Need opinions/advice.

[AZJeepGuy]

If you are getting out of the market be mindful of capital gains taxes.Made that mistake once.
If you're concerned about spending $80k on a vehicle then you probably shouldn't. 99.9% of Wrangler owners don't have a 392.

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[viper88]

There is no way I would ever pay $80k on a wrangler body, a normal diesel truck maybe. The 392 would sound cool and that's about it. I had a VortecMax with long tubes and a BlackBear tune, I loved the sound and power but I hated the trips to the pump after a while.

Set out your full business plan for the channel, what audience are you trying to reach. What is going to keep their attention and subscriptions high. Is it a purely garage based show or are you planning excursions out somewhere. Is the 392 really value added to the plan. With the money you have you could drop an awesome down payment on a Willys or Rubicon and not be worrying about payments. If investing in the stock market burned you out, sitting on a gamble like the 392 is definitely going to burn you out (my opinion). Depending on your relationship with your kid and her ambitions, why not invest that stock money into a college fund or convertible life insurance policy she can take with her?

Full disclaimer, I hate youtubers and think they are not value added to society, but I wish you luck in your endeavors.

Me too. Until I want to see how to fix or repair something.

 

[aldo98229]

If you stretch yourself to buy a 392, yer gonna hate driving it to the gas station.

I owned a string of Challengers; I miss the sound of the 392, too. But I sure don’t miss one bit (1) worrying about cops hiding to catch me speeding; (2) pulling up at the gas station every 200 miles, and a few other minor annoyances that come with driving a heavy, front biased gas guzzler.

Everything in life has trade offs, including 392. If I were you I wouldn’t do it.

 

[vegasblue]

I did not read all the replies but my advice would be to pass on the 392. If you want a Jeep that will bolster your channel, I would consider finding a TJ first. Document the process and the adventure to go get it. Then build it up, even considering an LS1 swap. Once built up, share videos with your monkeys enjoying the ride, the rig, whatever. Let's be honest, (including myself), we are just bolting crap on. "Here is my build" is not ordering up from Metalcloak, Clayton, Rusty's, and bolting crap on. I'm not a "builder", just a shade tree mechanic. Who wants to see that nonsense? What I would like to see is a father and daughter/son installing a V8 in an older Jeep, welding a long arm kit on, new axles, whatever, then taking it out and using it, documenting trails, time with the kids, letting them drive. I'm sorry, just another channel with a production vehicle having aftermarket parts bolted up isn't interesting.

If you need the reliability of new, save your money and purchase a nicely equipped JL or JLU. Show your kids spending time with dad. I guarantee your kids are going to have a blast with you no matter if you get the highest end model or a strip model. They will get all sparkly eyed on the transformation and freedom a Jeep can bring. My kids light up every time the tires hit the dirt and we do it with 4 cylinders. Don't be afraid to let them take the wheel on "decorations". I have a Hydro Blue because my son absolutely loves blue (so do i honestly).

 

[BDinTX]

@JeepViking13 I think the important question is - are you depending on that money currently tied up in the stock market to be part of your retirement income? If it is, that is scary because $70k isn't going to go very far.

If that money isn't part of your retirement plan then I say go for it! Worst case, you end up with a Jeep that will probably hold its value better than they normally do.

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the YouTube channel though. Turning a hobby into a job can take the fun out of it, it sounds like you have some experience with that playing in the stock market.

 

[omega145]

You need to really think about your financial capabilities especially if you have heart problems. How old is your daughter? How well will she be off if something happens to you? Probably not best to get financial advice on a forum related to Jeeps. There will be much more of a bias towards "YOLO, BUY THE 392 BECAUSE IT'S AWESOME!".
70K is not that much money especially to blow the whole amount of a part of it on a vehicle even it is in awesome Hemi Wrangler.

 

[JeepViking13]

If you stretch yourself to buy a 392, yer gonna hate driving it to the gas station.

I owned a string of Challengers; I miss the sound of the 392, too. But I sure don’t miss one bit (1) worrying about cops hiding to catch me speeding; (2) pulling up at the gas station every 200 miles, and a few other minor annoyances that come with driving a heavy, front biased gas guzzler.

Everything in life has trade offs, including 392. If I were you I wouldn’t do it.

From. What ive seen the V6 isn't that much better. From experience with my 392 Scat pack if you drive it with a light foot and take advantage of the MDS system you can get 20mpg believe it or not. I think TFL got like 19mpg in their test. I'm not saying it's good on gas but it's no worse then the v6.

 

[JeepViking13]

I did not read all the replies but my advice would be to pass on the 392. If you want a Jeep that will bolster your channel, I would consider finding a TJ first. Document the process and the adventure to go get it. Then build it up, even considering an LS1 swap. Once built up, share videos with your monkeys enjoying the ride, the rig, whatever. Let's be honest, (including myself), we are just bolting crap on. "Here is my build" is not ordering up from Metalcloak, Clayton, Rusty's, and bolting crap on. I'm not a "builder", just a shade tree mechanic. Who wants to see that nonsense? What I would like to see is a father and daughter/son installing a V8 in an older Jeep, welding a long arm kit on, new axles, whatever, then taking it out and using it, documenting trails, time with the kids, letting them drive. I'm sorry, just another channel with a production vehicle having aftermarket parts bolted up isn't interesting.

If you need the reliability of new, save your money and purchase a nicely equipped JL or JLU. Show your kids spending time with dad. I guarantee your kids are going to have a blast with you no matter if you get the highest end model or a strip model. They will get all sparkly eyed on the transformation and freedom a Jeep can bring. My kids light up every time the tires hit the dirt and we do it with 4 cylinders. Don't be afraid to let them take the wheel on "decorations". I have a Hydro Blue because my son absolutely loves blue (so do i honestly).

The TJ would be a good idea if it was a build and parts channel. But it's not. Hard to explain.

 

[Reinen]

I say absolutely do the YouTube channel, pass on the 392. I see them as contradictory.

The YouTube channel might take off and make some income but that's just an unreliable bonus. It will pay you in close quality time with your daughter, which is priceless. The 392 on the other hand can impede that. If it stretches you financially it can pull you back into the stock market focusing on making more $$$. While money doesn't buy happiness, not having enough can certainly bring stress and sadness. That could undermine the quality time with your daughter.

I'm sure you'll wonder "what if" if you don't get the 392. But you'll still have the documented quality time with your daughter with a Willys and that's what is most important. When you're gone and she's older, I guarantee you she will not say "Why bother watching those videos? We didn't have a 392".

 

[aldo98229]

From. What ive seen the V6 isn't that much better. From experience with my 392 Scat pack if you drive it with a light foot and take advantage of the MDS system you can get 20mpg believe it or not. I think TFL got like 19mpg in their test. I'm not saying it's good on gas but it's no worse then the v6.

Yes, I am getting a measly 15.5 MPG on my V6 Sahara on 35s. If you put a 392 with full-time 4WD on 35s, though, I can assure you will be lucky to break 11-13 MPG in real-life driving.

At least the V6 uses regular gas... ?

 

[GroovyGorilla]

The problem is I'm not rich. I did take $12k 2 years ago and invested in the stock market. It was a long grinde and traded the hard way. In and out of trades and when I broke $25k I started day trading. Also selling puts. Right now I have $70k exactly. Truth be told the stock market is burning me out big time. Especially lately. I'm lucky I made what I did.

Number one rule, don't let emotions become in charge of your finance decisions. A 392 wouldn't help your YouTube channel that much unless you already have a massive following, and automobiles are still one of the worst investments you can make.

I'd honestly save the $70k, put it in SPY or something and not touch it... have it grow year-over-year. Use it for your kids college and help them get ahead; even a house or their future wedding... something better than a car.

My parents always bought toys for themselves, and I had to sink myself in massive debt just to get a decent career in life. Did I learn good work ethic out of it, sure.. but I resent them for not helping me more and you can bet my kids wont be going thru that experience.

 

[rcadden]

I've been in social media/marketing for the last ~16+ years, so I'll give you the same advice that I give everyone else who tells me they want to start a blog/YouTube/podcast/whatever:

Content creation is hard work that needs a runway. Before you even set up your channel, I would challenge you to create at least a month's worth of content - if you're planning on doing weekly videos, then create four of them. If daily, do 30.

Do that BEFORE you do anything publicly. If you still want to do it and think it's realistic after you've created a month's worth of content, then you're probably going to do OK. Your channel will look better with a few videos anyways.

The "behind the scenes" pre-production work is what gets most people. Contrary to popular belief, successful YouTubers don't just turn on the camera and start talking. Most of them have a full production calendar, they plan their shots/footage, storyboard the flow of the video, stage the shots, possibly do some scripting, etc.

And that's just the "before" stuff. You still need to edit, figure out a title, description, etc. For me, personally, I can really get "into" the pre-production stuff, and I don't mind being on camera, but I *despise* editing.

~80% of the people whom I've given this advice don't make it to a full month of content. They'll get 2-3 under their belt, realize it's significantly more work than they thought, and bow out.

 

[mnjeeper]

Haven't seen it mentioned. I know youtube as a "job" is a fairly new thing, but can you write off part of the Jeep if you start the channel right?

I got my Jeep a month before the 392 was announced. I had MAJOR regret to the point I ordered and almost traded in. But, the cost vector of nearly $20K made me realize that's a great chunk of change that could go towards a C8. For me, I decided the 392 wasn't worth it. It might be for you.

I do agree with the "nothing is promised, and it can all end anytime" attitude, while hedging my bets that it doesn't. I still spend...a bit...on play things and don't regret a penny.

 

[wchevron]

Is having the 392 going to be central to your channel or could you do the same channel with a standard engine? If the standard engine is fine, why spend the extra $20K. That could be set aside to fund various projects on your channel. Like rcadden said above, editing is a huge time suck. To me, it's harder than making content. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

Me too. Until I want to see how to fix or repair something.

Haha, but those repair videos aren't usually a thumbnail of a bikini clad girl or some 50-60 year olds desperately trying to appeal to the younger crowd; and they usually aren't trying to push x product. I'm finding a certified installer who puts up random how-to videos, not a random vlogger looking to make some cash.

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