Salvage 2022 Jeep Wrangler 392 Build Thread

[len919]

Every couple of years, I take my chances on Copart. A Jeep 392 came up. I bid on it and won the auction.

At first glance, you'd think the Jeep had been on fire. It was not. It was "near" a fire.

It was also listed as having no keys and not running. It had keys. It ran. I can be overly optimistic and decided to take a chance. The Jeep arrived at my local body shop and things went as smooth as they could have gone.

We replaced the hood, grille, radiator, radiator support bracket & a serpentine belt. We added Oracle headlights and an LOD bumper. And that's it! The Jeep is as good as new. It is a 2022 with 5,780 miles. Oh, both front tires needed to be replaced. And there is a hole in the sky top roof I'll need to address soon.

Here it is with the fried parts off of it - once you get past the radiator everything looks brand new.. Pretty crazy:

The previous owner was in Arkansas. I'd love to hear from them... They had installed Fuel rims, 37x12.50x20 Nitto Trail Grapplers, a 3" Fabtech lift w/ Dirt Logic shocks, AMP Research power steps. It just got fresh oil & a new battery.

Today I replaced the 2 front tires. Those Trail Grapplers are expensive! (37x12.50x20)

I will install inner and outer fenders shortly, along with badges and decals.

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[ORACLE Terry]

Every couple of years, I take my chances on Copart. A Jeep 392 came up. I bid on it and won the auction.

At first glance, you'd think the Jeep had been on fire. It was not. It was "near" a fire.

It was also listed as having no keys and not running. It had keys. It ran. I can be overly optimistic and decided to take a chance. The Jeep arrived at my local body shop and things went as smooth as they could have gone.

We replaced the hood, grille, radiator, radiator support bracket & a serpentine belt. We added Oracle headlights and an LOD bumper. And that's it! The Jeep is as good as new. It is a 2022 with 5,780 miles. Oh, both front tires needed to be replaced. And there is a hole in the sky top roof I'll need to address soon.

Here it is with the fried parts off of it - once you get past the radiator everything looks brand new.. Pretty crazy:

The previous owner was in Arkansas. I'd love to hear from them... They had installed Fuel rims, 37x12.50x20 Nitto Trail Grapplers, a 3" Fabtech lift w/ Dirt Logic shocks, AMP Research power steps. It just got fresh oil & a new battery.

Today I replaced the 2 front tires. Those Trail Grapplers are expensive! (37x12.50x20)

I will install inner and outer fenders shortly, along with badges and decals.

I love when taking a chance on something works out in your favor! At first glance, it would appear to be a lost cause. But with a little effort and some great headlights, the beast of a 392 roars again. Congrats.

 

[len919]

It really was the best case scenario. I can tell you from experience that it doesn't always work out this way.

I believe the adjuster could have marked it a total loss due to parts not being available, the parts pricing, and the unknowns. Some things, like the hood, consist of like 15 (expensive) parts.

- I found a (new) black hood on eBay for $1200 up in Michigan. It was pickup only but was able to get a uShip driver to bring it to NC for $500.
- I found a used radiator on eBay which came with the oil cooler and all the hoses.
- The radiator bracket was the most expensive piece, coming in at around $1500 and there were only 4 in the USA. I talked a dealership in Charlotte into sending it to me.
- The wiring up front was cooked but thankfully there are separate $30 harnesses up front and I didn't have to replace the engine harness or body harness.
- The sway bar goes for $2k but I put on a $100 Sport sway bar with Apex AutoLynx disconnects, which I like better anyways.
- A friend hooked my up with the LOD bumper and threw in the fogs.
- For headlights, I went w/ the Oracle Oculus as you noticed.

I haven't added it up yet but I believe I have around 10k into the repairs. The Jeep itself sold in auction for 40k. There were copart and delivery fees as well. Was a good idea? It is if I keep it.

Next up is American Adventure Lab inner and KBD outer fender.

I had a neat 392 logo designed some other 392 owners may be interested in.. More on that soon..

 

[siggy]

Does it have a salvage title? If so, it doesn’t really seem like that great of a deal to me. You’re in it for over $50k and you can find them in the $60k’s (stock) pretty easily.

 

[len919]

Yes, salvage title. I've had several salvage vehicles - they're usually only a good deal if you keep them. I'd lose $ if I tried to sell it. That said, I'm not selling it.

Was it a "great deal" - not really (this is just a build thread). Although, it could have been a REALLY BAD deal very easily.

I also picked up a recovered theft Durango392 for 18k which was a pretty great deal. I only had to put a rear window and a uconnect into that one.

 

[azjl#3]

Never say never sell, trust me. The car I promised to be buried in left the fleet 20 years ago.

 

[Johnny B]

Yes, salvage title. I've had several salvage vehicles - they're usually only a good deal if you keep them. I'd lose $ if I tried to sell it. That said, I'm not selling it.

Was it a "great deal" - not really (this is just a build thread). Although, it could have been a REALLY BAD deal very easily.

I also picked up a recovered theft Durango392 for 18k which was a pretty great deal. I only had to put a rear window and a uconnect into that one.

Cool deal. I've done stuff like this years back. And yeah, you don't get the cash out of them. But there is a love of taking something that was beat down, and making it breathe again. And from the looks of it, you did right by that Jeep. Enjoy it (I know it goes without saying, lifted and nitto's, it should be a blast).

 

[Deleted User 38384]

Every couple of years, I take my chances on Copart. A Jeep 392 came up. I bid on it and won the auction.

At first glance, you'd think the Jeep had been on fire. It was not. It was "near" a fire.

It was also listed as having no keys and not running. It had keys. It ran. I can be overly optimistic and decided to take a chance. The Jeep arrived at my local body shop and things went as smooth as they could have gone.

We replaced the hood, grille, radiator, radiator support bracket & a serpentine belt. We added Oracle headlights and an LOD bumper. And that's it! The Jeep is as good as new. It is a 2022 with 5,780 miles. Oh, both front tires needed to be replaced. And there is a hole in the sky top roof I'll need to address soon.

Here it is with the fried parts off of it - once you get past the radiator everything looks brand new.. Pretty crazy:

The previous owner was in Arkansas. I'd love to hear from them... They had installed Fuel rims, 37x12.50x20 Nitto Trail Grapplers, a 3" Fabtech lift w/ Dirt Logic shocks, AMP Research power steps. It just got fresh oil & a new battery.

Today I replaced the 2 front tires. Those Trail Grapplers are expensive! (37x12.50x20)

I will install inner and outer fenders shortly, along with badges and decals.

Nice find!

One of my bosses almost won an auction on a $90k Rubicon which had a broken ball joint and some light body damage. However from the pictures provided, it looked like frame damage and a snapped axle if you didn't know what you were looking at.

Sadly he got outbid in the final seconds, but $38k for a $90k Wrangler woulda been legit!!

 

[1Warped Jeeper]

@len919 Congrats on 2 great finds and repairs. I'll be honest and say up front that I don't have the balls to try what you did. Way to go to get a couple of 392s!

 

[Flip]

Great job bro!

I just don't have that kind of luck. My luck would have been more like; the engine started but sounded like a bag of marbles in it bouncing around, remove the drain plug and 2 quarts of milky sludge pours out.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

I'd say a lifted, SOT, 392 on 37s for $50K is a very good deal (even with a salvage title). Congrats!!

 

[mgroeger]

Every couple of years, I take my chances on Copart. A Jeep 392 came up. I bid on it and won the auction.

At first glance, you'd think the Jeep had been on fire. It was not. It was "near" a fire.

It was also listed as having no keys and not running. It had keys. It ran. I can be overly optimistic and decided to take a chance. The Jeep arrived at my local body shop and things went as smooth as they could have gone.

We replaced the hood, grille, radiator, radiator support bracket & a serpentine belt. We added Oracle headlights and an LOD bumper. And that's it! The Jeep is as good as new. It is a 2022 with 5,780 miles. Oh, both front tires needed to be replaced. And there is a hole in the sky top roof I'll need to address soon.

Here it is with the fried parts off of it - once you get past the radiator everything looks brand new.. Pretty crazy:

The previous owner was in Arkansas. I'd love to hear from them... They had installed Fuel rims, 37x12.50x20 Nitto Trail Grapplers, a 3" Fabtech lift w/ Dirt Logic shocks, AMP Research power steps. It just got fresh oil & a new battery.

Today I replaced the 2 front tires. Those Trail Grapplers are expensive! (37x12.50x20)

I will install inner and outer fenders shortly, along with badges and decals.

What did you pay for it from auction and how much have you put into it? BTW those or Nitto Ridge Grapplers not Trail Grapplers

 

[Jeep Wick]

Every couple of years, I take my chances on Copart. A Jeep 392 came up. I bid on it and won the auction.

At first glance, you'd think the Jeep had been on fire. It was not. It was "near" a fire.

It was also listed as having no keys and not running. It had keys. It ran. I can be overly optimistic and decided to take a chance. The Jeep arrived at my local body shop and things went as smooth as they could have gone.

We replaced the hood, grille, radiator, radiator support bracket & a serpentine belt. We added Oracle headlights and an LOD bumper. And that's it! The Jeep is as good as new. It is a 2022 with 5,780 miles. Oh, both front tires needed to be replaced. And there is a hole in the sky top roof I'll need to address soon.

Here it is with the fried parts off of it - once you get past the radiator everything looks brand new.. Pretty crazy:

The previous owner was in Arkansas. I'd love to hear from them... They had installed Fuel rims, 37x12.50x20 Nitto Trail Grapplers, a 3" Fabtech lift w/ Dirt Logic shocks, AMP Research power steps. It just got fresh oil & a new battery.

Today I replaced the 2 front tires. Those Trail Grapplers are expensive! (37x12.50x20)

I will install inner and outer fenders shortly, along with badges and decals.

You did very well. Nice find!

 

[len919]

What did you pay for it from auction and how much have you put into it? BTW those or Nitto Ridge Grapplers not Trail Grapplers

$40,500 at auction. Copart fees were around 3,500. It was in a state that requires you to have a dealer's license, but you can get around it w/ autobidmaster. Their fee was $1600. Shipping was 1100ish. So 46k to my door. I haven't added up the parts but most are above. The hood I bought was black - a local body shop painted it white - I paid them $3000 total for paint and had them do some of the labor, etc. I haven't added it up but I should be into it for around 53ish..

Oops, yes, Ridge Grapplers! I'm used to KO2s but these are decent!

 

[len919]

You did very well. Nice find!

Thanks! I'm happy.

I just sold my JLR an hour ago.

This week I installed American Adventure Labs inner fenders & KBD outer fenders. The AAL inners needed to be trimmed to work w/ the Dirt Logic shocks. I also had to replace the massive windshield washer tank using @JLDIESEL's mod.

This will make a few people cringe but I also put aftermarket black 392 emblems on the hood.

I'm currently waiting for decals to arrive, and a winch plate so I can install the winch. I will install a Tazer from the JLR tonight.

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