Robrt-Stephens
New member
RE: MPG & Odometer with bigger tires
I cut my teeth on these rigs from the time I was about 14 till 24 or so, when I would log here in western Montana and then cowboy in the summer. Good money and great 4 wheelin'. In this photo I was 21. I'm almost 53 now.
These rigs had a foot engaging locker for front and rear and with the chains they would really haul ass over some really really tough stuff. The tires were 56" and were 20" wide filled with 1000 lbs. of Calcium Choride and lead powder.
They also had a 60,000 lb. Hyster Winch mounted in the rear just below the grapple, which you can see the end trunnion just below and in front of the grapple anchor.
Meanwhile, this was my first Jeep on April 15, 1965 when I became a Jeeper. I was 12 when I got this rig, for $450.00. I financed it for 2 years with Wells Fargo bank with my folks co-signing for me, for $11.40 per month. Ouch!--that was hard to afford, and gas was $.23 gallon.
......and 40 years later to this, a 1983 CJ-7 restored from a total wreck. I fished this out of the north fork of the Flathead River outside Glacier National Park about 25 miles from my home here in northwest Montana.
I pulled it out of the river with a logging buddy of mine who had a CAT 588, like the CAT 518 at top, and I drove it up to the wreck in the winter time and down into the river and with the grapple, just picked it up, squishing it further (it was totaled anyway and it was free.....), then hauled it back the 25 miles to Columbia Falls, the little town where he lived. I've had it (called VEX) for 14 years now and just can't quit it. Too cool and fun rig. It's my only ride.
Thanks for letting me share these shots with you all. The April 15, 2005 date coming up for me is a big deal for me, in memory as well as what is to come.
I cut my teeth on these rigs from the time I was about 14 till 24 or so, when I would log here in western Montana and then cowboy in the summer. Good money and great 4 wheelin'. In this photo I was 21. I'm almost 53 now.
These rigs had a foot engaging locker for front and rear and with the chains they would really haul ass over some really really tough stuff. The tires were 56" and were 20" wide filled with 1000 lbs. of Calcium Choride and lead powder.
They also had a 60,000 lb. Hyster Winch mounted in the rear just below the grapple, which you can see the end trunnion just below and in front of the grapple anchor.
Meanwhile, this was my first Jeep on April 15, 1965 when I became a Jeeper. I was 12 when I got this rig, for $450.00. I financed it for 2 years with Wells Fargo bank with my folks co-signing for me, for $11.40 per month. Ouch!--that was hard to afford, and gas was $.23 gallon.
......and 40 years later to this, a 1983 CJ-7 restored from a total wreck. I fished this out of the north fork of the Flathead River outside Glacier National Park about 25 miles from my home here in northwest Montana.
I pulled it out of the river with a logging buddy of mine who had a CAT 588, like the CAT 518 at top, and I drove it up to the wreck in the winter time and down into the river and with the grapple, just picked it up, squishing it further (it was totaled anyway and it was free.....), then hauled it back the 25 miles to Columbia Falls, the little town where he lived. I've had it (called VEX) for 14 years now and just can't quit it. Too cool and fun rig. It's my only ride.
Thanks for letting me share these shots with you all. The April 15, 2005 date coming up for me is a big deal for me, in memory as well as what is to come.
