Post by Ryan_M on Feb 25, 2016 9:48:17 GMT -5
My father, of whom I am most proud, posted this story over at the ECWA forum. I can't help but share it here....
Once upon a time there was a Boy. The Boy had a Grandfather, to whom he was very close. The Grandfather owned a large property which was originally a farm, but had been made into a summer resort including cabins, a beach, recreation areas, and small private golf course. When he was about twelve, the Boy began spending his summers working for the Grandfather. When the Boy was fourteen, the Grandfather (who was pretty good at figuring out what the Boy liked) allowed the Boy to start driving the Grandfather’s Jeep around the property. The Jeep always had a trailer attached, so at that early age the Boy learned not only how to drive a standard shift but also how to back up a trailer (a few years later, when the Boy was taking driver’s ed, he found parallel parking to be a snap).
The years went by, and the Boy grew up to be a Man, the beloved Grandfather passed on, and the Grandfather’s property became a development with ten house lots (which still included the small private golf course). The Jeep was passed on to the homeowner’s association. It was used to haul a three-gang mower around the private golf course. The Jeep was maintained by a mechanically-savvy member of the homeowner’s association--who even replaced the engine—allowing the Jeep to be used for mowing for over thirty years.
In the meantime, the Man had a family of his own, including his Son. The Man lived in close proximity to the Grandfather’s original property and occasionally would ride around the golf course in the Jeep with the caretaker “for old time’s sake.”
After thirty some-odd years, the Jeep still ran pretty well, but it was worn. There were no lights, no brakes, no cab, and just the remnants of seats. In short, it was a motor on a frame with a tub. The homeowner’s association decided the time had finally come to replace the Jeep with a brand new Kubota, and put the Jeep up for sale.
During this time, the Man happened to be enjoying lunch with his Son (who by now was an adult) and casually mentioned the Jeep was for sale. The Son’s interest was piqued, and he wanted more info. The Man said he thought it might be a ’55, but wasn’t sure (it turned out be a ’51), and it had the “Hurricane 4” (which turned out to be a Go-Devil--such was the limits of the Man’s Jeep knowledge). The Son contacted the seller, and a deal was struck. So, the Son became the owner of the Jeep that the Grandfather (the Son’s Great-Grandfather) had purchased new in 1951.
The Son, who had never tackled any sort of restoration, tackled this Jeep restoration with a vengeance. Mostly with help from online forums, he stripped the Jeep right down to the frame, and did a complete restoration including all new suspension parts, front end parts, various tranny rebuilds, and a painting of the tub. When the job was completed, the Son allowed the Man (who was now 62) to take a test drive. It was in the winter, so they couldn’t go out onto the highway proper, but the Man drove the the Jeep around the neighborhood. The front end was tight. The exhaust was quiet. The Jeep felt almost brand-new. But most of all, the Man couldn’t help getting a lump in his throat that this Jeep, which his Grandfather had allowed him to drive almost fifty years ago, was now owned by, and had been lovingly restored by, his Son.
BTW, the Man—and the Son—are today ECWA forum members.
So, sometimes a Jeep can be more than just a Jeep.
Once upon a time there was a Boy. The Boy had a Grandfather, to whom he was very close. The Grandfather owned a large property which was originally a farm, but had been made into a summer resort including cabins, a beach, recreation areas, and small private golf course. When he was about twelve, the Boy began spending his summers working for the Grandfather. When the Boy was fourteen, the Grandfather (who was pretty good at figuring out what the Boy liked) allowed the Boy to start driving the Grandfather’s Jeep around the property. The Jeep always had a trailer attached, so at that early age the Boy learned not only how to drive a standard shift but also how to back up a trailer (a few years later, when the Boy was taking driver’s ed, he found parallel parking to be a snap).
The years went by, and the Boy grew up to be a Man, the beloved Grandfather passed on, and the Grandfather’s property became a development with ten house lots (which still included the small private golf course). The Jeep was passed on to the homeowner’s association. It was used to haul a three-gang mower around the private golf course. The Jeep was maintained by a mechanically-savvy member of the homeowner’s association--who even replaced the engine—allowing the Jeep to be used for mowing for over thirty years.
In the meantime, the Man had a family of his own, including his Son. The Man lived in close proximity to the Grandfather’s original property and occasionally would ride around the golf course in the Jeep with the caretaker “for old time’s sake.”
After thirty some-odd years, the Jeep still ran pretty well, but it was worn. There were no lights, no brakes, no cab, and just the remnants of seats. In short, it was a motor on a frame with a tub. The homeowner’s association decided the time had finally come to replace the Jeep with a brand new Kubota, and put the Jeep up for sale.
During this time, the Man happened to be enjoying lunch with his Son (who by now was an adult) and casually mentioned the Jeep was for sale. The Son’s interest was piqued, and he wanted more info. The Man said he thought it might be a ’55, but wasn’t sure (it turned out be a ’51), and it had the “Hurricane 4” (which turned out to be a Go-Devil--such was the limits of the Man’s Jeep knowledge). The Son contacted the seller, and a deal was struck. So, the Son became the owner of the Jeep that the Grandfather (the Son’s Great-Grandfather) had purchased new in 1951.
The Son, who had never tackled any sort of restoration, tackled this Jeep restoration with a vengeance. Mostly with help from online forums, he stripped the Jeep right down to the frame, and did a complete restoration including all new suspension parts, front end parts, various tranny rebuilds, and a painting of the tub. When the job was completed, the Son allowed the Man (who was now 62) to take a test drive. It was in the winter, so they couldn’t go out onto the highway proper, but the Man drove the the Jeep around the neighborhood. The front end was tight. The exhaust was quiet. The Jeep felt almost brand-new. But most of all, the Man couldn’t help getting a lump in his throat that this Jeep, which his Grandfather had allowed him to drive almost fifty years ago, was now owned by, and had been lovingly restored by, his Son.
BTW, the Man—and the Son—are today ECWA forum members.
So, sometimes a Jeep can be more than just a Jeep.
Impressive Sir Ryan. Oilly
