Moses Ludel, Publisher/Producer at 4WD Mechanix Magazine
Author and illustrator of seven in-depth automotive books and technical manuals—including ‘best sellers’ that earned vehicle manufacturers’ part numbers, Moses Ludel photo-illustrated each of his seven Bentley Publishers books covering Jeep®, Ford F-truck, GMC/Chevrolet truck, Toyota truck/Land Cruiser plus Harley-Davidson.
Moses Ludel’s professional writing and photography career began in 1982. A magazine journalist and newspaper writer, photographer, columnist and industry consultant, Moses Ludel is the journey-level mechanic, author and illustrator of the bestselling Jeep® Owner’s Bible, the Jeep® CJ Rebuilder’s Manual: 1946-71 and the Jeep® CJ Rebuilder’s Manual: 1972-86. The Jeep® Owner’s Bible™ (published by Bentley Publishers), initially released in 1992, is now in its Third Edition.
Other popular Bentley Publishers books by Moses Ludel include the Ford F-Series Pickup Owner’s Bible™, the Chevrolet & GMC Light Truck Owner’s Bible™, the Toyota Truck & Land Cruiser Owner’s Bible™ and the Harley-Davidson Evolution V-Twin Owner’s Bible™.
Books by Moses Ludel were popular at Camp Jeep® where Moses conducted the Mopar®/Jeep® workshops. Bentley Publishers’ flyer (left) announces Moses Ludel’s lecture on Willys 4WD and Jeep® vehicles at the Larz Anderson Museum, Brookline, Massachusetts. Recognized for his Jeep knowledge and technical insight, Moses Ludel presented the first Willys-Jeep® lecture in the museum’s history. At right, Bentley Publishers receives a graphic arts award for Moses Ludel’s Jeep® CJ Rebuilder’s Manual: 1972-86. Moses Ludel wrote and personally illustrated the content of each Bentley book.
Moses Ludel’s published body of writing now exceeds 4,000 magazine and newspaper articles, travel and adventure stories and technical columns. His B&W and color photographs illustrate these feature articles and technical books, magazine covers, backcountry travel pieces, the original ‘Tread Lightly’ posters and digital ‘how-to’ photography. Published photos now number more than 18,500 color and B&W images. Since 2010, Moses has filmed, edited and produced more than 400 technical, event, product and corporate training HD videos.
Automotive books and service manuals by Moses Ludel have earned part numbers from Chrysler/Jeep® and Mopar®, Ford Motor Company’s SVO and GM Motorsports. Moses Ludel has taught adult education courses and written curriculum for Welding, Automotive Technology and truck/diesel mechanics.
Moses Ludel conducted a dozen years of workshops at annual Camp Jeep® events on behalf of Jeep®, Mopar® Accessories and the Mopar® Performance product lines. Moses’ published Q&A and workshop dialogues with Jeep 4WD, light truck, SUV and automobile owners is widespread and includes lively exchanges, ranging from driving technique and outfitting a Jeep 4×4 for rough backcountry use to the side effects of Jeep upgrades and modifications. He has guided media launches of new 4x4s and SUVs for GMC/Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz and Subaru. Moses served as the Media Representative on the Tread Lightly Board of Directors in the nineties and co-conducted national Tread Lightly 4WD Clinics with Bill Burke, founder of 4-Wheeling America and the International 4-Wheel Drive Trainers Association (I4WDTA).
Moses Ludel’s guest interview by Mark Greene at “Cars Yeah!” was recorded live. The podcast is available at the Cars Yeah website, Twitter and iTunes…Join us: https://carsyeah.com/ourportfolio/moses-ludel/
Moses Ludel: Professional Mechanic, Automotive Technology and Welding Instructor, Technical Writer and Photojournalist
A University of Oregon graduate, Moses Ludel’s professional credentials include light and medium duty truck fleet mechanic, weldor and heavy equipment operator, truck dealership line mechanic, automatic transmission specialist and owner/operator of a 4×4 and classic car mechanical restoration shop focused on pre- and post-war powertrain and steering systems, high performance muscle cars, trail vehicles and race trucks. A photojournalist, author and adult education vocational instructor, Moses Ludel covers mechanical systems from the shop floor level to engineering.
Here, Moses Ludel forms custom brake lines on a classic vehicle, using S.U.R.&R. tools. Moses Ludel’s professional credentials include fleet truck and heavy equipment mechanic-weldor, restoration of classic automobiles, muscle cars, Jeep 4x4s and light trucks, automotive machine shop work plus dealership service experience at chassis, engine, manual and automatic transmission, axle, brake and steering systems.
Moses Ludel has written and photographed extensively in the technical and outdoor travel venues…His work has appeared in dozens of prominent automotive and outdoor magazines in the United States, Britain and Japan—plus the Oregonian, San Diego Union-Tribune and other newspapers. Moses tested/reviewed new vehicles and wrote the “DriveTime” column for the Oregonian in the nineties. Moses Ludel’s photography credits include magazine covers, ‘how-to’ technical illustrations, outdoor photography for travel and adventure stories, ‘Tread Lightly!’ posters, new vehicle testing and motorsports coverage plus thousands of illustrations for his Bentley Publishers book projects. For the last dozen years, his focus has shifted to HD videography.
For details on Moses Ludel’s Jeep®, Ford, GM and Toyota truck and Harley-Davidson book titles, visit the Bentley Publishers website at: https://www.bentleypublishers.com
The cover photo that helped launch the premier issues of Jp Magazine for Dobbs Publications was Moses’ depiction of a new YJ Wrangler on the Rubicon Trail. After three decades of professional photojournalism and book illustrating, Moses Ludel has racked up more than 18,500 color and B&W photo credits…Lower photo, Moses participated on Team USA-UK alongside Sue Mead and Nick Dimbleby at the 1996 Land Rover Trek competition, a 4WD triathlon and mini-Camel Trophy challenge.
Moses Ludel has been a feature writer, photojournalist and columnist for a variety of automotive and truck magazines, a freelance writer and columnist for the Oregonian newspaper, a new vehicle evaluator for magazines, newspapers and SUV manufacturers, fabricator of five magazine project vehicles and six book project vehicles—each project has been photo documented from bare frame to turnkey finished product. Moses Ludel has written more than 4,000 full-length feature articles, monthly technical ‘Q&A’ columns and ‘how-to’ magazine pieces (averaging 2,500 words apiece).
Between 1983 and the present, Moses Ludel has contributed to a host of automotive, truck and 4WD magazines. Moses’ technical articles, special interest stories and ‘Q & A’ tech columns reached more than 1.6-million enthusiasts each month during the decade 1987-97. Outlets during those years included:
•Argus’ Popular Hot Rodding, OFF-ROAD, Super Street Truck, Super Chevy, Guide to Muscle Cars & Fabulous Mustangs
•Dobbs’ Corvette Fever, Jp and Chevy Truck
•McMullen-Yee’s 4WD & Sport Utility, VW Trends and Truckin’
•T-L Enterprises’ Trailer Life and Motorhome
•Babcox’s Automotive Rebuilder
•San Diego Union newspaper
•Portland Oregonian newspaper ‘DriveTime’ section columnist
•Jeep® News (the official publication of Jeep/Chrysler)
•Geo Times (the official publication of Geo/Chevrolet)
In more recent years, Moses Ludel has selectively freelanced for Corvette, Corvette Fever, Off-Road Magazine, 4WD & Sport Utility, Oliver Heritage, Classic Trucks and Vintage Truck magazines. In addition to his own 4WD Mechanix Magazine and forums, Moses Ludel currently freelances/contributes the “Long Haul” technical column at the Turbo Diesel Register. The quarterly magazine focuses on Ram Cummins trucks.
Vocational Instructor, Director of Training and Curriculum Developer—Moses Ludel has seven years of instructing experience at automotive and welding vocational training. Upon graduating from the University of Oregon (Bachelor of Science/College of Arts and Sciences, 1980) with Dean’s List honors, Moses taught at-risk young adults at the San Diego Job Corps (Imperial Beach) in the early eighties as his automotive journalism career unfolded.
In 1999, the principal at Rite of Passage Charter High School’s Silver State Academy needed a short-term substitute instructor for the Automotive Technology class. He asked Moses if he could help. As a Sociology major at the U of O, Moses had worked at the Oregon State Employment Office (Springfield) as a youth employment coordinator under the University Year for ACTION Program, which led to instructing at the San Diego Jobs Corps.
As an empty nesting couple (their youngest son in his first year of the Civil Engineering program at the University of Nevada), Moses and Donna Ludel considered ROP’s immediate need for a substitute and the students’ more significant need for quality training. The couple understood the time investment and energy demanded, and Moses made a five-year commitment. He took a hiatus from his successful publishing career to serve as the Automotive Technology instructor at Rite of Passage. Within a year, he advanced to Director of Vocational Training for the five ROP campuses, doubling as the Site Supervisor of Education at Silver State Academy for two of his five school years.
At Rite of Passage (ROP), Moses Ludel developed Welding, Automotive and Industrial Arts curriculum that followed adult education level training models. He taught mechanical skills and welding to hundreds of students, represented Rite of Passage on the Western Nevada (Community) College ‘Tech Prep’ Consortium board and served as the ROP administrative member for SkillsUSA VICA. Moses worked closely with the welding program at WNCC (now Western Nevada College) and facilitated the transition of Rite of Passage graduates to quality trade jobs at welding, construction and entry level automotive mechanics. In his five contract years (1999-2004) with the Rite of Passage programs, while serving as the Director of Vocational Training, Moses Ludel provided training program oversight for more than 1,200 vocational students at five ROP administered campuses.
Rite of Passage Silver State Academy and four other campuses proved challenging teaching environments. The all male student body was mostly disadvantaged youth, many with gang backgrounds and adjudicated by court systems. In Moses’ view, these were tough youth with great potential! An average student/athlete enrollment period was 14 months, and the focused learning environment led to a well earned high school diploma plus a substantial vocational orientation. From 1999-2004, Moses Ludel instructed and supervised the welding program (GMAW, SMAW, GTAW, FCAW and oxy-acetylene), automotive technology plus diesel mechanics and machine tools training. He served as Site Supervisor of Education and Director of Vocational Training, writing the technical training curriculum for students ranging from Special Education ‘IEP’ track to college bound academic achievers.
Dedicating five contract years to Rite of Passage, upon completion Moses Ludel received the coveted Rite of Passage ‘Gut Check Award’ in July 2004. In the organization’s history of 5,500 employees by that date, this award had only been given to one other staff member…Moses values this achievement more than any other plaque, trophy, certificate or diploma on his office wall…He enjoys the teaching process and instructing challenges!
