Here's my letter to Dieter Zetsche, chairman (or whatever) of Daimler-Chrysler, the company that owns Jeep. For the record, I'm sending these from my actual email address with my actual name signed to them. I think that little touch gives my letters a feel of legitimacy. Because I am serious that I would like a hybrid Jeep.
Before I get to the letter, which is not funny -- it's pretty straightforward and represents a sincere request for a product I would someday like to purchase -- except for that I couldn't help writing it in a goofy way, I would like to let the blog reading public know that my letter writing time is available to you as a free service. Post the name of a CEO and his/her business and the product or other thing you would like from that business and I will send said CEO a quick letter.
From: me
Subject: hybrid jeep
Date: February 10, 2006 11:06:28 AM EST
To: dieterzetsche@daimlerchrysler.com
Guten Tag!
I would very much like to buy a Jeep, but the cost of gas is out of control. Plus, I am concerned about the environment? Are we really doing enough to take care of it? So it occurred to me that a hybrid Jeep would be a great car for me. Please make one. I will buy it!
Sincerely,
MM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Why buy a hybrid when you can make one!? Buy an old CJ (the 'real' Jeep with the round headlights), rip out the old engine and put in a diesel. You'll have more fourwheeling power and be able to make it biodiesel to boot.
You will also have to get drivetrain parts to match the diesel (transmission and all the wheeling gear), and the greasel kit. But you will learn a lot about yourself and your Jeep if you undertake this project, which will require time, commitment, and that other thing.
But think f the fantastic story you can tell whenever someone asks, "do you smell freedom fries?"
And you will have sppent the same amount of money. Maybe less because you can get a great diesle engine from an old klunker mercedes, volkswagen, or the like.
And then you can start corporation #2 - converting Jeeps into Greasel Jeeps and selling them at 150% markup. People will definitely go for it.
That sounds like it would be a great project. My question is, can someone with zero mechanical know-how actually do it?
(And I'd like to see Daimler-Chrysler make a hybrid Jeep regardless.)
well, you'll start with zero mechanical knowledge and end up wise and dirty. I learned a lot restoring my boat. And from my first old, shitbox Jeep.
I keep pushing the mechanical stuff, the motorcycle and the Jeep, because I find it so rewarding. I changed the oil pump on my old Jeep and man, it's nere wracking to be under the Jeep, filthy, not sure you're ever going to get things right again. But when you turn the key and it actually works it's so cool.
I remember standing on my boat last spring with a few weeks to go until summer, busting chunks of 40 year old teak off of the deck thinking, "I'm in it now." I had spent $300 on new teak, cut it to fit with my buddy Jonas's help, and rowboated it across tot he little island where the boat was. When I was done taking off the old teak I thought, for the first but not final time, "I just made the boat into garbage."
The second time was 15 July 2005 when Jack and I dropped the mast onto the lawn next to the dock I had last year.
But yes, a hybrid or fully bio Jeep would make perfect sense since they get enough shite for being environmentally unfriendly.
I want to get a pickup truck, so if I sell the Jeep you'll have first dibs.
Is your present Jeep bio-diesel convertible?
The mechanical stuff is a lot of fun. I used to do stuff like that in junior high shop class. The closest I ever came though to turning something into garbage was when our renegade shop teacher asked us to rewire all the electric in the classroom so there would be an outlet at each table instead of along the walls where they were useless. We pulled all the wiring out, added new outlets, ran new wires, and had to do it all in about 40 minutes (imagine doing this with 15 9th graders, half of whom are literally stoned from sniffing whiteout). I thought for sure there was no way the lights were ever coming back on. But when they did, it was awesome.
Anyway, I would seriously undertake the Jeep project right now if I had someone else who was invested in doing it too (maybe my dad, since he likes that stuff). On my own I have too many other projects that are top priority (writing, running, learning to ride a motorcycle, drumming up tutoring business, etc), so it'd have to wait. I do think it would be an awesome project though. Seriously let me know if you decide to sell your Jeep.
My current Jeep has the four cylinder engine in it, and it seems to be in pretty good shape and has average/low mileage for being ten years old. I have a sneaking suspicion that I am going to need a new catalytic converter and muffler soon, but neither of those affect the engine.
I could rip out the 4 cylinder and put in a diesel and then make it a greasel. If it was going to be the car I keep forever I might think about that. And I need a place to work, a garage.
I am in love with the 2004 & 2005 Toyota Tacoma.
Post a Comment