David Tracy, on leaving Chrysler (updated)

"Just Jeepin'" (macintux)
04/16/2020 at 16:15 • Filed to: None

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! about the recently departed writers and the follow-on discussion reminded me that I wanted to share this with Oppo. David Tracy wrote this yesterday afternoon, and as an entirely-biased fan I found it to be a compelling read.

Update : this is also worth a read, if you haven’t. He talks more about his work o n the new Wrangler, and how that impacted his ability to work at Jalopnik.

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DISCUSSION (31)

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:17

huh...didnt know tracy was an engineer.... i thought he was just a little off in the head

engineer explains a lot :p

Just Jeepin' > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
04/16/2020 at 16:23

He worked on cooling for the JL Wrangler , which cam e up in his piece about the Gladiator’s towing specs. It also meant that when the new generation was still a rumor he had to recuse himself from writing any article about it.

https://jalopnik.com/the-engineering-behind-the-jeep-gladiators-tow-rating-1833657453

haveacarortwoorthree2 > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:23

That, actually, is an awesome explanation. Better than my reason for switching jobs, which was “sounded interesting” and “if I was going to do something like this, I need to do it now.”

boredalways > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:24

Although not intentional, I read the title as David Tracy is leaving Jalopnik!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:25

Thanks for sharing!

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:25

It IS a breath of fresh air over there to have somebody who’s technically astute. Most of ‘em can “write” but David can back it up with solid engineering knowledge.

I just wish he’d work on classic Land Cruisers, not basket case Jeeps...

Just Jeepin' > boredalways
04/16/2020 at 16:25

I absolutely cannot star your comment out of fear of jinxing him.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:27

H e makes a comparison with nurses meeting all kinds of different and interesting, fascinating people. I worked in healthcare and what I took from my experience was “I don’t want to meet people anymore”.

Shows how a well-adjusted person reacts .

Future next gen S2000 owner > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:28

That really must have eaten him up from the inside. To know so much info and not be able to talk about it. I wonder how much FCA tracked his writings.

Just Jeepin' > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
04/16/2020 at 16:28

You’re welcome. He really caught me off-guard with that comment, surprising depth for someone so young and rather obsessed with rust-heaps, even as someone who thinks of him as a friend.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:29

It’s a shame he’ll be so bald in a couple years. He’s really not that old.

VincentMalamute-Kim > boredalways
04/16/2020 at 16:29

I read it the same way.

Just Jeepin' > Future next gen S2000 owner
04/16/2020 at 16:30

You can read his take on it: https://jalopnik.com/what-it-was-like-keeping-the-new-jeep-wranglers-juicies-1820821385

Just Jeepin' > VincentMalamute-Kim
04/16/2020 at 16:32

I’m not sure which reaction is more we ll-adjusted.

Thomas Donohue > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:34

... the reason is complex, and would take a book to really explain. But here’s a small portion:

tl;dr ( He wrote a book.)

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:37

He really seems like a genuinely good and nice guy. He’s smart and a fantastic writer with great instincts - the depth he gets in his stories, often including the people behind the machine, is just fantastic. I’m glad he’s choosing, for now, to stay at Jalopnik, but I hope he has all the success in the world and gets the position(s) that his talent deserves before long.

Just Jeepin' > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
04/16/2020 at 16:39

Agreed. He talked with me about the move , and it was really hard to be objective, because I knew wherever he went I and others wouldn’t have the same opportunity to interact with him, but obviously I want him to be successful.

Journalism is a tough business no matter what, especially right now, so there really are no good answers.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:48

While his methods of mechanical repair may sometimes be questionable , I love his dedication and enthusiasm for his zaney antics . They’re great fun to read about, and I’ve come to really respect his writing over the years. He has a unique voice and writes with the confidence of someone who has been writing, and writing well, for awhile.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 16:51

He’ll be fine. He mentioned his large family, which I assume he’s close with. It’s amazing what confidence a big, supportive family “net” can give you to make decisions in life that may not be the smartest financially (like quitting an engineering job and going into journalism). Similarly, another job may seem more stable, but he clearly values the freedom and community that he has at Jalopnik, and isn’t (yet) willing to give that up.

glemon > VincentMalamute-Kim
04/16/2020 at 16:59

I am an introvert according to the tests I take, for myself and others of the same ilk, being around people you aren’t comfortable with or know well all day wears you out and you want to go “recharge your batteries” on your own for a while.

I didn’t really believe in these tests and still don’t like them being used for job/career assessment or selection tools, but went to a seminar by a guy ended up on the Myers Briggs as the same, somewhat rare, personality type as me. And, though a vastl y different person, he seemed to think and feel the same as me about life situations.

TL/DR Some people are energized by meeting new people, some are drained by it.

As I get older I realize I enjoy it, but in small doses, not force fed on a regular basis .

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 17:01

Well I work on shows and hundreds of people are around, but I do graphics with a couple other people usually. I am so happy not meeting tons of people every day! When we don’t have graphics to do and I get thrown back into the cattle, I am miserable.

VincentMalamute-Kim > glemon
04/16/2020 at 17:05

oh yeah, I’m an introvert. Exact opposite of Tracy. I’m a radiologist which means I spent all day working alone in a room full of monitors and workstations.

RallyWrench > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 18:12

That’s really cool, he seems like a genuinely great person, interested in personal growth outside normal channels . The postal Jeep series kind of set me on edge a little, but it makes a hell of a story, as they all do . Hope all the best for him, here and elsewhere if it comes to it. Would definitely be happy to buy the guy a beer.

AKBrian > Just Jeepin'
04/16/2020 at 18:20

Don’t you dare!

jimz > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
04/16/2020 at 20:22

true.

though I don’t think I’d want to live next door to him...

CRider > Just Jeepin'
04/29/2020 at 20:30

I thought he was let go becuase his idea of how much rust was “within acceptable tolerances ” was too liberal, even for FCA.

Jim Spanfeller > glemon
04/29/2020 at 23:59

You might be like me. I’m an ambivert, so I enjoy both but don’t like having too much of one or the other. I need a balance of both. I love being around people and being social, but I also need some time to myself to daydream, let my mind wander, write, work on creative projects, make something, etc.

That’s what’s been hard for me while in quarantine. I’m getting an overload of me time, and I JUST WANT TO BE WITH PEOPLE NOW, DAGNABBIT!

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > glemon
04/30/2020 at 00:20

Yeah I like the charged/drained concept . My wife and I are both extremely social, but after we go out for a day (like a wedding or something) I come home and crash, while she is bouncing off the walls. I still like doing it, just whips my ass. And I DONT like doing it a bunch. Need a day or two off ha

Jim Spanfeller > jimz
04/30/2020 at 12:30

I would LOVE to live next door to him. It would give me an excuse to hoard my own basket case vehicles, and we could wrench together from time to time.

dogisbadob > Just Jeepin'
11/10/2020 at 19:18

that’s cool

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > glemon
11/10/2020 at 23:32

A director at my old company loved those tests and everytime I took one, the lack of detail always bugged me.