Built not bought

iwaxmyjimmy

iwaxmyjimmy

College Web Wheeler
Joined
Mar 10, 2007
Location
Greenville NC
Just curious what's everyone's opinion on it. When do you do you earn the title built not bought? A certain crowd normally smirks and says you bought it and built something out of it, or you bought it to build onto.
 
It doesn't matter to me as long as the owner's attitude is right. You could have hand made every bracket on your rig, but if you have the wrong attitude, I'm going to go the other direction.
 
I'm the same way, but I do tend to get along better with the people that fabricate their own stuff.


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In any motorsport you have the "builders" and the "drivers". In the off-road scene you have a larger duality than in other forms of motorsports. I've wheeled with guys like myself that are passionate about building rigs and get lucky to get a few hours of trail time a year, and the ones who go spend the $$ on a turn key rig and wheel the hell out of it every weekend. Either way, it has to be something you're truly passionate about because last I checked, this hobby is NOT cheap regardless what you do. None the less, you're going to meet some awesome people 98% of the time.
Me personally, I like to get elbow deep in every component on my vehicles. Every day is a new learning experience and a creative outlet like no other. I also like the security of knowing that at any point if a mechanical failure takes place, I know exactly how to fix it and "keep trucking", as JF would say.
 
Yup, It's in how you wheel, and can you get it off the trail when you break it. Doesn't matter how you arrive at the trail. I have both built and bought rigs. It's a lot harder to 'Buy' what you want, But it's a lot cheaper to buy one someone else built for their personal use, and is done with. (Buying something that was Built to be sold that way is just crazy though, IMHO)
 
I'm good with either - I recognize that not everyone has the means to buy or the ability to build. But, to me, there's an indescribable satisfaction that comes from the build process.

There were countless times while working on the Sami that I wished we would've just bought something already built. We had a lot of long nights, hiccups, & rust...and I f!#&@n' hate rust. In the end, I got to know that little rust bucket inside & out - plus I learned how to use nearly every tool in the shop (even if my welds look like poop).
 
Everyone does take pride in their rigs when they do the work themselves it seems like. I know I like the subtlety or sleeper effect on rigs.


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Reid said:
saw a "built not bought" bumper sticker on a jeep rubicon.

i guess technically, the factory did build it.
Click to expand...

I've got one on mine and it's a JK for that matter too. but I consider the modifications I built for it make it a grey area.
 
I've had both.
Neither determined the quality of my character.

What I've learned is that the true pros like @M&M Offroad , @rockmafia ,@MarsFab or @ol'Jeeps can build something that will make me happier than anything I could ever put together. This results in more time enjoying wheeling and less time being frustrated with that one thing that didn't come out just right. But I'm a bit ocd like that and would let it ruin my day.
 
tkeaton said:
I've always been of the opinion that if you need to have the sticker, you're making up for something.
Click to expand...

When I was stationed in Cali, it would always triggered the ones who paid others to work on their vehicles, which was 90% of the wheelers out there. They would come up to you while you're airing down; "so you mined the steel you used?", "you bought the jeep first", and "someone to BUILT my jeep the way I wanted it".
 
I enjoy riding with others that have spent a lot of time building just because I spend more time building than riding.

It is just a lot more fun to have conversations and learn tips and tricks from others while on the trail. It also helps when someone with broken stuff on the trail knows exactly how stuff comes apart and goes back together.


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I'll never have the talent nor tools, or even understanding wife of @mcutler or @M&M Offroad but if I did? I'd never buy anything but tubing, and raw steel.but because I'm a no talent wannabe, I buy and have @Oliver's install.
But make no mistake, if I had the $$$$$ my ass would have an order into PJ for a new turnkey LS4 buggy (in black of course) and I'd wheel crackhead at midnight with the "built" guys of rock corp/big Dixie if they'd have me :rockon:
 
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Build it or buy it, I don't care let's wheel.

BUT, know something about what your wheeling. I'm always willing to help out anyone in my group, but help yourself as well. Have some fore thought on your driving ability, your rigs ability, and your level of preparedness for when shit goes down...maybe you can't fix it, but your ass is just as dirty and sweaty as the guy or gal who is laying under your junk while you run back and forth to the tool box and cooler. Carry spares for the obvious stuff. Have some courtesy for your group in this manner! Bought or built, both break....


...in line with above...I spend +40 hours prepping my junk for trips out of state-(and still break shit). I don't expect everyone to be the same, but don't load that shit up after you beat it like a two dollar hooker last weekend at the flats, and expect everyone to wrench on your shit on their vacation.




...maybe later we'll talk about DRIVER consciousness of courtesy for the rest of the group...

Matt


Edit: I respect anyone that bettered their self and studied hard to get an education or simply make a success story for their self. If you can buy, and worked your ass off to get there, big props to you!
 
Biggest issue I ever had with the "Built or Bought" deal is can the guy who bought it fix it when it breaks? At least enough to get it off the trail and get home. I can't count the number of times I've been behind someone on the trail who was running a credit card Jeep with every sparkly Quadratech item hanging off it and some kid sitting there with a credit card and a AAA card hoping to get home.
 
I built my first TJ from stock to a 95% dedicated trail rig with a boat load of $$$$ over a 13 year timeframe. I decided to trade it for a Harley and within 6 months I regretted it. I looked for my new rig for 7-8 months and found an awesome rig that was built well for what I think was a killer deal. I am changing and building it to suit my style of Wheelin and comfort. I will say that buying a semi built rig in my case was way cheaper than my first build. Just my .02 for what it's worth.
 
I think the concept of built vs bought is fundamentally different from one indivudual to another. For example, what i do to my rig with my own two hands varys from the next guy and each person may see themselves as building a rig.

Its only the aforementioned badasses that can build a rig from scratch and even then components are still built by others. Built not bought is an interesting definition...
 
mcutler said:
Have some courtesy for your group in this manner! Bought or built, both break....
Click to expand...
:rockon:

I generally don't wheel with someone I'm not willing to rescue from the depths of hell, and vice versa. I try to carry the right tools and spares, and wheel with those smart enough to guide me. What I lack in experience I try to make up for in willingness to get dirty and help where I can.
 
Like mentioned above by bought it would need to mean got the whole 4wp catalog on the rig and paid them to install it.

even if you buy parts as longn as you are willing to work on it, I can deal with you. I used to hang with a guy that all he was good for was buying parts then getting a dew out of the fridge. Couldn't get you the needed wrench cause he didn't know. Never helped do anything to his rig.
 
I'm a serious DIYer and like to do things myself, mostly as a matter of pride.

As with most others here though, what matters to me isn't who actually did the building, but that the driver either knows how it works or has the strong drive to, and is in the learning process. I don't mind one bit if you're a newb and dropped the coin on a pre-made ready-to-roll badass vehicle - as long as you're open about your newb-ness and open to feedback from others, and doing what you can to not be in others' way.
Everybody has to start sometime/somewhere.

The other side a lot of us are ignoring too is knowing when it's OK - or better - to NOT build yourself and just buy. Some things are better left to a guy who has the established skillz or put in the time already to really know how to do it right (e.g. cages, critical suspension components, etc). This is where a lot of folks jump on Fuller etc. Know your limit.

I also can't count how many times I look back and said, damn I should have just bought the pre-made part or paid somebody else to do that, it wasn;t worth my time/just would have been done better.
 
mcutler said:
Build it or buy it, I don't care let's wheel.

BUT, know something about what your wheeling. I'm always willing to help out anyone in my group, but help yourself as well. Have some fore thought on your driving ability, your rigs ability, and your level of preparedness for when shit goes down...maybe you can't fix it, but your ass is just as dirty and sweaty as the guy or gal who is laying under your junk while you run back and forth to the tool box and cooler. Carry spares for the obvious stuff. Have some courtesy for your group in this manner! Bought or built, both break....


...in line with above...I spend +40 hours prepping my junk for trips out of state-(and still break shit). I don't expect everyone to be the same, but don't load that shit up after you beat it like a two dollar hooker last weekend at the flats, and expect everyone to wrench on your shit on their vacation.




...maybe later we'll talk about DRIVER consciousness of courtesy for the rest of the group...

Matt


Edit: I respect anyone that bettered their self and studied hard to get an education or simply make a success story for their self. If you can buy, and worked your ass off to get there, big props to you!
Click to expand...

Quoted so i can like this post again Matt. Remember me breaking a D60 knuckle off @Harlan in a frozen creek bed?
And it was 12 damn degrees? We fixed that bitch and rolled on.
X 100000 on knowing yer rig and what parts to bring.
 
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