You are right. Image in this day and age are looked upon heavily. I know because of the profession I am in. I am also very active in my local Jeep club in promoting Tread Lightly!. But I have not seen JP act irresponsibly off road? They are just having fun (mayhem tour). Yea the blow up doll was a surprise (and funny), and maybe irresponsible and offensive to some as far as image, heck I forgot all about that until I read it on the board. I guess I can blow things off and forgive and forget easier that others. People just like to *** about minor things. And that is acceptable as long as they don't take it personally and try to point it out to the world.      

I would like to see less coverage of the rockcrawling events, as this seems to be totally covered in your sister magazines. 

I would like to see more coverage of local jeep events, jeep shows, jeep cruises, jeep club events.  

What would be good is articles showing the history and various differences between the jeeps over the years.. not just general things, but even various trim options/engines/axles and spotting guides. 

Make the magazine something that people will want to save as a RESOURCE for the future.  Not just a *news* magazine with silly articles and dirty jokes. 

Melanie West

Hi Cappa,

Obviously you can't make a magazine that appeals to everyone, BUT you can at least pick and choose your content as to not offend anyone.

I'm not easily offended, and the stuff I see in JP does not offend me, but I know some people whom it does.

Drop the jokes, the articles and pictures showing people doing stupid stuff, leave the blow up dolls at home, etc. Clowning around in the office is fine, but leave it in the office and out of the magazine.

I want serious articles, serious tech, etc. If I want jokes and advice on how to pick up "chicks" I'll grab the latest issue of Maxim, Stuff, or FHM.

Focus on real world Jeep upgrades that the AVERAGE reader can do in thier garage on a budget. Show how to raise a gas tank, swap a rusting CJ tub for a YJ tub, install a welder and OBA under the hood, etc.

How about an article on how to design a safe functional and affordable roll cage.

I'll even write some of those articles for you. I've got a well documented CJ/YJ tubswap article, an OBA install article, OB welder install article, etc on my website. I'd be happy to restructure them for print in JP.

www.n2jeepn.com

Dan

I like the high tech stuff, it gives me ideas for my low-tech jeep.  BUT...I would also like to see some low-tech, junkyard, home-fab stuff. 

I'm trying to build my own spare tire carrier because I can't pay $300-$600 for a manufactured one, and I'm certain I can build it for less than $100.  Ideas for hinges and latches, guidelines on metal types to use, stuff like that is very helpful.  I built my own bumpers of 4x4 angle iron.  Total cost to me...$30. 

I swapped in an XJ D44 (got the idea from JP in an article about junkyard axles.  hint, hint) with a lock-rite, 4.56s and some bartering for about $800 net cost after selling my D35 w/ 4.10s.  That took me a year to save up for. 

How about some real-world wheeling.  I would like to go to Moab, or the Rubicon, but I probably won't soon because that's not my wife's view of a vacation.  Maybe you could write about the areas surrounding such hot trails, and how they may appeal to the non-Jeep enthusiast of the house.  There's always some little blurb about keeping trails open (mostly out west), how about some guidance on opening new ones, like how to get grants from the state (I know it can be done, cause it just happened near here).  Or, a state by state review of existing places to wheel, free or not. 

How about articles on what tools you should have in your garage, within a realisting budget, i.e. cheap welders that most monkeys can use.  Maybe even compare name brand to knock-offs.  I know some are made in the same factories with the same specs. 

Tire tech.  We know what tires are good for what, mostly.  But tell us how many miles you've put on your tires with real-world driving.  Most of us drive our rigs to work or school each day; I did until just recently.  It'd be nice to know if a Super Swamper Radial really lasts that much longer than a bias.  The stars used to rate, mud, rain, rocks, street just don't quite cut it.  

These things don't have to consume an entire issue.  I can name enough articles to put one in each issue for at least two years.  It's OK to repeat things from time to time.  Everyday new people join our jeeping world, and their probably more eager to learn than we are to teach.

Do a little more for our image.  Something stupid must have happened to cause people to send hate mail regarding the Mayhem Tour.  Those things will happen, leave that to the 1-percenters, just don't be one on purpose.

Good Luck.

There you go Cappa that should be enough for a couple months....LOL

MC....from bulltear.com

Cut out all the garbage humor and quit using a writing style that would apeal to 12 year olds.  I thought I subscribed to Jp, not MAD Magazine!  

what do i want to see.

i understand you have to make your advertisers happy by showing their products but does it have to be on every page?

maybe some normal lift installs(4-6 in)?  like being done by people who have never done it before so people new to Jeeps can see what is involved?

cover more small clubs.  maybe something like a club spotlight in each issue.

MORE EAST COAST!  im tired of seeing the west in mags  we got stuff over here too.

loose a little(not all please not all) of the childish humor.

buildup a "normal rig"  35s no atlas keep the stock motor.  you know the normal stuff.

more power!! big blocks in jeeps. Auomatic jeeps that will bring the front wheels off the ground and not break. my buddy has a cj7 with a ford 460, it rocks. he even uses it in tellico bi-monthly.  

Well to start off I would also like to see more east coast. The west is cool but Moab and the rubicon are not all that are out their. Why dont you travel to paragon or tellico or windrock or ANYTHING east.

And also please cut the humor crap. A little here and there is fine but dont turn the mag into one big joke. The Mayhem tour was just piss poor. I want to read for the tech not for the jokes.

What could I say that everyone else hasn't already said? Not much. More backyard tech on real rebuilds, not spray bombing trucks. Real world, affordable mods and buildups. Not so much shop built stuff.

If you want to see some examples, go to my website and check out the Current mods section.

http://www.arizonatj.com

You'll see articles on how to rebuild and install a flipped Dana 300 in a TJ, how to swap in a high-pinion Dana 30 w/ hi-steer, home fabbed intake airbox using hardware store parts, onboard air install, etc. All written from the point of view of the guy (me) installing it so that others realize they can do it too and not have to pay a shop. That's what a lot of people want to see.

More club coverage. Go wheel with real clubs from around the United States. See what they run and why it works for that part of the country.

What we don't want to see:

All the mindless, childish humor and stupid pranks. As been said here already, I'll buy Mad magazine for that. The Mayhem tour was way over the top and represented 4 wheelers in a negative way.

I was going to let my subscription expire, but if you can bring back JP the way it used to be, then I might be convinced to reconsider

Hey,

Wow a chance to make a difference in a mag that caters ONLY to rock crawling and $50 k buggies.

A mean really, how many people are in Jeep speed? Or for that matter, how about a Bruiser chassis? With axles that cost more than the average trail Jeep.

What I would like to see is the banged up knuckles(remember that editorial?) you were talking about???

I think you guys (drop the Mel dating thing!!!!!) would get alot more credibility if you ACTUALLY INSTALLED PARTS YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!

BUT i know the way it works---advertiser gives you product, shop PAYS mag to have it installed (advertisment for shop) you guys wheel the *** out of part and nobody ever hears if the part is any good.

Show me that you can go to a boneyard and find something/anything USEFUL and make an article. (Don't even think about rims, or wiper arms or something like that!!!!!)

Obviuously this will be more time consuming, but I know you guys had to have done this in the past, oh yeah you don't win anyone over when you whine and complain about your crappy job, and the fact that you make no *** join the club, it's not exclusive, but show ME you are a memeber!!!!!!

BTW to put things into perspective I'd say 90% of all Jeepers have to save *** for there mods, they don't just say need an axle..... Hi Dynatrac what's the latest greatest axle you have for an article!!!!!

I know, maybe you should have a pullout section call Cheep Jeep every now and again! I think it would be your best seller. Stuff like seats from a Volvo in a CJ, or get an old Waggy and take these parts...... or the hub/spindle combos for different bolt patterns NOT you can phone such and such and they'll have it to you in 2 days.

I'd like to see you print some of these letter in JP. MAKE IT HAPPEN CAPPA, you can do it right?????????????????????????????????????? 

Ps. I do love the trips  for junk!!!!( Maybe try a few with towing intead though!!!!)

Sorry that was to Cappa, not Blue97TJ!!!!

Take a look at the first 2 or 3 years of JP. That will give you a baseline.

This is some really good advice, get some of those old magazines out and read some articles, they were all usefull and well written for the most part. We dont want a magazine based on what you guys did at the bar, we want ideas on mods that regular poor people can do. And some regular trail wheelin.

You know what I'd like to see?  Something different...

How about some type of fabrication contest.  Put readers against readers...

Somehow you put two readers against eachother with the same basic tools.  Maybe a tube bender, a welder, a grinder...basically the basic stuff.  Then give them some mod that they need to do.  Make it hard on them...

Dangle some carrot in front of them.  Winner gets so sponsor donated part worth the challenge...

Then have some judges rate the outcome, let the readers vote...do it any way you want.

Winner gets the goods, you get some cool fab...

Only one other thought:  Limit the contestants to be regular joes.  I don't really want to see someone from Poison Spyder Customs square off against someone from Avalanche Engr (if you know what I mean).

FWIW...this would be really cool!

And thanks for asking...

Regards,
Matt (Denver, Co)