Ecuador
01Land Rover Series III
A long-wheelbase working four-wheel drive that made durability, simple engineering, and self-reliance part of everyday travel.
About Martin & OMG!
The experience behind the misadventures
A lifetime around practical four-wheel drives, more than fifteen years with family Wranglers, and one simple belief: careful diagnosis beats expensive guesswork.
Meet the author
I’m Martin Slater.I learned by doing.
I am British (born in California), but I grew up in Ecuador—between the Andes, the Amazon, and the Pacific coast—and in Belize, far from civilization in the middle of a tropical rainforest. Long distances, rough roads, and capable four-wheel drives were part of everyday life. That is where my appreciation for useful vehicles and hands-on problem-solving began.
My first Jeep was a metallic-blue 1982 CJ-7 in England. Across Ecuador, England, and the United States, ten vehicles—from a long-wheelbase Land Rover Series III and classic Toyota Land Cruisers to a Chevrolet Rodeo, Ford Escape, Nissan Pathfinder, Land Rover LR3, and 2010 Wrangler JK—each taught me something different about maintenance, durability, and the value of understanding the machine you depend on.
I am not a licensed mechanic or a Stellantis representative. I am an experienced owner, author, and determined DIY problem-solver who believes the best repair usually begins with the right test.
The vehicles that shaped the journey
Ten vehicles. Three countries. One continuing education.
From Ecuador to England and the United States, these are the vehicles that shaped my preference for practical engineering and owner involvement.
England
021982 Jeep CJ-7
A metallic-blue introduction to Jeep ownership—and to the appeal of a simple, capable vehicle you could understand with tools in hand.
Ecuador
031979 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser
Old-school four-wheel-drive engineering built for difficult roads and the kind of terrain that teaches mechanical sympathy.
Ecuador
041988 Toyota Land Cruiser LJ71
A compact Land Cruiser that continued the education in rugged vehicles, practical maintenance, and remote-road self-reliance.
Ecuador
052003 Ford Escape XLT 4×4
I tested the limits of this SUV in both the Andean highlands and the Amazon rainforest.
Ecuador
061995 Chevrolet Rodeo
One of my favorite four-wheel drives. We travelled throughout Ecuador—from the Andes and Amazon rainforest to the Pacific coast—and it never let us down.
Ecuador
072005 Mazda B2600
A dependable working pickup and another reminder that usefulness, simplicity, and knowing your own vehicle matter more than appearances.
USA
082005 Nissan Pathfinder
A practical family SUV that added another perspective on maintaining a capable, everyday four-wheel drive.
USA
092006 Land Rover LR3
A sophisticated four-wheel drive that brought modern electronics, air suspension, and a very different kind of troubleshooting education.
USA
0102010 Jeep Wrangler JK
The Wrangler that began more than fifteen years of family Jeep ownership, repairs, modifications, trail rides, and the lessons behind OMG!
Why OMG! exists
Years of experience. Miles of misadventures.
I founded OMG! Old Men’s Garage & Off-Road Misadventures to share what experience actually looks like: useful knowledge, dirty hands, humor, wrong turns, recoveries, and the willingness to help the next owner avoid the same mistake.
The Jeep Wrangler DIY Companion grew from the notes, specifications, diagrams, troubleshooting steps, and real-world solutions I kept wishing were together in one place. It is written for TJ, LJ, JK, and JKU owners who want to understand their Jeep—not simply replace parts until the problem disappears.
