The valuable lesson I learned when I embraced Jeep culture

I like Jeeps. I grew up around them; my uncle loved the XJ chassis Jeeps and had three of them over the years. His kids both had multiple Wranglers too. A bunch of friends had them, and still do, and the modded ones are extra cool. A buddy just scored a clean 1966 CJ5, slapped a Holley Sniper on it, and drives it all over New England. Another just finished a LS swap in his Grand Wagoneer, complete with the trans and transfer case. Hell, my friends and I set one up for autocross and turbocharged it in a hotel parking lot in the middle of the night! Old, new, modded, or stock... I dig 'em all. 

That said, A N G E R Y face Jeeps don't do it for me; I think that crap and all the faux tactical/expeditionary/militia BS is lame. I honestly didn't understand the rubber ducks thing until this thread, and that's kind of fun, but if I owned one, I can't imagine filling my dashboard with a pile of tub toys. I'd rather see/have an off-road capable rig with some enhancements that increase its functional capabilities rather than that other stuff. 

I agree the Jeep is very much the off-road Miata. 

All this has me thinking that next time the big Jeep Beach event happens here in Daytona I should go and check it out. 

ChrisTropea said:

I agree the Jeep is very much the off-road Miata. 

All this has me thinking that next time the big Jeep Beach event happens here in Daytona I should go and check it out. 

 

We should go check it out. 

I've always thought they were cool and almost ended up with one instead of either the minivan or the Z4 but just didn't happen for the second and wasn't nearly as practical for the first. 
My only driving experience with one was with a 4 door with no top on a tropical island for our honeymoon. The Mrs and I *loved* it. We drove on the beach, we drove on the rugged undeveloped rocky "other" half of the island and it handled everything just great. Also, it was one of those times where I was surprised at what a [stock] car can handle/do (other two times have been on a rainy rally and the recent rallyX). 10/10 would do it again. 
Sadly, I do not live on a mixed-scenery tropical island, so lacking ease of off-road use, we were a little less inclined to get one back in the states. 

ChrisTropea said:

I agree the Jeep is very much the off-road Miata. 

All this has me thinking that next time the big Jeep Beach event happens here in Daytona I should go and check it out. 

 

It's a crazy scene to see all the jeeps lined up on the beach. Every April it happens. I'm guessing its one of the more tamer Spring Break crowds Daytona sees. 

Thanks for explaining the rubber duck thing...

Tony Sestito said:

... I think that crap and all the faux tactical/expeditionary/militia BS is lame. 

The one along side me yesterday on my ride home had a massively long "bumper jack" somehow bolted to the hood top.  I'm guessing that is an off-road thing?  This one, however, was completely chromed and/or polished.  Either way, it looked silly!

I bought a stock 1963 Jeep a few months ago and gifted it to my buddy so I could use it if I wanted,

it's sitting out in a desert town waiting for the weather to cool.....

Everyone loves it because it looks like an old rock hounds Jeep , which was what it was :)

I love my Jeep!  There's nothing like off-roading with the top down.

einy (Forum Supporter) said:

Tony Sestito said:

... I think that crap and all the faux tactical/expeditionary/militia BS is lame. 

The one along side me yesterday on my ride home had a massively long "bumper jack" somehow bolted to the hood top.  I'm guessing that is an off-road thing?  This one, however, was completely chromed and/or polished.  Either way, it looked silly!

I guarantee that guy would have no idea how to use that jack if he needed to.  I really don't get the "bolt the jack on the hood, or fender" thing, other than it's only for looks I guess.  I have a tall jack, it's bolted in the bed....

Apis Mellifera said:

I love my Jeep!  There's nothing like off-roading with the top down.

That's a nice Jeep.

Kreb (Forum Supporter) said:

As a fellow who likes working on tube frame vehicles like Lotus 7 replicas I'm interested in building something butch-looking like a jeep, but that features compliant, long travel suspension rather than the bouncy, teeth-rattling sort. I imagine that's a thing, and would be grateful to see a link or two. 

My brother-in-law has a "Jeep" that consists of about 3' of frame rail embedded in a tube frame, an LS engine and loads of suspension travel under a few pieces of old Wrangler bodywork. It's pretty impressive for high speed work. Compliance works offroad, there's no reason for them to be bouncy and teeth-rattling.

I've got Fox Racing shocks on the XJ, and it's quite quick over the rougher stuff because of it. Let the suspension move...

lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) said:

I DID NOT get it to buy into your Wave Club or duck thing. I don't wave at others just because they have the same manufacturers vehicle. I didn't wave at other Ram owners, Tundra owners, 4-Runner owners and the list goes on and on.

I like to wave at other Miata owners
That's a self-preservation thing, though.  Looking for the other Miatas keeps my head on a swivel and keeps me alert.

In reply to bludroptop :

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/why-rubber-ducks-are-a-jeep-thing/#:~:text=The%20Jeep%20ducking%20craze%20started,positive%20note%20on%20someone's%20Jeep.

Here you go.

I've never encountered the duck thing, but Jeeps are about 30% of traffic around here so you'd be going through ducks like crazy :)

In reply to Keith Tanner :

And that's why they have the Duck It Bucket!

(NMNA)

Personally, I enjoy the ducks but limit myself to just one duck on the dash.  All the other ones get passed onto the next Jeep to hopefully make someone else's day a little brighter.  

In reply to Apis Mellifera :

Isn't that a jeep, small j?

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I mean... you'd need to buy like a dozen, right?  As people drop ducks off on yours, you just start rotating them

Mr_Asa said:

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I mean... you'd need to buy like a dozen, right?  As people drop ducks off on yours, you just start rotating them

Other than the rental Jeeps, where there would likely be a high percentage of rubber duck souvenirs. There's a rental jeep (in full overland kit including roof tent) parked in the driveway next to mine right now.

Keith Tanner said:

Mr_Asa said:

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I mean... you'd need to buy like a dozen, right?  As people drop ducks off on yours, you just start rotating them

Other than the rental Jeeps, where there would likely be a high percentage of rubber duck souvenirs. There's a rental jeep (in full overland kit including roof tent) parked in the driveway next to mine right now.

Now that I actually look into it, $0.11 plus shipping per duck isn't bad?
I assume Temu is like Alibaba?

https://www.temu.com/squeeze-rubber-duck-suitable-for-infants-and-pets-to-play-cute-shape-enhance-parent-child-interaction-g-601099518088885.html

So, maybe next time you go to a cars and coffee, talk to the person with the base-model Civic covered in stickers and invite them to an autocross. You might be the one to show them it’s easier than they thought to do race car stuff. You might even find a new friend, too.

So this is how Michael Jordan got into motorsports except it was some motorcycle road racers spotting him at a gas station on his bike and nagging him about not wearing a helmet then inviting him to a nearby road race. Now he owns a NASCAR team.

I've always wanted a Jeep, but when I was looking for something to drive on the beach the Unlimited didn't fit in the budget at all.

I had no idea that Gladiators were considered reliable, either.



 

I wave to other rx7 or rx8s on the roads.

I also usually have stack of unicorn stickers that I will leave under a wiper arm if I like the car.

Didn't realize any of tht was jeep type stuff.

Good stuff!

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

Oh yeah, I do that with Z4s in particular, but sometimes find that others in convertibles will do it, too, and now me likewise

Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) said:

I have owned an XJ for years and actually drive it off road. I don't get the rubber duck reference. 

I've owned 15 or so Jeeps. Never heard reference to this duck thing, ever. 
but yeah, very accepting and helpful group of folks.