Build My Truck!
I recently purchased a '78 Chevrolet 4x4 short-box. It's a great project truck. The body is straight, absolutely no rust (Arizona truck), and it has a nice 6-inch lift running 35s. It has a rebuilt 350 and basically just needs minor TLC and cosmetic work to be a really sweet ride. My dilemma is that I want to totally restore/rebuild it into a show-winning truck, but I don't want to have to wait years and years doing it all one step at a time. My idea is to see if you guys would be interested taking the project on, or if you knew a large parts manufacturer or magazine company that would like to build the truck and then use it to showcase their products and at conventions.
I'm sure there are a million other similar requests, but I thought it would at least be worth it to mention it to you guys first, as you've always been my favorite truck magazine. And yes, I know I need to resubscribe, which I will be doing soon.
Let me know your thoughts. I can forward some pics if you want to consider this idea, and if not, no biggie; but if you could steer me in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated.
Chase Albright
Scottsdale, AZ
We really would love to do a project like that, but then what about your neighbor that wants the same thing? In fairness we just don't participate in these types of builds. Instead, we opt for people to do it themselves and then we feature it if it turns out well. Reader-built trucks are what we want, and so do our subscribers. Hey, subscribe now at 4wheeloffroad.com and get a free hat!
Massive Reader Rant
The End Of Freedom?
Regarding "The End of Freedom?" 4xForward, Aug. '09. First, let me say that I have been a 4-Wheel & Off-Road reader for many years. When I read the August 4XForward, I smiled to myself wondering why a popular magazine (perhaps the best of its kind) would choose to publish an article based not only on ignorance but a complete lack of understanding and total disrespect for the law enforcement community. Then I read that the piece was written by your editor-in-chief! I was shocked.
In response, I not only have an opinion on the subject, but unlike that of Mr. Péwé, my opinion comes as a longtime wheeler and 16-year veteran of the Arizona Highway Patrol. To add some validity to my wheeler status, I currently own a Class 9 off-road car, quads, a '58 Jeep rockcrawler, '94 Jeep Wrangler, and an '03 F-350 I use to pull my stuff around. My 16 years of public service has all been in traffic/impaired driver enforcement.
Mr. Péwé's description of "misguided" Utah Highway Patrol Officers "stalking" him and his fellow off-roaders is simply ridiculous. I think that fishing would be a more accurate term than stalking. When you go fishing, do you expect to catch all the fish in the lake or just a few? If you catch and release, isn't it reasonable to expect that someone else might catch the same fish later in the day? Law enforcement uses that burned-out lamp, broken windshield, expired tag, or lack of splash guards not only to help ensure the legal status and proper working condition of a vehicle but also as tools to remove from the road the unlicensed or impaired driver.
If the traffic stop is simply just routine, the driver is advised of the violation and issued a warning, an equipment repair order, or possibly cited. Are there police officers out there that abuse their peace officer authority? Sure, there are, just as on a daily basis there are vast numbers of motorists that abuse their privilege to drive on public roadways. I personally believe that law enforcement agencies do a good job policing themselves.
It is clear to me that Mr. Péwé has never worked in any form of public service, choosing instead to pen articles on his opinions rather than doing an ounce of research. I am sure that he would be among the first and loudest to scream if the police were nowhere to be seen in the event he or one of his wheeler buddies needed help. Perhaps the magazine could apologize to the good men and women of law enforcement over the recent ill-informed article. Apologize to those people that work tirelessly each day so Mr. Péwé can drive his old flatfender down the continued on page 10 highway with its broken windshield, oversized tires, and expired tag? Wow! Is this another case of the police acting stupidly? Former reader,
Jim Congrove
Ewa Beach, HI
I'm glad I'm an ignorant, babbling SOB who doesn't take any personal offense at another person's lack of vision. There is nothing better than quality law enforcement officers, and I support them to the end. I, too, believe that they do a good job policing themselves. In my 40 years of driving on and off road all over the world in public and private service, I have never met a peace officer that wasn't on the right side of freedom. I have helped and been helped many times on both sides.
I take it that in all your years of wheeling you have never made it in a trail rig to Moab? Read the editorial again, as most people don't fish with binoculars. A random roadblock such as a DUI checkpoint would have been far better, more effective, and less intrusive than blocking a trail head.