Boo Boo bumper, bye bye.

As you recall from my earlier ramblings, some damage was inflicted upon our rear bumper in the last year.  No less than four times did it answer the call to protect the rest of the vehicle from damage or perform tasks for which it was not intended.

Cast your memory back to early April 2011, when we were rear ended at a stop sign.

A little bent

Then escaping Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado via the treacherous(?) Medano Pass...

A little more...

 ...and the equally challenging Lockhart Basin Trail between Canyonland NP and Moab, UT....

Even more bending..

...and lest we forget those sinister concrete pillars that surround phone booths in California, tattooing our bumper in yellow.  Yes, the left coast still uses phone booths!?

Adding insult to injury, tattooed...

Lastly I employed the bumper to pull some damaged tree limbs from my parents yard after an early snowstorm Halloween weekend.

Post tree pulling

 Well, as the title of this post suggests, the bumper is gone.  It has been retired from service as I suspect it wouldn't pass Mass inspection anyway.  I don't think I need one for inspection?

Naked

At any rate with the Bronco sold and leaving soon as well as my snowmobile sold and gone.  I may now have enough for some additional repairs and a 'brandy-new' bumper.  Stay tuned.

New(ish) sneakers

Checked off another project with the Jeep.  We got some nifty new sneakers for it.  Well not that new, I reallocated them from my 1975 Ford Bronco which has been an unfinished project purchased in 1994.  I made several trips to Maine and cruised around town with the Bronco before it was parked and as I quote a classic from 1985; "yet has darkened our driveway, immobile, ever since."

I am planning to let the Bronco go and since the Jeep needs tires...

...the 31X10.50R15LT BFGoodrich Radial All-Terrain T/A's fit nicely and spared me the cost of new.  They are a snug fit and I have a bit of rubbing when the steering wheel is at full lock left and right but look good nonetheless.   I also found a matching steel wheel on Craig s list for $30.  My spare is now full size and matching.

This turkey can trot...

Black Friday Cheryl and I went North to test the Jeeps off road prowess with my Jeep club's first annual Turkey Trot.

 

The recent snow fall had me concerned as the Jeep is only on 28" all season sneakers and, well, short compared to many of the built up Jeeps in the club.  We played follow the leader and drove some unmaintained class VI roads in Southern NH.

We held the group up for about a half hour when the Jeep couldn't climb a snowy, slippery ledge.  A committee immediately convened and the problem was solved, we were on our way.

Tow strap committee

We were on our way, or so we thought....

 

We ultimately needed a tow for the next 100 yards through a steep rocky section of trail.  The Jeep sacrificed a plastic center hub cap but otherwise survived unscathed.

A rolling stone gathers no moss....

Same goes for Jeeps.    After nearly 14,000 miles in six weeks the Jeep enjoyed a rest in the driveway.  However in this time some life sprung up along the windshield seams.   Some plant spores fed by nutrient rich dust and ample water coming down the windshield took root and flourished, briefly.

Something's growing

More something

The Comanche's "rest" was nearly six weeks before I took to looking after its wounds.  I had the catalytic converter replaced and found several intake manifold bolts went missing during our journey.  We also now have a leaking power steering unit, leaking front shocks and our tires are badly worn and cracked. The later will have to wait till budget allows for repairs.

The early snow in the North East (Halloween weekend) brought a lot of trees and limbs down.  The Jeep was called into service pulling some large hanging limbs to the ground at my parents house.  This added insult to injury with it's all ready badly mangled bumper.

Boo-boo bumper

The Jeep is happily resigned to hauling firewood and bikes around for the time being.