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I kept the Power Wheels jeep that I bought for my son, Mark, way back in 1988. It's been in my basement collecting dust for the past 30 yrs. I don't know why I kept it all this time, but now I'm glad that I did. Everett and I went to my basement the other day to get something and he spied the jeep in a dark corner. He immediately climbed in it and tried to drive it. The 6 volt batteries were cracked, crumbling, and since it hadn't been charged in 30 years, of course it wouldn't run. So, I thought I'd look into what it would take to get it fixed for him. I found out that there was a worldwide recall of all Power Wheels ride-on vehicles in 1998 due to an electrical problem that could cause fires. I called a local store that was listed as a Power Wheels service center and they said that recalls are honored forever and they told me they would replace the connectors on the jeep and on the charger per the recall at no cost to me even though the recall was issued 20 years ago! I had to buy new 6-volt batteries, though. I took the jeep in to them a couple of days ago and they fixed it! In addition, the plexiglass windshield was shattered and since Power Wheels no longer makes parts for this model since it's so old, I wasn't sure how to get the darned thing replaced. I checked all over the internet, including eBay and came up empty. So I called a local glass company and told them what I needed. They said it sounded like something they could handle. I unscrewed the windshield, took it in to the shop and the technician used the old windshield as a template to cut out a new one by hand. The last thing I wanted to do was replace the tires. But I ran into the same problem. No replacement parts for that model anymore. I found a hobby store in New Jersey that had some Power Wheels replacement wheels that are supposed to work on my old jeep. I ordered all the parts for a set of new tires and am just waiting for them to come in. After all is said and done, it probably would have been cheaper just to trash the jeep and buy a new one; but I love the idea of Everett playing with the same toys and reading the same books that belonged to my son and daughter. So far, most of his favorite toys at my house have been toys that belonged to them when they were little. You just can't put a price on that. The first pic is of my son, Mark, when he was about 4 yr old in the same jeep that 30 years later is being passed down to Everett. The second pic is of 2-year old Everett taking his first ride in the jeep this morning.
