I have seen many people on this board do amazing things with their rigs...

I have one question, I make a fair amount of money (or so I think) about 60K we own our house and only have a small mortgage >75,000 my wife doesnt work, and we have 4 small children 10 years - 2 years of age.

how do you afford your buildups? is it that you are all more comfortable with debt than me? how do you finance this stuff?

I used to make a monthly "car payment" to a cookie jar from which I pulled what I needed for whatever mod. As long as you're not in a hurry, 300 a month adds up pretty quickly. If you have major mods to do then the money can't come fast enough so you charge it and pay the 300 to the card. You just gotta figure out how much financing you want to do... ya know, what's it worth to ya?

I spend as little out of pocket as possible. And make everything.

For me, it's been a 4 year battle. I scrapped my old K10 4 yrs ago but had started collecting parts about year before that. For the last few years I've been slowly buying parts and only recently got to a point where I had enough of the puzzle to start working on it (K5, cause family got bigger).

I'm with you though, I can understand the average wheeler but a lot of the $40k buggy guys have got to be deep in debt.

I spend as little out of pocket as possible. And make everything.

do tell!, so how did you get your shop started then? I have a grinder, 110v welder and a sawzall what is your shop setup like...

I thought the same thing as you make a as much as possible and it will be cheap but there are things you caint make .. like axles and soforth..



For me, it's been a 4 year battle. I scrapped my old K10 4 yrs ago but had started collecting parts about year before that. For the last few years I've been slowly buying parts and only recently got to a point where I had enough of the puzzle to start working on it (K5, cause family got bigger).

I'm with you though, I can understand the average wheeler but a lot of the $40k buggy guys have got to be deep in debt.

I would love to hear from one of these $40K+ guys or even the average guy on pirate that has 10 in drivetrain parts, the lomax with np203 doubler , 14bolt ff and d60 locked and a rebuilt 454.... g


I used to make a monthly "car payment" to a cookie jar from which I pulled what I needed for whatever mod. As long as you're not in a hurry, 300 a month adds up pretty quickly. If you have major mods to do then the money can't come fast enough so you charge it and pay the 300 to the card. You just gotta figure out how much financing you want to do... ya know, what's it worth to ya?


great Idea, I just need to talk my wife into it :) but serously its a great idea..

Every year I get a 0% credit card in the mail and I get it and then I only put on it what I am comfortable paying off in a year.

Everything gets paid for with cash. Collecting parts for builds is half the fun. It may take 12 months to get all the parts I need to start, but I'm ok with that.

do tell!, so how did you get your shop started then? I have a grinder, 110v welder and a sawzall what is your shop setup like...

I thought the same thing as you make a as much as possible and it will be cheap but there are things you caint make .. like axles and soforth..
\..

Search my name.........I don't buy shit.

I'm a mechanic by trade, and between me and my buddies, they'res welders, parts salesmen, an electrician, painter, etc..........

My s10 on fullwidths, I built the entire truck with a hand drill, grinder, and 110 welder without gas. Plan better, and work harder. I still build everything, but now we have plasmas, access to waterjets, cncs, tig welders, the progression is always there.

Best advice to you is, if this is the only truck you will build yourself, buy the neccessities, grinder, drill, hand tools, etc.
Hire out the welding, buy the brackets, etc. If you're gonna do this again, buy it as you need it, buy a cheap beater for the street, and don't drive your project to work. I don't drink while I'm building, eat out, etc, and that money goes into the truck. I build stuff for other people, and profit towards the truck

My current K5, short of wheels and tires, is about $4000 out of pocket. And that's counting the purchase of the truck. It's not really that difficult, If you know what you need to do.


Correction..............

Absolute best advice ever.

Read until your eyes bleed.
There are cheap tricks to build everything, there are deals in every paper/online for sale foum, etc.....There is more information from cheap fuckers like me on the internet and if you want to save money, guys like me can show you ways if you pay attention.

WOW that is good advice, so you all arent like dual income 100,000 dollar a year families showing off?

thanks SPidr

Fawk that's funny.
I make maybe 40,000 a year, have 4 kids and my wife stays home. My toys are partially homebuilt out of neccessity, and part because I love to.,

Dont get me wrong I love wrenchin on rigs and welding and stuff like that, but I dont have the budget to get around it, I guess I just have to nut up and start building stuff

Single income... three kids. In debt up to my eyeballs. Fortunately not much of it is due to the heep. Yes some of it is, little bit of "luck" turned that from being paid off in a couple of months to waiting for my bonus check next spring.


Monthly pmt, just like a car. I send mine to a CC, I have tried to keep it where it would always be paid off in one year, no matter what. My 17 month old has special needs, seeking the best treatment and getting second opinions has grown my debt like a weed.

Long story short,... barter, do it your self, set up a car payment type situation.. and be patient!

One child,we both work,one car payment $360/month -11 months left,$500 a month mortage on a 1850 SQ house with 9 years left.Thats the big stuff.Zero CC debt.Wife is super supportive and if it wasnt for havin a good job I would have a real job.:D


I started out buyin/junkin trucks on the side.Kept what I wanted/needed and sold the rest.When the partners of the trans shop I worked at split up they closed the one I was at so I had to do something.That was 5 years ago this past June,been husslin parts ever since,do a search for me I always have somethin for sale.

I have worked/hung around in about every end of the automotive buisness(including the salvage yards) and have a lot of connections that help me find stuff.

I work at a offroad fab shop on the side and see every kind of build.The big money ones all the way to the guy's sellin alum cans to pay for stuff.Alot of stuff is built on the plastic and guys will be payin the next 10 years on it.:shaking:

For me if I can't save and pay cash for it or trade for it I dont buy it.That's why I'm still runnin a single case.

hm, well it seems that my assumptions were totally false, I figured that everone who built it fast was in debt up to their eyeballs...

Define "fast":D.My M-1009 took about three months to put together but I junked a SB on 1-tons that I had built.Took another year to get the $$$$ for my cage and hydro-assist.Im tryin to get the money together for a black box now.It's tough workin in a 4wd shop,you see all the cool stuff and it makes ya want it.

Ill add my 2cents...

I have about 12-14k in my K5. Thats over 4 years and multiple builds.
I built most of it myself, I bought alot of parts on here and searched for deals on everything. For example I bought 4 h1 rims recentered with 42inch Iroks for $1100.:smokin:
My 60 came from a m1008 that I bought from gov surplus for 1100... I sold the rear 14 bolt, sold the doors ect..., scrapped the rest and had $500 in a front 60. The 60 sat at my shop for 6 months before I had the coin to put it in.

Right now I am selling a bunch of old crap on ebay so I can buy a trailer. I have been borrowing one forever. I could just call up my brother in law Barry Hooper (Hooper Trailers) and plop down my Amex... but I would rather pay for it with cash.

I also buy, fix, and sell cars for extra $

I drive an 01 Z71 with 150k on it... its paid for

My wife drives an 01 4 runner with 260k on it... its paid for

Alot of people think that they have to have a new car and wind up poor because of it. I know many people that dont make half what I do that drive brand new cars, thats just stupid.

I think everyone should go to www.daveramsey.com and pay attention.:grinpimp:

I dont think that credit cards are a good way to "finance" anything.:homer:

I have friends that owe to creditors (including 4 wheel parts) more than their rig is worth. The one I am referring to makes about 95k a year, but spends it all and then some.

I also know a college kid who does gear swaps as a side job to make money to build his rig. He owns it outright, the build is paid for coilovers and all. He has an old honda that he DDs and just bought a used Diesel to tow with.

I will admit that my wife and I both earn alot more than "average". However we are currently paying triple payments every month on our house. If we stick to our plan we will pay the house off in 3 years. Doing so we will save $219,000 in intrest vs paying our regular payment. Thats on a $375k house!

Remember, "dont get financial advise from your broke friends" -Dave Ramsey

I dont know if that helps or not. I do hope that you check out Dave, he has some great ways of saving alot of money.

Gabe

PS. I dont want anyone to think that I have never had CC debt. I got in trouble with them in college and it took years before I got out from under it. Right now I actually have some debt on a 0% card from my wedding and Honeymoon in May. It will be payed off very soon and it drives me nuts that its there, but we had a great wedding in my parents front yard and 2 weeks in Kauai that I will never forget.

Lets try not to have too much chit chat going on. If it gets excessive, good/cool/funny chit chat will be moved to chit chat section. Garbage goes in the can.

This FORUM IS FOR HARDCORE TECH QUESTIONS. This is a four wheel drive forum and we want to see what you've done to make your General Motors 4x4 more capable. I don't want to see questions about where to buy spark plugs or what size tire will fit on a stock truck. If your questions are very basic in nature they will be moved to the Newbie forum. If they are just plain stupid they will be deleted. We aren't here to teach you basic automotive theory, it is assumed that you already have a good handle on that. If a thread is borderline I may leave it for a day or so to see if someone can breathe some life into it.

Nobody else read this??:flipoff2: wheres the tech??

Some people just make alot of money....:smokin:

While we are all broke, we all try to make it work with what we have. I work in a 4wd shop and get parts for cost so that helps alot. I have 2 houses, 6 atvs, a new diesel truck, 2 60's chevy 1tons on 44's, 2 enclosed trailers, and a drag car. All of this and I still make it work on my wage of 45 a year. Alot of my spare money comes from take off parts on customers trucks. They dont want it but I can sell it on ebay for $100 here and $200 there. Another thing that helps is when people need money I buy it cheap. I just picked up a 60 front for $150 just because the guy needed money quick. Also, when I sell one truck the money goes into another vehicle that was picked up on a "good deal". With this kind of thinking I have been able to make a profit of $4000+ on every vehicle I have sold. But, to me its not about the money. Guys like me (and ALOT of people on pirate) NEED projects to keep their sanity!!

Muh...poor starving college student here. How do I pay for my shit? Well...I don't...at least not quickly. I'm damn near a year into my motor swap and the motor is still on a stand in the garage. I just buy one piece or part at a time when I can afford it. Eventually the pile will swell big enough that I can start doing the work. I don't like doing stuff twice so I just make sure I have everything and that I have quality components. Sure, it takes time, but I have a lifetime to fill.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Networking is your best friend. As was posted earlier...I have friends that are tradesmen or work for this outfit or that. The end result is that we all pool together and help one another out with work and expertise as well as getting discounts on stuff. On top of that you just need to know people. I mean it's just the mundane little stuff that saves you in the end. I mentioned at work one day that my block didn't have an oil filter adapter. They aren't expensive parts, but they cost money nevertheless. So what happens? Bam! A coworker brought me a spare he had the next day. Karma pays off. Another coworker needed a set of 6x9 boxes for his '32 duece. I hooked him up with a set I had laying around.

Get involved in club gatherings, shows (even for stuff like hotrods), make good with the guys at the parts store, etc. You're not going to get an Atlas given to you, but with all the other stuff you can barter for you might have enough left over to buy one.

*edit* Another good example is a buddy of mine that I worked with. We put out the word that we were looking for a TBI 350. This guy talks to that guy that talks to that guy. Eventually we ended up with a low mileage running TBI 350 including the ECU and harness (we didn't need the harness), hydro clutch 32 spline SM465, and VSS NP205 for $400. We also got a free D44, 12 bolt, part time converted NP203 and the scrap value of a K5 for taking the plow frame, motor, and trans out for the owner. He was happy because the work was done and we were happy because we got some parts we could use, sell, or trade.

get rid of wife,kids and house !!rent studio appt for a couple of bills a month (utilities included ) then go down buy you a tarp to lay on or use as a cover and go to work:flipoff2:

:D.....we have all asked the same thing at some point and ther aint no real ansewer:confused:.....so have patiance and good things will come:Dkeep lookin and digging

I am currently doing the third build up of my 4 runner. Stroker SB, rebuilt sm465, stak 3 spd mini, dana 60 and a 14 bolt.

My original build was with a toyota front axle doing the SAS and doing the spring conversion on the rear. For that build up i simply saved money and bought about a 1000 dollars worth of parts at a time until i had most of what i needed. Took a couple years of collecting parts and saving money.

The latest build up i did by remortgaging with the intent of buying a new diesel truck. I backed out and decided my old chev long box was really all the truck i need so after dumping a bunch back into the mortgage i have been building my dream runner. Motor is built, 60 is sitting out back, trans adapter and rebuild kit are in the mail and T/C is on order. All i need is to the rear which i havent picked up yet because i still cant decide whether to go full size or not. Rims, tires and lockers ad another 3500. Some of that will be offset by the sale of my old axles (toy axles 5.29s, elocker, v6 welded, 30 spline longs and chromo hubs) to my buddy building his 4runner and im hoping he will buy my tires and drive shafts.

Mortgage will still be paid off completely in five years. Then i will refinace to restore my Challenger.

No other hobbies and no dependants. One fairly financially painless divorce. Bought my home in my early 20s so now 10 years later with housing prices tripled and have amassed a decent amount of equity.

i have about 8k in my blazer, you wouldnt tell it by looking at it, cuz its a POS. i dont own a house and my job is very mediocre (as far as pay). the main thing i think that helps me is my determination. ive owned it for over 11 yrs, and when its broke it sits until it can be fixed. somethings i have a mechanic do, but for the most part i turn the wrenches, and alot is done by friends. ive been known to barter my tradeskills as a carpenter for welding and fab work. that truck even was used as colateral for a loan for my divorce. determination and dont ever consider selling it for some "quick-cash".

Patience Patience Patience.
I've been collecting parts for about 5 years... and I'm still not done.
I have a job now where I can spend $1000 a month in parts (sometimes more) and it's STILL not enough!!! I'm learning that it's really not about the result. It's all about the process. long story short... stop and smell the burnt diff oil.

For me it takes time to gather the $$$, work more and do alot of parts searching. Buying, selling and trading parts help too. An understanding wife is a huge help. My wife can no longer go wheeling due to severe back problems, needless to say my hobby and its cost is now frowned upon. We own two homes "one is payed for", new vehicles "one is payed for", all 4 of my trailers are payed for, all tools for my business are payed for as well as my excavator. We have 3 kids who think we are made of money and all wear braces. In debt, yes but not as bad as most people. You will have to put your prioritys first, then your hobby.

By working my fucking ass off. I didn't finance shit on my truck. If I did, I paid it off before I went further. I built as I went along. Just make the right decisions and go stronger than you think you need and it will be cheaper in the long run.

Lets try not to have too much chit chat going on. If it gets excessive, good/cool/funny chit chat will be moved to chit chat section. Garbage goes in the can.






Good advice from teh noob...fortunately he isn't a mod....:D

Anyway, F the BS. Like everyone else, scrimp, save, build yourself.

Me and the wife both work, take in $110,000 a year, make a $2500 mortgage (Hawaii is too damn expensive to live and my house is only a town home w/ 1500 sq ft). CC debt, truck payment and living expenses don't leave much play money for me. I look for great deals, shop on Ebay and Craigslist alot, and do everything I can to save money. I build a lot of shit. Get to know people, networking can save you butt tons of money...:smokin:

hm, well it seems that my assumptions were totally false, I figured that everone who built it fast was in debt up to their eyeballs...

No. A lot of the fancy rigs here are the culmination of many years worth of building. A lot of times parts can be had and money made by buying a whole rig and parting it out, keeping what you need.
Keep your eyes peeled for good deals, trades, and have buddies with tools/equipment you can use or borrow.

My build is going on 7 or 8 years... maybe 10, I forget. I do all the fabrication, welding, wrenching and machining (when I have access to the equipment). Without help from my friends, it would never be where it is today.

all these rigs you are seeing have evolved over several years, most rigs started as weekend warrior type rigs, and evole into what ever suits your needs offroad. Most take several years, and you cannot expect to just jump into this full on, you have to start where your comfortable, mechanical wise, fabricating, so be it you build a tube buggy, or just have a stock rig to use on the weekends. because over time it will evolve.-what i do is start with a running truck and go from there, and try not to do anything to crazy that it will leave it on jacks for more than a couple days, and pay off each mod before going to the next will keep the debt down.

Me and the wife both work, take in $110,000 a year, make a $2500 mortgage (Hawaii is too damn expensive to live and my house is only a town home w/ 1500 sq ft). CC debt, truck payment and living expenses don't leave much play money for me. I look for great deals



I hear ya.
I live in NJ where the cost of living is even worse. My mortgage payment is $2200 for an 800 sq ft home.
My wife stays at home with our 2 daughters and Im lucky to pull in 80K a year as a dealership mechanic.

Mortgage, taxes, heat, electric, water bill, car insurance, etc etc all eat up my pay really quick....and thats not counting 2 kids!

So we have more CC debt than I'd like. But I try to hustle with friends and barter with others to pay for parts for my rig.

It took me the better part of a year to save up for my tuned port conversion.....

And another year to collect parts for the link front suspension I built.

Its been 6 months now and all Ive collected for my rear 4 link is 2 johnny joints and 2 tube adapters....that I bought of a PBB member:smokin:

One other thing to consider is the buggy evolution... eg one day I will wind up building a buggy. However I already have most of the expensive parts on my current rig. When the time comes It will be a new bling buggy build, but I will be buying mainly tube, maybe an LS motor. I think thats where alot of the bling buggys come from.
gabe

I agree,I figured as I tore mine up I would start replacin panels with tube.

i would lose interest if my truck had to sit a year during a build. i do the cc thing, not for a all at one time build. i build when stuff breaks. i kept breaking d44 shafts so i found a 60. i bought the 60 with cash, but i didnt have the cash for the parts to build / upgrade it. the ord crossover steering, box brace and 52" front spring swaps parts were bought on credit. i still need gears but i am waiting to pay down the balance a little.

[QUOTE=GMCTruxrule;8695751]Good advice from teh noob...fortunately he isn't a mod....:D


http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28705


Tech section?? or is this the go get a better fuckin job forum:flipoff2: J/k by the way....

nooby out....

I'm single. I have debt up to my ears. I'm paying interest on shit I bought 5 years ago (or more). I have a first and second mortgage on a house that sits empty in Florida, and I pay rent up here in VA. I have one truck that barely drivable because the tranny is shot, and another that still has front end damage from last year when I got hit by a bitch with no insurance. I have a dog that seems to nickle and dime me more than a woman would. And I'm addicted to four wheeling, traveling, and women.

I work three jobs all at the same time (takes up ALOT of time). I shop for cheap deals on trucks that I can part out, keep what I like, and sell what I can (requires time and attention). I build what I can, but outsource to close friends the stuff that I cannot do (time in the garage). I don't sleep hardly at all. I don't have a social life.



Answer your questions, newb?