05-19-2011, 10:24 AM
Thanks for all the comments everyone. I was in the middle of writing a response at home when I got a call from my Grandparents that their basement had 4 inches of water in it and they needed help ASAP! So that was what I did most of the night and I didn't get back on when I got home.
Zach has answered most everything perfectly really. But I do have a few points to ad. Technically Mopar does have a line of Winches. It is a "Mopar by Warn" sorta thing where they just toss a big mopar sticker on a Warn winch....so I just got a Warn M8000 (from Zach as he has pointed out) and I am going to probably stick a mopar sticker on it. There are certain products that Mopar does not make that are sorta "essential" to the offroading look and activity. Another example would be the jack. I got asked by a co-worker "why don't you paint that god awful ugly red thing black or something?" I had to explain to him that hi-lifts are red like the sky is blue and you must have one on the trail. There are things I would LOVE to have that Mopar does not make. Things like tube fenders. But in the interest of not getting out of line I have not added such things. I am hooked up with a wholesaler who sells most aftermarket offroad products, so I can get most of these things cheap enough to sell them at some small profit but keeping it Mopar has the most benefits to me as well as the new Jeep customer. Warranty and financing play a big roll.
As far as how this specific Jeep is set up, I picked things I think my customers will buy. I would have rather had the rock sliders then the steps...but what are people more likely to buy in the real world? So the shop rig has steps on it. People want this stuff when they see it. If all they have to say is "I want it to look just like X Jeep I see around town" they are going to get whatever aftermaket stuff he has (which is likely cheaper as well). I need a tool here to get them to say the same thing about our products. Its hard to sell someone a $600+ bumper from a 3in by 3in picture. To make them want your product you have to put it in an authentic context, so having all the things that make it a real rig, even non-mopar stuff, is really important to the effort.
Zach has answered most everything perfectly really. But I do have a few points to ad. Technically Mopar does have a line of Winches. It is a "Mopar by Warn" sorta thing where they just toss a big mopar sticker on a Warn winch....so I just got a Warn M8000 (from Zach as he has pointed out) and I am going to probably stick a mopar sticker on it. There are certain products that Mopar does not make that are sorta "essential" to the offroading look and activity. Another example would be the jack. I got asked by a co-worker "why don't you paint that god awful ugly red thing black or something?" I had to explain to him that hi-lifts are red like the sky is blue and you must have one on the trail. There are things I would LOVE to have that Mopar does not make. Things like tube fenders. But in the interest of not getting out of line I have not added such things. I am hooked up with a wholesaler who sells most aftermarket offroad products, so I can get most of these things cheap enough to sell them at some small profit but keeping it Mopar has the most benefits to me as well as the new Jeep customer. Warranty and financing play a big roll.
As far as how this specific Jeep is set up, I picked things I think my customers will buy. I would have rather had the rock sliders then the steps...but what are people more likely to buy in the real world? So the shop rig has steps on it. People want this stuff when they see it. If all they have to say is "I want it to look just like X Jeep I see around town" they are going to get whatever aftermaket stuff he has (which is likely cheaper as well). I need a tool here to get them to say the same thing about our products. Its hard to sell someone a $600+ bumper from a 3in by 3in picture. To make them want your product you have to put it in an authentic context, so having all the things that make it a real rig, even non-mopar stuff, is really important to the effort.
Jeff Morrison - Used Car Manager
Woodstock Garage, Inc.
Chrysler - Dodge - Jeep - RAM
Current Stable of Mopar Junk
57 Chrysler Windsor 4drHT - 67 Dodge D100 Short Bed Step Side - 71 Dodge Challenger - 91 Chrysler Lebaron LX 33k mile Survivor - 91 Dodge Dakota V8 - 05 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster - 08 Ram 2500 Cummins
Woodstock Garage, Inc.
Chrysler - Dodge - Jeep - RAM
Current Stable of Mopar Junk
57 Chrysler Windsor 4drHT - 67 Dodge D100 Short Bed Step Side - 71 Dodge Challenger - 91 Chrysler Lebaron LX 33k mile Survivor - 91 Dodge Dakota V8 - 05 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster - 08 Ram 2500 Cummins