I woke up the owner of a cool jeep – one that would get better and better each day, as I learned what I had. They let me across the border with the truck no problem. The title, registration, a insurance rider, all the papers I had paid for, went unused. But, I had a deadline to get to the DMV.
See, on another thread we are joking about Forward Control Jeeps being homely. This triggered the memory of standing in line at the DMV trying to register Cindy. They had FC’s in the computer. They did not have Kaiser Willys Jeep Trucks. Self impressed as I was for knowing what FC meant – the DMV clerk was equally impressed I am sure – also true I was new enough in the game to *not* know Cindy was a J-Series, never even asked the clerk to see if that was in the computer. That seems unbelievable.
But it’s true. I did not know what she was legally, out of state title & Registration was no help since whatever it said wasn’t in the computer either. When put on the spot, by somebody who needed to click a button so I could officially own a truck, I could have said any of the options. Yep. Turned the monitor toward me and said, which one? Any of these? Yikes. This is how she was originally registered as a Jeep 1 Ton Truck. That was the only option even close, because she aint no FC (DMV don’t care as much as your insurer will)… Done with registration. Just need to wait a bit to convert from original issued to vanity plates.
Next morn, I went out and looked at the engine close up for the first time. The header is embossed with the word JEEP. You know why it’s a Kaiser-Willy’s ‘Jeep’ truck? The quotes are legalistic, the way to offset the fact that they never finished purchasing the rights to advertise the word Jeep. So there it is, stamped onto MY engine, in the coolest FONT. Say what? I thought we invented fonts in the 90’s on computers. The only font variations I was aware of are chicken scratch cuneiform they wrote on mud tablets way back, some far off places using fancy calligraphy, and the King’s. Kaiser Willy’s Jeep had a cool font in the early 60’s? Yep. And it matches with my owner’s manual, and with the then current advertising.
This truck would get more and more bad axe at every turn. The engine itself is the first ever mass-produced in America overhead cam – the infamous Tornado 230. I saw on yutube some young gun tear down the 230, and looky there, inserted ‘helio’ pistons which can’t be called ‘hemi’ by name, legally. A ‘hemi’ by any other name combusts the same? It’s maybe one of the best engines ever built. My opinion. And. It’s in the truck in my garage.
And, the word stamped on my carb? HOLLEY. My whole life is complete when I’m standing there the owner of a Holley Carb. Growing up, it was the best of the best of the best, with honors. I never owned one before. It’s on the jeep truck in my garage.
And, it has the running gear of a goat stallion mix – you will know the names by heart.
Simply put – everything on this truck is class, in a class of its own. This is the perfect example. So I got Cindy a personalized plate. The exact meaning?
Arete is a concept in ancient Greek that refers to "excellence" of any kind ultimately bound with the notion of the fulfillment of purpose or function: the action of living up to full potential.
AND
Arête is a narrow ridge of rock separating two valleys; a saddle, pass, or sharpened ridge.
Cindy’s Plate Means: ‘Truck Perfection - High Up Mountain Pass’.
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