We are Suckers

[Zachanadandy]

Ahh short of one being give to me , I be sticking with the one I got .

The $30k for the 5.7L swap sounds ridiculous... until you start pricing out a new truck plus all the mods. $30k for a brand new v8 and transmission installed with a 2yr 24 month warranty and my suspension is already set up how I want it? Once the 3.6 is worn out or eats a cam the hemi swap will be cheaper than a new truck with another v6 or turbo 4 or whatever they decide to power them with next.

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[Jrgunn5150]

The $30k for the 5.7L swap sounds ridiculous... until you start pricing out a new truck plus all the mods. $30k for a brand new v8 and transmission installed with a 2yr 24 month warranty and my suspension is already set up how I want it? Once the 3.6 is worn out or eats a cam the hemi swap will be cheaper than a new truck with another v6 or turbo 4 or whatever they decide to power them with next.

That's what I'm trying to convince myself lol.

 

[Smash615]

The $30k for the 5.7L swap sounds ridiculous... until you start pricing out a new truck plus all the mods. $30k for a brand new v8 and transmission installed with a 2yr 24 month warranty and my suspension is already set up how I want it? Once the 3.6 is worn out or eats a cam the hemi swap will be cheaper than a new truck with another v6 or turbo 4 or whatever they decide to power them with next.

I like where youre going with that argument. I can get behind that....

 

[ChrisNLA]

The $30k for the 5.7L swap sounds ridiculous... until you start pricing out a new truck plus all the mods. $30k for a brand new v8 and transmission installed with a 2yr 24 month warranty and my suspension is already set up how I want it? Once the 3.6 is worn out or eats a cam the hemi swap will be cheaper than a new truck with another v6 or turbo 4 or whatever they decide to power them with next.

I can't see another $35K into my $45K truck Once I get tired of any limitations I may perceive it to have, it's getting unceremoniously dumped at whatever dealer is selling the next thing I think I need.

Granted, I don't have a particularly built Jeep and so there isn't a lot I feel compelled to hold on to.

And I don't have $35K cash for this endeavor or the desire to finance it. So if she eats a cam - I guess she is getting a new one, installed by me, cause I'm cheap.

 

[Zachanadandy]

I can't see another $35K into my $45K truck Once I get tired of any limitations I may perceive it to have, it's getting unceremoniously dumped at whatever dealer is selling the next thing I think I need.

Granted, I don't have a particularly built Jeep and so there isn't a lot I feel compelled to hold on to.

The suspension etc gets refreshed regularly with mods/upgrades. If you keep your rig mostly stock and are happy with the same boring v6 then buying new makes sense. The engine and Trans are the things that take all the wear and are untouched. I figure at 100-150k miles the trade in would be so low that the repower would be cheaper. And then I have the v8 truck I want, built how I want, and it's good for another 100k+. Even the wife agreed it's cheaper than a new truck so I must be on to something?

 

[ChrisNLA]

The suspension etc gets refreshed regularly with mods/upgrades. If you keep your rig mostly stock and are happy with the same boring v6 then buying new makes sense. The engine and Trans are the things that take all the wear and are untouched. I figure at 100-150k miles the trade in would be so low that the repower would be cheaper. And then I have the v8 truck I want, built how I want, and it's good for another 100k+.

For sure! I think it certainly makes sense once a certain level of build is reached.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

I can't see another $35K into my $45K truck Once I get tired of any limitations I may perceive it to have, it's getting unceremoniously dumped at whatever dealer is selling the next thing I think I need.

This is the reality for 99% of them, even the never sellers on this forum who only drive with their doors off in low range over Engineers pass hauling the USS Nimitz.

 

[ChrisNLA]

This is the reality for 99% of them, even the never sellers on this forum who only drive with their doors off in low range over Engineers pass hauling the USS Nimitz.

I'm kind of at the point in life where a truck is one level above an appliance to me. I am up to my eyeballs in home DIY projects, and I need to be able to throw three goblins in the back seat, or a couple coworkers for lunch, but I'm a 'car guy' so my stuff needs to have nice tires, a leveling kit, window tint - just barely over stock.

But when it reaches its limit. Off she goes.

This thing started death wobbling at 34K miles the other day. I was no lie cruising the local dealership website like 'today is not the day, and I am not the one'

 

[Jrgunn5150]

I'm kind of at the point in life where a truck is one level above an appliance to me. I am up to my eyeballs in home DIY projects, and I need to be able to throw three goblins in the back seat, or a couple coworkers for lunch, but I'm a 'car guy' so my stuff needs to have nice tires, a leveling kit, window tint - just barely over stock.

But when it reaches its limit. Off she goes.

This thing started death wobbling at 34K miles the other day. I was no lie cruising the local dealership website like 'today is not the day, and I am not the one'

Yeah, you're entirely normal, except, you can say it lol.

I'm, abnormal. Spending my weekends in junkyards and laying in the driveway, getting burned and cut. Spending thousands upon thousands on things that mostly have no value to anyone but me...

The amount of cut up, welded on, dented Gladiators on this forum, tells that story.. But the plurality of owners making Affirm payments for the Metalcloak suspensions and 40 tires to go to Jeeps and Java and collect ducks won't/can't admit it lol.

My Gladiator belongs to my wife, she enjoys trails and offroading. She has 2 brothers, and 6 sisters... There are three more Jeeps in her immediate family.. None of them will drive down a two track.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Yeah, you're entirely normal, except, you can say it lol.

I'm, abnormal. Spending my weekends in junkyards and laying in the driveway, getting burned and cut. Spending thousands upon thousands on things that mostly have no value to anyone but me...

The amount of cut up, welded on, dented Gladiators on this forum, tells that story.. But the plurality of owners making Affirm payments for the Metalcloak suspensions and 40 tires to go to Jeeps and Java and collect ducks won't/can't admit it lol.

My Gladiator belongs to my wife, she enjoys trails and offroading. She has 2 brothers, and 6 sisters... There are three more Jeeps in her immediate family.. None of them will drive down a two track.

Ohh when I was younger (I say that like I am not only 36, LOL) we junk yard crawled, stayed in the driveway till 1AM engine swapping stuff, etc. I remember we once stayed up till midnight pulling a built 468 BBC out of a 76 Blazer, threw it in the bed of my S10, then the next morning drove it to North Carolina to trade it and some cash for a 1970 Olds 442. We all work now and have other things to tend to - so I only get to help with that kind of stuff a couple times a month now. I know how to do a tremendous amount of mechanical work (a lot more than the average Joe) but I'm busy starting a 'new life' so a lot of things are on the back burner.

I still have one toy though. The C1500. It's the 'always project'. If I feel the burn to throw money into a vehicle, it's usually that one. That's the one I really dig into.

Anyway. Getting sentimental. Life goes fast

I need to start a thread one day with all the pictures of some things I have worked on, and some photos and stories of my best friends projects that I was always so heavily involved in....

 

[Badunit]

Rather than Jeep investing in a modern Gladiator, we get "Special Editions" and the promise of an antiquated V-8 all for an overpriced mid-sized truck. By the time we get an updated Gladiator, the just released, all new 4 Runner will have a mid-life refresh. How about that perspective?!?

Personally, I'd like it to be more antiquated than it is today. I'd like to see most of the electronic modules and sensors dumped and go back to mechanical and just plain old electrical that is more robust, doesn't need a computer to diagnose, doesn't need a diagnostic tool to "turn on" any upgrades or options you want to add later, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg to repair/replace. It has gotten seriously stupid and expensive while getting less robust and harder to work on. I've come to the point where I do not want any new vehicle. Not a single one interests me, and they get worse every year.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

Personally, I'd like it to be more antiquated than it is today. I'd like to see most of the electronic modules and sensors dumped and go back to mechanical and just plain old electrical that is more robust, doesn't need a computer to diagnose, doesn't need a diagnostic tool to "turn on" any upgrades or options you want to add later, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg to repair/replace. It has gotten seriously stupid and expensive while getting less robust and harder to work on. I've come to the point where I do not want any new vehicle. Not a single one interests me, and they get worse every year.

You can go buy a 1984 CJ-8 with all of that for 1/4 the cost of a Gladiator.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The $30k for the 5.7L swap sounds ridiculous... until you start pricing out a new truck plus all the mods. $30k for a brand new v8 and transmission installed with a 2yr 24 month warranty and my suspension is already set up how I want it? Once the 3.6 is worn out or eats a cam the hemi swap will be cheaper than a new truck with another v6 or turbo 4 or whatever they decide to power them with next.

There's a lot of new stuff that goes with it besides what you mentioned.
You've already taken the depreciation hit on that Jeep - you get two of the most expensive parts most likely to be problematic installed, 0 miles on them, and warranties cost money. Getting 2 years - people who buy "extended warranties" know there's a cost there.

Buy a new one - and you take that depreciation hit again, have to start over in mods or move things over, and now you have an unknown truck with possible new issues.

It's a cheap thing, IMO.
I don't see the resistance to that swap price. Financially, it makes perfect sense if you want a V8 "badly enough" (not that it's a bad thing, can't think of a better word, maybe want a V8 strongly enough is better?)

You have to decide if it's a long term vehicle or one you'd likely trade for something else in the future for some other reason..
If it's your long-term Jeep and you want a V8, seems like the first choice right there.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

You can go buy a 1984 CJ-8 with all of that for 1/4 the cost of a Gladiator.

I have a 401 and 360 sitting here that would love to jump into an older Jeep....

 

[Supazuk]

The $30k for the 5.7L swap sounds ridiculous... until you start pricing out a new truck plus all the mods. $30k for a brand new v8 and transmission installed with a 2yr 24 month warranty and my suspension is already set up how I want it? Once the 3.6 is worn out or eats a cam the hemi swap will be cheaper than a new truck with another v6 or turbo 4 or whatever they decide to power them with next.

I just wish someone made swap parts and harnesses

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