Built not bought

CasterTroy said:
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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All you have to do is fall in line with us and roll out.
 
Paul said:
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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Yes sir-weekend of my 39th birthday, and when we left camp that morning I had to defrost my air compressor regulator, with chip's blow dryer, so my front ARB would work...good times[emoji481]

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Matt
 
Ron said:
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.
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I have been around those type of guys before.The ones that are super good at what they do and make it look so simple but they all seem to be tormented souls who are never satisfied regardless of how awesome they made something.
 
RatLabGuy said:
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.
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We can all realete to this. The amount of time it would take to make every single bracket/tab/mount gets critical when you have limited hours of production time after work. God bless companies like Barnes, Chassis unlimited and Ruffstuff for dedicating their time to make things that make it easier on the builder.
On the flip-side, some parts could be made better. As a builder, you can get to a point where you'll see flaws in a design that can get under your skin. One day you'll order a $500+ bumper preassembled and prewelded by someone you don't know and you'll think, "I could've prepped/fitted/welded that better than they did". As a person progresses as a builder, this becomes more commonplace.
 
I think Matt hit the nail on the head a few posts back.


I've built plenty in the past and have bought as well. I find it self gratifying to build a rig. But, as I get older with a family and a career, time is of short supply and buying something is just much more satisfying as I get to spend the time I would be in the garage with the family. To me, that's the deciding factor now. I'd also argue that there is likely a good chance that the bought rig built by a pro will likely perform better (both function and durability) on trips thus increasing the experience with family rather than something built buy most shade tree wanna bes that get the design about 60% right and risk failures and unnecessary carnage by DIYing the build.
 
CasterTroy said:
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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For the record, my wife doesn't understand. Keeps asking me when I'm going to grow out of this....and I say kiss my ass. I could be a hunter, or golfer, or the sports fanatic that watches nothing but ESPN and stays at the sports bar every Saturday and Sunday. At least I'm in the backyard, 3 min away, and only gone 3-4 weekends a year. And occasionally I make a little money burning metal.

This sport has been in my blood for 20 years, much longer than she's been in my life.

But she let's me be....most of the time
rockcity said:
I think Matt hit the nail on the head a few posts back.


I've built plenty in the past and have bought as well. I find it self gratifying to build a rig. But, as I get older with a family and a career, time is of short supply and buying something is just much more satisfying as I get to spend the time I would be in the garage with the family. To me, that's the deciding factor now. I'd also argue that there is likely a good chance that the bought rig built by a pro will likely perform better (both function and durability) on trips thus increasing the experience with family rather than something built buy most shade tree wanna bes that get the design about 60% right and risk failures and unnecessary carnage by DIYing the build.
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And this is why I built the buggy in 5 months- no kids and single: and the manche is quickly approaching a year- 3 kids and married. It is what it is.

And I resemble that guy who is never satisfied, gets worse the older I get and the more advanced my abilities become. Such is life.

Matt
 
I know enough to know that if I work on my rig I will screw it up. I'm a "driver" not a mechanic, I can tell you something is wrong, but not exactly sure what it is.
I'm very fortunate to wheel with some of the best around and are always willing to lend a hand, help and teach me. I will step & fetch for my crew all day long, because I TRUST them.
Having the "know how" takes time, I have to do a lot of watching and listening. I've ben wheeling for about 8 years and a lot of what I thought I learned early on was "wrong" and I've spend the past couple of years re-learning the way it should be. I'm not afraid to beat on my rig, I'm also not too proud to take the bypass if I'm not comfortable driving it, I have nothing to prove because I know my rig is more than capable it's all on me- the driver. I carry what I think I'll need and mostly stuff I don't. At the end of the day, even if I broke 5 minutes into the first trail or wheeled everything all day long, I've had a great time and hope I've helped others do the same.
 
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!
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You sir are badass!! that was my response almost exactly!!
 
I might offer my view on this, from a different perspective, as well...

I have seen the "built not bought" attitude. Some wear it like a sword. (Wonder what they believe they need to defend themselves from).

Most of the work I do, here at the shop, is for people who could probably do, at least some of it, themselves. But as is the case in most of those people. They have Job demands, family demands, space considerations. and so many other reasons to have someone else do the work. I hardly think "I built it myself" is any reason for anyone to think that somehow they are better than someone who doesn't build it themselves. (I always built my own stuff...stock cars, to offroad rigs myself. But I never touted the "built not bought" mantra. Looking back, I'm not so sure I should have chosen a vocation that paid enuff for others to build my stuff. Maybe my hands, legs and back would be in much better shape!

Face it. You built it, if... you physically bought the equipment and materials and had the time and the skill to build it...or, if you went to work everyday and earned enuff money to pay someone else to do it with out sacrificing the family time it takes to build something like a rig. Either way, you made sacrifices to have an offroad rig. (And to address another point that was made here. I know people who have built their own stuff that couldnt fix it on the trail. So here comes that great equalizer, again! LOL!)


As said before, leave the drama on facebook. Don't talk your game, play your game. And...shut up and wheel!:driver:




:D
 
Building a rig is a fine balance of time between working to support the family, spending time with the family, spending time doing other extracurricular activities, etc that keeps everyone happy.

For me, now, that means either working to make $ to support the family (and all of our crazy activities!) or spending time with the family, which means I'm having to pay someone to do most of my building (and am happy to do it!).
The only time I have to myself is after the kids go to bed and when I wake up for work. 8pm till 11 or 12 doesn't lend much time to build a rig anymore. Hell, I'm still bolting parts on to the buggy chassis I got back from powder coating on Easter of 2016 and still have a ton left to do to get it going!



When I was in HS, I always fixed my own Jeep and did all my own work. I had the time but no $ (and no family to support). My dad, while very handy and capable of the same and much more, hired people to do work around the house and on his vehicles, etc. I couldn't understand it then. Now, as a parent and in the same shoes as my father years ago, I understand why he hired people to do the work for him... time. He just didn't have the time to do it all himself and found that family time was much more valuable than saving a few $ by doing the work himself. I think Ive picked up some of his mentality as I've gotten older. :)
 
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Most of my progress happens after 11pm. I'm fortunate to have a schedule that gives me a few days a week in the shop as well, but that time is usually spent on paying projects. I probably log 20 hours a week from 11pm on...who needs sleep. [emoji481]

Matt
 
So I will chime in here. I am no fabricator, far from it; however, I am great at bolting on parts :)

I fell in love with this sport and I had zero experience with working on a rig (all my dad could teach me about cars was how to change the oil). My first experience with turning a wrench was installing a short arm lift in @JC garage. I learned a ton watching and listening to him. I have learned a lot about rigs from just wheeling and listening to others, and reading forums.

I have broken many things on the trail, and each time I learn something new on how to fix something and yet I learn yet another spare part that should be in my bag; I also agree that I may not be the most knowledgeable and able to fix my rig by myself, but I am the muddiest and sweatiest person after my rig is back on the trail.
 
Reading this makes me miss wheeling. Last time for me was at the Flatts over a year ago.

And I, xjsavage, F'N HATE riding shotgun. So I don't.

Instant gratification for me is to go home and spend a few hours wrenching and welding on something even if it's not the Jeep.
 
This all was brought on from watching ultimate adventure stuff on tv in my living room while I'm on break between semesters and seeing some people on Facebook get butthurt as hell over it.


Oh man you're not lying about needing to get out and go wheeling. I've got a half finished k5 in the garage. Still looking for a tow pig so I can stop daily driving a jeep on 38.5s. Don't want to wheel the jeep so I can sell those axles when I start the build for it. Too much life happened in 2016 lol
 
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For me, I know where my talents are and where they aren't. As such, I bought my Ranger knowing the chassis was what I wanted and I would make the rest what I wanted it to be.
I have built a few chassis from the ground up and I'm confident in my fabrication abilities, but I prefer to spend my time in the shop making money doing drivetrain upgrades.
When my current chassis is used up, I'll build one from scratch and swap all of my goodies into it.
I don't look up or down to anyone on the trails on the basis of their rig or it's builder. I will judge someone based on if they are a D bag or not. I've had a great weekend of wheeling with friends in Jeeps on 33s and just had a blast with 4 custom big tired, bad ass buggies just 2 weeks ago. It's all four wheeling no matter how you cut it
Run your rig, not your mouth!
 
I have built and I have bought. And the latter is almost always cheaper. My last one I could not have had it rolling for what I had in the final product with the 40's on it by buying used. I don't care what you wheel or where or how you got it to where it is. If you're a good person, I'll gladly throw a rig on the trailer and go ride. Same way I am now with riding dirtbikes. 2 stroke or 4 stroke (we all know which one is better though) no matter what brand, we can bust each others chops and blast through the woods and have a good time if you're a good person. We sat at NCMP bullshitting around at the trucks just about as much as we rode earlier this week and it was a whole group I had never ridden with other than them passing me at races. :lol:
 
@iwaxmyjimmy - what's the point of your post? Do I wish I could build rigs like @Jody Treadway @mcutler @XJsavage and all of the vendors on this forum, and everyone that builds their own stuff (sorry for leaving anyone out - no disrespect intended) and rocks the shit out of it? Fuck yea I do! But I don't have the skill, the training, the equipment to do so. So am I looked down on because I choose to support the folks that have this knowledgeable and skill, by paying my hard earned money for their dedication to listen to my needs, offer their input, and build what's best for me? I buy because of where I am in life. I support the vendors on this forum. If someone thinks that makes me less of a wheeler, I'd gladly buy them a beer or two while we discuss.
 
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