Serious savings. I'm convinced

[Kane]

So I posted a question about tearing down a perfectly good Jeep to build another and got a wide variant of responses on several sites. This peeked my financial interest and I decided to lay everything out on a spread sheet to see what exactly my Scrambler build will cost and what I can save by using the good parts off my CJ5 . I was very surprised in a good way at the results. I made a column for the scrambler and put in everything that I need to do and purchase for this build being realistic of course within my budget. I then made another column and put down every good part from the 5 that would be needed on the Scrambler and the value of that part if I were to buy it new and some items used. These prices are all the prices I actually paid when I built the CJ5 .

My total Scrambler build so far not including unforeseen items is: $19,345 which includes buying the Jeep. Yeah, that surprised me a lot.

My total savings by using the CJ5 parts. $10,605 This surprised me even more. I couldn't get near that price by selling it. The motor is $5000 alone.

So My total current cost for me this winter will be $8,740 including purchase price. The spread sheet convinced me to sacrifice the 5 for the greater good of my wallet.

The 5 will sit in my shed until someday it gets resurrected as a completely different being. Stock or built, who knows at this point.

 

[Petescj]

I really feel thats the best way for you to go. It will also make things go a little quicker ( ) with having alot of the parts on hand already. When you start tearing the CJ5 down though dont rip right through it. Take some time to disassemble it correctly and sell off the remnants you wont be using when you do decide to rebuild it.

Anything your not sure about the value of scour the internet and get a base price. Also look through alot of the "wanted to buy" ads. Dont shy away from shipping either , as East coast drivetrain parts are more abundant so shipping to the West coast can actually be beneficial. Kinda like we'd love a Cali body tub. I used alot of these methods to keep costs down on the Salvage CJ7 . While yours will be on a much grander scale the basic rules still apply

 

[IOPort51]

I understand the dollar issue and see this as making perfect sense. I think this is the best way for you to build the 8. It is still just a little bit sad.
Is your 5 fiberglass??

 

[Kane]

The 5 is fiberglass. I put the body on it in 1992. It looks great from the outside but the firewall is separating from the floor all across the bottom and some stress cracking is finally showing. I have repaired the firewall a few times now but its just spent. Plus I am so sick of the one piece nose.

 

[Cheepjeep85]

man alive as much as people pay for those fiberglass tubs you'd think they'd last a little longer than that wouldn't you. anyhow seems to me you made the smart decision

 

[Petescj]

How so? I had thought about going this way when I do my tub swap.

Plus I am so sick of the one piece nose.

 

[Kane]

I think almost twenty years is a good run for a fiberglass tub that has taken a beating it's whole life. Hell the original metal tub was a pile if rust in twelve years. There is a chance I can repair the tub again but the whole thing would have to get torn down pulled from the frame again and I just don't have the will to tear this Jeep down again.

Pete I am sick of the front end just because I have owned it for so long. There is nothing wrong with them at all and people love it when I lift up the whole front end to show of my shiny motor. It definitely gets attention. The down fall is everything that was on the fender has to find a home on the firewall. Also you have to lengthen the head light wire harness and reroute them if you plan on tilting forward. It is pretty nice to be able to sit on the tire while working on the engine. I want to be able to mount things like my locker air compressor on the fender and also a small ammo can for small spare parts storage so it's out of the way. If you plan on going the one piece route I say do it. You will really like the set up. Just take your time and plan out how you want everything layed out under the hood. One more note Pete. If you are running the AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , do not mount the ignition module to close to the exhaust. I mounted mine on the firewall and it was close to the exhaust pipe. This overheated the module and left me stranded twice. I relocated the module inside the Jeep under the dash and the issues went away. If you need pics or advice feel free to let me know. I can help you out before hand to help save some head aches.