How long have you been building?

alex_c · 06-03-2009, 07:42 PM

How long have you owned your jeep, and how long has it taken to get the current mods you have for it? Also, would be cool to know how much stuff you've bought that you've replaced for something bigger/thicker/longer/stronger etc.

Obviously we don't all have the time and money to do insane builds like that 5 day LJ that was posted a while back, but it's still cool to see how much hard work and effort the average working Joe puts into his rig.

I've had mine for 2 months and I have a few basic mods. I'm thinking of setting up a "jeep fund", but after I buy some recovery gear and do some more off-roading to figure out what mods will take precedence over others.

**GOLENJEEPTJ** · 06-03-2009, 07:54 PM

Your asking a question that is so vast and not really tech related, that there can be a million answers?The point?Why not just keep reading posts and doing searches?It should enlighten your questions?

**lumpster** · 06-03-2009, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex_c

but after I buy some recovery gear and do some more off-roading to figure out what mods will take precedence over others.

Darn good idea, more people should do just this.

**Apex** · 06-03-2009, 08:23 PM

One year in June

read my sig for the mods. Everything except the herculiner have all been in the last 5 months.

I haven't replaced anything for something bigger yet, but when I do it will be going from 33s to 35s

alex_c · 06-03-2009, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOLENJEEPTJ

Your asking a question that is so vast and not really tech related, that there can be a million answers?The point?Why not just keep reading posts and doing searches?It should enlighten your questions?

Am I going to search, "jeep build duration" ? C'mon. There are as many answers as people willing to respond to this thread (which will probably die, given this reception)
Of course it's tech related. Build time is an important factor in any project. This isn't going to answer any questions for me, it's just a neat idea to see how much time it takes for different people to build a good rig. But thanks for your input, very constructive.

**Imped** · 06-03-2009, 08:28 PM

It took me 2 months straight to build mine.

**Unlimited04** · 06-03-2009, 09:13 PM

you're completely missing the point.

its a never ending build.

you add a small lift.
you then add armor
bumpers
tires & wheels
gears
.................
then you notice the tires are too small.
then you repeat the above list again, with better and bigger parts.
now you've rebuilt the entire suspension twice, but it doesn't flex enough.

you then add long arms, but you can't have those without an NV4500, Atlas t-case and a V8.

The Jeep now doesn't fit in the garage due to the lift, so you have to build a barn with high doors to have someplace to work on it. And no shop would be complete without a vehicle lift, a MIG welder, a plasma cutter or most of the Craftsman tool isle.

pretty soon your jeep is more Chevy and Ford than it is Jeep, you can't fit anything in the back due to the fuel cell and you don't have any tops that fit due to the massive roll cage. You can't drive over 55mph because the beadlock wheels & 40s are impossible to balance and the gas mileage is less than 9mpg with a wind behind you.

You then end up buying a Honda Civic to drive around town and you buy a diesel 3/4 or 1-ton pickup and 24 ft flatbed trailer to tow the badass jeep to the trail.

Then you're not happy with the body, so you cut most of it off and pretty much turn the Jeep into a tube buggy. The only thing that still says "Jeep" on it is the ABS pass side airbag facia, which has been disconnected anyway.

Most people just give up in there somewhere, sell the Jeep and take up a more productive hobby, like basket weaving under water or bingo.

Good Luck.

**Wheelin98TJ** · 06-04-2009, 08:10 AM

^

Yep, I've been "building" (I use that term loosely) ever since I bought mine in '99.

**AlexGeorgakis** · 06-04-2009, 08:36 AM

Unlimited04 has a point. Most people don't stop building. I started mine in August 08 and I'm still building it. Tweaking here, adjusting there, modifying elsewhere... it's a never ending story if you're into it. If not, just buy an SUV and save yourself time, money and headaches.

ZX14Rider · 06-04-2009, 09:10 AM

This is my first Jeep and I don't know that they ever get finished......do they ??

**lumpster** · 06-04-2009, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n2mwl

This is my first Jeep and I don't know that they ever get finished......do they ??

no its impossible to finish a jeep, the maintenance you do alone leads to more upgrades

**Prot** · 06-04-2009, 11:10 AM

My 95 YJ stayed pretty much stock due to being a struggling college student. Now my JK on the other hand.....

I bought it new on 5/07. 500 miles after I bought it a 3" Black Diamond lift along with tires and wheels went on along with my sound system. Probably six months or so later, bumpers, and winch. Not long after, switched to 5.13 gears. It stayed like that for a long time. Last month I went with a high steer kit. A couple of weeks ago, I removed some of the black diamond kit and added a lot of poly performance parts and added an ARB compressor. Today, I am getting offset ball joints installed. It never really ends, but I do find it goes in spurts. My recent mods were the most expensive, but I found they were very necessary.

**Unlimited04** · 06-04-2009, 02:57 PM

oh, and i forgot to mention, while you're building the jeep and it lives in the barn/shop you had to build...you get the insurance and registration bills in the mail, and you wonder why you're spending hundreds of dollars a year to legally cover a jeep that hasn't seen pavement in over a year.

pretty soon you're driving this:

and you have to buy a new stock jeep just to feel a challenge again.

alex_c · 06-04-2009, 06:52 PM

hahaha touché.

**zeus87gn** · 06-05-2009, 12:32 AM

I've wanted a Jeep since high school - I graduated in 87.
I finally bought my 87 in 99 after I graduated college and got a job.
I have had a build in mind for years and this year I am finally getting some of them accomplished. Up until 2 years ago, I had just been keeping it on the road in repairs. I am finally going to have my dream completed this year if all goes as planned. Maybe one day I will get to wheel somewhere besides the private land I go to.

I got my bumpers for christmas
I got my lift kit just the other month
I am putting in my AX15/231 swap this weekend.

Wish me luck!

Z