Well it's been about two years since I ran the bird in AI. It's a long story if you don't know. Anyway I took the car out to BRP in Nov and ran it in TT, and blew the motor up in the 3rd session on Sat. I wasn't to upset though. If some really bad stuff didn't go down at Fontana two years ago, it might have let go on the speedway(150mph) there on Sun. That would have hurt alot! I just pick up a 98 corvette long block for $1400 with 114t miles on it. I start a tread in the engine section on the basic mods to it. I'm not doing a full rebuild since I'll most likely never race the car in AI again.

Any way I e been doing alot of Jeepin with a $800 93 ZJ. A grand cherokee guys. I've spent two years of race budget on the thing as of now. It's a lie of course, when the suspension on it cost more than the AI car.

I still have the black firebird also, it really just needs a few good days to finish the small stuff, exhaust, and the Koni DA's rebuild.

I'll post up a few pic's, and see who is still around here.

That looks like fun. My daily driver right now is a 2011 "70th anniversary" Jeep Liberty. I've been having a great time in it and I haven't even had a chance to go "play" with it yet (just a little snow and such). I keep thinking about dropping the stock TPI engine out of the '91 Corvette down in an old CJ...seems like a great combo.

Welcome back!

Yes it is so much fun to just load the gear, guns, dogs, and the beer and just get lost. The adventure is more fun than the destination most of the time. Careful of the Jeep thing Kevin, Just Empty Every Pocket!

I've done lot's of Jeepin' over the years. My DD used to be a '89 YJ with an 8" custom lift I built, D44's front and rear with detroits and 36" super swampers. It would climb walls (and right over onto it's top, ask me how I know). We still have a '03 WJ. It's all stock though. It's the wifes DD. I still think my favorite Jeep I ever had was my '95 XJ. It was a 2 door 5 speed manual with the 4.0 HO. 4.5" lift and 32's with a locked rear diff. I have pics of them, but no hosting place to post them.

Those sound like nice rides Mike. I have fully built axles, both locked, 231, LA, ect ect. It has to many mods to list. Typical racer mentality I guess. It would be nice to live in CO, I can still do the Jeep thing, run the car, and work in the oil business. And I can get rid of the hippie government.

It's cheaper to live here as well, so what's stopping you? Get out of California before it falls in the ocean or the hippies raises taxes to 100%.

I understand about too many mods to list. When I sold the XJ and YJ I made lists of all the mods for the new owner. They were several pages each.

I have one tip for you when wheeling a ZJ (or anything with ABS), pull the ABS fuse when you're off road if it still has it. I've seen a few cases where when going downhill and lifting a wheel, the brakes cease to hold the vehicle in place. Can be pretty scary on tight switchbacks.

Man, that's some beautiful geology!! Where were those pictures taken?

Good thing you redid the suspension. I had a friend who owned one of those. The _only_ problem he had from the thing was the front upper control arm bushings. He couldn't keep them in the thing, and I think eventually unloaded it because the rattle of the control arms when driving down the road just got to him.

The Liberty has "Hill Descent Control". Works in 4 low only and is supposed to use the ABS to "walk" it down slippery trail bits (if it's accelerating and you're not touching the throttle, it tries to slow). Sounds like interesting technology, not sure how well it really works in the wild.

It wouldn't suprise me if they come up with an electronic gizmo to work around the problem. But it's definitely something to be aware of on a ZJ since they did not have that tech back then.

No ABS, like a real racer does it! I also upgraded to WJ front brakes. One of the best mods I've done.

I've been gone a few days because I was out looking for my dogs. They ran off for the first time in there lives on 12/30. I e spent 9 days 8 nights in an average temp of 0 degs looking for them. I've drove over 2500 miles looking for them. It's some of the worst terrain and conditions, with a healthy population of bear, cougar, bobcat, and packs of coyotes that just love dogs. The female was spotted on the 8th, but wouldn't get in a strangers car. Everything that can be done has been done, it's up to them to make it out at this point.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/fir...24EEDBB637A.mp4


My home lately

This is all with in 1.5 hrs of my home. That's one of the cool things about Ca, if you do t like what you have, just drive a few hrs and get the complete opposite.

The canyon pic is nightmare gulch/ redrock state park. The mtn pic is a local trail, and the dessert pic is soda lake basin not to far from Barstow ca

I would be sick if that happened to me. I hope they come home soon.

I would be going out of my mind if my dog were gone that long. Good luck finding them. I really hope it all works out and they come home safe.

Ouch... good luck finding the dogs.

We are still hopeful for that Hollywood ending. For now I need to get back to some projects to ease my mind a bit.

First up will be my 1949 Bantam trailer. I'm replacing the axle with a Dexter 3500lb with service and parking brakes. It will also have 5-4.5 bolt pattern.

After its moveable, next up will be the AI car motor. I have a 98 corvette LS that will be going in. Not sure if I'll do anything special to it. Same stuff I did before, bolts, oil pump, T-chain, and bolt-on's. run it till it pops!

Hope you do have the Hollywood ending!!!

I haven't done crap since May of 2009 and now im sitting in Afghanistan fixing broken vehicles. The pay is great but boring!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to keep looking at my paycheck to tell me why I'm here!!!

John

Well we found the male Logan. I've spent 17 days and nights, and drove over 4000 miles looking for the dogs. He lost about half of his body weight. We are so happy to have him back. We also added two more boxers to the family.
When he was brought in to the shelter

Me and Logan going back to look for Penny a week later

Brothers Tanner and Zeke

That's great! I'm sorry you couldn't find the other. I've been wondering how the search was going. So somebody found him and brought him into the shelter? Is he microchipped? 2 1/2 weeks of looking is a long time props to you for not giving up.

It must be great to have him home. I'm really sorry about the other though.

Yes two lady's found him about ten miles from where they went missing. All of the shelters within a 70miles know our story. I haven't givin up hope for my baby girl. She's a very strong dog.

Glad you found him.