#and switches and sliders and lights and outlets and stuff

[computer-fox]

its so hard being objectum i long for things that i will never be able to obtain

[s3mag]

His father passed away when he was 16, and his father loved cars. So Caleb Forbes set out on some sort of journey… to find perspective through the outlet of an automobile. In 3 years, he went through about 15 different platforms – regularly swapping & trading out on curious whims. Toward the end of the journey, he ended trading for a Jeep Wrangler. It was an old square-headlight YJ model. And even in that old beater… the sense of freedom, exploration, and the community hooked him. Yeah – even the Jeep Wave. It all meant something to him. And there was an understood bond & fellowship amongst Jeep owners, that he had not yet seen in automotive culture, or in the other chassis. The rapid-fire trading pace began to slow down.

Eventually – he upgraded the YJ for this 2007 4-door Rubicon. It was outfitted with a bunch of terrible/tacky catalogue accessories at the time, but the price was right for a Rubicon. And it was the first vehicle that Caleb had ever gotten a loan for, independently, so there was a sense of pride, accomplishment & responsibility in taking it home.

Caleb made it his mission/passion to go down the rabbit hole, and learn absolutely everything that he could about Jeeps, the aftermarket, and the community.

  You’d Work Obsessively

There is/was a local Jeep supplier in his hometown of Boone, NC, called Rubitrux. The company was reputable, but their photography, on the other hand, was potato. So Caleb convinced them to hire him on a part-time basis, just to get their photos on their website in order. One day, everyone was out at lunch and/or vacation except for Caleb. The phone was ringing, so he answered it. A customer was looking for recommendations… and Caleb got into a conversation. All of Caleb’s accumulated knowledge/experience just started spilling out naturally: budgets, mod paths, things to watch out for, brand quality, expected upgrades & results, etc. Somewhere during the conversation (unbeknownst to Caleb), Caleb’s boss walked in from the other room & started listening in. After the conversation, the bossman was like, “Dude you need to be selling!” So Caleb went from part time photography, to full-time sales (and photography), to Sales Manager… and photography.

As the Sales Manager for Rubitrux, Caleb was talking to the guys from JCR Offroad on the regular. He got to know them all pretty well. And when JCR had a position come available, Brian called Caleb & offered him an opportunity. Now JCR is located up in Michigan. And the timing was kinda weird considering Caleb had literally JUST gotten engaged. But Caleb & his fiancé felt like the opportunity was too crucial to pass up, and he needed to follow the path of this journey. So Caleb moved up to Michigan solo… while she stayed in NC for another 6 months until she graduated college.

And since he was in a new town with no fiancé… and no friends other than the ones he worked with… work became EVERYTHING. He soaked it up like a sponge, learning as much as he could. Not only about Jeep know-how… but also about true small-business work ethic. So many nights, they would work in JCR’s shop all night long cutting & building, then crash in the office for what little time was left… then wake up at 8 & get to answering calls/sales. This was the real deal. The real aftermarket Jeep culture. The philosophy was: You’d work obsessively, and don’t stop until the project was done. And on the weekends, they’d go wheel.

  Metal don’t cry when you cut it!

One day, Caleb was on a call with Steve from Predator Products in California. Steve mentioned he had an extra one of their truck-conversion kits, and he could hook Caleb up with a real good promotional price on it. At first, it was nothing more than a planted seed, without much real consideration other than a daydream. Caleb loved his 4-door the way it was. But that Jeep-truck daydream grew & grew inside Caleb’s head… like a tumor. And it didn’t help that his buddy Bob + all of JCR was in his ears with things like, “Why wouldn’t you do it?! Metal don’t cry when you cut it! Your Jeep WANTS this! Do it for your country Caleb!”

Finally – God intervened to close the deal, and while they were all on the way back from lunch in Caleb’s Jeep, a middle-aged woman in an IDENTICAL Jeep to Calebs gave them all a huge over exaggerated giggly Jeep Wave. Caleb got back to the shop & dialed that number.

The challenge set forth – was to install the whole Predator Products truck-kit with ONLY garage-type hand tools. It took 2 guys 9 hours… and another JCR all-nighter. But by sunrise, she was done.

He was wrong; he broke everything.

About a year & a half after moving to Michigan with JCR… family responsibilities called Caleb back home to Boone, North Carolina, where he settled back in with Rubitrux, and a whole bunch of new life experience under his belt.

Looking on it from the parking lot, there was no denying that the newly transformed Jeep could use some fresh/matching paint. So after about 150 color changes in photoshop lol… Caleb printed out 10 finals & put them on the fridge. When he decided against one, he would crumple it up, throw in trash, and never look back. Against all others, the final color remaining was Tank green, a factory color from Mopar/Jeep. Caleb added the Tank tint to Raptor Liner, and lined the whole Jeep… in the middle of the night one night… per JCR’s training lol.

Next up – the Jeep really needed 40s to fill out it’s new majestic look. The way Caleb figured, if he had been wheeling his Jeep hard on 37s this long with no issues, he could probably go to 40s… be a little more gentle with it… and not have any real problems. Caleb went with a set of Gladiator XComp MTs

And he was wrong; he broke everything.

So into the shopping cart – went upgraded chromoly axle shafts, Artec c-gussets, heavy-duty Teraflex balljoints, Rough Stuff 1-ton tie rods, a JKS drag link flip-kit, new 5:13 Yukon gears… and a Teraflex big rotor kit with EBC Green pads.

Back to the trails it went, and all was good.

Rubitrux had a Rock Crawler 4.5 long arm kit on the shelf that was old stock. So Caleb scooped that up for a helluva deal since it couldn’t be sold AND couldn’t be returned, and a mystery-engineer named Greg Troutman went overboard with Caleb on the install… customizing some of the install for even stronger performance.

That’s right – daily.

So there ya have it. At a few points in his life now, Caleb’s made the choice to go all-in & follow his calling… without really seeing exactly what may come of it. But he acted on faith & passion. And at only 24, he’s got knowledge of this industry and a matured experience in the community that is beyond his years.

You might figure a Jeep that looks like this would most likely be a stable queen. Capable… but not used. Getting driven to the trails on a trailer behind a high-dollar diesel, like a show horse.

But – that’s not the case here. This is Caleb’s daily. That’s right – daily. His only vehicle. No kidding. It can be done… if you’re not a pansy about it.  

2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

Minivan-powered 3.8l V6 lol

Auto transmission

Daily driver

EXTERIOR

-Predator Products Action Truck Conversion

-Raptor Liner in Mopar Tank Green

-VKS Shorty v3 aluminum frame-chop front bumper

-JCR Offroad Crusader sliders

-JCR Offroad fender-delete corner armor

-JCR Offroad / Victory 4×4 frame-chop rear bumper with JCR DIY bumper hoop, gussets, and tabs welded on

-Custom Baja Style tire carrier with PRP 3-way tire strap

-Predator Products hellcat style hood

-Trucklite LED headlights

-Magnaflow dual exhaust

-Superwinch EXP 12Si synthetic rope winch

-High Beam off-road orbital switchback fog lights, spot pods, rock lights and reverse lights

  INTERIOR

-Bartact seat covers – black on black w/ red stitching

-Bedrug replacement carpet

-Switch-Pros SP8100 8 switch system

    SUSPENSION / STEERING

-Rock Krawler 4.5” X-Factor Long Arm (3-link front & rear)

-at full flex, 42” between bottom of the tire and ground

-Fox 2.0 reservoir shocks

-RuffStuff Specialties 1-ton tie rods

-JKS drag link flip

-SteerSmarts raised track bar bracket

  AXLES

-Rubicon 44s

-5.13 gears

-Artec c-gussets

-ARB differential covers

-Teraflex HD ball joints

-Rear truss (for RK 3-link)

-Front & Rear chromoly axle shafts

  DRIVELINE

F+R 1310 Carolina Drive Line drive shafts

  WHEELS / TIRES

-ATX Cornice (AX195) 17×9 wheels

-Gladiator XComp MT 40×13.50×17 tires

Text by Wooley   Photos by Caleb Forbes (owner)

Jeep on Truckin' | Jeep JK Rubicon Truck Conversion His father passed away when he was 16, and his father loved cars. So Caleb Forbes set out on some sort of journey… to find perspective through the outlet of an automobile.

[robertkstone]

2018 Cadillac XTS V-Sport Interior Review: The Details

Just start touching stuff. Get inside the XTS V-Sport Platinum and touch the padded dash trim near the front passenger, feel the headliner, or run your fingers along the lower ends of the door panels. The Cadillac’s interior, while not perfect, is a good match for luxury sedans from top-tier premium brands. Not many XTS competitors have as much interior space, but there’s more to luxury than just interior space and high-quality materials. We spent some time with a 2018 Cadillac XTS V-Sport—a model only offered in top-of-the-line Platinum trim—to see how much of the car’s $73,840 MSRP is earned inside.

Looking for test numbers on the 410-hp, all-wheel-drive XTS V-Sport? Read our First Test review here.

The Platinum Experience

When you splurge for an XTS Platinum with either V-6 engine, Cadillac upgrades the interior with a microfiber suede headliner, leather on the dash, and semi-aniline leather seats. Most surfaces feel soft and appropriately rich; one minor exception is the back of the interior door pulls. That out-of-sight area—where you’ll grab when you close the door, feels just average in an interior that’s appreciably upgraded elsewhere.

Wheely Good Details

Once you’re situated, look at the steering wheel. Specifically, notice how the silver trim that starts at the bottom of the steering wheel’s bottom spokes wraps around to the outer edge of the buttons and then across the back edge of the airbag cover.

I’m also a fan of the way the wood trim on the center console is mirror matched, with the wood on the left side at a diagonal angle pointing toward the left and the same arrangement on the right side. It’s an upscale detail also seen on Volvos and a few other luxury brands.

What a Cluster

Higher XTS trims include a digital instrument cluster that’s displayed on a 12.3-inch screen. Although it’s not quite as easy to change info displays as it is Audi’s digital instrument cluster, I was impressed by the differentiation among each of the Cadillac’s three design themes. Lots of customization is available within those modes—my favorite is the following distance indicator that measures distance in seconds (it’s also found in other GM cars). Another V-Sport-specific design theme has a stylized tachometer in the center. It looks cool, but don’t kick the gear shift stalk into manual with that cluster display on at night, as the black background switches to a bright white. It would also be great if the map in the center of one of the other display modes allowed you to zoom in and out, but overall, I would appreciate this system as an owner.

Calming Light

What the 2018 XTS’ ambient lighting lacks in customizability, it makes up for in elegance. The simple system appears on the doors and the dash, and is included on most trims.

Style Versus Functionality—What Do You Want?

The Cadillac features capacitive-touch controls, which means your finger will feel feedback as you use some of the buttons. The 8.0-inch touchscreen above the HVAC and volume controls isn’t as big as screens in other cars, and it isn’t mounted as high on the dash for optimal visibility. The tradeoff is that on our XTS Platinum model, leather stitching stretches up the relatively low dash.

With sculpted silver trim pieces against a piano black background, it’s a slick layout. That’s especially true before you turn the car on, when the button labels have yet to illuminate. Even though the volume slider is easy to use—slide your finger on the control from left to right to increase volume—nothing beats a good volume knob. In fact, I wish the car had knobs for the temperature controls as well, but adding such controls would mess with the interior’s current aesthetic.

The Genesis G80 is another quick luxury sedan that’s also large inside. That car’s interior has a more forgettable design, but it’s filled with high-quality materials and plenty of control knobs. If you’re considering the Cadillac, decide how much functionality you’re willing to sacrifice for that cool look and the hidden center-stack compartment.

Get Comfortable Back There

The XTS probably has more rear-seat room than most of the cars you’re considering. It’s spacious, and the Platinum model includes rear-seat controls not only for the heated outboard seats and rear air vents, but for the radio and rear sun shade, too. The two USB outlets aren’t located in a small storage compartment in the central armrest (the perfect location, as in a Mazda CX-5), but under the rear vents and rear HVAC controls. We like the idea of having radio controls in the back seat, but maybe a future XTS can use a bigger and higher-res screen that shows more characters before cutting off.

The Platinum models have a standard rear sunshade with manually operated rear side window shades. Also available on the Premium Luxury trim, those features are appreciated, though the rear sunshade doesn’t fully cover the rear windshield.

Oh, That Trunk

One of the XTS’ biggest advantages is its 18.0 cubic foot trunk. It’s bigger than any other Cadillac sedan’s and plenty of other luxury sedans, too. If that’s important to you, definitely consider the XTS. The car’s trunk-open feature conveniently opens the trunk lid all the way up, but without an available power-closing option, closing it with the handle built into the inside of the lid is a little awkward. Skip the interior handle and close it from the top of the trunk. Between the high trunk lid and the thick C-pillars, rear visibility isn’t good, but I appreciate how the rear outboard headrests can fold down when not in use.

So, Go Platinum?

Finished in the Platinum’s available Maple Sugar interior color, the XTS’ interior makes a good first impression. That’s followed up by the mirror-matched wood trim all over the center console and soft trim pieces almost everywhere. The interior controls look great but aren’t as easy to use as in other cars, and that’s where buyers need to determine the importance of style in their new-car purchase—you’ll use these controls every day. The XTS looks good inside but lacks the exterior proportions that you’d expect of a car with a price of around $70,000. If that, the lack of control knobs, the low touchscreen, and the poor rear visibility don’t bother you, an XTS Platinum could make sense if you’re set on a Cadillac or if you want a luxury sedan with a large trunk.

Read our First Test review here.

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