Submission Information
Send us your wheeling foul-ups! Letters must be signed by the vehicle's owner. Due to the large volume of mail we receive, we regret that not all submissions can be used and none will be returned. 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.
Write to:
Whoops!
4-Wheel & Off-Road
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515
or e-mail to: jerrod.jones@primedia.com
D'Oh!
Dennis Jacobsen was in the Little Sluice on the Rubicon Trail, trying to crawl over some boulders, when his front leaf spring snapped in half. This is the type of thing that happens when having a little good, clean fun.
Dennis Jacobsen and Mark Nicholson
Grass Valley, CA
Mess of the month
Stupid is as Stupid Does
In the Special Whoops! (Apr. 2004), you published my Jeep Honcho making a graceful leap over a dam. Unfortunately, the last jump this truck ever made was not so graceful and was far from safe. This time around, the ground was drier, resulting in higher speeds, and we decided to jump at night, making for poor visibility. When we hit the dam (our makeshift ramp), the windshield departed and the non-factory bungee cord holding the hood failed to perform its intended service. We veered too far to the right of the dam, and accidentally cleared almost 60 feet before sticking the truck like a lawndart. After a brief introduction to an unforgiving steel dashboard, we began to collect ourselves. The right passenger, Kevin, was barely able to lift his own body from the cab and out the window, only to fall into waist-deep water upon exit. The driver, Jeff, was knocked unconscious after a broken steering wheel spoke carved a reminder in his forehead that earned him over a dozen stitches to pull his forehead back together. I, being in the middle, braced my body for impact using my face against the dash, granting me a 3 a.m. CAT scan. It was not until I stood up through the hole where the windshield used to be that I realized how bad the crash was, and how lucky we were to be alive, especially considering I was not belted in and was sitting on the transmission tunnel.
This was the last jump the Jeep or I will ever make and possibly the last time I'll do any wheeling at all. It just goes to prove the age-old fact: you can't fix stupid.
Matt McAllister
St. Louis, MO
P.S. For Sale: '80 Jeep Honcho, slight front-end damage, make offer.