Ode to Bam Bam

Ode to Bam Bam (and Jeff)

           -by Stan Fuller

I’ve met a man I now consider a friend,

His name is Jeff, called Jpet now and then.

He's introduced me to an amazing machine,

Sit back and just listen, you'll see what I mean.

He started his life in the middle of war

Saving freedom with bravery, he was designed for.

What conflict he's seen is hard to describe

Past history is murky, but he barely survived.

There wasn't much left of that once proud warrior,

When Jeff first saw  him he was quite out of order.

Just a rusty old pile of sheet metal and frame

But Jeff saw enough there to inspire a name.

Bam Bam’s the moniker Jeff gave to that pile

Then he thought and he wondered and he pondered a while,

Just what could he do with a broken hero like this,

That would honor its heritage and not go amiss.

So Jeff searched and he bargained and sewed on some canvas,

‘Til his stockpile of parts was taller than a man is.

An engine and gearboxes, tires and wheels,

Other bits and pieces from many different years.

Hardly any of this stuff came from the time

When Bam Bam was first in his new fighting prime.

But Jeff was determined to make it all look,

Like you  could find it all listed in the ‘43 parts book.

With the help of a friend, I think his name’s Steve

Jeff started on in some Jeep magic to weave.

They wrenched and they  hammered and measure and welded,

They tuned and they tested and changed course if it failed it.

The heart they transplanted in this warrior of old,

Has a few more wild horses than a Go Devil will hold.

It will push old Bam Bam right up to eighty five,

And at sixty he can comfortably cruise  far and wide.

But don’t you be fooled by Bam Bam’s speed on the asphalt,

He’s especially equipped for for a rock face assault.

His springs are extra springy and tires extra wide,

But you can’t really tell,  looking from the front or the side.

And the transmission and transfer case are special themselves,

I’ve seen them haul Jeff and Bam Bam up some scary rock shelves.

The Escalator and Hell’s Gate were no problem for these two,

The Gatekeeper at Grizzly Lake they blew right through.

Now if you keep an eye on The CJ2A page

Shots of Bam Bam’s exploits are often displayed.

But that’s not the only place to see this pair’s adventures,

Several magazine have made them main cover features.

Their travels have taken them to trails far and wide,

But they especially like traveling near the Continental Divide.

Where they meet up with other flat fenders of yore,

And climb mountains together at the Fall Color Tour.

For me one of the greatest pleasures of all,

When hanging around Jeff and Bam Bam et al.

When he’s asked “is it stock?” I watch very closely,

And grin when Jeff answers and says “well, mostly.”