entropy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2018
- Threads
- 83
- Messages
- 4,348
- Reaction score
- 7,505
- Location
- Foothills of the San Gabriels
- Vehicle(s)
- Jeep Wrangler Sport S JL 2-D
- Build Thread
- Link
- Occupation
- Professional dancer/male stripper
- Thread starter
- #1
I bought my Wrangler in 2018. It was a base sport 2 door. I don't need the Rubicon I said, I just wanna get to some good hunting locations and do light off-roading. We had decent salaries back then, and were renting. A base sport seemed to be the perfect Jeep for us. We couldn't get a good loan interest rate, so I put about 80% down payment.
I ended up taking that jeep, 100% stock, to trails that were a little too difficult for the base Jeep, but it was fun. in 2019, exactly when the Jeep was 1 year old it was totaled. Wife and I decided to get another JL, but I had the opportunity to upgrade to a Rubicon or a 4 door. We both had new jobs, great salaries, could afford the Rubicon no problem and had set up an appointment to go over a 2019 4 door Rubicon. I started getting second thoughts about the 4 door, so the dealer showed us a Sport S 2 door, not a Rubicon. They had an awesome deal for this sport, but it didn't have lockers. My wife and I left the dealer to have lunch and talk over it. The savings were considerable over the Rubicon, we could buy this Jeep outright with the insurance money. We thought about all the upgrades we wanted for our house, the investments for the kid we were planning to have, camping trips, etc etc.... So many things we could do with that extra 12k. Did I really need that Rubicon?
I bought the Sport S, and been keeping the upgrades "budget oriented". I have a rubicon suspension on it, metal bumpers, winch, tranny/engine skid plate, front locker, rear LSD, rubicon M/T takeoffs, and a few other things. I have taken that Jeeps on tough trails, I've picked hard lines, I've pushed its limits. And everytime I pushed its limits I upgrade the weak point. Then I push it again.
Last week I ordered bilstein shocks. Another upgrade.... and while I was having a Whiskey by our restored 100 year old fireplace. I realized all these "budget" upgrades were adding up to thousands. Thousands that could be used to add more upgrades to our home, thousands that could be invested into the stock market for us or for our daughter. Thousands that could cover camping trips. I realized this is never gonna end. Jeeps are expensive, not just the vehicle itself, but the hobby. It is really expensive, and you can always increase the challenge as you increase the capabilities of your Jeep. I've done difficult trails with my Jeep, I've had lots of fun, it is extremely capable and I could take it to many Jeep trails other cars will struggle big time. I have no regrets. It can take lines only Jeeps can, it can take me to places no other car can. Pushing these boundaries would take me to even more places, but it costs lots of money. I made a difficult decision, the decision to stop pushing my little Jeep and spend my funds elsewhere. Because if I don't stop now, I never will.
I wanted to share my story because I know that lots of you have spent a lot more on these Jeeps that you initially thought you would. Those of you with Sports, and Rubicons (Saharas dont count - just kidding). I have wheeled my Jeep at every stage, from bone stock, to suspension upgrade, to tire upgrade, to winch and lockers. Your Jeep, at its current state is extremely capable. Rubicon or not. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of spending thousands more on your Jeep then you don't have to. Don't let forums and youtube tell you how capable your Jeep is. Let the trails tell you, let YOUR skills tell you. Then decide for yourself, do you really want to spend thousands more to take that line?.
I ended up taking that jeep, 100% stock, to trails that were a little too difficult for the base Jeep, but it was fun. in 2019, exactly when the Jeep was 1 year old it was totaled. Wife and I decided to get another JL, but I had the opportunity to upgrade to a Rubicon or a 4 door. We both had new jobs, great salaries, could afford the Rubicon no problem and had set up an appointment to go over a 2019 4 door Rubicon. I started getting second thoughts about the 4 door, so the dealer showed us a Sport S 2 door, not a Rubicon. They had an awesome deal for this sport, but it didn't have lockers. My wife and I left the dealer to have lunch and talk over it. The savings were considerable over the Rubicon, we could buy this Jeep outright with the insurance money. We thought about all the upgrades we wanted for our house, the investments for the kid we were planning to have, camping trips, etc etc.... So many things we could do with that extra 12k. Did I really need that Rubicon?
I bought the Sport S, and been keeping the upgrades "budget oriented". I have a rubicon suspension on it, metal bumpers, winch, tranny/engine skid plate, front locker, rear LSD, rubicon M/T takeoffs, and a few other things. I have taken that Jeeps on tough trails, I've picked hard lines, I've pushed its limits. And everytime I pushed its limits I upgrade the weak point. Then I push it again.
Last week I ordered bilstein shocks. Another upgrade.... and while I was having a Whiskey by our restored 100 year old fireplace. I realized all these "budget" upgrades were adding up to thousands. Thousands that could be used to add more upgrades to our home, thousands that could be invested into the stock market for us or for our daughter. Thousands that could cover camping trips. I realized this is never gonna end. Jeeps are expensive, not just the vehicle itself, but the hobby. It is really expensive, and you can always increase the challenge as you increase the capabilities of your Jeep. I've done difficult trails with my Jeep, I've had lots of fun, it is extremely capable and I could take it to many Jeep trails other cars will struggle big time. I have no regrets. It can take lines only Jeeps can, it can take me to places no other car can. Pushing these boundaries would take me to even more places, but it costs lots of money. I made a difficult decision, the decision to stop pushing my little Jeep and spend my funds elsewhere. Because if I don't stop now, I never will.
I wanted to share my story because I know that lots of you have spent a lot more on these Jeeps that you initially thought you would. Those of you with Sports, and Rubicons (Saharas dont count - just kidding). I have wheeled my Jeep at every stage, from bone stock, to suspension upgrade, to tire upgrade, to winch and lockers. Your Jeep, at its current state is extremely capable. Rubicon or not. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of spending thousands more on your Jeep then you don't have to. Don't let forums and youtube tell you how capable your Jeep is. Let the trails tell you, let YOUR skills tell you. Then decide for yourself, do you really want to spend thousands more to take that line?.
Sponsored
Last edited: