Reader: A word to those in violation of PETW (Pea-Too): People for the Ethical Treatment of Willys. I found a need for this fledgling organization when I continuously saw these harmless Jeeps rotting away in fields, backyards and garages. Someone needs to protect them. My dad received a verbal warning for letting his '46 CJ-2A sit for countless years in a dark garage. Next time, I might have to confiscate it. Community members, beware: PETW will strike with the rampant rage of a PETA member in a butcher shop. All Jeeps were created with the simple and inalienable rights of freedom, four wheeling and the unexplained breaking of parts. PETW is here to protect those rights.
Though no Jeeps have been confiscated yet, I blame that on a lack of funds. My husband Aaron and I share the same passion, but our garage is filled and our bank account is empty ... and interestingly enough, we don't own a single Jeep anymore. Why then would I start PETW? To fill a garage with Jeeps at someone else's expense. Isn't this the basis of all politics?
Oh well. Those who share my passion can enlist in my future psychiatric class as well: "Junk as Gold." You probably should be a member if you exhibit any of the following symptoms:
1. You love junkyards. I'm talking about that strange passion of actually wanting to crawl through briars, hornets and snakes to find a gem that everyone for the past five years has overlooked. This is your candy store.
2. It is impossible for you to actually see a vehicle beyond repair. Nothing is truly dead unless it has been crushed, burned and buried. Otherwise, "it's all good" and will just take a little more time. You are beyond any kind of help if you use the phrase "It's a classic!" to describe a mound of parts.
3. You actually get excited about these aforementioned vehicles. Never mind the missing engine, holes of rust you can walk through, and the fact that wild animals have taken refuge inside. You see a show-and-shine beauty.
4. You name your vehicles. Bonus points if you give them personalities and have an occasional, albeit one-sided, conversation with them.
5. You have never, ever, let anyone touch a single mechanical component on your vehicle without your direct supervision. Registered mechanics are evils of the state who only want to steal your money. You are the reason why shops post signs on their doors stating, "Absolutely No Customers Within Shop Bays!"
Well, sorry to everyone we socialize with, but these conditions are incurable. There's always another junkyard we haven't been to, and we just know there's a prize waiting there just for our eyes. PETW to the rescue ... but don't limit yourself just to Jeeps-this organization accepts just about any vehicle, even your "classic" pile of rust. As always, any funding is appreciated.
Adonica Witmer
Editor: We sincerely hope our readers will lavish you with funds. We're a little short this month, so we're sending you a Four Wheeler license plate instead. By the way, you didn't say you had a distant ancestor named Granville, did you?
Reader: Where are the Toyotas? I wrote you a year ago asking the same question, and you said you'd be featuring some ... uh, never happened. None of the 4x4-oriented mags present layouts of all the cleanly built, daily-driven 4x4 Toyotas out there.
Also, I would like to see you present "Readers' Rigs" with bigger photos and not cram them into as little space as you are doing now.
Keith Loker
San Quentin, CA
Editor: We try to feature a variety of good-looking trucks each month, but sometimes we just run out of space. If it's any consolation, check out the cool diesel FJ-45 that competed in last year's Top Truck Challenge (Oct. '04). We'll be featuring more Toyotas in the future-and if you're looking for Toyota tech, turn to page 56 for an IFS-to-solid-axle conversion we performed on a 4Runner.
Readers' Rigs? We're here to please. We've got a bunch of 'em this month, starting on page 64.
Reader: In the August '04 issue, a Mr. Brett Kodt suggested a Cheap Trick involving heating tires with exhausts to melt snow. I think he was also breathing that exhaust. Warm tires offer less traction on ice and snow. Real mountain men know to stop for a long cup of coffee before tackling a steep pass in slippery conditions. Wheels spin on the thin film of water between the tire and the ice. That's why 32 degrees is the greasiest, and why traction improves as the temperature drops.
Jim Elder
via fourwheeler.com
Editor: So, you're saying that it probably isn't a great idea to burn your way through snow by laying a trail of gas, or maybe gunpowder?