1. “Beowulf Criticism.” This is really just a series of student postings summarizing critical articles. I guess students (at other universities, no doubt) are hoping to find something they can copy and paste into their papers. Tsk-tsk.

2. “Pimp my Kia Rondo.” My write-up about installing a new radio in our beloved Rondo. If I’d known that hundreds of folks would look at this each month, I would have done a better job putting it together. Lesson learned, I guess.

3. “Map of Cleopatra’s Alexandria.” Very interesting to see this so high. I had no idea so many folks were interested in the period or the place. It makes me wish I’d started my own from scratch rather than altering an extant one (which I found at an apparently defunct website). On a tangential note, I just got an email from a Spanish publisher wanting to know what it would cost to use my map for a book on Hypatia. Not sure how to respond to that, honestly!

4. “Project LJ” (Category search). Folks are clearly interested in what I do with my vehicles! As I commence on the build-up of my Commander (Project XK), I’ll have to bear this in mind.

5. “Birth Announcement.”

6. “Squirrel Killing.” Huh. Not sure what to think about this. Are the squirrels organizing and making foraging attacks on attics around the world?

7. “Jeep LJ for Sale.” Guess I need to edit the page to say “SOLD.”

8. “Anasazi Petroglyph Map.” Man, I’ve really got to get that article published.

9. “Ouray Colorado.” Everyone wants to know where God lives. It ain’t far from this beautiful little town.

10. “Been Sorta Busy.” I suspect this one is highly ranked due to its newness.

It’s a rather eclectic mix of posts, but I suppose that reflects the wide range of my interests in life!

R U B I C O N E D I T I O N

This striking, well-maintained, low-mileage, one-owner Jeep is an off-roader’s dream come true. In addition to the already formidable features of the specialized Rubicon edition, this rugged beauty has more than $4000 worth of after-market accessories — many no longer available — and a factory warranty until 2012! We still love this rig, and only an expanding family moves us to sell it. Seriously. This machine is really gorgeous.

THE QUICK FACTS…

Bright Silver Metallic … 6 cyl. … 6-speed manual trans. … 23,200 miles … Rubicon 4×4 special features … Sunrider soft-top … GPS navigation … many off-road upgrades (winch, lift, skidplates, bumpers, etc.). … The vehicle has been religiously serviced, and the title is clear.

THE CUSTOM FEATURES…

• Security Group Option (Sentry Key engine immobilizer, auto-dim rearview mirror w/lamps, digital compass, temp. display)
• Convenience Group Option (extra lamps, improved console, etc.)
• T-Max EWI-10000 Submersible Winch.
• Garmin Trail Guide system with removable handheld GPS unit (awesome).
• Skid-row Nightcrawler Front Bumper with 6 “spotter’s lights.”
• Jeeperman Trail Skidz rock rails.
• Smittybilt/Rugged Ridge Off-road Cargo Rack with custom “grab handle” extensions and bracing (not currently installed; see below).
• Jeeperman Rear Bumper with tow hitch and shackle points.
• JKS Quicker Swaybar Disconnects.
• Rocky Road Outfitters 2″ Lift Kit.
• Buchanan Precision Machine 1.5″ Seat Lift-kit.
• Mopar Jeep-branded Mud-flaps.
• Skid-row Steering Box Skidplate.
• Auto Ventshade Bugflector II.
• Quadratec Domelight Kill Switch.
• Stepshield Entry Guards.
• Custom felt-lined pouches for removable windows.
• Fitted vehicle cover.

Simply put, it’s loaded.

THE BIG WARRANTY…

On top of all this, the vehicle comes with a transferable extended Jeep warranty (Maximum Care), good until 4/20/2012 or 70,000 miles on the odometer ($50 dealer transfer fee applies). That’s a roughly 3-year, 45,000-mile factory warranty remaining!

QUESTIONS ANSWERED…

I’ll update this as needed with answer to folks’ questions.

Q. How does it handle on the highway?

A. Superbly. I had a CJ-7 before this, and the difference in stability is night and day. The extra inches on the wheelbase of these TJ Unlimiteds (LJs) not only almost doubles the towing capacity of the regular Wrangler, but it also makes them far more stable (whether on the highway or off-road). The shorter wheelbase rigs can get a little “squirrely” at high speed — and that’s just not the case with this machine. In fact, this vehicle’s wheelbase is a couple inches longer than the old Jeep Cherokee (XJ), which is just right (as Goldilocks would say). Aside from the general stability, I should also note that the vehicle is remarkably quiet on the highway. Here again, it’s very different from older, shorter-wheelbase rigs. Jeep put sound dampening material all over the place in the LJ, and the redesigned cloth-top is phenomenally quiet. On long trips, such as we’ve taken every summer driving it across the country to Colorado, my wife and I generally forgot that the top was there at all, which is the highest compliment I think I could give.

Q. What do they use for ice on the roads in Denver?

A. I think de-icers vary by area in Colorado, but it actually doesn’t matter in this case: this Jeep only spent its summers on the state’s roads. The Jeep’s winters were spent first in a garage in upstate New York (while I finished my doctorate), then in mild South Carolina (where I teach college). We did decide to leave it in Colorado this past winter rather than drive it back and forth across the country, but it was in storage. And thanks for the compliment. I seriously love this vehicle and hate to see it go (especially with that warranty!). These LJs are already looking to be collector’s items given how few were made and how superior the Rubicons in particular are as off-road machines. Alas, the growing family needs a Commander!

THE KNOWN PROBLEMS…

The key cylinder slips intermittently when unlocking the fuel filler cap (a minor annoyance) … There are a few small pocks in the extended fender flares from rocks thrown on highway or trail. They’re noticeable only through close examination, and are nothing unusual for a used vehicle. Just trying to be upfront about everything! … If you crawl under, you’ll see that the belly skidplates have some dings (thanks, Moab). These aren’t noticeable otherwise, though, and they don’t affect anything. … There’s a small front silver skid plate on the bumper in some of my photos. This plate is currently off the vehicle but would be happily handed over for later install. … The cargo rack has recently been taken off the vehicle, as I’m unsure if you’ll want it or not. If you do, I’ll include it along with all the relevant parts to do the easy install.

THE CONDITIONS…

The vehicle is located in Denver, Colorado. Delivery must be arranged at your expense, though we’ll certainly do our best to help facilitate.

Please note that the vehicle is sold “as is,” with no warranty on my part. That said, I’ll remind you again that this totally sound rig carries a roughly 3-year, 45,000-mile warranty from Jeep. We’ve had no real problems with this vehicle, but for quite awhile yet just about anything that comes up will be Jeep’s problem, not yours!

…SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Send me an email with any questions you might have. Good luck, and thanks for looking!

Here, then, is a test-run of my Craigslist advert:

…

Special 2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (LJ) Rubicon

This striking, well-maintained, low-mileage, one-owner Jeep is an off-roader’s dream come true. In addition to the already formidable features of the specialized Rubicon edition, this rugged beauty has more than $4000 worth of aftermarket accessories — many no longer available — and a factory warranty until 2012! We still love this rig, and only an expanding family moves us to sell it. Seriously. This machine is gorgeous. 

THE QUICK FACTS…

Bright Silver Metallic; 6 cyl., 6-speed manual trans.; 23,200 miles; Sunrider soft-top; GPS navigation; many off-road upgrades (winch, lift, skidplates, bumpers, etc.). The title is clear.

THE DETAILS…

Factory Features (Rubicon, with options):

— Dana 44 heavy-duty axles front and rear, with a 4.11:1 axle ratio
— Tru-Lok push-button locking differentials front and rear
— 4.0L Power-Tech I-6 engine with heavy-duty 6-speed manual transmission
— Two front tow hooks
— 4:1 Rock-Trac part-time 4WD system
— Full, removable hard doors
— LT245/75R16 (31”) Goodyear Wrangler MT/R off-road tires (full-size spare)
— 16” x 8” “MOAB” Silver wheels
— Sunrider easy-folding soft-top (quickly opens up a massive 45”x23” sunroof)
— Fog Lamps
— Black Diamond Plate Sill Guards
— Air-conditioning
— Convenience Group (extra lamps, improved console, cup-holders, etc.)
— Floor mats
— Security Group (Sentry Key Engine immobilizer, auto-dimming rearview mirror with map lamps, digital compass, and outside temperature display)
— Fold-and-Tumble rear seat.
— AM/FM stereo radio with CD player
— 7 speakers, including subwoofer
— Next Generation driver and front-passenger airbags
— 4-wheel disc brakes
— LATCH system
— Locking fuel cap
— Speed control
— Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel
— 15/19 city/highway mpg

Custom Features:

— T-Max EWI-10000 Submersible Winch
— Garmin Trail Guide system with removable handheld GPS unit (awesome)
— Skid-row Nightcrawler Front Bumper with 6 “spotter’s lights”
— Jeeperman Trail Skidz rock rails
— Smittybilt/Rugged Ridge Off-road Cargo Rack with custom “grab handle” extensions and bracing (not currently installed; see below)
— Jeeperman Rear Bumper with tow hitch and shackle points
— JKS Quicker Swaybar Disconnects
— Rocky Road Outfitters 2″ Budget Lift Kit
— Buchanan Precision Machine 1.5″ Seat Lift-kit
— Mopar Jeep-branded Mud-flaps
— Skid-row Steering Box Skidplate
— Auto Ventshade Bugflector II
— Quadratec Domelight Kill Switch
— Stepshield Entry Guards
— Custom felt-lined pouches for removable windows

THE KNOWN PROBLEMS…

— The key cylinder slips intermittently when unlocking the fuel filler cap (a minor annoyance).
— There are a few small pocks in the finish from rocks thrown on highway or trail. They’re noticeable only through close examination, and are nothing unusual for a used vehicle. Just trying to be upfront about everything!
— The belly skidplates have some dings. Blame Moab.
— There’s a small front silver skid plate on the bumper in many of the photos. This plate is currently off the vehicle but would be happily handed over for later install.
— The cargo rack has recently been taken off the vehicle, as I’m unsure if you’ll want it or not. If you do, I’ll include it along with all the relevant parts to do the easy install.

THE WARRANTY…

On top of all this, the vehicle comes with a transferable extended Jeep warranty (Maximum Care), good until 4/20/2012 or 70,000 miles on the odometer ($50 dealer transfer fee applies). That’s a roughly 3-year, 45,000-mile factory warranty!

…WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Email or call!

It’ll be hard for me to be without a soft-top vehicle, and harder still to succumb to the “big SUV” nature of what we’re heading toward, but it’s almost surely the right thing to do. A different rig will have more cargo room, more towing capacity, be safer, and be quieter on the road. Since they ought to be close in off-road capability — if I play my cards right — that means a switch.

At this point, we’re still leaning toward the Jeep Commander (XK). That’s being set aside, though, to focus on the immediate problem at hand of selling a Jeep that’s currently half a continent away in Colorado.

Nothing is for certain yet, since leaving behind my “real” Jeep — a soft-top utilitarian rig — is a leap that’s tough for me to take. We’ll see. I did test-drive a Commander yesterday, and I found it far less “boat-y” than I expected such a big rig to be.

The Wife rolls her eyes at me, but it also has not gone unnoticed by me that the Commander is near to the same scale as the Land Rover Series 109″ vehicles, which were modified into awesome things like the Dormobile back in the dim days before my birth. It’s probable that there are steel crossbeams in the roof to prevent me from doing it, but I’m not just a little tempted to get a Commander and start planning to cut most of the roof out. Add in some fiberglass molding, some canvas making, a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and foul words … and one might have the modern equivalent of the beauty picture here. Sweet, eh?