Looks aren’t everything. It doesn’t matter how chewed on a pencil is as long as it writes. An ugly Christmas sweater can still keep you warm.
The same logic goes for the $600 heap you see here, courtesy of Jalopnik. Despite having an almost terminal case of rust, a sagging headliner, poorly rigged electronics, broken interior rear door latches, and a side mirror attached by duct tape, its 156,000-mile 4.0-liter straight six and automatic transmission still operate normally. So does the four-wheel drive system.
That’s especially important because this beater’s new adventurous/brave/masochistic(?)/high(?) owner, David Tracy, wants to take it out to Moab next year for the 50th annual Easter Jeep Safari. He said, “My plans are to cobble together a junkyard lift, find a good set of tires on Craigslist, maybe weld the rear diff or find a cheap lunchbox locker, and wheel this thing in Moab on some tough, but not insane trails.”
He sure found himself one ugly heap of a Jeep, but it’s still a Jeep. I’m sure with an infusion of sheet metal, the right parts, and good timing, this XJ will be able to get the job done out in Utah.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
