Jeep Therapy originally started in 1995 when the 258-I6 engine in my faded black CJ7 disintegrated a piston & came to a sudden halt. I had no money to rebuild it, but I had time - so I took on what I now know was too much of a project. My friend John had the far better idea with his rattle-can paint job & a short path to a good wheelin' Jeep. Even my other friend Scott, with the engine swap & complete frame-off restoration, managed the scope of his project to keep it simple, simple, simple - and thus, completed it in short order. Even before the hell period of my life, my project languished as I got more demanding jobs, had our 1st child, and faced a steep mountain of too complex a project. It went on so long, I lost the motivation. At that point, it's death sentence was written - it was only a matter of time.
So there we are, my new wife & I, at 12,000' in Colorado, communing with nature like only Jeepers & High Altitude Hikers know. And I started discussing with my new wife how I missed *my* Jeep, yet felt that project wasn't suitable for my new life & new family (2 kids now & soon to be 2 dogs). I was eyeing the 2005-2006 TJ 2-door Unlimited Rubicons, wondering if there was room in the back for dogs. Since the goal was to have a "forever Jeep", this was an important item. I found a compliant visitor who let me check out the cargo compartment of his TJ / LJ in town. While we could fit 2 medium size dogs back there, that meant another problem: it would mean defeat on Old Project Jeep Therapy. I just can't spell d-e-f-e-a-t. The JK Wrangler 4-door models were out of the question - I think Jeep finally lost the recipe with that one, and it's just "too much" - of everything. (My opinion only). Besides, they were far more expensive, and far more complex - not the direction I wanted to go.
So here we were sitting in Paradise, enjoying our new lives together, enjoying Jeeping, and wondering what to do about our own Jeep situation. Selling or parting it out would seem like quitting. Seeing a JK or even a hot TJ in my driveway & under my butt would be a constant reminder of my failure. (Did I tell you I was competitive & like to win?). But the old CJ7 lost my interest long ago, and I'm convinced it's not the right Jeep for our family and our 11-year plan (downgrading our jobs & moving to the mountains). Without the motivation, no project will ever get finished. And searching deep down inside, I know my heart just isn't in Old Project Jeep Therapy. Then it struck:
Why not take the best parts of my Jeep & buy a Scrambler tub & body, and make a New Jeep?
Just like my new Wife 2.0, Jeep 2.0 would be a major upgrade over the original. Just like in life, I learned how not to do a Jeep project, and with better decisions and selection criteria next time around. Making more money now, I could afford to get some professional help from a trusted shop to get me over the hurdles my home garage isn't equipped to handle - and with the more demanding job, time is harder to come by, so the professional help would be key. Changing some key items of project scope, success would be much faster to accomplish, while still being My Jeep Project. After all - I need to finish it while my kids are still young - that's the point, isn't it? - passing down the appreciation for both nature & a solid machine underneath?
With a new, longer body, but still all CJ through & through, it wouldn't be a failure of an old project attempt - it would be a new direction, with new goals, better results, and something that would be fitting of Life 2.0: Jeep 2.0: The Upgrade. Like Life 2.0, Jeep 2.0 would be rescued from ashes of failure & saved from destruction to become Jeep 2.0: The Resurrection.
And if, after we downgrade our jobs in 11 years & move to the mountains - it turns out Jeep 2.0 is too much of a taildragger for the type of 'wheeling I may end up doing after the kids leave the house, I can always bob it. Until then, it's the perfect family-friendly wheeling machine: all CJ, with enough room for what I need. (The assumption here is that I would not build a pickup-style scrambler, but build a full top-style scrambler).
So with that, Jeep 2.0: The Resurrection is born...
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