I got my first car in late 1983. I drove the hell out of it, and my dad finally sold it when I was in college (only after the transmission stopped permitting movement in reverse.) We had to push it out of parking lots. It wasn’t very dignified, but I was still under 20, so I wasn’t very dignified myself. So, doesn’t count, right?
Anyway, that first car fit me perfectly. It was a 1972 Jeep DJ-5B. That’s the official designation for a Post Office Jeep. It was one of the first Jeeps to have an inline 6-cylinder engine. It had the slide open doors, and was very ‘bare bones’ on features. And by that, I mean no AC or heat. It was painted primer gray. My dad helped me put in a radio with a couple speakers in the back. The stereo was an 8-Track, so I had to have one of those Kraco cassette adapters. Oh, and the speedometer didn’t work. So there was that.
Owning that vehicle sort of set my course as far as transportation preferences. Some guys are into muscle cars or big trucks. Some have classic vintage autos or sophisticated, luxury tastes. Others are motorcycle types. From age 16 forward, I was an SUV guy. I’ve certainly owned other cars, but I always gravitate back to the old go anywhere, do anything.
I also love the Jeeper lifestyle. I’ve come to accept that Just Empty Every Pocket is a harsh reality. I give the ‘Jeep wave’ to the Wrangler drivers with whom I cross paths. I take it camping. I like bumpy, muddy trails. And I never wash it. It has dirt on it from 10 years ago. If it needs to be cleaner, Mother Nature takes care of that for me when it rains. And my dog loves it almost as much as I do. I installed an old baby gate to keep him in his own space.
There’s a (relatively new) Jeep activity that doesn’t really fit my lifestyle. The Jeep ‘ducking’ seems incongruous with my 210,000 mile dirt and rust monster. I can’t really put them on the dash without them falling out into the street (my doors are off.) So I decided to share them all. If you’re one of the fellow Jeepers, and you got one, it means I think your Jeep is cool. There’s a pretty good chance it’s shiny and clean. Great! If it happens to be more like mine, it means I’m showing respect for another rough around the edges, hard-core off-road.type. And if you found this article because you got one of my ducks, shoot me an email. It’s a Jeep thing. I’m sure you understand!
-Toph