Episode 461 – Open Discussion, Tread Talk, News, More

This episode brought to you in part by, ExtremeTerrain! Be sure to check out the latest episode of ExtremeTerrain’s Throttle Out YouTube Series where host Merideth Evasew selects her top 5 Wrangler mods you should consider for your JK.  Since the JL and Gladiator are currently taking a lot of the spotlight, this video will appeal to owners of the longest-running Wrangler generation since the CJ.

This Week In Jeep: 

One More For The “That’s What You Get” Files…

I think a wise man once said…. Stupid is as stupid does. And I assume by now the video of this has gone viral as it shows a very good example of what NOT to do with a Jeep. Look, Jeeps are many things to many people. For most of us they are a means of transportation and a source of adventure and fun.  To some they are a weekend warrior, a rock crawling beast. Maybe a piece of history or even a long term money sucking project that will (eh-hem) “someday” be done. Regardless of what Jeeps are, one thing they are not is a good stage to perform a twerking demonstration in traffic while the vehicle does a burnout through an intersection.  And speaking of burnouts, I’m pretty sure there was some intoxication involved in this. It all happened Tuesday night, as Angelenos were out in the streets celebrating the Dodgers World Series victory. One woman got up on top of the roof of the Jeep Wrangler she was in to twerk and gyrate to people on the sidewalk. I’m guessing she thought she was somehow magically teleported back in time and space to Mardi-gras in New Orleans. That’s where the implied inebriation comes from.  Thankfully, the light turned green before someone generated a length of beads, nobody wanted to see that anyways. The Jeep brings the revs up, the back tires spin, and the Wrangler speeds up through the intersection. The woman loses her balance, which she may not have had in the first place, and in a blatant display of common sense physics, falls backwards off the Jeep. She of course hits her empty head on the pavement and is knocked unconscious. For some reason, a gofundme page was set up, which we will NOT be supporting. …since this was less of a tragic accident, and more of a …say it with me now boys and girls…  “thats what you get”  Authorities on Wednesday said 18 people were arrested in what were largely peaceful celebrations by hometown fans who poured into the streets of Los Angeles after the Dodgers clinched their World Series title late on Tuesday. Moral of the story? If you decide that acting like a stripper on top of a Jeep in traffic is somehow a good idea, maybe wait until AFTER the driver has finished peeling out before you make us want to dig our eyeballs out of their sockets using a rusty spoon with your so very unsightly performance. 

FCA Quarterly Sales Report, and… a new name for Jeep’s Parent Company.

Just yesterday, as we record this, Fiat Chrysler reported record third-quarter earnings as production returned to nearly pre-pandemic levels. The Italian-American automaker, which is finalizing its full merger with French rival PSA Peugeot, reported a net profit in the three months ending Sept. 30 of $1.4 billion. In a statement Wednesday, my man, Mike Manley, CEO of FCA said, (QUOTE) “Our record results were driven by our team’s tremendous performance in North America.” That’s great, but for those who don’t speak car talk, let me help you read between the lines. Basically Mike is stating that thanks only to Ram and Jeep, FCA is posting profits. Fiat Chrysler announced earlier Wednesday that its merger with PSA Peugeot is on track to be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2021, as planned.  To meet regulatory concerns, the French carmaker is selling a small stake in a components maker to get below 40% ownership. Once the ink is dry on this merger, the new automaker will be called Stellantis, (which means “to brighten with stars”; from the Latin verb stello) Stelantis will then be the fourth biggest vehicle producer in the world.

Campfire Side Chat:

We had an extended campfire side chat, or round table discussion about various Jeep related subjects, with our Zoom people!