4-Wheel & Off-Road welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must include an address or a telephone number so the sender can be verified. Once verified, your name may be withheld at your request. Letters published in this magazine reflect the opinions of the writers, and we reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, brevity, or other purposes. Due to the large volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot reply to unpublished letters or return photos. Digital photos must measure no less than 1600 x 1200 pixels (or two megapixels) and be saved as a TIFF, an EPS, or a maximum-quality JPEG file.
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Reader: I finally got around to reading my Nov. '06 Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road. When I got to the article "Hitting' the Skids" on page 118, I couldn't believe what I was looking at. A man was lying on his back using a drill without safety glasses. I work in a private post secondary automotive school with about 1,100 students. Your magazine is very popular with these impressionable people who already believe that safety glasses are uncool. Please let them know how important it is to protect their eyes.
Chuck Burns
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Editor: Right you are. It never hurts to remind our readers. In our defense, however, it was a staged shot without actually using the drill, and the face was supposed to be cropped out of the photo. We'll be more diligent next time we use a photo such as this.
Reader: I am a beginning photography major in Ohio. I was wondering how someone might begin a career working for a magazine such as yours. I want to know what kind of degree I might need as well as what kind of experience would be required before I might be able to obtain a career with your company. I would greatly appreciate a response, and I wish to thank you for your time.
Aaron Shirk
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Editor: We still haven't filled a Feature Editor position we have open, because we are fairly strict with our standards. Our ideal candidate would have a dual degree in journalism and photography, and a minor in business. He/she should be articulate, possess mechanical ability, and have some experience driving in the 4x4 world. You'd also have to work weekends, late nights, travel a lot, and be satisfied with a salary, instead of expecting to be paid overtime. It isn't easy, but it is considered the best job in the world. Since you (and most other people) won't be qualified like that, we'll certainly interview anyone who has the passion and a modicum of intelligence. Give us a resume on 4wheeloffroad.com with the subject line "I want a job" and we'll take a look at it.
Reader: I have a 153 Mercruiser Chevy engine in my '42 Jeep and I was hoping you would know where to find any performance parts for it, like headers. I was also hoping you would be reviewing the new Hankook mud tires. I'd like to hear more information on them. I have a set of 33x12.5 15s and they made it over the Rubicon in September with no problems.
Mike LaFaunce
Eureka, CA
Editor: For those of you who aren't aware, Chevy produced a 153 four-cylinder engine back for use in Chevy II from '62 to '69, and DJ-5 postal Jeeps from '67 to '69. Powerful, fuel-efficient, small, light, and torquey made it a great Jeep engine, and it was a common conversion. The Mercruiser design was the same engine, and many were placed in boats and, yes, even airplanes. The later 151 Iron Duke used in Jeeps is nothing like the 153 and shouldn't be confused with it. However, we haven't seen any headers available for a 153 Merc in a '42 Jeep, so you're on your own for that one. As for the Hankooks, we are testing them now. Expect a review in a future issue.
Reader: The accusations of editorial prostitution in your December '06 In Box are only slightly less annoying than the ignorant yapping about "a Japanese company trying to wedge its way into the American market," and puffed-up pride in "my American truck." That tirade is outdated and over-simplified. Are you sure all the parts in your truck were actually manufactured by Americans? Are you certain all the parts in those Japanese trucks were made in Japan? Follow the chain of command up your American truck company. Where does it go? Get over it and go wheel your truck. I could yap on and on about the global economy and manufacturing, but that's annoying too. I'd rather read about the huge variety of rides, rigs, events, and tech that 4-Wheel & Off-Road is trying to present. Thanks for staying on task and true, guys.
Ryan Hayes
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Editor: Thanks. We'll just stop that entire diatribe right now. After I ask if anyone is watching their DVDs on an American-made machine, or an American-made computer for that matter. Pretty slim chances for sure!