How did it all start?

trailhugger

trailhugger

Human Resources
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Joined
Mar 19, 2005
Location
Raleigh
What first got you into 4x4s? Mud, rocks, racing, whatever?

Was it a certain make/model that stole your heart? A movie hero you wanted to be?

I was only half-way kidding, elsewhere, when I said it was The Dukes of Hazzard that did it for me... it was probably one of many things that included riding around the cattle farm where my dad worked in an early Bronco and Saturday nights at Orange County Speedway. :)
 
Where I lived in Wisconsin, plus a little farming, 4x4's just made life easier. Considering my grandfather was a Ford master mechanic for 30 years, the blue oval was bred in to me. I was always raised with 73-79 Fords, and I can fix just about anything on them...so 73-79 Ford 4x4's are what I own. Guess it was kind of a brainwashing, but I don't mind. I've never liked wheeling rocks because I still like my rides looking pretty and don't have the balls...so I'm pretty much stuck on mud and easy/moderate trails. Some day when I can have a dedicated wheeler, I'll be less timid, but right now, all my rigs serve a purpose.
 
In 1986 I happened across a late 70's chevy on 44's on half tons, I was 16 and thought it was the coolest thing I'd seen. I know my parents were proud as I rednecked up there suburban home place with my turd. I traded a 2 year old Mercury Topaz for it (it was a bad trade even though it was a Topaz). I proceeded to rip r&p's, axles,drive shafts, joints, etc... out of it most everytime I took it out on a "hell ride" as we called them back then. If I only realized how much money I was going to flush down the toilet over the next 24 years in parts for 4x4's ,cars, and motorcycles I might have tried to develope a passion for jogging!
 
It started for me with going mudding in the Army's CUCV's and Humvee's.. After i got out of the service, I met this Moorefield guy through his Hatton fellow, and after the first ride in his Turquil FJ behind his shop, I was kinda hooked.
 
My first vehicle was a 76 CJ7. I saw a 4wd magazine, and so I flexed the CJ on a dirt mound in the pasture and took a picture. It's been an unnecessarily large part of my life ever since.
 
Back in the early 80's my dad and all his buddies use to ride bikes on the lake bottoms during the winter.One of them bought a brand new (at the time) 83 Chevy 4wd which he promptly took out and got stuck,and I was with him,the 1st weekend he had it.I still thought it was the coolest.Then in about 87-88 my parents had a nice 86 model SR5 Four runner that me and a buddy took to the local mud hole while my parents were outta town,didnt get caught but like to have never got all the mud off it.In the early/mid 90's I was into the show trucks and lo-riders b ut got tired of havin to keep everything clean and pick and choose where I could go,so in 94 I bought my 1st Chevy 4wd,sold the lo-rider,and it's been on like donkey-kong ever since.
Use to at some of the bigger car shows they had past issues of magazines they would give ya to look at and one of em was a old issue of petersons 4wheel and offroad.I read an article about some truck havin a Dana 60 and remember thinkin whats the big deal about a Dana 60???
 
dad needed axle shaft for dana 44 front for old plow truck. called guy in swap sheet that had parts for sale.

got there and seen his rig and that was it. i was hooked.

oh ya plus i am a gear head at heart. :driver:
 
It was the early 80s...I saw Big Foot. Had a passion for big tires since then, though I didn't get started till my teen years.
 
For me it was living in a small town and seeing these guys ride around in these trucks just slap covered in mud! i liked it cause all these old folks would just point and shake their heads. i had a buddy whos dad had a 95 F150 with 32" A/T's, so we stole it for a bit while he was at work one day, they were building a housing development in my area. it was all red mud and smooth roads that were slick as ice. it had just rained the day before and we had the most fun ever! we had the truck so muddy we had to wipe off the turn signals before we hit the road. we rode thru town and watched everyone point.
my first rig was an 80 chevy custom deluxe on 33"s and 4" lift. best truck ever and it went everywhere. now i love trails, mud, and some rocks.
i got out of it for a while, but now its a full blown addiction again and i will raise my family doing it!
 
Well it started back in high school with a beat to shit Geo Tracker 4x4, Went muddin with my buddys and so on, Got out of it for a while.

Picked up a Blue 97 TJ in 2000 from my Father in Law in a trade for a Honda I had at the time. Decided I wanted to try out trail riding and go to Uwharrie.

Got engaged in 2000 also and my buddies decided going to Uwharrie for a my finale "just the guys" weekend would be a great idea. Planned the trip in mid August, Camped for three days and it was hot and dusty, But we had a blast in a mostly stock 2.5 liter TJ on 31s. Went back at the same time for the next eight years, Upgrading the Jeep each year, looking forward the the trip.

In 2005 we moved to Morganton and I meet some members of the Trail Jammers, and then discovered NC4x4 in 2008 and it changed for the way I looked at wheeling. I had never wheeled with a group, Or been involved with the people that wheeled. At this point I was hooked, In the past years I only wheeled really once a year or so. Now I try to go a couple times a month or more if I can. The wife was never interested until last year when my boys really liked going. Now she will not let me go with out her.
 
In 99' my dad bought a Discovery from my uncle. That got me into rovers.

The next year I heard about a 73 rover for sale. We went and looked at it. For A SOLID 3 months I sweet talked my dad into getting that truck for me :lol:.

It took 3 years to get it in good shape but then I never looked back. My mom was even impressed that I stuck with it :lol:.

Still got it, still drive it, still love it.
 
UTfball68 said:
Where I lived in Wisconsin, plus a little farming, 4x4's just made life easier. Considering my grandfather was a Ford master mechanic for 30 years, the blue oval was bred in to me. I was always raised with 73-79 Fords, and I can fix just about anything on them...so 73-79 Ford 4x4's are what I own. Guess it was kind of a brainwashing, but I don't mind. I've never liked wheeling rocks because I still like my rides looking pretty and don't have the balls...so I'm pretty much stuck on mud and easy/moderate trails. Some day when I can have a dedicated wheeler, I'll be less timid, but right now, all my rigs serve a purpose.
Click to expand...

I agree with him..If you switch Wisconsin with Tennessee.
Plus I always gotta agree with a Volunteer fan! :beer:
 
1974 My dad buys a Myers Manx Dunebuggy, we run the roads and are allowed to drive it in the Caterpillar Proving Grounds just out side Peoria IL, I was 7.

1978 Bigfoot was born, the coolest truck in the universe !!!

1979 My whole family vacations near Shelby Michigan, not far from Silver Lake Sand Dunes, I get my first ride in a REAL 4x4 truck, a First Gen K5 Blazer, full internal cage, and 33" AT's it was the coolest thing I had ever done to that point, I was 12, we went back 2 more summers. the wheeling at Silver Lake was the best part each time.

1984 I had a job at the YMCA in Peoria IL had to walk by the Toyota dealership everyday to get there. the 4x4 trucks were the coolest, the black and red ones especially !!

1985 Back to The Future is released the truck at the end of the movie was the coolest I had ever seen.

1987 My dad gets a smoking deal on an '84 Toyota 4x4 truck, I'm not allowed to drive it ( He knew me well !!)

1994 I buy my first Toyota 4x4 truck 1982 SR5, no frills, rusted bed, rear axle only attached by the drive shaft, paid $250
I remounted rear axle, replaced fenders, holes in floor board, fixed all the oil leaks, the previous owner was not happy with me, as he thought it was a basket case.
let my girlfriend drive truck, she was rear ended in it, accordion'd frame crushed the bed, insurance gave be $2500, i bought it back and traded it in on an '87 Toyota 4x4 truck.

1997 bought my '85 4Runner ( Blkvoodoo ) it was on from there. built it, rebuilt it, drove the hell out of it cross country several times. since having bought a house, got married and had a kid, I've had other priorities, the interest is there, the want is there, time and funds aren't, but it's getting better. Blkvoodoo is gone, but Voodoo2 will evolve at some point in the future.
 
small town+working on a farm+being a redneck=now:beer::driver:
 
Let's see. I got an Isuzu amigo back in '90. Drove the crap out of that thing in stock form. It went away after a few years and I got into a '78 CJ-7. It was a rustbucket, but I had a lot of good times in it. Took some years off from 4x4s. Went wheeling with a friend in his TJ about 8 years ago and I had to have one. 7 years pass and I no longer have a wife to tell me what I can and can't spend on my jeep.:driver:
 
UTfball68 said:
I actually played ball up there for 4 years...but I was better at riding the pine than playing I guess.
Click to expand...

What's your name and what position did you play?
If you don't mind me askin of course. Between me and my dad I'm sure one of us knows who you are. haha
 
I got started by walking past a "real" Jeep dealer when I was a kid. Wehn my grandparents would babysit me in the summer, my grandfather and I would walk to the post office - about 1/2 mile each way. We would pass Eccher Trent Used Jeep and 4x4 and I would just stare at the trucks they had sitting along the road. Anyway, fast forward about 11 years to 1993. I finally had the chance to save up for a used Jeep. I had my eye on a 1958 CJ-5 with a 304 installed in it, a hard top, and suicide doors. My father nixed that idea pretty quickly and helped me buy a 1986 CJ-7 instead. That winter was the last time my grandparents were able to come up to seee us, so I offered to take my grandfather out for a drive in the Jeep. (He was in WWII and always told me how sturdy the old Jeeps were.) As he climbed in the passenger side, he told me about the last time he rode in one. He then went on to say that this time would be his last in a Jeep, but it would be a much better trip. We drove some paved and dirt roads, then he asked about off-road with it. We put it in 4wd and drove back through a field and some woods. Since then, I've been hooked on just what a 4x4 can do - stock or modified.
 
It all started back in 1972. My dad was part of a hunting club. There was a very long private road into the club(to the club cabin) Going in was no problem, it was mostly down hill. The old 48 Dodge did OK with that. After staying for several days, we had to leave, it had rained and the Dodge wouldn't make the hills. Along came a older Scout. He drove around us, hooked up a chain and pulled us up the hill's. That started it. A couple years later, helping my uncle pick up hay, I was the small one, so I got to drive the truck. A 1968 Jeep Gladiator. Man that thing never spun a tire while pulling the big trailer all over the field. In 1978, I got my drivers License. I bought myself a 1948 Willy's, that had a 1964 tub on it. Flat head four banger that I had to have rebuilt, Cost me $250! Rings never seated, and re-builder clocked me doing 55 mph, so he re-ringed it, and put a tach in it. Painted a mark on it and told me not to go over! I took that Jeep everywhere. Favorite trips were driving up Short Off Mnt, from Lake James and spending the day. I was also known to lay out of school and go to Boone when they got snow. I loved driving in the snow, and still do. I could always finance the trip by accepting donations from pulling people out of ditches.
Through out the years, I have had several 4WD vehicles. The one I wheel now was obtained in early 1990. IT was a plain old CJ-7. I didn't even get a full top for it when I bought it, just a bikini top. I stuck it on the back side of Burkemont Mountain the third day I owned it. I friend with an old bronco come pull me out. He had a winch, WOW what a neat item to have!
From there I have fixed, replaced, upgraded many times to what I have now. Long gone are the DD'er drive to the trails, Jeep that it once was. A trailer queen for sure now.
My Jeep is tired, it has a good drive train but lacking in the frame body dept. As any Jeep owner knows, it's never finished. So in the near future there is a planned swap into another frame.
 
friend in collage was doing the internet dating. she met a jeeper, did not hit it off, I met said jeeper through her, and loved his jeep. He tought me the basic and pretty soon I had my own jeep to love. from there we went our own sepprate ways.
 
Trying to think... What comes to mind is being a Kid in pennsylvania, Dad gets a bit of road rage as we pull into a shopping center, lots of idiots, he decides to pass the entrance and pull in via a large hill that put u in the upper lot. Was in a 89 Bronco 4x4. I knew for sure we weren't getting followed by my mom, who was behind us in (Bonneville i think?) It was like 1994 I think.

When I was 14 I bought my first jeep, 84 Cherokee 4 speed with the v6, ghetto lifted on 33's, barely ran, 600 bucks. Tinkered on it for about a year before parting it out, got a 89 Cherokee for 1200 bucks, bone stock, lifted it, beat the hell out of it, fixxed it, beat the hell out of it, let it rot for a few months (unemployed) got a job again and fixxed it again, list goes on... Bought a 78 Chevy w/ built 454 and th400 from WV for 3500, Great truck, tons, 44s, unfortunately I was 17 and beat the absolute hell out of it, trans went out, was saving for a reman trans and lost my job again, sold it. Back to beating on the jeep, turned 18, parents bought another truck, they let me drive the Z71 around, pretty much became mine, they sold it to me the following year for a killer price. Simple facts, since ive been driving Ive only owned 1 non 4x4, and I had it 3 days.
 
Been interested in atv's since 6th grade, went through a handful of them....

BUT.... back in 2000 and 5 user "Awspence" joined, and being bff/college roomies with him, I got hooked after reading over his shoulder and getting pic-bombed on a regular basis via AIM.
 
Grew up in an IH dealership and my dad always drove a Scout or IH pickup. Started shifting gears for him at age 4 in the old Scout 800...

'82 found me at Camp Lejeune driving M151 (Mutts), M880 (3/4T Dodges), M561 (Gamma Goats), M3x series (2.5 ton tactical), M5x series (5 ton tactical), and the "new" M800 series (5 ton tactical) all over the Onslow county in support of 8th Engrs. We were among the first to test the "new" HEMTT... burying 1 in the swamps near the LZs at New River! :D

Later on did a 6 month tour in Gitmo, before a tour in Okinawa (+ PI, Korea, Thailand, Guam, Tinian & Saipan = some dang fine wheeling!) where we got the "newer" M900 series (Cummins, Allison auto, & CTS). While I mainly hauled people, ammo, & fuel, I specialized in recovery/extraction (lot's of 32ton Euclid dozers & vehicles getting stuck in the sand/swamps) and even did a brief stint driving the 5 & 10ton tactical tractors.

Bought a Nice'En 4x4 to play in the mud with (back when there were legal places like the WildLife) and later bought a Jeepster to camp out of on caving trips. That jeep never made it to the road (terminal rod knock) and got too old/fat to keep up with the VPI (Va Tech) grotto youngsters...

Rich said:
I met this Moorefield guy through his Hatton fellow
Click to expand...

Some awful shady characters to be dropping names on! :lol:
 
I cannot remember a time when I didn't love Jeeps and any 4WD. I got my first model Jeep, a CJ5 when I was 4 and I still have a piece of it. I still like all real 4wd's but especially Jeeps and have owned over 100 of them, although many were bought and parted out. I've also owned Chevy Trucks and a blazer, a Ford Bronco (EB), a Toyota 4 Runner and some other stuff. I love mud bogs, 4x4 racing like we did back in the 70's and 80's, tractor pulls and especially trail riding and camping. I've run 235's to several sets of 44's and met Bob Chandler (Bigfoot) befor he went to 66's, as well as several of the original monster trucks back when that craze started. I'm 47 now and still feel like a kid when it snows , or there's a mud hole to hit or even just crusing downtown in the Jeep.
 
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