This addition to Reader’s Stories is written by one of my closest friends, Miranda. Like me, she is a car fanatic, and our daily text messages are composed of car related subjects. I like to think that she is one of the people I have converted to manual transmission. She currently drives a Mazda3 five speed. If you want to read about the insight of what it is like to be deaf, check out her blog https://musingsofadeafkid.wordpress.com/ ! Continue reading
This story is written by Michael (http://motorblogaz.wordpress.com/) about his 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4X4.
This is my 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4×4. This was the first car I purchased when I was 16 and still own to this day. This Jeep is responsible for really igniting my passion for cars. Many weekends were spent driving forest service roads with the windows down and the country music up, or navigating Broken Arrow trail in Sedona, AZ, or wrenching on it. I installed 4 KC HiLites on the roof, totaling 200 watts of American-made electric sunshine. A set of black Cragar steel wheels and a coat of bedliner on the fender flares helped set my Jeep apart from others in my Cherokee-popular hometown. My family actually owns two Jeep Cherokees, combined have traveled over half-a-million miles. The AMC 4.0 Inline 6 engine is bulletproof and was spawned back when men were men, trucks were trucks and engine blocks were cast iron. I have many plans for this Jeep, which, when added up monetarily sum in the range of $20,000. To this day, the Jeep starts instantly, makes 40psi of oil pressure at idle, and the air conditioning functions perfectly. Continue reading
There are many things that I do not understand about the world: the existence of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the difference between turtles and turquoises, and why everybody is obsessed with the Jeep Wrangler. Don’t get me wrong; the Wrangler’s cool factor is sky high, and there’s no manlier car than a Wrangler. But what perplexes me is why everybody has to have one. The Wrangler has a long history that dates back to the 1940s, but it wasn’t till the later generations that the Wrangler became popular. The 1997-2006 TJ generation (Wranglers’ generations are classified by code names) that I reviewed back in December was a fun and supremely capable off roading machine, but as a SUV overall, it was way too compromised to make me want one. The TJ was loved by only the diehard off roading enthusiasts and some individuals of the general population. But when the redesigned Wrangler debuted in 2007 (code named JK), all of a sudden everybody wanted one. The JK generation featured many new firsts that were not previously available with the previous generations. This generation offered a four door body style dubbed “Unlimited”, its first ever navigation option, power windows, and remote locks. Despite its popularity in my hometown, I never got the chance to review this generation. The reason being is that if I am going to review a Wrangler, it better be a two door and a manual. Sadly, the increase in the Wrangler’s popularity also correlates to more consumers buying the Unlimited with an automatic transmission. But this summer, I finally got the chance to review a proper Wrangler in two door configuration with a stick.
“I caught her topless”
The Jeep Wrangler originated from the military vehicle, Willys Jeeps. Willys made a civilian version of the Jeep dubbed the CJ. In 1986, Chrysler (owner of Jeep) replaced the slow-selling CJ with the first mass market Wrangler. This Wrangler became successful and a symbol of American pride. The Wrangler was seen as a car which you just simply enjoy life in. No wonder the Wrangler has appeal as a midlife crisis car for some people. It was unique due to its off road ability, retro looks, and overall cool factor. The fact that you could take the doors and top off didn’t hurt either. The Wrangler was redesigned in 1997, and that is when the Wrangler really took off. Building on the older Wrangler’s traits, it was more comfortable, faster, and bigger, but still retained its off road prowess.
For those of you who are looking for a interesting blog, please check out my friend Miranda’s new blog! She is deaf, and she is into cars. Her blog is amazing as she tells you about what it is like to live the life of a deaf girl, and it will give you incredible insight in what it is like to be deaf! Please check it out! Oh, and her Jeep is named Savannah 🙂
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