(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
Whether you’re a mechanic, a fabricator, a machinist, or a writer, there’s no such thing as free time. Over the span of many years, you’ve spent long hours nearly every day of every week honing your talent, developing your skills, and gaining knowledge that only comes from such experience. Both the time it takes you … Read More