I just got some pics from the owner (who shall remain nameless until he sends me his name 🙂 ) of the jeep formerly known as Pittle Power (I remember it as Piddle Power though). I don't remember the history of the Jeep prior to Jim and Patty Carter purchasing it, but I believe they purchased it so their growing boys, Tim and Steve, wouldn't have to squish themselves into the back of Otis. They purchased a stock CJ-3A, installed a chev 4cyl and attached desert dogs. Otherwise (I'm told) they left everything else stock. Pittle might not have had much power (hence the name), but it could go 99% of the places the modified WWJC jeeps could go.
The Carter's had a habit of naming all their vehicles. There was Otis (the jeep), tote-us (the jeep trailer), Brutus (their first motorhome) and more.
Our To-Be-Named contributor writes:
"The Jeep I bought was owned by Jim Carter(original member of the WWJC). The race name was Pittle Power. Skip Baird helped me with my first swap with a V-6 and a top loader. Al Hamilton and I became very close infact I still have one of his pups Mandy she is a very stubborn German Shorthair."
Editor's note: To the right is the only picture I have of Pittle Power from 1983 (and it's only the hind quarter) hidden behind Danny's CJ-5. While the Pittle Power was never actually raced, I do remember a club trip to Liberty Trail one weekend. After we made camp, Tim Carter decided he wanted to head down to the store and asked me to ride shotgun (somehow he knew there was a remote store at the bottom of the hill we were camped on). So, he drove me down that hill in Pittle Power, a ride I remember vividly because we were travelling sideways down the constantly turning gravel road for a good portion of it. Come to think of it, one time Tim took me for a ride in his late 60's camaro and we travelled sideways heading onto the cloverleaf on ramp to I-405. Maybe Tim always travelled sideways or I just brought it out of him.
Lol…. I know the owner…..It’s a far cry from the piddle power you remember! As a matter of fact I saw it going through North bend last weekend…
Mitch
Also of note- In the 3rd picture behind PP is Stan Humann’s M-38 which is now red and belongs to my dad Alan. Danny still has his CJ parked in the garage…However I don’t think it has been driven in probably 15 years.
Mitch
From roughly left to right …
Yellow CJ-3A: Piddle Power
Danny’s CJ-5
Stan Humann’s M-38 (now Alan’s)
CJ-5 in the foreground (Dad’s jeep)
Two CJ-5s behind it belonged to the Go-For-Alls
Green flatfender (fiberglass) was not a WWJC or a GFA member (maybe green river jeep club?)
Orange CJ-5 — Go-for-all member (the Don Hoagie’s jeep)
Otis (Jim and Patty Carter) far right
Unseen to the far far right (another pic) is Al Hamilton’s CJ-5.
The Go-For-All’s were a club with members from the Renton area (and other areas). I went to high school with Lynnette Williams (Go-For-All) and she would eventually marry Tim Carter — so the WWJC and Go-For-Alls are related by marriage now. Lynnette’s sister, Carmen, is an excellent racer who continues to race with her husband.
WOW! History is so cool. My name is Dave Chambers (Owner of Pittle Power) Nick name Dog Dave, damn bird dogs are stubborn. We went out last weekend from our cabin in Cle Elum. My buddy has 8 achers below us where we built quad track……. Jeep track. Its not often when you can jump your jeep in your friends front yard next to the play pen. I was on the phone today with Gary Marshal to have a rear diff built like Mitch has, so I can finaly work on my DJ frame swap. I hope the high pinion offset rear will line up with the 18 T case with the auto trans and the spring over with a flat spring. If that does not line up I do have a T-10 adapted ready for duty on the shelf. FYI the new Holley Truck Avenger carb works realy good no bobbles. on the “quad” track it ran the motor to a smooth 6200 rpm.
I’ve had really good luck with the Truck Avenger carb as well. It’s right on the edge of tipping over before it’ll quit runnin. The rear end Gary built for me has held up really well the last few years. You’ll like the DJ frame I think.
Mitch
The little yellow Jeep was called “Piddle Power” for piddling little power.Patti and I bought the jeep from friends Bill and Gloria Loud of Mercer Island, WA in about 1969 or 70. Our son Steve drove it to Lake Washington High School in the early eighties. I have been 4-wheeling since 1948. Started in Salt Lake City, Utah and moved to Washington State in 1958.
Hi Jim.
I had no idea Piddle Power had been in the family so long. Thanks for the update.
On another note, this past summer Dad told me a story about dropping his CJ-2A on its side back in ’49??. He said BB was in the passenger seat, you were in the back. You can read about it here: http://www.ewillys.com/?p=515. Is that the way you remember it happening?