Interesting stories are a big part of the Dirt ’N Drive experience. The 2019 Jp Dirt ’N Drive Presented by Jeep was filled with tales of great trails, cool Jeeps, beautiful scenery, and good times. Among the many Jeeps that sparked a good deal of interest was the very clean and quite capable 1984 CJ-8 Scrambler owned by Aaron and Syble Paris. The Jeep had an unassuming appearance at a glance, which upon deeper examination revealed an adventurous personality. Built over a period of four years, most of the work, “except things like rebuilding the transmission,” was done by Aaron and his brother-in-law Brent. The engineer admitted, “Before this, I didn’t know much about Jeeps.”
Aaron had considered a JK but realized he had no idea how to fix it in the middle of nowhere, so when a CJ-8 came up for sale at a price he could live with, the deal was done and the project was on. A smart guy who learns quickly, Aaron knew there was a lot of work ahead, but he took it one step at a time and just kept going. Aaron said that looking back, he should have just replaced the entire frame right off the bat. The Ohio-based vehicle needed a number of reinforcement plates welded on; in the end, it was quite hard to repair and likely more expensive than a new frame.
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Ocean City Jeep Week
Good vibes, high tides, and Jeep rides on the beach
M.O.R.E. Jeep Dead Pedal
A dead pedal doesn’t move, but it does function, and it can help your off-road driving
Soft Top Step-Up
An upgraded soft top brought this Jeep Wrangler back to life
Covered Wagon
Typical car owners trade in their vehicle for a newer model, but Brody Zink is not typical.
Limitless Four Door Wrangler
This LS-powered, rockcrawling JK started its second life as a salvage
Toledo Jeep Fest 2019
Thousands of Jeeps take over Toledo
Final Report : Cooper Discoverer STT Pro Test
A little over a year ago, we began our long-term test of a set of Cooper Discoverer STT Pro mud-terrain tires.
Skyjacker Hikes Up The Jeep JL
Skyjacker’s 3.5- to 4-inch Suspension Lift System gives the Jeep Wrangler JL longer and stronger legs
Jeep Gladiator
The first real drive
Family Scrambler
This ’84 Jeep CJ-8 was built for fun on the trail
Precursor to luxury: Looking back to the Kaiser Jeep Super Wagoneer
As we put hands to keyboard on this issue of Four Wheeler, Jeep has only begun to tease us with its latest entry in the premium luxury SUV field: the Grand Wagoneer concept.
HOMELESS BOY, 8, SETS DOWN ROOTS
Kid’s plant biz puts a roof over family’s heads
Focusing on the Northeast pays off for the Indians
Over the past few years, the Indians have mined the Northeast for talent. The 2020 team got big-time contributions from former college righthanders Aaron Civale (Northeastern) and James Karinchak (Bryant). Waiting in the wings are three more prospects from the region, all from high school: third baseman Nolan Jones (Bensalem, Pa.), catcher Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) and righthander Lenny Torres (Beacon, N.Y). All five of those players were signed by area scout Mike Kanen, a former Baseball America intern. BA recently spoke with Kanen about his first impressions of those players. The interview is edited for brevity.
STEER YOU RIGHT
A PSC Motorsports Big Bore XD steering box solved our Jeep’s steering woes
Outdoor Grips Introduces Ergonomics To Rods
You could say Aaron Techlin saw a need in the fishing industry. You’d be even more correct if you said he felt it.
SHINE AND DANDY
We install some Denali LED lights and the sPOD Mini6 control panel
THE GOBI JEEP
Anatomy of a JK that’s built with important and problem-solving upgrades
HOMEMADE OFF-ROAD TRAILER
’65 Ford F-100 chassis
2002 Jeep Wagoneer Concept
Worth the wait?
ORANGE SLICE
The Cutting of a True Citrus Classic