New guy - hi yall

Not sure if I'll get the chance to attend the Moab even this year, but I'll definitely be coming to Fort Irwin / Barstow at the beginning of October. I'm Army so that takes up a lot of my time, but I'd love to link up with some of yall when there's a chance. I'm a North Carolina boy originally, and the West Coast is seemingly just FULL of awesome opportunities to off-road that we don't get back east. I have my eye on the Rubicon and on Baja, for starters...

Jeep's a 1998 blue-purple beastie running a Russ Pottenger 4.6 stroker and AX-15 trans, lockers front and rear, 4.11 on 31s. Lots of (too) heavy metal added around the sides and undercarriage. A few other money-pit mods. She's not built for speed or for the desert really but a little work on the kinks and I think she'll do fine to go explore. Oh yeah she's also my DD.





Hope I get the chance to wheel with some of yall. I hear you're assholes but, y'know, the fun kind. :laugh3:

Well, there is certainly one known jerk among us...

Welcome aboard. Your Jeep sounds very much like where mine is targeted. I have a block and head in Russ's hands right now.

Being in the Barstow area will put you in relatively easy reach of the San Bernardino National Forest. That is where most of the chapter wheeling takes place. We also work on maintaining three different trails in there, Cleghorn being the big name of the three. Watch for Adopt-A-Trail (AAT) events. SoCalFest is our annual get together. It will be in the spring, probably in May. Could be in SBNF or in Calico (which would be real close to you in Barstow).

Oh, and your rig is probably built plenty fine for having fun in the desert, as long as you keep your expectations reasonable. There is far more to the desert than dunes. There are lots of old mining trails to explore, and those dune buggies are not at all suited to that sort of activity. If you want to play in sand, well, that is an entirely different ball game, and you would want an entirely different vehicle, but your XJ will take you all sorts of great places in the desert. Just make sure to keep your cooling system in top shape, have reliable tires and carry extra water.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome!

Watch the forum for details of an unofficial (not club-sanctioned) event in Johnson Valley the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Welcome! You're not all that far from Death Valley, which is where my pig lives. I get out there three or four times a year to play, and usually am based at Panamint Springs, which is on the far west side of the valley. My son also works out there, and is in the process of building an MJ.


Lots of stuff to see in the area, maybe we can connect on one of my trips.


David Bricker / SYR

Welcome

Welcome! If I buy you dinner will you promise to stay inside the restaurant long enough for me to steal your rear bumper?

Appreciate the welcome everyone. I will keep an eye on events you have suggested and look forward to tagging along on a trip or two in the future.

Coach Bruce said:

Welcome! If I buy you dinner will you promise to stay inside the restaurant long enough for me to steal your rear bumper?

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That depends, are you paying for drinks during the wait? Thing’s on there pretty good it’ll take a minute.

BlurpleXJ said:

That depends, are you paying for drinks during the wait? Thing’s on there pretty good it’ll take a minute.

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Sounds 'spensive. :eyes:

Welcome!