Are CJ's Moneypits?

[jzak]

It seems like most wives of CJ owners and even the owners themselves think owning a old Jeep is a Moneypit!

I don't think that's completely true. My definition of a Moneypit is something that is continually breaking down, and to buy parts and have a mechanic fix it costs thousands. Something like a classic Ferrari or British roadster.

By that definition, I don't think a CJ is a Moneypit. Yes, CJ owners spend thousands on their vehicle, but if you asked them how much they spend on fixing things compared to how much they spend on upgrading (Bigger Tires, Shocks, Lift Kit, Roll Cage, Tire Carrier), you would find that very little is actually spent making the CJ drivable.

If you want to spend $15k upgrading your CJ, then God Bless, but don't call it a Moneypit. That was your choice! In my view, calling CJ's a Moneypit gives it a bad reputation. Especially when I doesn't have to be!

Just my two cents!

 

[Sasquach]

Sounds like you've convincined yourself. Lol

 

[Hedgehog]

So, has somebody close to you been calling your CJ5 a money pit?

 

[somedude922]

My CJ is a money pit just as much as my wife is.

 

[Bowbender]

I call it a hobby

 

[hole]

Who called their CJ a money pit? Get a rope....

 

[hdgapeach]

"Are CJ's Moneypits?"

Only if you intend to drive them!! Cost free just sittin' in the yard....

I think of mine more as a "labor" pit than a money pit. I spend more on my other vehicles than the Jeep. But I'm constantly tinkerin' on something on the CJ.

CJ parts are pennies on the dollar compared to the modern I have to deal with. And the modern vehicles seem to let me down more often.

 

[ThisGuyUKnow]

Sorry I love my CJ7 and all the jeep models I have had but the answer is yes

 

[Saddle Tramp]

It’s all a labor of love, not an investment but how can you put a price on cool……

 

[Goatboy4570]

Technically a money pit is a place you throw money for little or no return.
Some people may argue that life is a money pit.
Interesting thing, if i wheel to the top of the local mountain or that lake thats 3 miles off the main who am i gona meet there? Is it a guy with a $60,000+ mortgaged, lifted , chipped and chrome wheeled super duper duty crew cab? No it,s gona be a suzuki samurai a full size chevy blazer and another jeep. The money pit is pounding pavement while our cjs are sitting on the summit for a fraction of the price.
For what some people spend to lift and tire up a land barge i can mod my cj to go places they can only dream about.
Personally i don't look at my stuff in terms of resale value as much as recreational value. I think i'm gettin pretty good return on my 7.

 

[Hedgehog]

Depends on your mind set. It is my belief that the biggest money pit in the world is any kind of mental therapy. With all the puzzlin' and thinkin' about either the project I'm currently on or the next one, along with a pretty good project success rate my mental state don't need no stinkin' therapy. So, in the long run my CJ actually saves bot time and money.

 

[Only in a Jeep CJ]

First some common definitions:
money pit
Something of value, which, for some reason or another, has continued to absorb considerable amount of payments due to its continuing failure to live up to expectation.
That's the third time I had to bring in my car. It's become a real money pit.


money pit1


noun
any entity or venture which requires much money for maintenance and drains financial resources




Definition of Money pit

A business or venture that costs a lot of money, especially when it costs more than expected


I guess it boils down to expectations vs results.


I see these people who buy a 500 dollar CJ that doesn't run and is all rusted out. Then they complain that they had to spend all this money to get it running and replace parts. Then as a final act of stupidity they lump their CJ into the world of all CJs and get on boards like this and proclaim that ALL CJs are money pits.



Not true. They bought the wrong one in the first place and pumped money into a dying patient. Instead of blaming themselves, the CJ must take the fall.



Then you have the ones who buy a decent CJ at full price and then instead of stopping there, enjoying it, and recovering, they open their favorite 4WD catalog, pull out the credit card and order 5 times in bolt-ons than what the Jeep cost originally. And yet again.....its a money pit.


Then you have people like me who try not to overpay for the Jeep or the parts. Enjoy doing both regular maintenance and upgrades themselves and save a ton of money vs farming all the work out.
Ive had some of my CJs for between 10 and 20 years. I DD them and if they broke down all the time and cost a ton of money to fix, I wouldn't have them. I found that just the most basic of maintenance will keep most of them going for many years. The parts are usually cheaper than the newer car equivalent. They are easy to work on so even more money is saved. Whether or not you spend a fortune on upgrades is up to you, but even if you did, starting out with a good low cost CJ puts you many dollars ahead. I've seen folks buy a 35 plus thousand dollar JK rubi and drop another 15 grand in tricking it out.....Good night! for that 50K I could have a mint stock CJ, a full built rock crawler and a used tow rig/trailer to take it to off road parks/areas.

IMO, NO CJs are not money pits IF done right.

 

[Posi]

 

[Lumpy Grits]

It seems like most wives of CJ owners and even the owners themselves think owning a old Jeep is a Moneypit!

I don't think that's completely true. My definition of a Moneypit is something that is continually breaking down, and to buy parts and have a mechanic fix it costs thousands. Something like a classic Ferrari or British roadster.

By that definition, I don't think a CJ is a Moneypit. Yes, CJ owners spend thousands on their vehicle, but if you asked them how much they spend on fixing things compared to how much they spend on upgrading (Bigger Tires, Shocks, Lift Kit, Roll Cage, Tire Carrier), you would find that very little is actually spent making the CJ drivable.

If you want to spend $15k upgrading your CJ, then God Bless, but don't call it a Moneypit. That was your choice! In my view, calling CJ's a Moneypit gives it a bad reputation. Especially when I doesn't have to be!

Just my two cents!

Sounds like therapy has been good for you.
My CJ is just one of my hobbies-You want to spend $$$? Get into precision long range rifle shooting-
LG

 

[pierrednepr]

You want to spend $$$? Get into precision long range rifle shooting-
LG

Funny you said that - my daughter was just complaining about her boyfriend's hobby.

As for the CJ... my wife said its a piece of s__t and not a money pit... so far so good I suppose.

 

[Hedgehog]

Lumpy - I've got a SA 700 Remington, 30", 22-250 Ackley Improved with a laminated stock, 1:9 Pac-nor 3 grove Palma contour rifle that just eats up 75 grain bullets that ..... alas ...... hasn't seen the light of day in 5 years. The old girl (baby really) isn't even had a decent load worked up for her yet. Sitting right next to her is a very similar SA Remington 223 Ackley Improved that has been shot. These are Prairie Dog Silhouette guns that other than setting the barrels I built with my own little hands. Money and reality stopped that hobby cold in it's tracks. Not to far away is my Remington 3200 Skeet gun. I try to think of them as resting......

 

[Lumpy Grits]

I use this with a Nightforce 5-22X56mm NXS scope.
The Crusader

Have the same deal in .338 Lapua.

Ate beans and rice for sometime after buying those two.
LG

 

[Dolf]

I guess it’s how you look at it. I’ve known some wives who have been a much larger money pit than any CJ that I’ve ever seen.

 

[Hedgehog]

LG - Mine are on tactical stocks too. My long range was different from yours. I was competing out to ~600 yards on PD size targets. I very much enjoyed handing the big boys their hats by beating them with my lowly 223 AI. At an egg shoot I even brought a very nice AR heavy barreled varmint rig. Hated that rifle (the AR). Sold it shortly afterward.

Never could afford Nightforce optics, My scope of choice was/is are from Baush & Lomb a 36x and a 6.5x24. Both fine scopes, but not in the same class as yours.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Come on out here-I have a private range 15 minutes from the house and can shoot 600+ yds any day of the week. Some days out to 1K+ yds.
With our twitchy winds-You'll see why I went with the .338
FWIW: NF scopes have been the best I have ever used, and have 3 of them.
I'm lucky that my wife is a shooter also, so no worries about buy'n gun stuff.
We both are life NRA members and members of S.A.S.S.
LG