other Jeeps and as I waved to people, I quickly found that there were certain rules to this social occurrence and that they were some of the strongest unspoken rules. Several of my friends started to realize what was going on and each individually asked me why I was doing that.  In return I explained the rules of the Jeep wave.

The Jeep wave itself is a very simple wave. It is always a casual lift of the hand from a visible area. You never wave obnoxiously or energetically.  Where depends on if your top is on or off. If you’re driving with your top on the wave comes from your hand resting on the top of your steering wheel. If your top is off then you can do either the steering wheel or do it from your door window when it’s rolled down.  Also the wave can only be given to and from Jeep Wranglers, no Liberties or Cherokees or anything else. Any model all of the way back to a Willey’s model can be waved to. You only wave when you are passing on a two lane road or if there is no more than a left turn lane between the two.  They need to be passing each other going opposite ways on the road and not at a crossroad. Even if they are both at a stoplight you wait until you are just about to pass before you wave. If it is dark out, no one waves or flashes their lights. The only exception to this rule is that if two Jeep owners see each other get out of their cars and spend a extended period of time in the same area they will often acknowledge each other regardless of location.

All in all, this simple notification of belonging to a family is what brings us together and create this non-monetary or residual value that cannot be touched.

Paying to Be King of the Road

When I first bought my Jeep I knew I would be buying it with only a few manufacturer modifications and add-ons and would later do what I would want to it. On my own Jeep I paid for the hardtop, electric group, and bigger tires.

After buying my Jeep, like a lot of newer owners, I quickly found out exactly how much money I could spend on my car. Most cars have the usual costs of oil changes, new tires, some maintenance. Unlike most cars Jeeps are the most customizable vehicles and have the largest after market available. You can buy everything for a Jeep in at least five different styles from the headlights to the bumper. Quickly, I realized that my dream car was way more awesome than I thought, and a lot more expensive. 

In a very smart marketing move, Quadratec sent me a catalogue in the mail that I could look through and see a lot of possibilities for my new dream car. I found that there were several extreme and subtle modifications that can change the entire experience. Then there were just the simple modifications that were classic to most Jeep owners. These were the ones that I knew I would do before I even purchased my Jeep.

Some of the “classic” modifications I wanted included hood lights, adding a winch to the front bumper, and getting a lift kit with better suspension. I call these classical because almost every Jeep owner has or plans to have. What was really mind boggling is the other modifications and add-ons that were offered through several after markets.  Some of my favorite more extreme modifications to a Jeep would be getting a high rise bumper in the front and back, black brake light grills, black corner protectors for the back end,  black steel running boards, black headlight inner rims, rally flag, fender flares, and the mesh doors and mesh soft top.

Also, some of the less noticeable add-ons and modifications are really attractive. The ones that I want include the superchip, a base system, new kickers and tweeters, interior glow for the cup holders and under the dash, custom colored interior roof lighting, after market muffler, new air intake filter system, bug deflector, door protectors,  and rock sliders.

Just listing all of these items you can start to imagine the costs building up. It’s always easier to take it one step at a time, and this way you get to spend more quality time with your vehicle (something that’s much needed). Despite all of this, it still takes a lot of money to have and to really own a Jeep. The MW3 version without all of the extra add-ons they offer easily will cost over 40 grand after warranty and tax. While it cost so much it is still one of my most valued goals. This I find to be one of my largest mountains I need to climb and at the same time, one of my biggest motivators. With the Jeep I dream of in mind, I definitely work harder to excel in life. With that being said, owning a Jeep means having a better life. I feel it. I believe it. I live by it.

Buying a Car

Anyone that has ever owned their own car has had to go through the buying process. Now a lot of people get easily confused or cheated out of a good deal that they could have saved hundreds of dollars.

First off there’s a big difference between buying it from a person and buying it from a dealer. When buying from a person there’s a lot of room to bargain, but if you’re buying from a dealer you have the security that if it turns out to be a terrible car that you have somewhere to go to. These two benefits are the major differences that people decide which path to take.

Despite where you buy from it is always good to get the Blue Book (kbb.com) value unless it is a new car. New cars have suggested retail prices which can only be negotiated later on in the buying process. With used cars especially from people, the key is to never give an opinion on the car. You need to make sure that you ask a lot of the important questions regarding the features and what is important to you. Also make sure you point out all of the faults in the car if it is rust, worn tires, or stains in the seats. Some of the common things to ask when purchasing a Jeep is the miles, if anything has been replaced, how old the tires are, any custom body parts to it, what it was mainly used for, and how much off-roading was done with it.

If you ever come across a car that its listed price is more than the Blue Book price make sure you point that out in the next portion. If it is the exact thing that you want and a good price and the person was very honest about the faults then you can continue into the bidding. What is nice about personal selling is that you can talk about the terms of the car without needing buying power. It doesn’t matter if you’re ready to buy the car today or next week, you can talk about price without having any commitment.

The first offer is usually made by the seller it’s the price that they put on the “for sale” sign. This is always much higher than what they are actually willing to sell it for. Often, the seller will say “Look, I’m selling it for ____ but I’ll give it to you for ____” This is to make you feel like they’re doing you a favor. Selling and buying cars is a psychological thing and a lot of buyers are afraid of being rejected. However, you need to remember that the seller feels the same way. Whenever negotiating, make sure that you point out all of the faults in the car. Then after the seller makes their initial offer, give an offer that is 40% under what you would be willing to pay. The less that the seller lowers it in their next offer, do the same back.  So if they offer 10% below what they offered before only 10% more of your last offer. If anything you will be better off offering only 5% more.

Do not ever ask for their minimum price, never actually give how much you would be willing to pay for it, never believe them when they say they are working with you, and never be afraid to walk away. With car dealers this is even more crucial. When buying a new car you cannot begin to make offers until you show that you have credit and would be able to finance a loan or pay for the car in some manner. Once you do that, then you will need to visit various dealers and talk them individually down. Once you have the lowest price they will offer, get it on paper, and take it to another dealer asking for a better price. Something to remember is that dealers are individually owned and they are selling these new cars at a very high margin. They will compete with each other; all you have to do is identify proof.

Personally, I have bought from both and found each experience very interesting and enjoyable. When I bought my own Jeep, I ended up saving over $5,000 by simply bargaining with the dealers. They own the store but you are the business that keeps them alive.

GETTIN DOWN N DIRTY

It’s that time of year again. It’s raining and starting to get warm, and while most people buy new window wipers and take it slow on the roads the Jeep enthusiasts prepare to go bogging. Like anything else about Jeeps, they can handle just about anything, but there are a few things that you’ll need before you take your Jeep out to the mud hole.

Mud bogging can be one of the best parts of owning a Jeep, but all of the fun can end when you come unprepared and end up needing help from a tractor. You won’t always know how far you can push your own Jeep until you push it too far. There’s nothing wrong with getting stuck every once in a while, it’s when you can’t get out that causes the issue.

The following is a list of Jeep essentials that can end up being your best friends when in a sticky situation.

1.       Hi-Lift Jack All Cast Iron 48” #HL485 PC

2.       WARN M8000 Self-Recovery Winch 100’ Wire Rope #26502

3.       Keeper 30’ Recovery Strap (30k lbs break strength) #02933

4.       Interco Super Swamper LTB Tire #92611.1xx

5.       AEV JK Snorkel #17100.010x

First off, for any vehicle emergency, a jack becomes very useful when on the road. When off-road, the Hi-Jack has double the usefulness. Not just can you lift your Jeep and change a tire or get it off the ground to move something, you can also use this as a manual winch. If it can lift your entire Jeep off the ground it can pull your Jeep out of the mud.  Along with this you will need the Keeper 30’ Recovery Strap. This is one of the strongest tow straps and can be used to get you moving again.

The Warn M8000 winch is one of the best bets in the Jeep world to get out of any mess.  The only reason why you would need anything else to drag your Jeep through the mud is if you made it less than halfway. The major downside to this is that it only pulls from the front. 

When mudding, there is no match to the Super Swampers for tires. The traction that you get on these tires is visible in comparison to other tires. Even the sides of tire are reinforced to be puncture preventative. This helps so much when off-road because you can’t expect the area to be clean and clear. Otherwise, it would not be off-road.

Finally, the AEV snorkel is a major need because there will be a day that you go into a mud bog and it will be too deep for your Jeep. Instead of ruining your air intake system, filter, and seize your engine, this beauty will keep your Jeep breathing through the toughest and deepest bogs. Not just does this piece keep your Jeep running, but it also adds a lot of personality to your Jeep.

Remember that your limits can only be found by breaking them and the best way to learn is by making mistakes AND fixing them yourself.

My Dream Car

Since this is the first post on this blog I feel like I should tell my story on how I came across owning my amazing Jeep. First off it’s important to know that I am a very busy person. I work a full time job as a manager, I go to college full time, and I get to choose if I want sleep or a social life in between all that.  Well the day that led me to my Jeep was another day that proved how busy I was.

I was on my way home from work after working from 5am to 3pm and also having not slept in the last 36 hours and I was at the time driving my 2002 Cavalier. I was less than five minutes from my house and I was driving down a dirt road with the cruise control set to 45 mph. I could feel my eyelids slowly beginning to feel heavier. In my mind I thought I was so close that I could make it and I would be fine. The next thing I know I woke up in mid-air after driving down a ditch and up over a driveway. Not the way I imagined my first jump in a car. I landed driver’s side down in a ditch on the other end of the driveway with the airbags deployed. My car was totaled.

That was my first car and to be expected I was devastated. But, as I always do (and all of those out there that have ever been in a rough patch with their Jeep) I picked myself up, climbed up out the passenger door, and started fixing the mess. With the condition of the car the cost of recovery would have been the same price I paid for it. So I decided that instead of spending that money to get a used car with over 200,000 miles on it I would put that cash towards my dream car; a Jeep Wrangler. Ever since I could drive I wanted a Jeep. They are one of the hottest cars out there. It was my dream to have one. So I shot for the stars.

I started out by looking at used Jeeps. My basic goal was to get one that had less than 50 thousand miles on it and was made after 2005. This was all purely for long term dependability. But as I would check websites for prices I found that the Wranglers really retain their value over time and that a new one was only a couple grand more. This was December 2010 so I had the advantage of looking at 2010 Jeeps that they were trying to get rid of. But once I decided to spend the money on a new Jeep I got my mind set on the color I wanted. Top of the list of my favorite colors for a car was bright yellow. This stands out like a sore thumb and while it’s not the classic red or sleek silver it was what I wanted.

First day at my house.

I compared prices of several different dealers trying to get them to compete in prices (which I will talk about in a later blog) but anywhere I went I could not find a new yellow one. Finally I found a 2011 Sport in Lake Orion, 45 minutes away from my place. I talked the dealer down six thousand dollars below the MSRP and bought the car of my dreams. Detonator yellow, electric group, hard top, two-door, Sport Wrangler. Hello beautiful.  And that’s where it all began.