Doetsch Off-Road

Since as early as he can remember, Dave Doetsch has loved anything associated with the off-road lifestyle, especially anything that involved Jeeps. As a child, seeing a lifted truck or 4×4 vehicle reminded him of the old school monster trucks that he saw smashing cars at the local state fair. When high school opened the door (literally) to a driver’s license, Dave learned how to drive in a well-used 1979 Jeep CJ5 that was mildly lifted on 33” tires. He spent many a night tinkering with the motor & suspension, trying to get as much horsepower as possible out of its tired Chevy 350 motor, and articulation from the bottomed-out leaf springs. He also spent time researching parts and accessories that he could install himself, to make the Jeep fit more of his own personality. Not long after, Dave’s driveway was filled with friends wanting to get lift kits installed or stereo systems tuned. Dave soon found himself owning not one, two, or three Jeeps – but rather seven! They ranged from CJ5s to Wranglers and all had a hand in allowing him to earn his shade-tree mechanic skills.