What is Cheap? - Operation Cheap Jeep

[@lobo176]

Glad to see you have a Toyota in your fleet also 😛

[@bleepinjeep]

thanks, here is the whole collection in 1 video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYOni5SNisl_laM

[@Super1337357]

As a recent first time yota owner, I can see why there are so many old beat up yotas on the road.

[@FPSNovaS]

BleepinJeep this was me with a yj skid plate/ transfer case support last month

[@mudlover4379]

BleepinJeep would 2.75" spacers work for the front instead of 140$ coils, got rear lifted 3.5 with v8 zj coils as mine a 4.0... would like your opinions on front spacers on stock coils thanks

[@mariokampo]

BenM.F

[@telegoose9905]

Your like a mechanic version of Mr. Rogers, and it's awesome!

[@glyakk]

I really like this series. In particular I like how you break things down in this episode as to what constitutes the difference between the cost of DIY. People tend to forget that. There is a popular story about Picasso that I have no idea is true or not, but still illustrates the point. Picasso was in a cafe in paris when a stranger asked him to doodle something on a napkin. He accepted, and before handing it back asked for an exorbitant amount of money in return. They were shocked and said that it only took him a minute to draw to which he replied, no sir it took me over 40 years, then he took the napkin and walked away. There is always a cost. We just sometimes have more abundance of one form then another.

[@bleepinjeep]

+Allen Redding Haha, that's a good one! Reminds me of a similar story... A photographer is having dinner at a professional chefs house and the chef says "hey, your photos are amazing, what kind of camera do you use?" Not answering the question the photographer takes a bite of his appetizer and says "this food is great! What kind of pots and pans do you use?"

[@3jsoneb]

It reminded me when i went to a pick your part one thanksgiving morning everything was 50% off looking for a 98-00 electric fan, walked out with 2 front clips of a 87 wagoneer xj , tail lights, all emblems and door panels for about $112 !! ended up selling them all for a few dollars profit but it was more pleasant to know it went to good use for someone's pride and joy.

[@dogcrick]

Been mobbing my $300 5.2 ZJ for around 3 years now. I beat on it and travel in it all over the West coast. Hard to go wrong with a ZJ if you know how to keep em healthy. Good video brother.

[@jduncan8907]

Just picked me up one sunday for 200. Couldn't believe I got it and for that price being a limited and no damage inside or out. Looking fprward to working on it as well!

[@LuisFernando-Salazar]

This is something we all need to think about. Sometimes we think we're saving money by making stuff ourselves but in reality we're not. Thanks man for the reminder.

[@cesarprieto8279]

Don't listen to the trolls. You do your thing and make yourself happy. Keep making those videos for us to enjoy. Keep on jeeping.

[@johnduff6436]

Pragmatism around value on a "cost v. cost" basis is useful. As is your well-earned knowledge on the subject. I'm really enjoying this series.

[@jduncan8907]

I think as you stated, that there are multiple factors that should be thought of, but if someone was on their free time working on their hobby then the time isn't really a factor in cost. Could be watching tv for nothing vs constructing something so you don't have to pay for it and saving money. (Unless you have to buy material of course & the item being constructed). All factors, but no big money going out and knowledge and experience gained is worth alot as well. Love the videos! Just picked up a 95 zj last weekend and the 3.5 inch lift swapping out some parts is looking really good for the budget!

[@SpartanMonarchy]

Matt, your channel is going to grow big soon. I can smell it. Your content is top tier. Never stop what your doing and don't take what a bad apple says to heart.

[@mpikas]

As far as making vs ordering parts... when I was in high school and college I used to figure out how to make EVERYTHING from stuff I had laying around. I didn't even have many tools, I would just hack away with what I had (I made everything with a $14 HFT angle grinder, when I found that thing it changed my world). Sometimes I was embarrassed when I showed up at car club events and everyone had all the "right" parts bolted on their cars and I was often looked down on as not doing it right. After college I finally had a little money and was very excited to buy some of those parts. Man did that excitement not last long. Nothing fit right, nothing worked the way I thought it should, everything had big logos and crappy engineering. I had a $1200 clutch explode at the track. 7 times. I don't know how many times as I cut and modified the "right" parts to fit and work correctly I though "I could have built a whole new part by now." I started to really miss the stuff that I made EXACTLY the way I wanted it. I started stockpiling OEM parts, old parts, stuff that could be modified, piles of steel... started spending my parts money on better tools (when I spent $1200 on a decent 1960 vintage Bridgeport mill that was another game changer for me). At some point I accumulated enough that for a while I ended up doing installs and custom fabrication for a local speed shop. Now I typically don't buy the "right" parts unless it's used because someone is parting out their project or they couldn't get it to work right, and only pay what I think it's worth in raw materials to make what I want out of it. Lots of the steel I got for free or cheap, or bought "hey, that looks like a nice drop for cheap," at the steel yard, so I got it for a fraction of what it would have cost if I had to buy it for whatever project I am working on at the time. Now I have parts on my car that fit and work better than the guys with all the bolt on parts (and at times, like when I worked at the speed shop they would come to me to make what they bought work...). I'm much happier making things "because I'm cheap." ;-)

[@AllajchaSibir]

I agree with your assertion. Making something is cool and all, but it can be faster, cheaper and even flat out better to buy. Keeps the economy going too as an added bonus. I too get asked sometimes: " You have a fully equipped machineshop, you can easily make something that works.". And they're right. But it takes me ages while a CNC part is nicer, cheaper and probably better.

[@codyc228]

Just finished my TJ build, your videos helped a ton! Thanks a lot

[@rxparke]

Matt - Over the years your videos have been really helpful to me with my XJ's. Thank you very much for your time and effort. I agree with you in your opening statement, sometimes its more efficient to buy the parts you need and be done with it. I will say this, your time is valuable but unless the project has monetary profit it's probably not a good practice to put a money value on your time. The amount of work, aggravation, and inconvenience over a period of time vs. money is a personal measure of efficiency and should make sense. Those same xfer case spacers might not have cost you much if you didn't have to go to town for hardware. The stock you used was probably left over from another project so that cost was absorbed by the original project not this one. same for the hardware, had you had it in stock from other builds. Now an hour and half of fab and installation plus drill and disk use causes a different cost perspective. Its all relative! lol, thanks again for the videos!

[@brianpardee1281]

so excited I might be getting a 500 dollar xj today

[@micahb5659]

Street N Jeep going to build it up?

[@slayerofyou2010]

I bought a 400 dollar xj a couple months ago. One of the worst things i've ever done

[@micahb5659]

Tyler Luckenbill I have a 94 xj got it for 1000, a little higher budget but it is the cleanest one I've ever seen

[@brianpardee1281]

Tyler Luckenbill mines just gonna be a toy I have a reliable daily. Ill eventually get it 100% from where it is

[@brianpardee1281]

Micah B yeah its gonna be a toy for messing around I have a daily already

[@jarhead6153]

I've always talked about how folks that have more money than time pay others to perform work....but most of us shade tree types will find a way to save money by investing our time to 'fix' most broken items. Great analogy in your video.

[@guytypeperson]

jarhead6153, True, some people have more money than time, others have more time than money. I think this series is aimed at the second group. :)

[@chunkeeone8408]

And Your choice of music is ... priceless!

[@Rustycar4wd]

Absolutly agree with you Matt, often i find myself buying the part as instead of attempting to build, but again my drug is custom building cars / parts.

[@JH-fe2ho]

You are ABSOLUTELY correct. Sometimes it just makes sense to spend some money. My dad always told me you'll never beat a plumber at his trade. The same applies to everything in life, like an oil change, I can spend 35 bucks on oil and a filter, and then an hour maybe an hour and half looking for tools, looking for the jacking it up and looking for jack stands (I'm too fat to not), when I could spend 29.99 at jiffy lube. It cost more money just to have the privilege of wasting my own time. Other times it makes way more sense to do something yourself.

[@sseibonnevilleman]

I would think those pucks would fall out eventually. Mine were bolted to the middle of the spring pad.

[@g-man1637]

All factors worth considering when building a project. You great camera work Matt. Good video Shared

[@alohaexpeditions1847]

Dude! So good! Spot on excellent video! Agree 100%. The only thing I'd add is that I often get a significant amount of satisfaction out of making my own things and the pride of being able to say, I built that!😬 But in the end it often costs me more!😜

[@andytommykeddy3224]

I love your videos ever time you post I get excited to watch. keep up the good work!

[@MrSparkn687]

You could cut the front fenders and rear quarters to the frist body line. Cheap and effective mod depending on final tire size.

[@lifeinastockwrangler]

The bolts that hold the T-case brace on (Cherokee and wrangler) have broken loose inside the frame on me before and I had to cut the bolts out. Then I had to cut the welds on the threaded inserts and it took me forever to find them online.

[@guytypeperson]

I agree with what you are saying about the hidden costs of things. It's why i just bought a cheap harness bar off Amazon for my xj. I could easily have built one. But by the time I finished it, it would have been a wash (value- wise) and I can better spend that time reshaping my fender wells to clear my new 35's. But, there is something to be said for using scrap and just pick up the bolts next time your in town. In the end, I think your spacers were a better deal that $20 for 4 chunks of plastic.

[@Str8sixfan]

The timing of this video is funny to me. I literally decided to buy a welding cart for my new welder instead of build it for the reason you outline in this video. Figured I would waste another Saturday on the project of building my welding cart, and probably not save all that much money...whereas I could spend $70 and have what I want, and be on my way to building the next project starting this weekend...a welding table, front bumper for my KJ, or tube fenders for my KJ.

[@bleepinjeep]

+Str8sixfan some stuff like that can take days and then you realize you built it wrong somehow...

[@jmkrazer6520]

You made a very valid point in my opinion.

[@mpikas]

The thing that has been blowing my mind lately is the little bits of hardware that you mentioned.... I've for years complained that "what, doesn't anyone build or fix anything anymore???" when I'm working on something and end up spending 2 days running around town trying to find some simple piece of hardware, a tube, whatever... I want to support local businesses- if you buy from them they will be there when you need to run out and grab something quickly, right? I also place some value in running around and seeing what is out there, what is available, sometimes I head out knowing "I need something to do X" but I have no idea what that something is. OTOH, more and more those places that carry those parts carry fewer and fewer parts and more and more kits and whole items. Forget the wear and tear, gas... on the car, your time... Lately I've been realizing that 90% of the time I start on this quest I could have just grabbed my phone, fired up the amazon app and it will literally be at my door in 1-2 days (amazon prime and there is a local warehouse so more and more some stuff shows up next day), and usually I have a larger selection at a similar or lower price (again, not counting gas, time, wear and tear, the frustration with dealing with stuff not existing, not in stock, employees that have no clue about the parts they're selling...). It ends up that often I can have it cheaper, faster and have a better selection. I can spend that running around/searching time working on the next thing on the list and come back to what I needed parts for (often this ends up happening multiple times), so in addition you end up more productive. For some stupid reason I still tend to run out for stuff. Maybe I'll think of this the next time i grab my car keys...

[@stacyphillips7626]

I agree that you have to weigh time versus money. The spacers you made are obviously better and that is another thing to consider.

[@twhaz2001]

Everything you said is true. You must always consider time and material VS Purchase new.

[@Razorcat88]

I have the rough country transfer case drop. It came with my lift kit

Very interesting reasoning on the build vs. purchase matter. Thanks!

[@killbill116]

Hey Bleepingjeep The jeep ZJ doesn't need a Transfer case drop.You can lift it 5.5" before you have any problems

[@HeadSh07zzz]

one thing you didn't mention. When these vehicles are made at the factory the differential is running 3 degrees up and the transmission is running 3 degree's down this is correct so if you move the transfer case down to much where the drive line is perfectly straight this will make the u joints run dry and fail

[@dcarden3031]

your absolutely right a cheap build or budget build doesn't mean a salvage part build you want parts of quality

[@nike1337ib]

i always wonder why he never uses antiseize but then i remmbered he used it all on the super bowl commercial ;) haha

[@felixvargas4112]

Just rubber cement those pucks as you stack them... I may have to try that!

[@tompfender8732]

One cost not accounted for in this equation. The cost of the equipment you used, the welding equipment, the drill press, the lights in the workshop, so many associated costs. But there is that perverse satisfaction of design and fabrication that, for some, is worth more than all the sunk costs.

[@gurukcvaughn]

what if you drill holes in the bpucks to make a spacer ? what are the spacers made of that you bought

[@jackiecarpenter7747]

the tailgate you picked up from the mj was a good steal. I don't know how much you got it for but for some reason they sell quick

[@twhaz2001]

Those U joint angles look pretty extreme. How are the U joints and seals holding up?

[@codycropper5488]

i know this is a cheap jeep and all, but are you gonna put some bigger tires and wider wheels on it just for the hell of it?

[@hydrogen18]

I'm not familiar with jeep drivetrains. Is the transfer case bolted to the rear of the transmission on this vehicle? If so, doesn't this tilt the whole drivetrain backwards slighty?

[@dakota.zimmerman]

I think.... I could really use that MJ LUND visor for my truck...

[@DumbJeepBoy]

hey matt, does dropping the transfer case put more tension or anything on the front driveshaft? since the engine is the pivot point and it swings down

[@dasutr]

Being prepared always saves you money.

[@frankpryor8308]

Good info and tips, Thx👍

[@AndrewBrowner]

another way to look at the time is if you enjoy your time in the shop working on your rig than thats money saved that you of spent on another leisure hobby/entertainment ex 5$ beers at the local pool hall for a couple hours adds up to the price of new spacers in a hurry..adds up to the price of a new jeep for that matter quicker than youd think also if it costs you 10$ to drive to town and back and you dont enjoy the driving you could always keep an on going list of things you need in town and make the trip when it adds up or when something becomes urgent

[@PoorManMods]

whats the song in the beginning you used?

[@needenoutdoors7945]

So a special trip after bolts. That is lack of planning. You could have gotten the bolts at a different time like perhaps going to the hardware store when going after groceries. Time in the shop on your own project doesn't count. any parts you may have on hand from a previous project is a shop freebie.

[@abrahambaker5085]

I enjoy your content, keep up the good work.

[@jad21964]

So you don't have to secure those pucks in place? And they stay?

[@jaredcallahan9515]

Hockey pucks are great. I get them for $1 each at my local ice rink

[@johnaustin9289]

Matt love the videos but I have a question cheap jeep is a zj can I do that same cheap jeep lift on my 02 wj ?

[@cbigg81]

Everything in life fits that conundrum. Is it better to spend money or spend time? It's a very personal question, but I do wonder what else you could have done in that time.

[@oldterm6978]

Does lowering your transferase put a tilt on the engine/transmission? More pressure on motor mounts? Tilt fan into radiator?

[@redxj4968]

It does a little bit but not that extreme

[@dylanwerner1790]

I put a 3" lift on my xj and the drive shaft vibrates hella bad when I'm accelerating from 30-40 mph. Would this transfer case drop fix this?

[@MrSrtman18]

Can i ask a dumb question probably. Why didnt you cap the drop bracket ends? Time, money, no real need? I guess maybe i answered my question huh Matt. Its not like rock sliders or bumper thats gonna hold a lot of mud or debris.

[@redhester5286]

it will be different for every part, depending on your capabilities and time, and equipment.

[@yjman5130]

Are you gonna do any jeep yj builds?

[@kyletice811]

Time = Money. I prefer to build a lot of things for the experience or ability to learn a new skill, keeps the “total project cost” looking lower on paper but if i’m not paying to have fun that’s also a big win. That being said, if it’s a general maintenance item that i dont want to do even if im fully capable, i’ll pay someone else to do it just because it doesn’t bring me any enjoyment and my time is worth more usually.

[@ebikeengineer]

What keeps the pucks in place? Especially if you use more than 1? Just the weight of the vehicle or is there some glue that should be used?

[@bleepinjeep]

+Forest Platt Gravity is a bitch;)

[@keithbrettell2058]

Your time is always worth something even if you're a backyard mechanic who is only working on your own stuff.

[@MrTozet]

Awesome video, satisfaction of build it yourself ! nice ;)

[@21.Degrees]

I think your good man just keep doing what your doing

[@macheteddie]

your problem is you called it "operation cheap jeep". there is a huge difference between that, and "operation average joer's garage". two completely different builds. if you're doing this in your FREE time. then its just that, free. "cheap" is way too relative of a term.

[@rsvp6]

Did we decide to buy a welder?

[@GaJeepr]

Have gotten grief at times from others regarding buying stuff at PAP or other places and then selling on eBay vs passing along to others for no profit. Personally experienced too many "JEEP parts collectors" and plain "hoarders". I sell for profit to pay for my own project needs. Cause all mine are Cheap Jeeps.

[@Skiridr22]

Okay I can't wait to see her wheeling

[@Razorcat88]

I installed hockey pucks in my jeep cherokee!!

[@itzAce]

weres the best place to get offroad tires for a good price

[@angelbernes1153]

is looking good !

[@Jpmhp2394]

your exactly right!!!!

[@jedsommer3803]

so are you done with cheap jeep? if so how much did you put into it total? I drive my zj as a daily driver but I want to lift it about the same as this but I want to have more of a price estimate.

[@bleepinjeep]

+Jed Sommer not done at all, I mentioned it somewhere, maybe Instagram but I want to say the lift total was $240 or so.

[@AaronsAutomotive]

yup, gotta support the T-case cross member when doing a drop kit... would suck to have a transfercase fall on your face... 😉😂 sorry Matt, had to poke a little fun

[@bleepinjeep]

+Aarons Automotive 😆😆😆😆😩😩😫😫😢

[@joewaltz2709]

So does the selling of those parts increase cheap keep budget?

[@joewaltz2709]

Jeep not keep

[@noskcaj117]

if you have money left over a Flowmaster 40 series muffler would sound great.

[@montanalowgear8258]

well said.

[@mortenjensas7227]

The most of the cost goes lost when comparing expenses to taking things apart yourself for experience :-)

[@stich1960]

Damn if I would have realized how much easier these are to mod I would have passed on my xterra.

[@jehu5279]

Is that a YJ in the shop?

[@guytypeperson]

Jehu Morales it's just the rear part of the tub, mouted up against the wall. Like one of those classic car shapped couches.

[@rehoboth_farm]

0:43 I thought you were fishing.

[@brianpardee1281]

matt I think cheap is not including tools because you buy those and theyre an investment I think the cheap jeep is build cost only all tools dont count

[@vheypreexa]

I think of cheap being, I don't need to acquire anymore resources than I already have on hand. Materials, tools, and time all being resources.

[@officialWWM]

Should have painted those spacers before putting them in, they will rust out :/

[@infinidominion]

I got a brand new bumper for 36bucks and hardware for 2

[@rigsoffrods9386]

Lift 4.5?

[@nekolin]

you cant really count time. yes time is money but you are setting time aside for it. say i wanted to build those. i would set aside time to do it. since i love working on my rig that time isnt a loss of money but a gain. im getting paid in happiness which is worth millions. so not only am i saving money by building it myself im getting paid millions an hour to build it. im just using those millions right away to buy happiness.

[@TheAmericanUhate]

I value my time so I do count it. Even if it's time I've set aside, it's still time I've had to plan for.

[@sseibonnevilleman]

You also need to remember that this is his job, so his time should be counted.

[@nekolin]

i think you both misunderstood what i said. basically you are getting paid to work on your rig if you love working on your rig. if you dont then go buy a prius or something. honestly why are you watching a vid about modding jeeps if you dont love modding your rig? what would you rather have that ten dollars or a weekend of crawling. you put in the time as an investment for what you get in return and what my rig brings me in return is worth way more than the time i put in even if i value my time at 10 million dollars an hour.

[@TheAmericanUhate]

Loving what you're doing doesn't magically change the value of your time. Sure I like working on my rig. I also like spending time with my family when I'm off work. If I'm taking my time away from my family and work, then I'm counting it. You even called it an "investment" yourself, it can't be an investment if it has no value. Like Matt pointed out in the video, sometimes it's easier to just spend the $20 dollars on small parts than waste 3 hours of your time running around town gathering and putting the parts together. Then I get my time with my family and still put the parts into my rig. Simple.

[@nekolin]

somehow you still are not understanding. question how much do value your time? is it the same amount as you actually get paid or do you value it at millions a second? the question isnt weather or not its better to buy a 20 dollar part or spend time making it. it is weather or not working on your rig costs time or you get time to work on it. if you see it as costing time you should probably buy a prius. and if your time is only worth the amount you make at work then it is worthless imo. i dont have to waste time working on my rig. instead i get to waste time working on it. this is the difference between being an optimist and a pessimist.

[@TheRightLine]

people just don't get it. what might be cheap for some isn't for others. what you're doing for yourself is saving a bundle of money. those that don't understand that need to save their money. just my 2 cents.

[@enduror-ce5166]

first song the best ;D

[@mortenjensas7227]

And for us those that havent got time to screw this is my favorite youtube :-)

[@mikewarman9910]

Oh my god! This guy reminds me of my grandmother!! Nickel and dime the fuck outta everything.

[@mobilemechanic2815]

wow where do you live

[@wishbone1293]

Love the vids..but I must say ur labor time don't count, that's why we don't pay someone to do it to save money..stuff around ur shop don't count either because u already have it..u want to count wire ,,grinder disc,,metal,,u can't then u have to count for price of what it cost to purchase those tools..welder, grinder,, drill press,,hack saw,,welder gas,,might as well count power usage to run tools,,lights in shop,,all the power u use,,so like I said labor,,what u already have around the shop doesn't count ur saving money by using ur own stuff and doin it ur self..nice job with that crawler by the way ..keep up the good work..

[@Nothingtoya]

Wishbone 1 he could have ordered the bolts too, no need to drive an hour in a half into town.

[@wishbone1293]

95 XJ yeah might as well add the price of gas too while ur at it for pull a part trips.. parts etc..,just add the price of new or used parts and that's it.. everything else u already have or use is irelevant..

[@Nothingtoya]

I agree man. When I add up what I have into my Jeep, I add up the price of parts. Hell, it's expensive enough, if I added all this other stuff and my time, I'd probably be depressed lol

[@flyingplantsinspace]

10:16 hahaha

[@shredxarchangel]

do an sj jeep

[@LeeroyJebkins]

SELL ME THE COMANCHE WINDSHIELD VISOR PLEASE LOL

[@garnerz1]

why would you sniff it?

[@dre04mach]

The cheap jeep is worthy of a hack-n-tap... cmon :D

[@dre04mach]

You can buy a hack-n-tap with the money you got off selling the cat off the jeep... lol.