Friday Foto/Project Scrambler: Margaret

I want to address something real quick. I don't plan to double-up on Fridays and cop-out on y'all, combining the Friday Foto entry with a Project Scrambler. It's just that this week has been hellacious. Poor Kelly has been bed-ridden since Sunday night with the flu. She has gotten out of bed maybe once or twice, and probably eating about as much as I would eat for lunch when I'm NOT hungry. Poor thing. I've been leaving work from time to time to check on her and bring her things. I think she is beginning to feel better; slowly coming out of it. Problem is, my throat's a feeling a little dry now. But I'm gonna beat it.

So, if you didn't know, I got the Jeep. Let's back up and tell the whole story. Two of my buddies and I drove down on last Friday afternoon, heading to Daytona to check out this Scrambler. Traffic was bad, as it always is, going through Jacksonville, and as I slammed on my brakes to avoid running up on a recently-stopped semi-truck in front of me, I was rear-ended. I saw it coming a split second before it happened in my rear view mirror. This is a good time to point out the amazing quality of a 3/16 inch box steel bumper. I have a custom fabricated rear bumper on my Cherokee, and when that Corolla hit me doing close to 35 mph, not a scratch could be found on my car. Not a scratch. Her car? Ummm, well see for yourself.

Problem was though, the girl was so scared. Here she is, driving to Orlando from Missouri, on her way to take her first job after college at Disney World. She's all by her self, has made it all the way so far safe, and now, 90 miles from her destination, this happens. Oh, by the way, she was cute. Lucky for Margaret, she couldn't have run into three nicer guys. We calmed her down, determined that her car was drivable still, decided against calling the cops and sent the only single guy amongst us in the car with her to drive to the nearest gas station to make sure everything was OK. It was. We said our goodbyes and she called us when she safely arrived in Orlando.

Buying the Scrambler was nerve-racking. I did have buyer's remorse, which I usually don't. However, now? Now I am in love. I see the Jeep not as it is now- rusty and paint chipped- but as it is going to be. Beautiful paint, restored interior, freshly lined interior and shiny. The Scrambler runs like a dream. Shifts smooth, rides solid, handles great at highway speeds and is pretty damn nice offroad. Boy, do I have plans though... I won't list them all here. I am starting restoration this weekend, so I will post progress as comes. The pictures below are of Margaret (I named the Scrambler) as she stands now. I have ripped out the carpet and the back seat to begin work this weekend. Take a look now, because it won't be this way for long.