Constructive feedback requested - Used Gladiator Pricing

[Hootbro]

Honestly it depends on the dealer and there ability to sell it? My local Jeep dealer actually builds Jeeps, they've done several 392 conversion, supercharged Jeeps lifts etc.

Your local dealer and others like them will back their conversions. Taking in on trade somebody else's is a different deal. Most dealers that are representing a corporate brand selling new vehicles will give a auction wholesale pricing on vehicles like the OP's and send it to auction rather than have it on their used lot.

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[Dim]

I hope I'm not opening a can of worms, but I seek constructive feedback on pricing my supercharged Gladiator. I realize questions like these can bring out snipers and trolls, but I hope those folks will hold back their comments.

I am selling my 2020 supercharged Gladiator; it has a 2022 motor and trans(swapped due to cam issues) and a host of other mild off-road & daily driver upgrades. I replaced the truck with a diesel Gladiator because it better fits my use case. I want to sell the truck for $55k, which seems reasonable, but I am biased.

I want to sell it more important than getting the right price because I don't need two Gladiators. I have included the link to the sale post and the upgrades for context. I decided to sell the Jeep before I realized the engine was a ticking time bomb, so I replaced the motor for the next owner with no expectation of recouping the investment. I share that to say I wouldn't sell something in a condition I wouldn't want to buy from someone else.

Thanks in advance for the feedback

A few questions:

1. Do you think the bumper and winch adds any value?
   1. If not, I'll swap them to my diesel and lower the price
2. Do you think the bronze/gold wheels and handles are too unique?
   1. If so, I'll remove the plastidip from the wheels and swap the handles
3. Other advice?

Sale Post Link

Mod/Maintenance list:

depends on everyone tastes in fact

I think the best way to get the best price is remove everything and sell it as full stock and sell the parts appart .

 

[Koolcarguy]

Your local dealer and others like them will back their conversions. Taking in on trade somebody else's is a different deal. Most dealers that are representing a corporate brand selling new vehicles will give a auction wholesale pricing on vehicles like the OP's and send it to auction rather than have it on their used lot.

Actually I've been a dealer 35 years thats not the case here in Wy or Colorado atleast as long as the mod were done right including superchargers and turbos alot of New car stires locally trade and retail that stuff

 

[Darkamek]

I agree with a lot of what everyone has said here. Remove the bronze from the handles, wheels and the carbon fiber from the hinges. Swap the bumper and winch onto your new Jeep.

As far as the supercharger of I were a younger kid I would have loved the idea of having it. But me being older and knowing what I know now it would be a turn off. My suggestion would be to take it off and put it back to stock. This way you can sell it and take less of a hit.

I understand these aren’t the things that someone wants to hear. But you created a personalized piece of art. It really is going to take a certain someone to appreciate the same thing. Never would I expect someone to love my Jeep the way I’ve made it.

 

[MarylandMojave]

I think the replacement motor hurts more than you’d think. I just sold a 2021 Mojave with a Magnuson S/C back to the dealer that installed it (so they at least can say it was done there). 22k miles, good options, they paid me $52,500 on an outright purchase.

 

[JaayyyeeeE]

List it for what you believe is worth, OP. It’s a Jeep, someone out there is looking for a supercharged gladiator, it will sell.

Every mod in a Jeep ads value, otherwise you wouldn’t see dealer installed tire and wheel package 10k add-ons or those monstrosity 6 axle gladiators selling for $120k or more, yours is much nicer!

I wouldn’t waste my time trying to sell it on here, as you have already experienced, most enthusiasts are “know-it-alls”, judgmental, negative Nancys.

List it on any the popular paid car selling sites. I sold my JL for what I paid plus the price of all the mods factored in, in less than 2 weeks.

 

[dcmdon]

You have painted yourself into a corner in that you have a very personalized vehicle that isn't going to have broad appeal.

I'd be surprised if 5% of the total Gladiator used market would buy a supercharged truck with a replacement engine.

I think it would have been better once you bought the new engine to leave it naturally aspirated and sell the supercharger kit separately.

Regarding bumper, winch, wheels. If you are going to be buying those items for your new truck, yes, you are better off swapping. They will increase the value of the current truck, but will increase it by much less than their replacement cost. So if you are going to be buying new ones for the new truck, then swap.

Since the new engine has only 900 miles on it, I would still suggest removing the supercharger and selling that separately.

The other thing is the old engine. People will be suspicious when you say ou replaced the entire engine with a brand new one just for a cam problem. Why not just fix the cams/lifters/rockers?? Or at worst, replace the heads?? Was there a problem in the bottom end that you aren't mentioning? Is that problem going to be replicated with the same supercharger install that caused that problem??

I'm just playing devils advocate.

One other thing. It doesn't cost anything to put it up on FB marketplace and see if you get any bites before you remove anything.

Good luck with the sale.

 

[DC3]

You have painted yourself into a corner in that you have a very personalized vehicle that isn't going to have broad appeal.

I'd be surprised if 5% of the total Gladiator used market would buy a supercharged truck with a replacement engine.

I think it would have been better once you bought the new engine to leave it naturally aspirated and sell the supercharger kit separately.

Regarding bumper, winch, wheels. If you are going to be buying those items for your new truck, yes, you are better off swapping. They will increase the value of the current truck, but will increase it by much less than their replacement cost. So if you are going to be buying new ones for the new truck, then swap.

Since the new engine has only 900 miles on it, I would still suggest removing the supercharger and selling that separately.

The other thing is the old engine. People will be suspicious when you say ou replaced the entire engine with a brand new one just for a cam problem. Why not just fix the cams/lifters/rockers?? Or at worst, replace the heads?? Was there a problem in the bottom end that you aren't mentioning? Is that problem going to be replicated with the same supercharger install that caused that problem??

I'm just playing devils advocate.

One other thing. It doesn't cost anything to put it up on FB marketplace and see if you get any bites before you remove anything.

Good luck with the sale.

For those who haven't experienced repeated cam failure, it's difficult to appreciate the cascading issues. There are many known cases of Jeep replacing motors because of cam wear. Cams wear once, then again, and Jeep replaces the engine. If not on the second cam failure then the third for sure. In some cases, Jeep has replaced the cams, then the heads, then the engine.

This is how the failure goes down, if you don't catch the cam wear immediately.

1. cams wear on bank 1
2. Bank 1 runs rich
3. Bank 1 cat clogs
4. Bank 1 overpressurizes
5. Bank 1 detonates

I prevented detonation with my right foot and a custom get-home tune from Dave. I had a tremendous amount of iron in the oil after the first failed cam. After 4 oil changes it was still evident.

When the cam failed the second time, I had zero confidence the issue would not reoccur. Replacing the heads could have fixed the issue or not. It was a no-brainer considering the time to replace the heads vs. swap the motor.

The compression on the original motor was within spec, and there was no bottom-end noise or other symptoms to indicate bottom-end issues.

I imagine the replaced engine will cause heartburn for many people. If someone was serious about a supercharged purchase and was willing to ask the right questions, I don't think it would deter a purchase. No doubt there is a narrow audience for this truck.



This is what the oil pan looked like after the swap:

 

[Lunentucker]

And forced induction or not, THAT is why I have every oil change analyzed.
Third one coming up soon.

 

[dcmdon]

For those who haven't experienced repeated cam failure, it's difficult to appreciate the cascading issues. There are many known cases of Jeep replacing motors because of cam wear. Cams wear once, then again, and Jeep replaces the engine. If not on the second cam failure then the third for sure. In some cases, Jeep has replaced the cams, then the heads, then the engine.

This is how the failure goes down, if you don't catch the cam wear immediately.

1. cams wear on bank 1
2. Bank 1 runs rich
3. Bank 1 cat clogs
4. Bank 1 overpressurizes
5. Bank 1 detonates

I prevented detonation with my right foot and a custom get-home tune from Dave. I had a tremendous amount of iron in the oil after the first failed cam. After 4 oil changes it was still evident.

When the cam failed the second time, I had zero confidence the issue would not reoccur. Replacing the heads could have fixed the issue or not. It was a no-brainer considering the time to replace the heads vs. swap the motor.

The compression on the original motor was within spec, and there was no bottom-end noise or other symptoms to indicate bottom-end issues.

I imagine the replaced engine will cause heartburn for many people. If someone was serious about a supercharged purchase and was willing to ask the right questions, I don't think it would deter a purchase. No doubt there is a narrow audience for this truck.



This is what the oil pan looked like after the swap:

Thank you for the explanation. A total engine swap makes total sense given all of that.

 

[DC3]

A capstone for future websurfers..... I removed the front bumper, winch, and suspension bits. Ultimately those components will be installed on my other Gladiator (and now I am lifting the other Gladiator). Yes, I "saved" money to spend money.

I sold the Jeep with the supercharger for $49k cash to someone who lives two miles from me (who would have guessed). No financing was involved in simplifying the deal, and it's someone who knows and trusts my work.


When I originally asked the question to start this post, I was looking for feedback from my target audience but found most responders would not be my target audience. Hence the frustration I expressed. The folks responding to my post were not answering my posted question but pontificating why they weren't my audience.

I greatly appreciate the constructive feedback from @Koolcarguy and @Lunentucker. Your thoughtful contribution was helpful and allowed me to contemplate a sale from another perspective.

I look forward to contributing to this community in any way I can now that I am focusing on just 1 Gladiator.

 

[Lunentucker]

A capstone for future websurfers..... I removed the front bumper, winch, and suspension bits. Ultimately those components will be installed on my other Gladiator (and now I am lifting the other Gladiator). Yes, I "saved" money to spend money.

I sold the Jeep with the supercharger for $49k cash to someone who lives two miles from me (who would have guessed). No financing was involved in simplifying the deal, and it's someone who knows and trusts my work.


When I originally asked the question to start this post, I was looking for feedback from my target audience but found most responders would not be my target audience. Hence the frustration I expressed. The folks responding to my post were not answering my posted question but pontificating why they weren't my audience.

I greatly appreciate the constructive feedback from @Koolcarguy and @Lunentucker. Your thoughtful contribution was helpful and allowed me to contemplate a sale from another perspective.

I look forward to contributing to this community in any way I can now that I am focusing on just 1 Gladiator.

Great that you sold it.
You should move now. ?

 

[VEGETA]

For those who haven't experienced repeated cam failure, it's difficult to appreciate the cascading issues. There are many known cases of Jeep replacing motors because of cam wear. Cams wear once, then again, and Jeep replaces the engine. If not on the second cam failure then the third for sure. In some cases, Jeep has replaced the cams, then the heads, then the engine.

This is how the failure goes down, if you don't catch the cam wear immediately.

1. cams wear on bank 1
2. Bank 1 runs rich
3. Bank 1 cat clogs
4. Bank 1 overpressurizes
5. Bank 1 detonates

I prevented detonation with my right foot and a custom get-home tune from Dave. I had a tremendous amount of iron in the oil after the first failed cam. After 4 oil changes it was still evident.

When the cam failed the second time, I had zero confidence the issue would not reoccur. Replacing the heads could have fixed the issue or not. It was a no-brainer considering the time to replace the heads vs. swap the motor.

The compression on the original motor was within spec, and there was no bottom-end noise or other symptoms to indicate bottom-end issues.

I imagine the replaced engine will cause heartburn for many people. If someone was serious about a supercharged purchase and was willing to ask the right questions, I don't think it would deter a purchase. No doubt there is a narrow audience for this truck.



This is what the oil pan looked like after the swap:

So so so important to fix the cam/rocker/lifter issues early. The dealership I used previously drug their feet and it ended up costing $6,000 to fix it correctly. They replaced the right, but not the left, and it continued to degrade.

Thankfully I found a dealership with some integrity, and they were able to get my warrantee to pay for all of it. Runs like a champion now, but had it been done correctly the first time I wouldn't have had to go through so much. This was a 2 year struggle.

@DC3 the jeep you sold is awesome! What a cool truck to have alot of fun in. I hope the new owner is enjoying that supercharger. I've considered putting one on mine, but I have other priorities first. Hope all is well!

 

[DC3]

So so so important to fix the cam/rocker/lifter issues early. The dealership I used previously drug their feet and it ended up costing $6,000 to fix it correctly. They replaced the right, but not the left, and it continued to degrade.

Thankfully I found a dealership with some integrity, and they were able to get my warrantee to pay for all of it. Runs like a champion now, but had it been done correctly the first time I wouldn't have had to go through so much. This was a 2 year struggle.

@DC3 the jeep you sold is awesome! What a cool truck to have alot of fun in. I hope the new owner is enjoying that supercharger. I've considered putting one on mine, but I have other priorities first. Hope all is well!

I agree, the first time I swapped the cams, I did both sides hoping to alleviate future issues but I am afraid I had too many miles on the engine with contaminated oil. The second time the cams were swapped was a temporary bandaid. I tore the top end of the engine down before scraping it and I expected to find a smoking gun in the heads but no such thing was found. I borescoped the oil supply channels and they were clear (no obvious casting or design flaws). I was naive (and wishful) to think it would be that easy. I did find several small metal fragments from the previous two cam destruction cycles.

The image shows just one example of the types of fragments I found (the 10mm nut is for size comparison).

I do miss the off-the-line performance of the SC Gladiator but that's about it. Otherwise, I am very happy with the EcoDiesel.

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