The Mud Pit > General

Introduce Yourself!!

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Cheek-Bone:
Alright I guess I can say a little about myself. I am one of the 4 original Founding Members of JT4x4. It all started with 4 guys with a passion for wheeling and wanting to start a club in the local area so others with our passion could have a place to call home. But from the very beginning we wanted to do it right and legal, so that is the foundation that we have based our club on. If you are wondering where the JT came from, well it just so happened that 2 of the 4 of us had Jeeps, and the other 2 had Trucks so it just seemed to work.

I have been in love with Jeeps ever since I saw the movie Patton for the first time when I was 10, and watching all of those WWII Jeeps running around. So in 2000 I bought my first Jeep a Brand new TJ Saraha. I live in VA Beach at the time so the only wheeling I did with it was on the beach and in some sand dunes. I traded it in after Melissa had our daughter because there just wasn't enough room for everything that first time parents need for kids. We were like all first time parents and when we went anywhere we had everything you could think of for Hanna, Just in case.

So in 2006 we moved to CT for shore duty and I really wanted to get another Jeep I hated getting rid of the other one but at the time it was the right thing to do and as an E-4 I sure as hell couldn't make 2 car payments. So I started looking around and talking to people and sure as shit Doball had just bought his CJ-7 and was talking about selling the 92 YJ he had, so I jumped right on it. I did all kinds of upgrades and things to that jeep and I definately learned alot along the way about working on them and good places to get parts for the best price.

So Before I got back up here I decided it was time for a major upgrade, the 4 squirrels under the hood just wasn't cutting it for me anymore. So I decided that I was going to do a Bowtie 350 swap. I started talking to Gastank through emails about everything he needed to do his swap. In the end the list got long and the price tag was looking to be between $7000-$8000. Which was fine because that is what I expected. Then all of the sudden I am on NEJeep.org and I see a jeep for sale that the guy who built it had done a running build documentation on the forum so the whole time he was building it, and the whole time I was watching the forum and thinking "Man that is a awesome Jeep". Well sure as hell there it was on the forum for sale. He was asking $7500 for it which was right around what I was going to pay for the engine swap, but the major difference was Mike had alread upgraded everything else. Including the Ford 8.8 rear end, gears, lockers, new engine, new tranny, and a complete list that I put in the Members Rigs section. So needless to say I jumped and had the Jeep bought before I was even back in the state. But I couldn't have done that w/o Jon and Brian going over a taking a look at it for me, Thanks again guys. But that just goes to show the type of people we have here in our club.

If after reading all of our intros if anyone has any questions that you don't feel comfortable putting on the open forum feel free to shoot me a PM and I will do my best to help anyone with anything. If I don't have the answer I will do my best and ask the right people to get the answer you are looking for. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Welcome to JT4x4 and the forum, it's a great group and we have alot of fun. Hope to see you on the trail.

Brian

ToxicTurtle:
There are some of you who already know my life story... LOL I could take up most of JT4x4's bandwidth with my life exploits. So, I'll try to keep it as short as Toxically possible.  ;D

I was born in Wallingford CT, 42+ years ago. I broke my collar bone when I was 4 and somehow, at the same time, also developed a double hernia. I was in the hospital recovering from surgery and my roommate was a teenager who was building all sorts of cool car models. I wanted to build one too. So, my Dad picked up a glue kit of a convertible 1969 Mercedes Benz. That was my first foray into the world of wheels. I was hooked. I was instantly enamoured with racing, hot-rods, trucks, anything with a motor and wheels. I raced BMX bikes from the time I was 12 until I was 18. I held several national titles and had a factory sponsorship from Kuwahara. I bought my first car at 14. A 70 Plymouth Duster. 318. I did all the body work myself and added 360 heads and cam. Took me a couple of years. When I turned 16, I drove that car for a bit, but then came across a 440 Duster. I sold the 318 and bought the 440. I only drove that car for a few months as I actually realized as a kid, that the 440 would probably get me killed or at least some really bad tickets.

I was a hardcore partier. Started drinking when I was about 15. However, I always did well in school. Took all the Honors and AP courses. Really stood out. Most, if not all of my peers dressed the preppy part or were super geeks.. I wore jeans and an old army jacket and concert shirts. I had high top Keds painted up like the sneakers on Boston's first album. I dabbled in bootleg tapes and did my fair share of scalping tickets.  My Mom died when I was 10 and my Dad wasn't the best at taking care of bills, so, I ended up taking care of many financial things, even as a 13 yo kid. I had a very large paper route, that I had had since I was 8.. It actually paid me about $150 week... back 30 + years ago.

I graduated 22 in my class, out of 350 kids. I went to college for about a year, taking drafting and architectural classes, just continuing on the path I had started in HS, where I won several awards for my designs. I was also living on my own, like I had since I was 17, paying my own way through college. I had to drop out when my wheels went belly up and I needed to get a car so I could work and get to school.. but.. I couldn't afford the next semester's tuition.

At 19-20, I went to work for a sign company. I had at the time, a 73 Duster and a 69 Charger, with a 383 big block, modded only a little. Kept the stock redline Goodyears and stock rally wheels. I was soon engaged to the woman I would end up divorcing.. LOL We got married when I was 22. Soon after the wedding, my Grandfather died and left me some money. I started a sign business with most of it, with my Dad. Oh and I stopped drinking simply because I was tired of waking up feeling like crap... No AA or any defeatist I am an alcoholic for life attitude. Just stopped. I can go out today and have 1 drink or 10 and stop at any time in between.
I soon traded in the Duster for THE 4Runner that today is the Toxic Turtle. Bought her brand spankin new in early 1987.
I picked her up on a Friday and on Saturday, I was in VT, stuck. Yup, second day of owning her, I got her stuck on some real nasty, muddy road in Ludlow VT.
In less than a year, I had met several other local wheelers and we started the Eastern 4 Wheelers. I absolutely loved wheeling. I still liked to go fast though. My wife wanted a Mustang. I told we could be better with a Cougar. I sold the Charger and bought a 69 Cougar. 351, RX-7, loaded. I did mostly super detailed clean up work. Took some trophies at local shows and figured it was time to give to my wife. She put it in gear to back out of the driveway. She stepped too hard on the double sprung throttle linkage and lit up the tires. She jammed the brakes, got out and threw the keys at me, saying she would never be able to drive that car. So.. I traded it for two Jeeps and 2000 bux. I started building one Jeep and sold the other for $2000. I was actually going to keep the runner as a DD and wheel the Jeep. But.. some carb issues got me ticked at the Jeep so I traded it in on a Z41 Pontiac Special Edition Gran Prix. I started building the 4Runner.

My sign biz was up and down, which I found to be not just my biz but the entire industry. My wife felt that I should be taking care of her and chose not to work. I am a laid back guy so it took me two years to get mad enough and kick her ass out of the house. The wheeling community was my sanity. I purchased one of the first Marlin Crawlers here on the east coast and people started calling me Turtle. In a trip in late 89 to Bloomsburg for the massive 4x4 Jamboree/Truck Show (just like Essex) I met up with some guys from the East Coast 4WD Assn. They were raffling off a fiber Jeep body. I stopped and asked.. and before you knew it, E4W was the charter club in Region D Northeast. I became the chairman.

I have since been the Land Use Chair for the region. Been asked to step away completely from the world of wheeling due to false accusations. I have wheeled all over the country. From western upstate NY to GA, to NV and AZ. ME, PA, NJ, MD. I have held the position of Land Use in E4W for nearly all of its years. I have been its president three times and it VP several times. I have held positions and still do on several national motorized enthusiast BODs. I have taught 4WD instruction for Land Rover North America with Camel Trophy driver Jim Swett. I owned my own 4W instructional business, Backcountry Trails 4WD Instruction. The Turtle developed slowly over time. Several years ago, I swapped in the live axle and did the buggy spring set up in the rear.. and also stripped and painted the whole deal. At that point, she morphed into the Super Hero.. Toxic Turtle. I am VERY passionate about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I am very rarely not smiling.. although I do have my sad moments. I have been in several wrecked romances over the years and feel that I have learned from each one... what to look for in others and what was wrong in me.. I am goal oriented and can be difficult to work with/for if I am on a drive. I tend to do whats right, not popular. I have no problem calling the authorities on any group that is knowingly wheeling illegally. Gonna complain that you have no where to wheel but then complain about the stupid clubs... ask me if I care... I have the places to wheel and you don't... either play by my rules or you will pay fines or you simply won't get to play. I am very politically active. I'm not afraid to tell you who I'm voting for or why. I will easily tell you my feelings on politics, religion and the art of zen and motorcycle repair. I hold no secrets and will pretty much answer any questions asked of me... my life truly is an open book. However, just don't ask any questions you don't want my honest answer on.

On the work front, about 8 years ago, I walked away from full time sign and vehicle lettering.. I kept all my equipment cuz I still love designing lettering and grafix for cars and trucks, still do it on the side. But, the ups and downs are a major reason my hair is as gray as it is and I'm only in my early 40s. I was asked to come work for a friend of mine at this place called United Cleaning and Restoration. I needed a steady paycheck, I WAS actually starting to age and I had no insurance, so I took the job. I started out around 10-12 an hour. Being one who can't sit very still, is goal oriented, etc. It didn't take long before I moved up from the starting position as cleaner. Less than 8 years later, my income has more than doubled/ I deal with homeowners who have been dealt a nasty hand by either fire or water loss. I help restore their home and lifestyle back to pre-loss conditions,. I handle all the inventory work with RE to their belongings and I deal with the insurance companies and the adjusters. I work with a REALLY great crew and we laugh all day long while producing the most of any other division in the company. I work with 4 guys who are all into wheeling too!

About 3 years ago, I was out in Vegas for the North American Motorized Recreation Council mtg and the SEMA show. Just weeks before, I was home alone on my couch, feeling depressed and full of the rare self pity moment. I sort of asked my Mom, why can't I find a woman who doesn't have a truck.. but knows what one is. One who would go wheeling not totally because she thinks wheeling kicks ass, but because I am going and she wants to go with me. A woman who wants me to go with her to some art show or on an architectural tour or to a cooking show, not becasue she wants to control me and know where I am but because she wants to be with me... and I would want to go to those places not because I am some art aficionado but because I want to be with her.  A woman who can cook, a woman who I don't have to always take care of but will let me if need be. An attractive woman, physically fit, so she can deal with the rigors of wheeling or hiking or just being outside. blah, blah, blah
So, there I am at Gilly's, on the strip in Las Vegas. THE place to meet the woman you want to marry,right? LOL After two days of bikini bull riding, mud wrestling and steak and lobster dinners, we were just chillin, drinking a few beers. I see this woman across the way and she seems rather interested in me by her frequent looks and waves. My friend tells me to go buy her a beer. I refrain and he threatens bodily harm if I don't. I turn back and... she's gone. Oh well... 10 mins later, I get a tap on the shoulder.. I turn and there she is.. "Hi my name is Maureen".. Hey, I'm Dave, can I get you a refill on the beer? I spend the next three days with her. We talk every day from when I leave. she comes out for my birthday. I go out there to visit. On her next visit, she wants to go looking at houses because her brothers both live within 2 hours of central CT. That day she buys a house here in Guilford. We design the inside of the house together over the phone.. each having the same ideas.. so much so that when we were to choose paint colors, she went out, back west and I did the same here. When she arrived, we compared colors for each room. They were the same. Our design thoughts are the same. She subscribes to.. get this.. and this is before I even knew her... Architectural Digest and Autoweek.
I am happy because I am living what I feel is the life I should be.. I am happy. I am bummed because we have been living apart, 2500 freekin miles apart, for 2 plus, almost 3 years. It is difficult.  HOWEVER... I know we can do it.. I simply look to many of my JT4x4 friends who serve our country and spend long periods of time away from friends and family, defending our country and if you can do it, so can I.

That is as much of a nut shell as I can get... There are of course lots of things I'd like to add but feel its getting a bit long already...   :D
If anyone really wants to know more... just ask...  LOL

Talk soon,

HOT-ROD:
DING! DING! DING!

we have a winner Johnny!!!!!!!!!!

steve-o:
hello,

my name is steve i am a Ec4wda and NTC member and i drive a 86 toyota 4runner that i have sased caged locked and geared. looking forward to meeting some of you guys on the trail

84 front axle, TG dual case adapter, 5.29s, 37in mtrs, hysteer, welded rear, detroit front, tg crossmember

allot more but ill add it as i think of it


from a recent run at the gutter

HOT-ROD:
i thought it was you!!!

welcome!!! sweet pic's man.

we got like no snow here what so ever. on the shore line all we get is slush.

how is your girl? her dad ever let her wheel with you w/o doors on? lol

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