So, what do you think it costs to build a one of a kind buggy/bouncer?

Just spinning off from all the discussion on AJ's for sale thread... what do you think it costs to build a one off bouncer?

I know how much $$ I just spent building mine, and let me tell you... it wasn't cheap!

I've had a bunch of jeeps, both built and bought. And I've also had a couple of buggies before, but this is the first one I had built. Granted I didn't personally build this myself, I had Clyde @ SpyderOffroad build it, and there was definitely some $$ that could have been saved had I: 1) had the ability, 2) had the time, and 3) had the patience to do all of it myself. The fact is though, that I wasn't able to produce a high quality rig myself and I wanted it to be to my specs... so I had to pay a builder to build one all the way from start to finish.

Building this rig has been unlike anything else I've built in the past. Yes, there is a high cost associated with some of the parts (motor, PTC built trans, custom offset Dana 80s, 2", 47 spline RCVs front and rear, Profab, Spools, Forged double beadlocks - I could go on, and on with that list...), but it's really the small things that you don't think about that get you.

I bet if I tally it all up, I probably spent a good $10k-$15k on little stuff after I thought the buggy was pretty much done. :****:

I don't plan on getting into what all I spent on mine other than to use it as an example to start the conversation.

I thought I knew what it would take to build one till I actually did... So, this is just me being curious - what is everyone else's perception on what it costs to build a one off rig?

As much money as there is in this sport I was assuming my next one would be free



To build a buggy completley from scratch that you could resale for 30-40k you will have about 60k in it. That is if you do none of the work yourself and buy all new parts. Hell if you put 10-15k in a yota its only gonna bring about 5k.

I built mine myself on a bare Jim's Garage built chassis. Took me four months start to trail. Axles, motor, tcase and built trans came from my yj-(lt1, th350 ,atlas , 60/14). In that for months i spent $35g's. Keep in mind only labor i paid out was drive shafts, and regearing axles. Well, i thought i was done. ...then came new wheels and sticky 43's(5500), then toasted the lt1 and in came the ls2 (7000), and now dropping the ori's and moving to coilovers/bumps and aluminum links (est 4500). That puts it at 52g's. No labor included. ....

I roughly figured about 500 hours labor throughout with changes that were made, on myself. Don't know shop rates but if i had charged myself it would have been $35hr , nearly 18g's; total $70,000- I'm sure that rate is low compared to we'll known builders. And i don't have any super special drive train parts. So i could see some of these bills being upwards of 100g's easily.

We can't put a price on happiness can we? ....cuz this **** sure is a blast!


I'm really happy that i have the tools and ability to do it myself for sure 8)
matt

Re:

I did a very cheap buggy and thought I knew what it was going to cost I got a super deal from Chris at marsfab on the chassis and links and panels but when I thought I was pretty much done I still had 25% left it's the small stuff that kills you at the end I'm currently waiting and springs hopefully I will get to ride next weekend I'm small potatoes compared to most on here but the 15k and tons of hours I have in mine is alot to me

So is it cheaper to buy something CLOSE to what you want and modify it?

or do you think most people can buy all the parts easier over time VS dropping ~$25k at once for something that isnt EXACTLY what you want but gain alot of parts at once....

It's all the little **** that adds up quick. ( nuts, bolts, gauges, oil coolers, an fittings, brake lines and fittings, etc, etc ) It took me 18 months to build mine from scratch, only working on it late at night and on the weekends. I didn't buy all of my parts at once but buying them over time and trying to find the best deals is what help me keep my cost down.

I started with a running 5.3 with 203/205 4l60E sitting on steer Rockwells, I thought I could build myself with a total cost of an additional $5000. I just put a pen to it and I missed by about $10,000!! I have over 22K invested not counting the 720 man hours, even if you could get someone to build it for you at $35 an hour thats $25,200!!! So thats $47,150 and I did it 100% in house. I could have bought and wheeled alot earlier for way less!!!! And if any one of you guys ever meet my wife and bring this up IT'S ON!!!! LOL

As much as you can think you can afford then add 25% on top of that for all the things you didn't think about.


2010 Jim's Garage 4429
2012 Jim's Garage YJ
2013 Wide Open Design WFO

My wife told me that in random converstation my Mother asked her "How much does he have in his Jeep, 2-3 grand"

I told my wife that I could build this thing in about three weeks and about $2000?

On the cheap, you could do one for 20k if you did all the fab work, and bought used parts. I will have 50k in just parts on my buggy. If you are paying somebody else to build, its little details that cost the most. I've had a few customers who have spent more on the tin work (dash/gauge cluster, interior/exterior panels, floor, storage compartments) than they did on the chassis and suspension components.

Re:

When I started putting a V8 in my stock YJ everyone told me it would nickel and dime me to death. After a couple months into it and after it turned into a full 1 ton build I decided all those people were wrong. It wasn't nickels and dimes but 50's and 100's. I couldn't go to JEGS, the parts stores, or hardware store without either spending a fifty or hundred dollar bill. And I'm only referring to those odds and ends purchases and not "parts".

I've built a few $10K Toyotas that would sell for $2500-5000...


I've got $10K in parts for a buggy that needs another $5k to be even remotely close to driveable.







When you start talking TOP OF THE LINE ****, and are looking at 700+ HP engines, everything to hold up to that, plus a full coilover/bypass shock package... $200,000 is not out of the question.

Well I just finished my buggy and I started it almost 1 year ago and I can say if u want to put custom parts under it it gets high I had a budget of $50k and I went over that before powder coating but I was tried of going riding and breaking every time before lunch

^^^^ you should see and hear this nasty twin turbo bitch! Man you need to get a good pic on here of your buggy! It's one of the meanest looking Rockwell buggies I have seen! Super low, and got the balls!

xjkrawler said:

So is it cheaper to buy something CLOSE to what you want and modify it?

or do you think most people can buy all the parts easier over time VS dropping ~$25k at once for something that isnt EXACTLY what you want but gain alot of parts at once....

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YES! On Bombshell everything was new except the engine which added up to just over $60k in parts. On White Trash I started with an existing buggy with the idea to swap everything to a lighter, more updated chassis. Still ended up spending $25k in parts by the time I upgraded and updated.

yankster said:

YES! On Bombshell everything was new except the engine which added up to just over $60k in parts. On White Trash I started with an existing buggy with the idea to swap everything to a lighter, more updated chassis. Still ended up spending $25k in parts by the time I upgraded and updated.

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This right here is proof for sure.

Bombshell is a bad ass rig!

BUT it doesn't really have ANY exotic/crazy expensive parts, even being rear engine

mild LS1/TH400/Atlas/ Front steer only 14 bolts (with wildwood brakes and such) PSC steering, ORIs, 43s, TR beadlocks...

zukimaster said:

^^^^ you should see and hear this nasty twin turbo bitch! Man you need to get a good pic on here of your buggy! It's one of the meanest looking Rockwell buggies I have seen! Super low, and got the balls!

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Thanks Man I spent more money then I wanted on it but so far it seams like it will take a beatin

I bet if you added up everything I spent over the years to end up with the buggy I have (I didn't just start from scratch, parts came from previous builds, each build got progressively better with better parts) I have easily $100,000 in just parts. In addition I bet a good $25,000 of that ultimately went in the trash, literally. That includes all product fails from shitty vendors (coughcoughFOAcoughUSA6x6cough), ideas that didn't work out, little incendiary fittings and stuff. I bet if you valued my time at $25/hr (which is undervaluing it) I've got another $100,000 in it. But something is only worth what you can get someone to pay for it and while I think that TC rigs are badass, I do not think anything TC, or most people for that matter, builds are worth what AJ is asking. For $100,000+ cash out of pocket I want something built exactly like I want, not someone else's sloppy seconds.

I don't know AJ from Adam but from the stories I've heard of how he buys rigs I think he overpaid and will find a hard time recouping a large part of his investments. I don't mean to sound negative and for his sake I hope I'm wrong. I just haven't heard many other stories of people laying down the kind of cash for used rigs that he supposedly has.

patooyee said:

I bet if you added up everything I spent over the years to end up with the buggy I have (I didn't just start from scratch, parts came from previous builds, each build got progressively better with better parts) I have easily $100,000 in just parts. In addition I bet a good $25,000 of that ultimately went in the trash, literally. That includes all product fails from shitty vendors (coughcoughFOAcoughUSA6x6cough), ideas that didn't work out, little incendiary fittings and stuff. I bet if you valued my time at $25/hr (which is undervaluing it) I've got another $100,000 in it. But something is only worth what you can get someone to pay for it and while I think that TC rigs are badass, I do not think anything TC, or most people for that matter, builds are worth what AJ is asking. For $100,000+ cash out of pocket I want something built exactly like I want, not someone else's sloppy seconds.

I don't know AJ from Adam but from the stories I've heard of how he buys rigs I think he overpaid and will find a hard time recouping a large part of his investments. I don't mean to sound negative and for his sake I hope I'm wrong. I just haven't heard many other stories of people laying down the kind of cash for used rigs that he supposedly has.

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There's only one bouncer in my eyes that's proven enough to warrant a super high price tag.