Ideas on saving moving during a build

So, I made a list of everything that my CJ will have put on it or replaced, and I used the plain vendor prices. I am going to lay out that list here and see if any of you guys have some of this stuff or more importantly ideas to make it cheaper. I have been through most every post on this forum in anything near recent times and have used the search. I have seen a few ideas and don't plan to pay full price on stuff if I can help it but more ideas would be good.

I will also need to change my steering as well but I not decided where to go with that yet. I am planning on keeping the F head engine unless I simply can't.

My Jeeps specs - 1961 CJ5, original F134 Engine, D27 Front end, D44 rear, T90 Transmission and D18 transfer case. I also have all the sheet metal from a 1971 CJ5 that some cut the floor pan out thinking they would put an auto in. The body is great shape other than that and I got it for $100 with title, plus the frame from a 1969 Wagoneer, also with title.

So here is the list:

Complete Wiring Harness (Kaiser) $360.00
Complete Exhaust (Kaiser) $175.00
Exhaust Hanger (Kaiser) $50.00
Fuel Pump (Kaiser) $50.00
Complete Fuel Line Kit (Kaiser) $150.00
Fuel Tank Sending Unit (Kaiser) $40.00
Fuel Tank (Kaiser) $160.00
Fuel Tank Hold Downs (Kaiser) $30.00
Speedometer Cluster (Kaiser) $125.00
Complete Suspension (Kaiser) $650.00
Transfer Case Gasket Set (Quadratec) 52208.01 $16.00
Transmission Minor Overhaul (Kaiser) $75.00
Windsheild Frame Gasket - cowl (Quadratec) 32501.11 $23.00
Windsheild Frame Gasket - glass (Kaiser) $40.00
Windshield Wiper Conversion, both sides (Kaiser) $90.00
Front Glass (source unknown) $150.00
Engine Gasket Set (Kaiser) $70.00
Electronic Ignition - complete distro (Kaiser) $160.00
Upper Radiator Hose (Kaiser) $17.00
Lower Radiator Hose (Kaiser) $20.00
Thermostat (Kaiser) $10.00
Master Clutch Kit (Kaiser) $160.00
Complete Body Mount Kit (Kaiser) $120.00
Complete Front Floor Pan (Kaiser) $600.00
Right Rocker Panel (Quadratec) 32522.02 $25.00
Front Fenders, both sides (Kaiser) $400.00
Wheels/Tires x5 (undecided) $800.00
Standard Hex Body Bolt Kit (Quadratec) 13019.200 $104.00
Herm 30% OverDrive $1,000.00
Bestop Supertop $900.00

Grand Total:" $6,570.00

 

Suggestions below....

What is the reason for the work? How do you want the end product to be? Is it a DD? A trail jeep? Will it ever see the dirt or the road?. These questions are important to give you a good answer. But assuming you are not building a hardcore crawler or a mall crawler, and you just want to get it running and driving I've made some suggestions below.

 

Well, it just goes to show that the more Jeep you buy to start with, the less money it will cost in the long run.

One way to save a lot of money is to sell this Jeep and look for another Jeep that is already complete and close to what you want.

Even the Gas Monkey Garage guys lose money on some of their cars, and they pick cars specifically for their potential appreciation. For the average Joe, cars will always be a money-losing proposition.

 

You can buy a pretty nice jeep for that. That list looks like everything but a tub and engine and doesnt include body work, paint or extras. Thought you said it was in great shape Im always broke so I'd look for used - (e-bay, craigs list or wanted ad here) for stuff like the fenders, spedo cluster, fuel tank, wheels etc. Does it really need a wiring harness or can you just chase them down and fix them? NOTHING electrical worked on my jeep when I bought it and now everything does for a few bucks worth of wire and connectors. The wiring is really pretty simple. Next question is what do you need to do vs want to do? I'd love an OD for mine but not about to cough up a grand so I'll drive slow. I'd love a new best top but cant justify $900 so I bought a Bikini top and dress warmer and park it in the winter. Do what you need to do is get it driveable and then pick away at the rest. How do you eat an elephant? - one bite at a time.

 

The old jeep is in bad shape - the new tub with sheet metal is good ;P

Buying a new jeep might sound good but I have been looking for about 3 months and the lowest I have seen even a decent Cj5 is around $9000. For $7000 you get a wore out heap that someone else is tired of working on. I am in Texas and anything remotely cheap is now residing in Mexico because of Nafta.

A lot of that stuff I don't need to change. For example the brakes work, I don't need fuel lines, I don't need to buy new bolts, ect but after rebuilding many old cars I have learnt one thing - gas, brakes and wiring are never worth leaving alone.

 

I agree the OD and wiring harness could go. I am considering making the harness and that will definitely save money. I will buy the OD and top last but this jeep has already been in the family a while and top speed of 45-50 does not cut it for me. I can easily live with 60 but not 45-50

Maybe a trip out of state would be easier ;P - pick up a cheap jeep and drive it home

 

I think a lot of that stuff you can get used for 1/4 to 1/2 the cost, plus much of it would be more authentic than the reproductions. An example of that would be the speedo cluster. Kaiser is selling their cluster for $125 but I'm pretty sure the numbers have two digits like late model Cj's. The best thing you can probably do to. Save money is start a WTB thread and post up what you need. Or..... search around for another Jeep with a blown engine and use the parts that you need.

Fuel lines can be done for less than $30 using standard steel lines that every flaps carries. Bend em yourself and save $120.

 

You could go further afield. I bought my CJ-6 in Tennessee for $3500 and it cost $700 to ship it here. I bought my J20 in Arizona for $2500 and paid $1000 to have it shipped here. In theory I made money on the CJ-6 and lost money on the J20, according to valuation by the state (for sales tax). Both are in pretty good shape, and the J20 is completely rust free. So decent value Jeeps are out there if you are resourceful.

Or you could look for a parts Jeep to provide a lot of what you need. Apparently you have a chassis and a bare body...

 

I was thinking of just that, getting a parts jeep. I actually have two clusters now - have any of you ever taken one apart and tried to repair it? I might give it a shot and let yall know how it goes

 

The mechanism is delicate, like a clock. If it does not work, you can clean it and put a tiny drop of oil on the bearings, and that might revive it. But be careful.

 

I've never taken one apart but ive seen somewhere on the web where it has ben done. Mine could use a new face so I'd be interested to see how it goes. There is a guy in the care racer motorcycle scene that redoes motorcycle gauges, I would guess he would be able to print a new face

 

aallison - Just saw your comments and you have some good stuff in there. Some I did consider some I did not. But that is why I posted - just doing some brain storming, I don't really plan to pay the full prices of course, some of it I might. I like the sound of the wiring harness, I just checked some hot rod sites and they do look ok. I would pay that much in wire, ect plus I could even get a fuse box which would be cool. I reckon you suggestions alone are worth a few hundred less

 

Time is a big problem for me but shipping one in is a good idea.

I have a almost complete running jeep that needs work and has rust (it is missing the window but came with a metal half cab top). On top of that I also have the full sheet metal from a 1971 CJ5

 

I used the ez harness kit for my jeep and I think it cost ~$80. All of the wires were labeled and the installation was pretty simple.

 

id skip the fuel line kit, wiring harness, body bolt kit, floor pan, exhaust, overdrive, fenders ,top,wheels/tires. all that stuff you have lots of room for savings by making it yourself working wih what you have or buying used. heck i have less than 3k in mine after fully restoring it. much of that came from shop suplies and little stuff like spray paint.

 

Cool thanks I will check that out, I need to get one pretty soon

I tried to direct start my jeep tonight and it did not work. Do you have that junction box in yours or can I just get by with the voltage regulator?

 

I have seriously been thinking of making most of it, right now the floor pan is where my thinking is. I can't do without wheels/tires, I have to drive on something and it does not have them now. OD is a luxury but probably the only way to get to 60 mph

Just using links people have sent me I have already discovered several places to get both front fenders for under $200

 

The ez wiring harness is the second time I've wired up the Jeep. The first time I used Radio Shack components and wired in myself using a schematic. IIRC I used a standard fuse block from there. It wasn't difficult, just time consuming. There wasn't actually anything wrong with the wiring after ten years time, but I didn't like how messy it was. This time around I used the EZ-wire kit and got the 22 circuit kit which I wouldn't recommend (WAAAAY too much extra wire). The 10 circuit kit is more than enough for every circuit on the Jeep plus a few accessory circuits.


Like others have said, most of the parts that you listed from Kaiser Willy's can be made yourself for MUCH less money. Our Jeeps are pretty much flat steel and simple fittings. While fancy "kits" are convenient, it is usually much cheaper to assemble it yourself.

 

Maybe you enjoy doing the work from the frame up, and if so fine. Good learning experience.

But my own history with making lists like that is that after the first month, about 3/4 of it doesn't seem so urgent after all, and my feelings about perfection change. I have boxes full of parts I thought I needed or wanted, and 20 or 30 years later the original thing is still working fine without them. Another option - Getting it basically driving, then do one thing at a time as needed.

And as said, getting a relatively 'complete' vehicle is always way cheaper than finding a bunch of missing parts.

 

I needed to pull off the tub so that will happen. I will definitely paint (chassis saver) everything on the frame and change out the brake and fuel lines. The rest was an exercise in working out what it can cost to do other things. So I completely agree some things on that list may never occur but I suspect a lot will

I decided last night to do just that Pete - get it driving again and see what I think. but that comes after I change tubs and rewire it because no one would drive it as is, well not over 15 mph that is. It has been driven for the last 3-4 years as is