My Jeep Adventure

Occasionally, I’ll post something personal, but I haven’t in a long time, so I thought I would today.

In 2011, I purchased a 2000 Jeep Wrangler for around $8000. Love the Jeep, but I would never want to make a cross-country trip in one, or you would feel like a human milkshake. In 2017, it was missing quite bad and the brake lines rusted. We really didn’t need a second car then, so it sat for a year or so. I bought some brake lines and installed them. After that, I got in the car and bled the brakes, and then a brake caliper busted as soon as I pushed down on the brake pedal.

It sat longer after that, for 7-8 years, which is probably the worst thing you could do to a car or a house, for that matter. We have, and that would be me and my mechanic/bass player friend Greg (more Greg than Max), installed new spark plugs, wires, fuel injectors, exhaust manifold, and brake sensor, and I ordered some tires but forgot to get raised white letter tires, but I’ll get them when the new ones wear out. I’m replacing these because they are slightly dry-rotted, and I’m not taking chances. I drove it to work but made a 45-minute trip into an hour and twenty minutes because of going only on back roads.

The cleaning process was long and tedious. Here is a partial picture of what it looked like before, and the arm of my friend Greg. Mold, grime, dirt, mud, tree sap, and things that were never identified.

Well, an update…we did everything but one thing…Check the lug nuts. On the second day of driving it…I thought I heard a blowout because of the tires… no, it was the wheel flying off. The lug nuts had worked themselves loose…I checked the others to be sure, and they were tight. No damage at all, so now with new tires it rides good…well as good as a Jeep will ride. The only thing I can think of is I took the wheel off 8 years ago and only tightened the lug nuts a little snug since I was going to change brakes or something else….lesson learned!

Here is the picture I took when I got out of the car and noticed the wheel came off…this is not a posed shot…the wheel ended up exactly like this. It’s back running probably better than the day it was bought in 2011.

Getting Tires

At work yesterday, before the tire change.

Max’s lesson of the day…always check the lug nuts.

…

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

46 thoughts on “My Jeep Adventure”

    1. If only you would have old me sooner! lol…That is the second time a wheel has come off with me in a vehicle. The first time was in my RX7 when I was around 20…coming back from a gig and the wheel bearing started to thump bad and next thing I know…the wheel (hmmm same wheel…driver side in the back) flew over the car and beat me to a stop….this time I wasn’t going fast because of the bad tires.
      This has been fun and a learning experience.

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      1. A brave man to have a rotary in the States I would have thought. Most ol skool mechanics looked on them as the Devils spawn. Second song for today BTO, ‘Roll On Down The Highway? ‘ OR BST ‘Spinning Wheel?’

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      2. Both would suffice in that case! I remember the the side mirror with the sparks.
        Obbverse I loved that engine. I never had one problem…not one. Well one and it wasn’t it’s fault. The only problem I had was I had to replace 3 rear-ends on that RX7 because that engine was so damn powerful. I did the last two because I had it down pat.

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      3. I never braved having a rotary but the idea of a motor spinning smoothly rather than all this motor bits jumping up and down and back and forth seemed a far more modern solution. But the oil crisis killed it off- thirsty rotaries… bad timing.

        So you learnt all about fixing the rip, slip and bust problem?

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      4. I was wondering about that. Greg…he helped me fix it back then. I showed him bass (which he surpassed me in my opinion) and he showed me how to fix things.
        It was only one moving part in those right? That big wheel going round. Other than being too powerful for the car…that was the only problem.

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      5. Yeah, the rotor spun in an oddly shaped chamber I believe. I(‘m no engineer- nowhere near.) The rotor tips were where the wear factor (and costs to replace the tips) came in.

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      6. Ok…that makes sense…I never got it to that point before I sold it. I think it was a 1980-1983 RX7 wiht a scoop. My first real sports car.

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  3. I had a wheel come off my station wagon the day after the prom when I was driving down to the shore with my girlfriend.  I had a flat tire a few days before and I probably didn’t tighten my lug nuts as much as they should have been and the increased speed of being on the highway loosened them.  I pulled over when the tire got stuck in my wheel well and I lost control of my steering, and all the lug nuts were gone on that wheel.  I had another spare and I took a lug nut off the other three wheels and tightened them up and picked up some extra lug nuts at a gas station that was ahead.  It is a totally odd feeling when your wheel comes off while you are driving.

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    1. That is EXACTLY what I did Jim! All the lugs were gone so I took off one off of each tire plus one that holds the spare in on the back of the jeep. I had it happen before in my RX7 going way too fast…it flew over my car and beat me on the other side.
      Did you get your device hooked up?

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      1. I got the SIM card that I needed and the guy at the store installed it for me. I am on a new cell phone plan now which is $20 more a month, but I can switch back to my other plan any time. I guess I am all set, but I didn’t mess around with my Hot Spot yet and I should have time for that tomorrow.

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  4. Wow! Well, I’m glad nothing bad happened to you when that tire came off, which sounds pretty scary to me.

    I have an 1995 Nissan Sentra that’s been sitting in my driveway for more than 2 years. When I tried to start it the last time, the tip of the car key broke off and has been stuck in the ignition since. The car, which really was a great car, also needs some other work.

    Unfortunately, unlike you and your friend, I have no talent whatsoever fixing cars. Instead of improving the situation, I would likely get hurt in the process! 🤣

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    1. Oh geez that sucks abut the key! I have little talent lol…with cars…Greg did most of the work BUT…Christian I’m learning…late but I’m learning. I knew basic things…the good thing about these older Jeeps…no big computers or anything like that…a lots of room to work.

      It was scary yes…but it was a stupid mistake on my part. It’s running great now. He did a great job…I want to get better!

      You might have to get another ignition switch if you can’t get it out…

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    2. Check out You Tube, there are many genius tips about cars and what goes wrong If it were me I’d try typing ‘Broken key in car ignition switch’ hack and see if anything’s there. YT saved me from going to the mechanic when I couldn’t take a rear light out. Good old Ford Engineering, I thought. I looked and pried and cursed but I couldn’t shift it; they had a secret screw holding the light in… Well no big secret IF I had turned over the page in the handbook… 🙄

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    1. You know…people have told me about that now. It’s always been “The Jeep Wave” to other Wranglers…I just learned about the ducks…I’ve been out of action for a while lol.

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    1. Thanks dude…yea it was scary but I was going slow…that was so dumb of me not to check lol. Now we have new tires and tight lug nuts!

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  10. Wow, what a journey—this post felt like a story of perseverance, friendship, and grease-stained lessons learned the hard way! 😅 It’s amazing how much heart and elbow grease went into bringing the Jeep back to life. Huge kudos to you and Greg (and Greg’s arm in that pic!) for not giving up on her.

    That final twist with the wheel coming off was both terrifying and oddly cinematic—especially with how the tire posed itself like that! Glad you and the Jeep made it through safely. Max’s lesson of the day is one I’ll remember before every drive from now on—check those lug nuts!

    Thanks for sharing a slice of real life with us. If you enjoy relatable chaos and parenting tales with twin toddlers, feel free to stop by my blog Twin Chaos & Toddler Giggles at twinmom73.wordpress.com or say hi on Instagram @twintales2025 🚗🛠️👶👶

    Wishing you many safe, smooth rides ahead—Jeep style!
    —Diya

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    1. Thank you….it was an adventure for sure! I like making something older useful again…which I probably fit that now lol.
      I sure will thank you so much for your comment.

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      1. Haha, I love that! You’ve definitely still got that spark for reviving the classics—whether it’s Jeeps or wisdom! 😄 There’s something special about breathing new life into something with a bit of history and grit. Glad the adventure ended on a safer note and with a lesson we’ll all remember. Keep rocking the wrench and the road, Max

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  11. Hi Max
    The Jeep got here in England the worst reputation a car can get. All the tests tell you ‘stay away from this car’. On the other hand, it’s really low priced but provides no comfort.
    Anyway, a good job you did. We are impressed
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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    1. Thank you for the comment…yea they are not cheap here….we bought it used for $8000 but I could probably sell it now for around the same 14 years later. Not many cars you could do that with here that hold a value. Mini Coopers here also hold value quite well.

      I learned a lot with this one from my buddy.

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      2. I loved mine but a lifter dropped I got it fixed…then it dropped again. I hated to get rid of it but it cost me a fortune. It was one of my favorite cars I ever owned. Hung a curve better than any other car.

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  13. I’m glad it wasn’t way worse when that tire came off, you were lucky there! Like Deke says, having a friend who knows cars is really a huge bonus. A whole lot of work you put into it but cheaper than a comparable new used one I’m sure, I hope it runs for years.And, like I said before now you can start a rubber duck collection in the windshield!

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    1. Yes I was lucky Dave…now Jennifer is driving it now with the new tires. A whole lot cheaper! No car payments and I like it this way lol. It’s running now better than it was when we bought it. It was probably the smartest vehicle investment we ever made Dave….we could probably get 7 to 8 grand out of it…how many cars hold that value?

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      1. true, not very many. It’s a good-looking jeep. Funny , when you were working on it and sent a jpg I seemed to think it was lacking doors and was wondering what kind of damage the rain through the years wold have done and what might be living in it by now!

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      2. What is funny is I bought that top and the doors around seven years ago and put it on so those are brand new basically. You could not see out of the old one. It was so old. We also had a tarp cover in it for the most part, but it spent at least three years out in the weather.

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  14. I’m the least grease monkey man I know. This was an educational experience to me. Nice pics Max and cool story and car! I imagine you and your friend are lucky that wheel didn’t come off at a more inopportune moment.

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