Part 1 ..
Why? Because I am limited on time (haha go figure) and don't want to spend a ridiculous amount of time editing photos. I try to be a good Hiver.. a good blockchain user and reduce my photo file sizes to keep space open on the chain. Do we all do this? Just curious if I am the only one spending time compressing photos. Anyhow, I'll write this in two small parts rather than one big post. Plus it will give me something to do tomorrow morning while I sip on my coffee! hehehe.
So Part One Began With A Thought ..
After taking a longer than normal nap, .. I thought, "Heck I have the time while off for Christmas break. I may as well start that Jeep project I've been putting off for a while." I decided a while back that I wanted to replace the tan or beige colored fender flares on my Jeep. One, they are starting to show their age. Two, I am determined to change everything to either black, white or chrome on this bad girl. I call her 'Old X' in case you ever read that somewhere in my rambles.
While Molly was content in sleeping her day away on the couch, I headed out to the garage to hopefully make some noise and get my hands dirty. Now that I re-read that, it sounds weird. hehehehehe
There they are.. a little chalky and scuffed, and this shot was taken at least 4 years ago.
So where to begin.. The worst part of this project was starting it. I knew that the 10-12 bolts per flare would be a pain in the a$$ to get at on top of that they have been locked in place for the last 17 years or so. This was going to be fun.
And as I had imagined it would be.. It was.
But I started and kept positive most of the time.. I took my time, listened to some music, drank a little, cut my knuckles a little, cursed a tiny, tiny bit, and overall succeeded in getting those old flares off the vehicle.
The large black plastic piece sitting closest to the Jeep also had to come off in order to get to all of those bolts. That part is called a rear wheel well fender or splash guard liner (in case you really cared). It's a very flexible sort of plastic, but still a real hassle getting off.
When these original parts come off, as one can imagine, there is always a large amount of visible dirt and debris present. Muck and crap that has accumulated there over the last 17 years. You can see what I am talking about in the shot above.
After about roughly 4 hours, all the fender flares were off and the only thing left was that dirt.. and of course a few cuts and scrapes to my hands and fingers.
Off With That Dirt!!! ..
The removal of the dirt and debris was the next step.. The dirt had to go. I don't want to put so many hours into a project to just stop short of doing what needs to be done. No cutting corners here! I want a nice clean surface for the new flare installation. BUT one needs to be very careful when removing this debris. I want to do it with ease and care so as not to scratch the painted surfaces. The last thing I want is rust to begin to form under the new flares after they are in place. I wouldn't know there was a problem until it was too late, so let's take the time and do it right.
There are a lot of products such as degreasers and sprays that work well at loosening the grime, but I find that simple dish soap such as Dawn works perfectly. I simply mix a 10 parts water, 1 part soap solution and spray that onto the dirt. I let it sit for a while and rinse with hot water. Bam! 75% of that crap is gone. The remainder is removed with a soft bristle brush and then a coating of wax.
Finished and Clean Results ..
New Fender Flares Arrived! ..
But I'm not super happy .. with these bran new, midnight black, OEM replacement fender flares made specifically for this Jeep TJ. That story is for another day and for Part 2 of this story. So if you're interested in how the second half of this story unfolds.. Look for it soon.
The only thing I have left to share with you today is a pile of parts. A pile that I had hoped to dispose of on trash day..
But NOT So Fast ... (To Be Continued)
Even a simple task like napping requires some level of motivation, thought, and finesse. Why put it off? Today seems like a great day to get something done. But first I shall sleep.
“Lay down
Your tired & weary head my friend.
We have wept too long
Night is falling
And you are only sleeping
We have come to this journey's end
It's time for us to go
To meet our friends
Who beckon us
To jump again
From across a distant sky
A C-130 comes to carry us
Where we shall all wait
For the final green light
In the light of
The pale moon rising
I see far on the horizon
Into the world of night and darkness
Feet and knees together
Time has ceased
But cherished memories still linger
This is the way of life and all things
We shall meet again
You are only sleeping.”
― José N. Harris, Mi Vida
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Pepper! I have gotten some very bad news about a friend of mine, and that poem, then the pix of Pepper, have me sobbing over here. But up to then, I had quite a few chuckles reading this one. Looking forward to part 2, I really am, and I don't give a hoot about cars.
Yeah.. Poor Pepper. We still miss him something terrible. I don't think the hole in our hearts will ever fill up again. He was such a great friend. So sorry for the cause of tears. I hope your friend is okay, and if not I am sure you will do your very best at comforting them and helping them through this bad time.
I am not much of a "Car Guy" but I do like working on my Jeep. They are pretty basic and strait forward. Also they make so many aftermarket part for them that it's fairly easy to work on them without busting the bank.
I know. It's so hard to lose a dog! The feelings for them are so pure, and so is the grief.
It's interesting that Jeeps are so inexpensive to work on, since they are pretty steep in price to buy. At least I think so.
Since they are so popular, there are a lot of options available as far as parts go. Yeah! How about the price of them. I won't be buying a new one anytime soon.. I think. lol. Every Jeep I bought I sold for more than I paid for it. I also never bought a new Jeep, so that helps.
Along with loving a pet as ones own family, ones own friend, comes the inevitable grief that we all one day must face. It's the price we pay for loving someone so deeply. I suppose it is true.. "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all".
What I have learned is that, when I feel grief, I also feel them with me. I like to think we recompose their frequencies or something for a moment, and they actually are here.
That is pretty awesome. I can understand why you would want to go with black instead of the tan. How comfortable is the jeep to ride in? My wife has a Buick lacrosse but we are selling it to my niece eventually. She might want a wrangler, but we are worried about the ride and the finishes.
I'm trying to make things black and white. Weird how some stuff was black and other stuff was that tan color.. no clue about the decision making there. I would eventually like to change out the entire dash and interior seats... but one thing at a time. lol.
Parting ways with the Buick??!!! Jeeps have come a long way from where they once were. The Wrangler I have is the last of the tub style bodies. 2006 was the last year they made the TJ and the last year for the tub body. They went to a more comfortable and accessible body style. I suppose people wanted comfort over bare bones. lol. I would highly suggest either a long test drive or renting a newer style Wrangler for a week or so to make sure she'll like the ride. Even though they developed a nicer riding Jeep, the roughness is still present. Being that I made some major alterations to my suspension and tires, my TJ rides a bit rougher than a stock Jeep would.
My cousin has a Rubicon Wrangler and it rides pretty nice even considering the off road package it's fitted with. Leather seating is nice too. Back seat still sucks though. I don't think that has progressed very well.
Best to rent one for a while to see if you like, but only if you are still considering it after a test drive.
Okay thanks! Will do!
haha I really don't know anything about cars but honestly this post amused me a lot.
On the other hand, Molly is always so pretty in the photos, the perfect model.
I want to read part 2 now. 🤭✨
That's a great compliment considering not being interested in cars. Thanks!!! Yeah Molly is pretty in photos if I manage to get her to look at the camera. She fights it most of the time. I'll see what I can capture for part two!
I always take the time to reduce photo size, mostly because it takes too long to upload, and I won’t read posts that take too long to download and figure others might not either.
Good job getting all the bolts out. I didn’t read about a broken bolt, so you did good!
Yeah.. NO broken bolts. I was surprised too, that I did such a good job that is hehe. Maybe other reduce file sizes too. I know I appreciate it as well 😊
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