Sticker shock..

    Sticker-Shock !!   _ _ en-how !
    Egads the parts add-up, but, how safe do you want to feel. And, for heavens sake, when I add up the dollar-totals spent on my numerous projects it will put a guy near-to Cardiac Arrest.   _ _ right !
    But, at least the pocket book is not overly heavy and a burden.

    Just the cost to freshen-up an engine is mind boggling today. When I looked at the cost of an Engine rebuild Kit for the L134 at $1299.99 I about collapsed. Compare that to a small-block chevy engine kit at $350.00.
   
   The good thing about these Willy's is that they are basic and fairly easy for us guys and gals to work on and with mostly normal shop tools.
    The One-item I have never owned is a "bearing-separator" which I just pay the local machine shop to perform for me. ( can probably buy a cheapie at Harbor Frieght for $15.00 ).

   I look at it this way, if I buy initially for $2,000 and then let the refurb progress as money allows, the refurb may be completed in 10-years.
Oh crap !
   
   I would venture to say that unless your Willys is a GPW it may be difficult to sell a sweet 2A for over $12,000. I guess there are buyers out there with money, but the younger generation will pay $20,000 for a used TJ with A/C.

    Yikes, I went into Sticker-Shock yesterday. A friend of mine asked me if I knew how much I have invested in a "95 Honda Passport" project refurb.
Geesh, I added up the near-total with "in-brain-estimating" and writing down what I could best remember. $3,000.   ( I have not transferred title yet after 8-years and still need to get a California Smog certification ).
And, the Kelley blue book high-value is only $1,500 for a '95 Passport.
( it has A/C ) hahaha   _ _ and I hope to drive it some day.
I see i'm headed into another Sticker-Shock syndrome. with big Visions.

   Yes, we love our Money-Pits and anticipate each move forward. The real value we get from these little tractors is that they are worth the value over a long-term span of time, and once restored, they really do need to be parked inside a garage out of the elements to preserve the Value.

   So, ol'unreliable, you have a T-98 that you have not yet installed ?
   Is there a component that you are waiting for, like an adapter ?
   just curious _ _ _

Kinda crazy these old vehicles...

Edited by mikec4193 - 10 Jan. 2019 at 4:16pm

AKoller wrote: I met my wife of almost 12 years through this hobby...

Edited by mbullism - 10 Jan. 2019 at 2:22pm

She honestly costs a lot less than my Jeeps!

I think I paid about as much to take my family to Disney World as I have invested in my Jeep and I barely remember anything about it except standing in a lot of lines. What do I have to show for that? A few pictures and a $50 polo shirt with a mouse on it. A lot of people think that is worth it or I wouldn’t have had to stand in all those lines. Me, it’s only worth it cuz my family seems to like it.

I have $4700 in mine, including the $600 purchase price which I was lucky to run into. Worth every penny. The big $ saver for me was painting it myself. I guess I'm fortunate to have a shop where I can make big messes, and a compressor and tools. The Willys is a bargain. Years and years of fun for minimum outlay. I have a couple old tractors and a '63 Nova, but nothing compares to the fun of the Willys. Now I just need to get to one of those events as pictured above. Looks like a blast.

Its a disease for sure. Sometimes I think about the money I've put in to gears alone and wondered about my sanity. Figured out early that driving off road is like a drug. It takes total concentration that makes other worries and concerns drop away for a while. I too know I will never get half of what I have spent (or even that much) back on my "investments" but it could be worse... could be a real junkie. My current fear is the Willys Wagon I have sitting under my carport needs tires, gears, etc.....

Greaser007 wrote:    So, ol'unreliable, you have a T-98 that you have not yet installed ?    Is there a component that you are waiting for, like an adapter ?    just curious _ _ _

I'm another who would just as soon not know what I've invested in my flatty.  I probably do have all the receipts for most of the pieces purchased over close to 50 years but how do you actually add that up to a current investment?  A lot of stuff has been changed out several times and it continually evolves.