As a gearhead, you get used to the idea that an aftermarket bolt-on part or even a weld-in piece billed as “made to fit” doesn’t usually live up to its promise. As a matter of fact, when a part even comes close to lining up as it should, it’s a cause for celebration. (Continue Reading)
(This story was originally published on the now-defunct JeepWave.com)HOMEWARD BOUNDMy first Jeep memories come from my dad and his red ‘71 CJ5, so when the Gladiator was officially announced he was the first person I sent a link to. “When are you gonna bring one over here?” was his first reply. “As soon as I … Read More
At the end of June we attended a celebration of all things America and automotive at the “Cars Under the Stars” fireworks event at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Mich. Among the crowd of friends and strangers we overheard a conversation nearby. A young girl was talking about her passion for welding, and we couldn’t help … Read More
In an age of plastic bumpers, bedazzled wheels, and other bits of faux off-road virtue signaling, the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon is breath of fresh, argon-tinged air. It looks and feels substantial, more “fabricated” than merely assembled. With a high-strength yet lightweight steel frame, aluminum body, sturdy metal bumpers, heavy-duty skid plates, and rock sliders throughout, the Gladiator … Read More
(This story was originally published on the now-defunct JeepWave.com.)Back in the days of my youth, before the internet and GoPros and streaming videos, before social media, before Starbucks and Nirvana and the proliferation of ready-to-go pizza, before we had cable TV or CDs, back when rotary phones where the only way to make a call … Read More
Over the last few years we’ve been featuring young, blue-collar workers in our Still Building America blog series at thefabricator.com. Once in a while a story leaps out at me, and this is one of those. My wife Darla shared Melissa Gillespie Davis’ industrial paintings with me, and they stopped me cold. Themes of tradeswomen, … Read More