Kentucky Adventure Tour - 2022
We just completed 950 miles on the KAT - The Kentucky Adventure. A 1000 mile trail through Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Travelling the backwoods of the Applachian Mountains. Skinny roads, rough gravel roads, and miles and miles of 4WD, 4Lo trails.
Colorado Fall Color Tour - 2021
Just returned from an amazing 10 day trip to the Buena Vista area of Colorado.
The event was the CFFC Fall Color Tour 2021 hosted by Mike and Nancy Pickard. What an amazing and generous couple to open their ranch to 50 plus Flatfender Willys Jeeps. No amount of thanks will ever suffice.
Click here to see photos and videos
The Rubicon Trail - 2021
Who in their right mind drives 4,185 miles to run a 20 mile trail? Who goes camping for the first time in 50 years on the top of a mountain in the dark and in the rain. What 71 year old in their right mind beats himself to death just to say “been there, done that and didn’t get the T-shirt”? Well we did. Check out the insane story here.
Easter Jeep Safari 2019 - Moab, Utah
Just returned from a very unique Easter Jeep Safari with Bronchitus, Pneumonia and a torn Achilles Tendon. Needless so say we did not complete the planned trails and the new video on Golden Spike. However the weather was fantastic, the trails we ran were fun and we still had a mighty fine time.
We did spend 2 hours replacing the front shock bushings which should have taken 5 minutes. Many thanks to the guys at Moab Motorsports LLC for their fantastic service in pressing in the new bushings and finding said bushings in their spare parts pile.
The Chicken or the Egg?
Just got back from the Easter Jeep Safari and what a fantastic time it was despite returning with Bronchitis, Pneumonia and a torn Achilles Tendon.
We spent hours talking and showing off the Willys to strangers and regularly took us 45 minutes just to top up the gas tanks. It was a great experience.
But…….. the same old question just kept popping up. Did we clone the amazing Sebastián Varas Willys so prominently featured in magazines and the Ultimate Adventure, etc. Well the answer is a resounding NO. Sebastián did not start building his first Willys until 10 years after I started building mine. In fact when he started building his first one in 2009 he made this comment on the first page of his Chilean Twisted Andes blog -
“En el fondo, la idea es hacer un CLON del Willys de esta foto, pero con un upgrade de motor (este tiene un V6)”
(Translated)
“In the background, the idea is to make a Willys CLONE of this photo, but with an engine upgrade (this one has a V6)”
Sebastián is a brilliant fabricator and has built two far, far superior machines than mine, but mine has been ticking along for close to 20 years now and I intend to keep on wheeling it for many years to come.
Colorado 2018 Hammerdown Trail Tour
Hammer down trail tour of Southern Colorado trails near the Breckenridge area. 514 miles and 14 trails in just 5 days wheeling close to 8 hours everyday non stop.
All dressed up and nowhere to go
All dressed up and nowhere to go. Winter boredom and getting her ready for a planned wheeling trip to Easter Jeep Safari 2018 and the unofficial, official Friday Flat Fender Run. But......, High blood pressure nixed that, so here it sits. I was tired of the chrome instrument bevels so they, along with the heater and steering column got the olive drab treatment.
While I had the spray cans out I re-painted the bumpers, tire carrier, winch, frame and rocker guards.
I replaced the fairly heavy steel gear rack and replaced it with a replica WW2 75mm Howitzer shell box and a couple of genuine WW2 30 mm ammo cans.
I dumped the Powertank air tank in favor of a smaller, lighter air compressor. The Powertank has been great for 18 years but not enough air for 7 days of wheeling in Moab.
The State of Illinois did not like my old beat up license plates so they made me get new ones. Damn nuisance.
Now just waiting for a new wheeling trip.
750,000 You Tube Video Hits
We just reached another milestone with our Moab Rim Trail You Tube video at the 2010 Easter Jeep Safari in my Willys MB.
750,000 plus hits, which I have said before is amazing for having no crashes, no roll overs or wardrobe malfunctions.