How did the bug bite you?

I still have every issue of Four Wheeler magazine since I started getting them back in 1998 up until I got a thing in the mail about them going digital. I'd have to look and see, but I've got a BUNCH of them.
 
Croatan_Kid said:
I still have every issue of Four Wheeler magazine since I started getting them back in 1998 up until I got a thing in the mail about them going digital. I'd have to look and see, but I've got a BUNCH of them.
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October 2015 was the best one by far.
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I was going to tag you and say that I have that one, but I knew that since you're so humble, you'd remind us of that :D Maybe one day I can get you to sign it for me.
 
When I was 15, I started shopping for my first vehicle in auto trader. I’d show my dad all these cj’s on 33”s and swear that I could make it a practical first car. Neither of us were gear heads or particularly mechanically inclined. I came home one day and my dad asked me go get something from the garage. I walked out and there she was… a 1996 Land Rover Discovery. I was tore from the frame. It was beautiful and clean and stock. It was a gift I never deserved and the look on my parents faces when they saw me receive it, they were so proud of themselves. I had a lot of firsts in that vehicle. It was my pride and joy. I never could seal the deal on bigger tires but I jonesed and pined for the biggest stupidest roof rack available. I remember a winch seemed almost unobtainably expensive. Everything was ARB and 1500$ for a bumper. I would Willy out in new developments around town, always tracking a slug trail of red mud back to the house. And when the big chunks would fall from underneath onto the driveway, I’d catch a bunch of flack from my parents. I totaled the Disco in a Brevard on a mountain biking trip. It was devastating, but as fate would have it, a 17 year old with his first job can’t afford to wheel a Land Rover. A few years later, I bought 1990 Grand Wagoneer and put 35”s and a 4” Rusty Lift on it. That’s what gave me the wheeling bug. We’d sink it in a creek and hi lift winch it until we ran out of beer. My friends taught me a lot of mechanics just by hazing me as I tried to figure things out for the first time.
 
I was always into trucks, dirt, rocks, mud, whatever. Got really into mtb trail riding as a kid. Fixed up my grandfather's Harley golf cart and "wheeled" that thing. Worked enough to buy one of the first Traxxas stadium nitro rc trucks and had several subscriptions to Peterson, 4 wheeler, and 4x4 power. Dad bought the Ramcharger when I was a kid and it was destined to be mine. Once I started driving it was almost every weekend me and guys would be out in woods riding mostly mud roads with some clay wash outs. The old Dodge always made it home and got several modifications along the way. But it stayed home while I went to college (lousy deal) and I was too dumb and had to study all the time in college. Had woods withdrawals bad and bought a used beater Dodge 1/2 ton in college for a daily commuter and light wheeler. Finally graduated got a job, was reunited with the Ramcharger and wheeled more. Owned several jeeps including the one now and the Ramcharger still. Don't wheel near as much as I want, but it's been a great hobby thats creates some great friendships and taught me a good deal.
 
I did not make the front page, but did get a double page shot from a Rockvember event way back with a mid version of the old YJ
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The first few years of my life being in Wisconsin, 9 months of snow always made for lots of mud...extended family with dairy farms, meant I was usually slopping/choring around in it. So I've always enjoyed playing in mud, dirty, but less expensive breakage IMO. My 77 and 96 were both semi-featured in Fourwheeler in 2006ish. I can't remember what it was for, a Dennis Carpenter event, mighta been SuperCel...but something relatively local, and they were there taking photos...both trucks were clean and they started snapping shots and taking my story (77 was my first restoration at 17 after being hit by a drunk driver and the 96 was my dad's truck...and 37's were still kinda big at the time). My cover photo on my FB page (and below) is the pic that made the magazine. I was pretty active on the Ford forums, so that pic started making it's rounds and smaller magazines like Ford Truck Driver and Bronco Driver wanted to do articles too. As an early 20-something with an ego, that helped fuel an enthusiasm. About that same time, I usually had some beater of a 79-89 bronco, and always enjoyed Windrock since it wasn't too far north from UT, I'd hit URE when I could...but still always preferred going fast in mud pits. Then I had to grow up (read 'broke, fresh outta college kid') and everything started sitting. That was until I met Paul and Kris through Ford forums, we'd meet up starting around 2012 as we hit various mud races up and down the east coast, work on eachother's rigs as necessary...tough since Paul was 5hrs north of me and Kris was 3hrs south of me. 2016ish, we decided to start up a legitimate race shop, things went really well, so well that hobbies started getting put on the back burner again. Bronco Driver came calling again to do another article, which was cool. Even though we had 4 dedicated race trucks, we could rarely make races anymore though. I started having kids, everyone was getting burned out, and around 2020 we all started stepping away and as of 6 months ago, officially restructured and started divesting where applicable. I've been burned out in general for a while, but @CasterTroy is doing a good job trying to reignite the interest (#H8rockz) and @77GreenMachine and @rcalexander105 are doing a good job shaming and harassing me into beating them with a sock full of nickels once I get a rig ready to wheel with them.

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When I think back to my 1st experience with a 4x4 it was a buddy after college that had an s10 and we went to a local mud hole area. He drove straight into a hole in 2wd drive stopped and I was like the hell do we do now? He pulled the 4wd drive level and drove out like we were on black top and my jaw dropped. At that point I realized I had no idea what the magic was but I needed to learn more and from that point on I have bought, built, modified and raced to many square headlight jeeps. Now it is in my blood and I cant get rid of it.

The best part is I have met some of the best coolest people around. Down to earth nice and helpful people.

From just a base Jeep XJ to being on TV shows, racing small east coast series, racing national series and also racing KOH. it has been a great ride and I am glad it still continues

Ken C
 
I grew up always hearing my dad talk about wheeling in his 77 CJ5. It was long gone before I was born. But all I wanted as a first car was a CJ. We looked for years, I’d get my hopes up and dad would pass on one after another. Finally 2005 I was 15, he bought me the 78 CJ7 that I still have today. I read and still have all the copies of Petersens and JP magazine that I read from middle school through college. It’s always been my project. I have taught myself many things because of the Jeep. I couldn’t afford parts and someone to work on it, I enjoy working on it as much as driving it. Now I’m excited to get to spend time in the Jeep with my daughter.
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Jman78CJ7 said:
I grew up always hearing my dad talk about wheeling in his 77 CJ5. It was long gone before I was born. But all I wanted as a first car was a CJ. We looked for years, I’d get my hopes up and dad would pass on one after another. Finally 2005 I was 15, he bought me the 78 CJ7 that I still have today. I read and still have all the copies of Petersens and JP magazine that I read from middle school through college. It’s always been my project. I have taught myself many things because of the Jeep. I couldn’t afford parts and someone to work on it, I enjoy working on it as much as driving it. Now I’m excited to get to spend time in the Jeep with my daughter. View attachment 366271View attachment 366272
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That’s so awesome man!
 
I didnt have a choice. My dad has always been an offroad enthusiast. I grew up riding rail buggies with him at Tellico, then at 8 years old, I was riding dirt bikes at Tellico behind him while he was in the rail buggy. That progressed to the rail buggy sitting and him buying a dirt bike. fast forward to 15 years old, we were racing KTM's in mideast hare scrambles. Fast forward again, my first vehicle was a 2000 TJ. I blew every penny I had ever saved on a lift and 35s and was riding easy trails at windrock. Eventually got to big for my pants and was breaking axles and abusing my daily driver. At 17, I bought a exo cage toyota cab truck. It didnt take long to end up with coilovers on the back and a complete chop cut rebuild to update it. a couple of years go by and ive cut it up completely again to buggy it. A few more years and I find myself building front and rear 14 bolts for it cause toyota axles suck lol. Not long after 14 bolts, dad buys a v8 ton buggy. We have cut it up at least 3 times now trying to chase the definition of perfection and just cant get there... :dumbass:. In the middle of the third cut up on dads, I have M&M start on the trailing arm party wagon. Now present day, at least once a week, me and dad discuss what it would take to have a 4800 legal trail car for him, I pick up a goatbuilt chassis to chase the werock dream that started this year for myself, and we are slowly pushing toward 4800 class as well for my dad. Offroading is the best plague ever introduced to the world.
 
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