A lot has happened since my last post. My son Bryce graduated from High School. We has a nice Graduation Party for him and Bill’s Uncle Mark and Aunt Mary’s.

My boys have been busy working this summer, we even made it up to the UP twice to visit Bills Dad and Step Mom. Through it all my son has been saving up to get his first car. With lots of advice from all the people, and the fact that insurance on new things even though they are safer are way more expensive to insure. We found the perfect vehicle for Bryce’s First Car.

My Hair Dresser Val a few years back like 2017 bought a 1986 Jeep Grand Wagoneer from a high school girl in the UP. it was in great shape when she bought it, her and her husband put a new motor and transmission in it and lots of other parts to make it run and drive.

Fast forward to 2025, when we got home and got hair cuts in May, Val mentioned letting it go. I asked her about getting it for Bryce, It is a good sturdy first vehicle. She liked the Idea. A couple weeks later when I came in to get my hair done, I asked her if she had thought about a price, she had. We talked about it, and I negotiated a little not too much, I knew it was a deal.

Eight weeks later after a couple more pay checks, with another hair appointment approaching. I asked Bryce if he really wanted that Jeep, he said yes. I texted Val the Monday July 28 to see if she was still thinking about letting it go, and if she had a price figured out.

After waiting what felt like a day for her to text us back, she had decided on a price. $3,500 and she was ready to let it go to someone who would love it and take the tie to take care of it. Since, they haven’t had the time or the energy recently to work on it. We went over that afternoon, stopped at the bank and Bryce got a good look at his first vehicle.

Bryce paid Val, Val signed of the title and we went home to figure out how we were going to get it home. It ran when they put it away over a year ago, but Val gave us a list of things it needed.

The next day, after doing lots of research for Bryce on the Jeep, I had more questions then answers, the problem with not having it on property. So, Bill and I went out and looked for motor numbers and the other things I need to look up parts. My husband met her husband Eric, he had done all the work on it. He had all the answers and things were not as they seemed to be, a lot more had been done then Val had thought. It was good to go except it needed an exhaust and a few random small things. He gave us a list, of what it needs and what his plan was to do next on it. I know they would love to see some variation of their dream come to reality with it.

After that conversation the next even we brought gas out and got it running, we could probably drive it, but it was wicked loud, so we decided to get Bryce’s Grandpa Mike to come and get it with a trailer. That happened Saturday Morning before my boys had to work. But Bryce was through the moon excited to get it home.

The next day Bryce gave it a bath, and I vacuumed it out and that is when we found out not all things were as they seemed. And this is where the adventure begins.

Stay tuned, next week you will find out what we found and what we are going to do about it.

If you want to help fund Bryce’s First Vehicle Build, he would love your support. You can donate below and all those funds will go to help with his first vehicle.