Not every build has to break the bank. What’s your favorite Jeep for wheeling on a budget?

Sure, if one were to only look or shows on television or the yearly SEMA party in Vegas, it would appear that the off-road hobby is solely for those with deep pockets and cubic yards of cash to burn.

Thing is, wheeling isn’t reserved for the one percent! There are plenty of ways to build a stout off-road warrior with the heart of a champ. What Jeep would you choose as your starting point?

Jeep CJ

Pictured here is a 1979 CJ-7 with the natty (and very ’70s) Golden Eagle package. However, your vote in this category will count for any CJ from its inception just after the war. CJs consistently have separate body and frame, rigid live axles with leaf springs both front and rear, a tapering nose design with flared fenders, and a fold-flat windshield. This adds up to a winning combo for most.

Jeep XJ

Bounding onto the scene in 1984, the XJ sold nearly 3 million units during its eighteen year run, so there are plenty from which to choose for your build. We’ll begrudgingly include copies powered by the 2.5L inline-four, an engine with close relations to the wretched Iron Duke. The mighty and bulletproof 4.0L inline-six is the motor of choice. Aftermarket mods abound

Jeep ZJ

Building on the success of the XJ, a machine which arguably foreshadowed this country’s thirst for the SUVs as a family rig, the ZJ showed up in 1993. It was introduced by Bob Lutz, driven down Jefferson Avenue, up a set of stairs and through a plate glass window at Cobo Hall to that year’s Detroit Auto Show.

Jeep TJ

After causing Jeep fans to reach for the smelling salts when it introduced square headlights on the YJ, Jeep returned to wide-eyed form with round peepers on the TJ. Arguably the first Jeep of its kind that actually contained a livable interior, the TJ arguably set the table for the brand’s present-day level of sales success.