Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Rust Removal in 5 Easy Steps

Living in the Salt Belt creates extra problems for any off-roader, especially if you tend to scrape up your Jeep. Anytime you scrap your Jeep or Jeep parts you are opening up that part to a rust invasion. 




When you expose bare metal to oxygen and moisture you create prime growing conditions for rust. I have dinged my front and rear bumpers a lot over the years while off-roading. This Spring and Summer were especially rainy.   





I have always kept up with the maintenance of keeping the rust at bay. However, last winter there was an unusually obscene amount of salt dumping on the roads. That salt played havoc with my bumper and the rust invaded. I knew my old stand bys weren't going to work. 

The best solution to get rid of the rust is to sandblast the bumper. That would require down time of my Jeep and lots of money. So I will keep working within my budget.   





This time I tired the product POR-15, the rust prevention kit. It's a 3 step process. I have found in my rust treatments that prepping the metal is the key. I spent a lot of time sanding off the rust as best I could. 


Then it was on to the 3 step process of the POR-15 Kit. It's really very simple. Spray on the degreaser to clean the metal. The instructions stated to keep the metal wet for 15 minutes. During that time I used my wire brush to help remove that stubborn rust. 
After rinsing off the degreaser, the next step was the metal prep. This is a liquid that needs to remain on the metal for 15 minutes. 


After the Metal Prep is rinsed off the the bumper dries, the POR-15 can be painted on the bumper. POR-15 is a thick black paint. I used two coats. 

Once the POR-15 paint dried I sprayed on a black matte rust prevention spray paint. The POR-15 is sensitive to UV rays. 




After POR-15 was applied! 


Now my fingers are crossed this will do the trick. We will find out come this Spring how well it holds up to the off-roading dings and scrapes and the road salt. 

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Be Yourself



As I get older I realize my time is precious. So I am making a conscious effort to live my best life, to live every single day to the fullest. As I search how to live my life to the fullest, I have come to realize there are several ways I have been wasting my precious time. 


10-16-2018 Blog Post


A big part of living your life to the fullest is not wasting your time. There are so many ways we waste our time. One of those is trying to be accepted by our friends, co-workers and society. 

Everyone wants to be liked and accepted, but many of us spend too much time and energy worrying about what other people think. This kind of thinking makes you feel unworthy. It can become unhealthy and stressful. You might not even realize you are doing it. 




Too many times during my life I found myself trying to fit in, and losing myself in the process. As I get older I find myself not caring if other people approve of how I choose to live my life, or caring if I fit in to one group or another. 






Recently the movie A Star is Born inspired me. Bradley Cooper's character talked about having something to say and knowing how to say it. He talked about finding your voice. That can be hard when you are bogged down with people telling you how to act, who you should be, and what you should say. 

Time is our biggest currency. A currency you cannot get back.  I decided to quit wasting my life trying to fit into what I thought society's mold for me was.

Now is my time, time to be who I want to be and not worry if I get the approval of my peers, friends, neighbors, co-workers or society. 








Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Bucket List: New Orleans

Life isn't going to last forever...
So what am I waiting for....

Sometimes we have a false sense of ~ I will have time to do the things I want to do. In truth time goes by way to fast, so when my niece invited me to hang with her on Bourbon Street I couldn't pass it up.  


Visiting Bourbon Street in New Orleans is on my Bucket List.


As I get older I realize that time is my most valuable resource. It's a limited, finite resource. Once I use it I can't reclaim it.

One of my top priorities is to make the most of my time.  To make the most of every moment takes a lot of deep digging and soul searching to learn about yourself; to learn what makes you truly happy, and what your real passions are. 


By finding out more about myself has helped me learn not to to waste my time on things that don't make me happy. Instead I am beginning to live a more productive happy life. 



Bourbon Street Here I Come! 

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Top 5 Winter Jeep Accessories



Winter means different things for Jeepers around the US. For Jeepers in the South it’s a time to get topless, but for all of us in the colder climates it is a totally different experience. 




We have to deal with cold temperatures, snow, ice, sleet, slush, road salt and that slushy mud mixture. That snowy weather is coming our way soon, so it’s best to get your Jeep ready. 



Here are my Top 5 Jeep accessories to make your winter a little more bearable.


Jeep Momma's Garage YouTube Video 


Floor Liners - There are a lot of Jeeps out there that no longer have carpet, but floor liners are still a good idea. After a week’s worth of tracking in that winter snow it makes for a nasty mess in your Jeep. 




They help keep that slushy snow salt mess contained and makes for an easy clean up.  Having a really good set of floor liners will help maintain the mess. You will want ones that are rubberized or molded plastic.  



These types of liners normally have deep grooves to contain mud, slush or water, and tall sides to prevent those things from overflowing into your carpet. Plus, you can easily pull the liners out and clean off when needed.


Winter Wiper Blades - There are different kinds of wiper blades. Some winters you could use your wiper blades more than in the summer. Not only will you want to keep that wiper fluid reservoir full you will also want to think about getting winter wiper blades. 
They are built with a protective rubber boot that helps keep snow and ice off the blade and uses a high grade rubber for superior performance in the wet winter weather.    




Seat Back Storage - The Molle Seat Back Panel is the perfect place to store you Winter Survival Kit supplies. It's an easy access storage solution. 





Knit Hat -  There are so many different kinds of hats for the winter. My favorite is my black Jeep knit hat. You are going to want to have more than one, as well as extra gloves and socks. If you are out making a recovery there is a good chance your outerwear will get wet. You will want to change into something dry once you are back in your Jeep. 





Hardtop Insulation Kit - This looks like a really good idea if you have a hardtop which I don't. Think of it as a sweater for your Jeep Wrangler’s hardtop. Something designed to retain heat inside the cabin or stay cooler in the summer all while reducing road noise and providing better audio quality.


60 Before 60

I recently shared about revisiting my bucket list on this new season of my life.  Bucket List Revised - 2023 As I approach another milestone...