Most expensive mistake you have made when building / modifying a rig?

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Please share your horror stories, a list of what not to do.......


Do not, do NOT under any circumstances in the middle of a project, decide that it is a good idea to get married. A HUGE and MASSIVELY costly mistake from a project standpoint.

After that ring goes on, well, let's just say it isn't pretty. Suddenly she has voting rights on the "family" budget and she is not the least bit hesitant about voicing her opinion and exercising executive veto powers.

That's the mistake part.

Suddenly you absolutely HAVE to have things like area rugs, draperies, little doily things for tables, a new bed if she even SUSPECTS there might have been another female present in the old one at any point in history, wall decorations, knick knacks, etc etc.

That's the expensive part.

If you have the patience (and funds) to weather the storm you might be able to eventually bring her around to the positive points of allowing you your Man Time and Man Hobbies, if you're lucky. If not you might as well sell your stuff, buy a gun and swallow the barrel. OR, you could just have yourself castrated (if she hasn't done it herself already) and get used to saying yes dear.

Then there's kids. That hell-spawn of Satan designed to crush happy males under the mind numbingly huge weights of expense and responsibility.

Don't do it. Just say no.
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(I love my wife and kids. I realllly do.)
 
..Suddenly you absolutely HAVE to have things like area rugs, draperies, little doily things for tables, a new bed if she even SUSPECTS there might have been another female present in the old one at any point in history, wall decorations, knick knacks, etc etc.

:flipoff2: Ya forgot fluted wine glasses, fine china, new pots and pans, throwing out your dude clothes, and clearing out the trunk toolbox to make room for her shopping acquisitions.

Oh crap, wait, I still have most of those gifts and new purchases stuffed away somewhere still to be used. Maybe I can ebay them for the parts I need? :hillbilly:
 
Building up a bone stock 3 speed 1f 40 and when I realized the drivetrain was weak, tried to build a mild crawler with an sm420, SOA, PS, gears, lockers etc. and when near completion didn't like it so I started over and am still trying to finish the 1 tons, tbi v8, 700r4, d300.

I guess I would have been money ahead by getting a later model 40 with the stuff I wanted originally like 4 speed, disk brakes, 2f, etc. and upgraded from there.

It really sucks doing things twice or even three times.....:doh:

Oh yeah and the married in the middle thing......dropped 25k on ring and wedding last year. Hopefully this year I'll get a little me time......ya right!
 
Looking at what Coberly and Whitey did with thier FJ 45's.

I realized I wanted one but in no way could afford it so I built my own out of an FJ40.

X2,
Then installing an AA rockbox in front of an Orion. Have not been thrilled with the rockbox.
 
I wouldn't necessarily call them mistakes, but doing an Atlas and one tons right away would have been cheaper than a full Toyota build and then going back and doing an Atlas and 1 tons.

It's a learning experience, so I'm Ok with it.
 
not really expensive in $ but in time and labor i wasted a lot trying to get leaf springs to perform.....shoulda just of just 4linked it from day one.....also building up toyota axles instead of just getting tons or rocks from the get-go
 
Getting a H55/split case instead of NV4500 and Atlas. Didn't think I would want gears that low, I thought wrong...
 
Changing the direction of projects. Lucky the 40 was just sitting idle when I decided to change the direction of it. The 45 I already had the frame coated in Line X and a front axle built. Now I have to weld to the frame and grind off Line X where ever I need to weld and the axle I built is just sitting waiting for a buyer.

I'm hoping to sell the axle for what is in it for parts but since its a front I doubt I ever will.

Also this Cruiser hobby is an addiction but a good one. Excellent stress relief, dreams of where I'm going to go with them when they are done, and its keeping me safe from any relationships that may end in marriage haha.

Oh and my biggest mistake buying and modding my POS Taco its costing me so much in repairs that its stealing from what really matters... My Cruisers.
 
Biggest mistake I made was finding Pirate4x4.Com - The largest off roading website in the world., stay away from that site if you don't want to be broke and without a rig for years while "building it". I started out with a perfectly good 4runner then 2 years later I had a 6k rig that was still 6k out from being able to drive and that would have been iffy on the street. Now I have an 80 on j's with 37"s that's ready for battle for around 4k and I am trying to sell all this custom part bull**** that I will never get my money back on. Also got married and had a kid in the middle of the build, bad idea also.
 
Also got married and had a kid in the middle of the build, bad idea also.

wife and kids are not the best mix in any expensive ( for me ) hobby .. lucky for me my wife isin't much interested in check in detail my Cruisers .. so most of stuff can be secret .. ( part of the top off road secret budget .. )
 
Deciding to go with a stronger axle after popping 2 ring and pinions. then once deciding to go with stronger axles decided to rebuild them myself to stock form... I could have bought built axles for a hair more.. :doh:

Swapping a motor for 20 more hp. waayy too much work for just 20 hp. :rolleyes:

Letting my wife know what i spend on my hobby, now she has no remorse spending on hers.. shopping :bang:
 
How about when "working" on my driving skills, since it lead to a lot of work on the rig after the error.

Despite having driven in the dunes 50x's at night/day knowing full well that each time the sands change.
Deciding to go on a night run the first night I arrived at Pismo, not having seen/driven the dunes in daylight and hitting a ridged slope where I thought it would plateau at pace.



Being an optimist I will say that it all worked out b/c that rollover lead to a convertible 80 on 40's, with a bunch of new goodies, and a reborn desire to burn even more cash on my 80.
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How about when "working" on my driving skills, since it lead to a lot of work on the rig after the error.

Despite having driven in the dunes 50x's at night/day knowing full well that each time the sands change.
Deciding to go on a night run the first night I arrived at Pismo, not having seen/driven the dunes in daylight and hitting a ridged slope where I thought it would plateau at pace.



Being an optimist I will say that it all worked out b/c that rollover lead to a convertible 80 on 40's, with a bunch of new goodies, and a reborn desire to burn even more cash on my 80.

It was the snorkel that rolled ya. Those things are the debil.
 
I was wondering how your 80 "became" a convertible. after that roll it seems there is not a straight panel on it ! i thought sand was soft?!

I wonder who bought your old tires Hmmmm
 
I was wondering how your 80 "became" a convertible. after that roll it seems there is not a straight panel on it ! i thought sand was soft?!

I wonder who bought your old tires Hmmmm

That is the story of how an 80 looses its top. The only two parts of the truck that were somewhat untouched were both rear doors. bottom of the A pillar up was all replaced off another truck, along w/ front fenders.:wrench:

It was the snorkel that rolled ya. Those things are the debil.

You have no idea how strong that snorkel is b/c it was the only thing without a scratch on it. That ABS plastic is very tough.
 

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