Despite that and for quite some time there have only been two FSJ's I have been remotely interested in doing another project with. A 1991 Final Edition or a first year 1974 NT Cherokee.
Enough about me: Meet Cherk #68
This rig is not for or about me, it's for Em as I am partially responsible for talking her into getting rid of her '76 Scout and it's about saving a piece of history at the same time.
The discussion began with the seller on August 28, 2013 who is working in NorCal with the Jeep being about 25 miles north of Silver City, NM near a small town called Cliff, NM.
This was one of the original CL pictures.
Yes, that's a gold pan bolted to the hood.
At this point I began discussing the ad with Flint and received a few more pic's from the seller.
Those are all located here: http://s149.photobucket.com/user/tadsal ... sellerpics
Most are from a cell camera and some are from the original CL ad.
After getting the pic's in the above album sorted and sharing a few select ones, Em and I decided to road trip it over and take a look, we were due for a road trip anyway, how could it hurt to just go look.
It's now September 6th, we head over after work, get a good nights sleep and head out on the morning of the 7th to meet Cherk.
The ranch is hard to find and we get talked in by the seller's mom via cell but loose signal about 1/2 mile out, it takes about 30 minutes to figure it out and meet the parents, a very nice couple in their 80's who run several working ranches between Animas and Gila, NM
Carol and Weldon welcome us not only onto their ranch but into their home and eventually into our hearts, more on that later.
I take a lot of pics, those are here: http://s149.photobucket.com/user/tadsal ... iginalpics
I'm actually not very impressed and spend a good deal of time talking with Weldon while Em plays with the dogs, looks at the animals and chats with Carol. Weldon explains to us that the scrappers are coming for his broken K20 and I explain why the NP203 he acquired did not work in place of his broken (cracked in half) NP208.
The talk about the scrappers coming did not register in my brain...yet.
We leave pretty much resigned to the fact that it was good to be out on the road and that we hope to live as old and be as happy as Carol and Weldon are. Em drives while I go through the pic's thinking things like "the rust is not that bad" and "it's kind of a long ways to flat tow" and then I get to the VIN pic.
Having never really cared about VIN numbers I check with the VIN decoder, I double check.
Now I have something to work with, the 68th Cherk to come off the assembly line in June of 1973.
Enter Plasticboob AKA Rob from both here and IFSJA.
I remembered his thread about 1st year Cherokee's from a few years back, read it, read it twice, read it three times. Lowest number recorded in that thread is #2773.
Now I am interested, #68 and a Z code.
I PM Rob and text him a few pic's, he's also impressed.
Em and I decide to buy it, but time is marching forward everyday now.
Enter jsinajeep AKA Jerry.
Jerry has recently brought back a rusty '74 NT 2 door with a pretty good interior, I agree to buy the interior panels and at almost the same time Jerry emails me.
Cherk 68 is on Phoenix CL, WTF?
Contact with seller is poor now and I contact Carol and Weldon.
NorCal job is not as it seems, broke, in a motel, new job is a few days out and...
...the scrappers are coming Friday September 13th, no big deal to add another rig to the haul and get the seller some $$.
Em and I scramble and plan, reestablish contact, we are ready to rock Friday morning, going to have to be a grab and go.
We are rollin' like fish on ice.
Engine hoist, floor jack, roller tires, hand winch, strap, about 150lbs of tools, cash, tow bar and the Mighty Q.
We hit the ranch at 4:10pm, cash is exchanged and Carol is off to Silver to deposit the $$ in sellers account as soon as we have the title in hand.
I hit the cab with the steering wheel puller and lock plate compressor.
Em hits all the lug nuts and bumper bolts with PB.
Once we get neutral tires get swapped.
401 and NP203 get loaded into trailer.
We pick a spot on the hill facing the gate.
Em straps Cherk 68 out with the Q in 4Lo.
Tow bar goes on and now it's 7pm and dark.
We are poised for early morning transfer to another location.
We say goodbye to Carol and Weldon and are given farm fresh eggs and and tomatoes.
We tear up a little, they are not strangers anymore.
We hit the Silver house at 9pm, tired and dirty.
Blakes Lot-O-Burger, a shower and a cold beer finish the day.
Saturday the 14th we are back at the ranch at 8am, well fed and slightly rested.
We hookup, do the pleasantries with Carol and Weldon and Carol gives us copy of her book.
The Mighty Q makes it happen.
Cherk 68 is now secured at my house in Silver City.
Em reads Carol's entire book on the way back, telling me parts of the story, crying a little at some parts.
I cried a little as I wrote this, we have new friends we intend to visit whenever we go to Silver.
Life is good.
Meet Cherk 68.
Please feel free to browse the albums: http://s149.photobucket.com/user/tadsal ... ow/74Cherk
I would really appreciate it if you would not share them on any social media sites or anyplace else.
Actually, if you do I will be pissed.
I still think you got a good deal.
