Jeepbrokers.com co-founder Will Morgan reflects on his passion for Jeeps

By Will Morgan
Contributing writer

I think my love for Jeeps came from my father. As a kid, I recall a number of trips to various places near our home including day trips to sand dunes, lakes, rivers and mountain areas in his CJ-5s and CJ-6s. The trips were always enjoyable but I never had any idea at the time how much of an impact those trips would have on me, and how they had lit the fire of Jeep deep inside.

My first driving experience with a stick shift came in another one of my pops Jeeps, a 1974 CJ-5. I vividly remember stalling the engine repeatedly at one of the busiest stop lights in our town. The bad part was that we had sat through two consecutive rotations at the stop light, which happened to be on a small hill, all the while with a long line of impatient folks continuing to grow. Finally on the third attempt, I mashed the gas and dumped the clutch so as to make sure that we would get through the intersection, and I wondered for a few seconds if my dad was going to be able to stop laughing from my misfortune with the clutch. From that point forward, I managed to learn the finesse of driving a manual transmission in that old Jeep, and I was able to drive it for awhile before my folks eventually sold it.

It would be many years later that I would realize how much I missed spending time in those Jeeps and had to have one of my own. As fate would have it, I purchased my first CJ-5, a 1980 model, when I was in my early 20s and from there, a Jeep addiction and lifestyle would be born again. Just a couple months after purchasing my first Jeep, I purchased another CJ-5, and from there it becomes a bit of a blur. A couple dozen Jeeps and almost two decades later, my passion for Jeeps continues to grow and that same passion has opened up doors that I would never have thought possible. I have had the fortune of owning a shop that enabled me to buy, build, and sell Jeeps so I have always had a constant rotation of them going through the place. I have also been lucky enough to cross paths with several other friends who share this passion for Jeeps, and we have been able to structure Jeep-oriented ventures that continuously keep me in, around, or working with Jeeps.

As time has progressed, I continue to have a growing appreciation for these great, all-around vehicles. They have helped me enjoy a number of adventures be it kayaking, camping, skiing, or just out wheeling. I have found that Jeeps can be excellent winter-time 4x4 vehicles, great convertibles, enjoyable weekend play toys, wonderful dune runners, fantastic hunting rigs, or all of these rolled into one. With the excitement and anticipation of each outing or wheeling trip, I find myself wanting to spend more time outdoors and in my Jeeps for wheeling and enjoying time with friends.

My passion for Jeeps will always be with me, and the Jeep fire that burns deep inside will continue on as I wonder and dream of what my next Jeep or wheeling rig may be.

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