Project510 24 Posted May 16, 2025 Well, I figured I would be absent from this place for a while but I had no idea be more than 12 years! I felt like I should re-introduce myself as I bet no one remembers I was here its been so long haha! Name: James Location: NorCal (Bay Area) Originally joined ORP back in 2010. I was only able to join a group ride one time, to the Mojave road where I had mechanical problems and had to limp back home. After that trip, wedding planning was in full swing and I quickly realized I needed cash. Truck payments, heavy gas bill and insurance was costing me $800 a month so the only option was to sell. The deal was I would sell, and after the wedding I could get a new truck. Well after the wedding, I got promoted at work. Moved to a new city and took on a huge project that took more hours of my day than I care to admit. There was no traveling or looking for a truck. Then my wife got pregnant, and then I got fired and lost my job, our home (part of my salary) and had to go stay with in-laws until I found work which took over a year. We all know where this goes after that, new baby, new job, bigger place more bills... New car for the wife since she was commuting and we needed a safe vehicle to transport the little one. Well, its 2025. My son is 8 and I had been throwing little bits of extra cash in a separate savings account to hopefully buy a new truck but the prices just kept going up and up and who the hell pays 50k for a Tacoma?? So I started looking for a used one. And luck was on my side as my brother in-law was ready to sell his 2012 TRD Sport since he was awaiting delivery on his Cybertruck... yea.. Well here she is. I got her in October. Immediately started making repairs. Correcting issues just due to age or neglect. Shes all stock but I got a stock pile of parts waiting to be installed but Ill save that for a new thread :) I apologize if I dont remember everyone. Its been a rollercoaster of a ride the last 12 years haha. Im wondering if @theksmith @dzJeepChic and @Number7 are still around? Hope to speak to yall again. 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 5,778 Posted May 16, 2025 welcome back man, it's been a LONG time! sounds like life has been full of ups and downs for you but you've always had the important thing, family by your side. George & Diane sold their Jeeps and moved to the Alabama coast a few years ago to become beach bums, but I still hear from them regularly. congrats on the new truck, she's purdy! i look forward to seeing your mods. i sold my Grand Cherokee WJ in 2016 and now have a heavily modified 4-Door Wrangler JK for adventures. we just got a 2024 Nissan Frontier truck a few months ago, to have something more reliable for my daily driver. i actually thought of you when we first began test driving trucks - we started out looking for the same Gen 2 body style you used to have! a few of us just did the Rubicon last year, so we weren't too far from you then! hopefully we can meetup on a CA or NV adventure one day. 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4x4tographer 3,642 Posted May 16, 2025 Welcome (back) to the club! I think it’s great this place left such a good impression as to draw you back after a decade. Congrats on the truck, kid, wife, and winning at life! 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Project510 24 Posted May 16, 2025 4 hours ago, theksmith said: welcome back man, it's been a LONG time! sounds like life has been full of ups and downs for you but you've always had the important thing, family by your side. George & Diane sold their Jeeps and moved to the Alabama coast a few years ago to become beach bums, but I still hear from them regularly. congrats on the new truck, she's purdy! i look forward to seeing your mods. i sold my Grand Cherokee WJ in 2016 and now have a heavily modified 4-Door Wrangler JK for adventures. we just got a 2024 Nissan Frontier truck a few months ago, to have something more reliable for my daily driver. i actually thought of you when we first began test driving trucks - we started out looking for the same Gen 2 body style you used to have! a few of us just did the Rubicon last year, so we weren't too far from you then! hopefully we can meetup on a CA or NV adventure one day. Wow, great update. Thank you! That so cool you bought a frontier. I ALMOST bought a new one myself but I think the nightmares I had with mine, and the fact that most of my friend here drive Toyotas I opted not to. I still have the notebook you gave me on our shared birthday meet up before the Mojave Rd drive. I saved it all these years until I could get a new truck. So now it lives in the Tacoma as a maintenance log! I wish I would have came back here sooner. My truck is no where near Rubicon ready, but I would have tried to join just for fun. Once the truck is trail ready I will for sure be looking for some chances to meet with the group here again. Who knows, maybe we can run it back and do the Mojave Rd so I can redeem myself haha. 1 hour ago, 4x4tographer said: Welcome (back) to the club! I think it’s great this place left such a good impression as to draw you back after a decade. Congrats on the truck, kid, wife, and winning at life! Thank you! I never forgot how awesome the people were, and how much fun I had on the one meet up I went to. Hopefully I can do that again soon! 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dzJeepChic 2,897 Posted May 17, 2025 James!!!! Of course I remember you! I always wondered how everything worked out for you, as you were just about to be married when we saw you on the Mojave Road. So great to hear from you. Congrats on your marriage and having a boy, time sure flies! That's a super nice truck, can't wait to see all that you do with it. Welcome Back!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Project510 24 Posted May 17, 2025 4 hours ago, dzJeepChic said: James!!!! Of course I remember you! I always wondered how everything worked out for you, as you were just about to be married when we saw you on the Mojave Road. So great to hear from you. Congrats on your marriage and having a boy, time sure flies! That's a super nice truck, can't wait to see all that you do with it. Welcome Back!!! Hi DIane! Thank you! Glad to be back! You sure made it hard for a reunion, moving to the other side of the country haha, but that's on me since it took so long for me to make it back. Heard you and George are beach bums, sounds like a life my wife would surely enjoy! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
