how heavily is is jeep modified? how much do you have into it?

[Jeep or Tacoma]

I see all these beautiful jeeps on this thread and see that many are exquisitely modified. So how would you rate your mod from light being maybe a budget boost and tires to medium good lift, tires winch bars to heavily being all th before plus lights roof rack frig, trailers, rtt. campers and the top of the line suspension set ups?

How much did you spend If I may be so bold?

what would you do again and what is a waste so to speak?

Me i have ome springs billets shocks, terra flex monster control bars warn bumper, smitty built winch wheel spacers, tires , seat covers side bars I am in it to about $3500 ish

 

[expedition4x4]

I look for good deals alot and do my own installs to save money


Initial price of a base model jkus $21,500
only two options were A/C and Hardtop

AEV 3.5" lift $1300 (Still new in box off of craigslist)
Toyo extreme in 35x12.50x17 $1500
Spidertrax spacers $200
Kenwood d710 Ham radio $700
4.56 gears f/r and rear ARB locker $2,000
Dual Battery system with rear wheelwell tray $300
Fridge (free off of expo)
Adventure trailers stage1 drawer $600
Adventure trailers combo slide and partner steel stove $1,000
ARB dual compressor and underseat mount from Carolina metal $600
Gobi Stealth rack $1300
CVT Mt St Helens tent loaner
TnT 4 door step sliders $200 after I won $300 in gift certificates at Caravan for kids
AEV front bumper off of a Call of Duty jeep $300
Trek armor front and rear seatcovers $200 local offroad shop was selling out for cheap
Airlift 1000 airbags $200
ARB Awning $200

total so far is around 31,900

 

[Jp90Talon]

I don't like thinking about what I have spent on my Jeeps and will never tell the wife.

 

[unkamonkey]

Oh, my. I have 3 Jeeps here, 2 3B's and a Commando. Three winches, OD, V6's etc and I don't think I have $8,000 invested in the lot.
I suppose I just prefer the old Jeeps. You people do what you want.

 

[SheepnJeep]

^^^^^^ I'm with him, vintage is the way to go. Don't hate me for it, but between buying and selling parts jeeps to build one CJ both my dad and I have made money. For example, one CJ5 was purchased for $400, relieved of its back seat, and then sold at a local swap meet for $800.

I would guess my stock-ish CJ-3a has cost about 5-6,000 total to put together.

$800 bought the first two jeeps including a large amount of body panels

$1800 dollar score of a frame with rebuilt running gear

Tires were probably $450 at the time

Misc. Body panels probably cost about $400

$150 worth of steel and a rollbar

Plus a couple hundred worth of glass work, Misc parts to make a top

Wiring harness was $150

Winches will be about $600 by the time the front is done

You get the idea. But buying and selling parts usually gained a profit or at least 0 loss. I think jeeps are some of the only vintage vehicles that you could make a profit on by rebuilding them if you play your cards right

 

[unkamonkey]

Sheepnjeep, You can't forget the amount of time spent in labor to deal with the parts and getting them wherever you need to ship them from. I did that with older Volvo parts years ago. Still have a few parts around here. Still trying to find out what to do with the 472 Caddy motor.
I know my 3B won't do some of the trails around Moab that my friends can do in their new Rubicons. I've been driving it for something like 23 years so at least I've been keeping the spirit alive.

 

[FastGlass]

I'm going with "Heavily Modified". I'm not even going to add it up, but I wiped out 4 years of saving up in a Jeep Build account I'd made...

AEV 4.5" RS Tuned Bilstein 5160 reservoir shocks
AEV 4.5" progressive Springs
AEV Procal
AEV corner guards
Clayton JK Long Arm set
Clayton HD crossmember, welded
Clayton full 3 pc skid set
Poison Spyder Brawler Rockers (rails and body protection)
JE Reel 1350 CV front drive shaft
JE Reel 1350 CV rear drive shaft


AXLES:
Dynatrac ProRock 44 unlimited front axle (4.88)
ARB 35 spline locker
RCV Ultimate axles
Reid Racing knuckles
Dynatrac pro steer ball joints


Dynatrac ProRock 60 rear axle (4.88)
ARB 35 spline locker


Hutchinson Rock Monster Beadlocks-black
37" BFG KM2s
Synergy track bar relocation brackets, welded...both axles.
Synergy HD tie rod
Synergy Sector Shaft brace kit
Synergy HD Draglink w flip kit*
Metalcloak HD adjustable track bars...front and rear
Gobi Stealth Rack (Custom...set up for a 50" Baja Designs Arc series LED bar)
Gobi passenger side ladder
ARB awning (with Gobi mounts)
Expedition One trail series front bumper (customized)
Expedition One trail series rear bumper with swing out tire mount
Warn Zeon 12 Platinum
Masterpull XD 100' synthetic rope
Factor 55 XXL shackle
Factor 55 1.5 hawes fairlead
ARB dual compressor
ARB manifold (for lockers)
M.O.R.E. Bracket for compressor
Genesis Dual Battery system (200 amp isolator)
Genesis Battery monitor
Spod 6 switch for lighting
Rugged Ridge A-Pillar (for ARB Lockers and compressor)
Vector Offroad JKE Dock with various Ram Mounts
Drake hood locks
Drake extinguisher and flashlight mounts
2.5 lb maxout and Halguard extinguishers
Grabars front and back
4x Maxtrax
Cobra 29lx cb
4' Firestik II
Yeti 50 cooler


LIGHTING:

95,320 Lumens of lighting en route! (Don't ask why...just roll with it )
2 x Baja Designs Sqadron Pro (JK Fogs, amber...kit)
2 x Baja Designs Squadron Pro XL-R (driving pattern...A-pillars)
2 x Baja Designs Squadron Pro (flood/rear lights)
2 x ARB Intensity "32" LEDs (bumper mount/floods)
6 x Baja Designs S2's (3 per side Gobi rack...flood)
1 x Baja Designs 50" OnyX 6 Arc light bar (driving/combo)
2 x JW Speaker Evo 2 headlamps
2 x Recon LED tailights, red


...Bunch of new recovery gear....HD ARB shackles, straps and winch extension lines Yada yada....

 

[JeepSafariDigest]

It is a labor of love and not many are able to follow through with the creation of an EXPO Wrangler.. Most would show that they have the 4 door or JKU.. We just happen to have the 2 door.. limited space and options based on how others set their jeeps up. Over all it's not what's been bought or sold, it's more over how one uses what they have and rely on these settings to go through that pass or on that trail. This related to working from the ground up principle.. meaning start with the tires, suspension the hardest working components, then over time you can add the creature comforts.

 

[besthaticouldo]

I don't like thinking about what I have spent on my Jeeps and will never tell the wife.

Agreed, I also don't keep track.

I did with my last car and was well over 65k including the cost of the car. No thanks.

 

[dan0]

Mine is NOT built yet, everything has just been maintenance on an older jeep so far.

Purchase price - $862
Replacement parts so far (mirror, heater core, oil pressure sensor) - $130
17" OEM wheels (no tires) - $230, but these may go on my other car and buy cheaper 16" tires for the stock wheels when that time comes.

Other maint.
Radiator - $100
Finding a not busted up seat - $100


Planned expenses
Lift- $500 - $1500 for kit depending on what I go with (IRO 3" - Rough Country 4" long arm)
Other steering, isolators, etc needed when I do the lift, maybe $500
Tires- hoping to spend around $1000.

I plan on custom building bumpers (because there aren't that many out for WJs
Custom bed frame
Roof rack and ARB awning.

Hoping to be all in for the basic build around $5000. then continue on lockers, stronger axles, re-gear maybe, etc.

 

[mmrocek]

As we all know you will never recoup the money you spend on the jeep when/if you try to sell it. So the best way - as I did - is to get a jeep that is already mostly there and then just add you own touch. I while back I bought a 2000 XJ for KBB value and it already had a Rubicon express lift kit, tires/wheels, ARB lockers front and rear, skids/rockers, a rubicon transfer case, warn bumpers front and rear. The jeep was in great shape, the guy selling it was a marine leaving for deployment and needed to get rid of it. I just added some minor parts and fixed some of his issues, but that was it. I still drive the jeep to this day and am building up a wk2 for overland travel as well - much less of a build.

 

[Yarjammer]

I'd consider my build moderate. Because I'm a dork, I actually have a spreadsheet that keeps a running tally of what I've put into it as well as future wants and needs. Considering I bought my JKU new off the lot, I'd say I've done fairly well considering many people pay more than what I have in it so far for a bone stock Rubicon. Ancillary items have been left off the list for the most part. Nearly everything on this list has been installed in a driveway, so there has been considerable expense saved from paying someone else. I have ~$5k left (re-gear, rear locker, finish suspension) before I'd say that I am pretty much done with "new" stuff. Building a trailer to shed some of the weight burden is definitely in the near future.

2012 JKU - Sport............................................................$26,000
16"x8" Strike 5 wheels w/ 35" GY Duratracs (5x)
Gobi Rack
Gobi Ladders
RR Snorkel
2.5" RC Spacer lift
2.5" Teraflex Rear Springs
2x Crown Jerry Cans
ORH Cargo Top Soft Top
F/R Trek Armor Seat Covers
ARB Fridge
ARB Fridge Slider
ORFAB Tire Carrier
Warn 9.5cti-s winch
Factor55 ProLink thimble
Petersen LED Headlights
Pilot LED Tailights
ARB Front Bumper
Tepui Autana
Tepui A/C Mat
Tepui Awning
Tepui Awning Netting
Axle Swap (sleeved, gusseted, ARB locker, etc&#8230
AT Interior Cargo Rack
CB 75WRST
Wiring upgrades (Fuse block, premium wires, relays, etc)
40" LED Light Bar
LED work lights
N-Fab tube steps
Switches & Panel
Hood louvers
Smittybilt C02 Tank
==================================================
Total .........................................................................$42,058

If I had to sell it tomorrow..............................................$26,000

I know full well that nearly all of the money I've dropped into this build may as well have been lit on fire if I tried to sell it tomorrow. I do it for my own personal use and enjoyment; it drives me insane when I see guys expecting to recoup their entire investment.

 

[CJustin7]

Jeep (with blown motor) 2k
High Output V8 motor and a few other things such as radiator, fan, motor mounts.... 2k

So $4k for the jeep with new engine and most of the cooling system.
Lift - Pieced together for what I wanted to handle weight - $700
Tires - $900
Armor - $2K (not all of it's on yet)
Roof Rack - $200 ( not on yet either)

HO V8 with Solid axles and geared at 3.73 with 32"s on 3" lift and full trim......
Having a jeep built exactly what you wanted for half the price of a new jeep..... priceless.
but my jeeps not new or pretty..... It's just a Expo rig..... or getting to be.

 

[pdxfrogdog]

I don't like thinking about what I have spent on my Jeeps and will never tell the wife.

Agreed, I also don't keep track.

I did with my last car and was well over 65k including the cost of the car. No thanks.

+1

 

[Justincredible]

I would call mine mild.
Sliders - $200
Wheel spacers - $100
Bumpers - $500
Tires - $800
Frameless soft top - $400
JWS knockoff headlights - $200

Total: $2200

Home built tear drop trailer - $1500

All in go anywhere camping ability: $3700


Other than that I will get armor, lockers at some point, and maybe a small lift, so all my mods when I'm done should stay under $5k.
This doesn't include things as they wear out over the years, of course.