Back from the DEAD....With a new BUILD

[JeepLab]

I know ive been AWOL for a while, a new baby will do that.

We needed a family car that was more appropriate so I sold BB and got a dodge Ram. WORST MOVE EVER. Turns out the baby got the ram, and I need a new car now.

Guess what im getting. Yep.

How to do it? Did I go too far last time? Were there things I wouldnt have done? Im really going through every detail. Because at the end BB was a razor sharp handling ROCKET. Buuuuuuut, there was some stuff I would not do if I had it all to do over again.

[JeepLab]

The first question to ask is, do I get a JK or wait for the JL?

I dont know why, but my gut is saying that they are going to ruin it with the JL. It sounds cool that they are going to make a pickup, and give it a diesel, but something about the JK makes me feel like this body is the one I want. I cannot explain it. I think the new one will be more aerodynamic and that means more swept grill and windshield. Im really just not sold. I love the JK.

[Timmy]

Ohh man. We are so close to the release date of the JL. It is the 75 Anniversary of Jeep. In all the years I've followed Jeep, EVERY model change has come with major concerns over them totally messing up a good product and instead almost every change has been more mundane than expected and stuck closer to the existing design. Right now it is all speculation.

How long can you hold off if need be? More then likely you won't be able to order the JL until mid 2017. Can you wait that long? If not, that is probably your biggest determining factor than the fact they are changing models.

[JeepLab]

Ohh man. We are so close to the release date of the JL. It is the 75 Anniversary of Jeep. In all the years I've followed Jeep, EVERY model change has come with major concerns over them totally messing up a good product and instead almost every change has been more mundane than expected and stuck closer to the existing design. Right now it is all speculation.

How long can you hold off if need be? More then likely you won't be able to order the JL until mid 2017. Can you wait that long? If not, that is probably your biggest determining factor than the fact they are changing models.

That is absolutely the question.

Do you get the best JK, or the first JL? With BB I had one of the first pentastars and that worked out. I may delay long enough to see the JL at the auto show in January. And if I hate it, put in my order.

If I do get a JL, there wont be mods for it until 2018. It takes time to develop stuff.

It takes time for a new model to find its identity, no one liked the JK at first. Now its the most popular vehicle on earth.

[Timmy]

With BB I had one of the first pentastars and that worked out.

If I do get a JL, there wont be mods for it until 2018. It takes time to develop stuff.

You bring up some great points. Of course, with BB, you had the first of the new engines in a JK, right? So the JK body itself had been around for a while which meant the aftermarket was already in full gear at that point making things for it.

You know... You could look to just buy a low mile JK (like under 5k miles on it) and then build it, but do so with the intent to sell it for a profit (or break even) after the JL has been released and the aftermarket has caught up to it. Some people build their JK so they are sooooo personalized that really nobody else would want it. Instead, make it a build that 80%-90% of any Jeep buyer would love. The perfect everyman's "almost extreme" Jeep. (Saying this because I know you like a challenge and a goal.) As you mentioned, those High Top fenders are a good example of this. Won't offend anyone, people will question if they are aftermarket or not. They even allow you to slap 35" tires with only a 2.5" lift, so you wouldn't even need to change the front drive shaft due to a high lift and yet you'd still be able to get full flex out of it. Make it your goal to see if you can build a Jeep, drive it and sell it for no loss so that you can put that money into the JL.

I was talking with a friend of mine yesterday that just bought a new Infinity SUV. He remarked "you have as much into that Jeep as I do into this Infinity." Well.... $38k for the used Jeep with a spare set of studded 35" snow tires and $10k MAX in aftermarket parts and labor. I'm sure he thought this because he looks at my Jeep and thinks it's better than then $62k AEV decked out rigs he's seeing at the stealerships. I've noticed that 37" tires have a way of making people think this.

In fact, I just may consider selling mine. The JK market is going to soften when the JL hits. I wonder if I could sell mine for break even at just the right moment and then pick up the last model year JK at a discount and start over!

[JeepLab]

You bring up some great points. Of course, with BB, you had the first of the new engines in a JK, right? So the JK body itself had been around for a while which meant the aftermarket was already in full gear at that point making things for it.

You know... You could look to just buy a low mile JK (like under 5k miles on it) and then build it, but do so with the intent to sell it for a profit (or break even) after the JL has been released and the aftermarket has caught up to it. Some people build their JK so they are sooooo personalized that really nobody else would want it. Instead, make it a build that 80%-90% of any Jeep buyer would love. The perfect everyman's "almost extreme" Jeep. (Saying this because I know you like a challenge and a goal.) As you mentioned, those High Top fenders are a good example of this. Won't offend anyone, people will question if they are aftermarket or not. They even allow you to slap 35" tires with only a 2.5" lift, so you wouldn't even need to change the front drive shaft due to a high lift and yet you'd still be able to get full flex out of it. Make it your goal to see if you can build a Jeep, drive it and sell it for no loss so that you can put that money into the JL.

I was talking with a friend of mine yesterday that just bought a new Infinity SUV. He remarked "you have as much into that Jeep as I do into this Infinity." Well.... $38k for the used Jeep with a spare set of studded 35" snow tires and $10k MAX in aftermarket parts and labor. I'm sure he thought this because he looks at my Jeep and thinks it's better than then $62k AEV decked out rigs he's seeing at the stealerships. I've noticed that 37" tires have a way of making people think this.

In fact, I just may consider selling mine. The JK market is going to soften when the JL hits. I wonder if I could sell mine for break even at just the right moment and then pick up the last model year JK at a discount and start over!

Starting over is a daunting task. All the time invested is lost.

Im confident that any way I'd build a JK would be desirable, It would be ultra light and razor sharp. Id be even lighter than bb this time. Carbon fiber wherever i can put it, aluminum everywhere else. I'd even rip out the steel suspension and replace with aluminum.

There may be a run on JK's when the JL is released. People may not like it. Thats what happened when the JK came out. Jeep was criticized for ruining the TJ.

[doc5339]

The first question to ask is, do I get a JK or wait for the JL?

I dont know why, but my gut is saying that they are going to ruin it with the JL. It sounds cool that they are going to make a pickup, and give it a diesel, but something about the JK makes me feel like this body is the one I want. I cannot explain it. I think the new one will be more aerodynamic and that means more swept grill and windshield. Im really just not sold. I love the JK.

Get the JK as it is a known quantity and most of the bugs are fixed, remember the Pentatstar "tick" from 2012? I wish that FCA could be trusted to put out a great first model run product, however, it appears they just are not capable of that "Six Sigma" level of production.

[aceron32]

It would be cool to own a JL but this rig can be considered untested and there will be a limited number of aftermarket support.

[WilfordHor]

It would be cool to own a JL but this rig can be considered untested and there will be a limited number of aftermarket support.

Yeah the lack of support is what turns me off.