General question to experienced owners of the H3T.

How would you define yourself as a H3T owner/multi-owner and based on your experience, how robust is the H3T platform to support how you define your ownership.

Car Enthusiasts are passionate about a car and after finding a solid vehicle, they spend the rest of their time investing and improving to the extent of their available budgets. Net, more money goes into it than they EVER expect to get out of it.

Car Opportunist think a car is cool, and they find something they can afford and drive the hell out of it until it dies, or they find another one. They are very conscientious about not investing more than they or the market thinks the car is worth.

With all of the expert experience on this forum, is the H3T robust enough to be platform worthy of an 'enthusiast' vehicle or should it be considered just a fun 'opportunist' vehicle. Given I paid almost 60% of what my H3T would have cost brand new in 2009, am I throwing good money after bad? These trucks are keeping their value. Will this ever be a collector truck? I'm a Pontiac Fiero owner so I know what that ugly journey is like and I finally got off. I'm having a ball investing in rebuilding my recently acquired 2009 Alpha H3T (so is my mechanic $$$) with the expectation of driving it till 2029 or beyond. Am I a fool being parted with my money? Be nice...

Who considers themselves an H3T Enthusiast and who an H3T Opportunist. I doubt if there are any "collectors" just keeping it in a heated garage, waiting for the next Mecum Auction to come around!

 

Please, do not to get offended by my post. It is how I fell about what you posted.


Uhhh, looking at an H3T as an "investment"? WHAT!

If YOU have to use a mechanic every time you need diagnosis, maintenance or something replaced, GET OUT NOW!
You use the word "investment". You will NEVER recoup the $ you put into it so it is NOT an investment.
Collecting??? Unless it's a 2010 H3T Alpha OffRoad with every option and under 40,000 miles I wouldn't suggest it.

This is my take having owned 7 H3T/H3s since 2007. So I guess we would be considered "Enthusiasts" of the H3/H3T platform.
Not sure of your use of the term "Opportunist" either. To me an H3T opportunist would be someone looking to buy low and maybe fix to flip for a profit.

We have never owned any vehicle especially an H3T that we expected to get what I put into it. As a "car guy" you will know this up front. Especially in the modifications department.
Both of our H3T OffRoad Alphas are our choice to drive. We don't cheap out on parts or modifications as we want them to run and drive 100% at all times.
With the H3Ts being 10+ years old regular maintenance, service and replacement of faulty items is inevitable.

It all depends on your needs and expectations of your H3T too.
We currently have 2 H3T OffRoad Alphas with very different expectations and applications. So the time and money spent each vehicle is vastly different too.
1 of ours is my wife's daily driver. Her H3T gets regularly maintained and OEM ACDelco replacement parts. When we bought it I last year I went through the entire front end and replaced almost everything except the differential for female daily driver reliability. Someone will chime in and say "that's sexist", but it's true. She regularly checks the oil, trans fluid & tire pressure and she will tell me of a new vibration , noise, etc. I drive it once a month to see what it really needs.
The other is my wheeling rig. Mine gets a stronger/better whatever part that breaks or needs replacement. A lot more time and $ have been put into it than my wife's daily.

WIFE'S DAILY "NOTJEEP"










My Wheeler "UGROWUP"

 

No offense taken at ALL! This is exactly the conversation I was hoping to have. Investment was/is probably the wrong choice of words...I meant it in the form of money I'm spending to get value back as this truck is now my daily driver, with my M6 happily sitting in the garage getting some much needed rest. Fair advice on the mechanic thing too. Simple things that I've done before on other cars, I'm doing on the H3T. But given I'm driving this every day now, I have to balance my fear of breaking something cause it's seized and the time parts will be on the floor of the garage until I'm able to find the right tool or the right part. Luckily my garage guy has quickly become a lover of the H3T and I'm getting all kinds of discounts and freebies. But you are absolutely right about doing things oneself. I know TAINTER and OLDDOC sometimes come with both barrels blasting on the forum, but 90% of everything you guys say is 'FACT'. Don't stop. We learn from tough teachers...at least I do/have.

Thanks for sharing the photos. I was naive to think my list of upgrades was depleting and it's clear I've only scratched the surface! I'll choose another thread to ask about the journey from being a car track guy to an off-roader without biting off more than I should or the H3T should.

Anyone else have opinions on how they define their relationship/expectations with their H3T?