I had the opportunity to check out JCRs shop, equipment, products, in progress rigs, finished rigs, etc. They ARE top notch. I know what it's like to build on a budget. Most of my parts are used, bartered, begged, stolen (not really)...You really have to recognize the areas where you can skimp on. Hale is right, you can learn A LOT from attending WinterFest. I know how Jeep build plans go...I'm gonna get this, then get that, then get this. Pretty soon, you're doing something totally different, but I plan on getting thier stage 2 rear bumper. The attention to detail is unsurpassed. I wheel with a stock front bumper and don't plan on replacing it (again) either. But, this is for a totally different reason. I understand your budget, a poor guy like me has to take forever to save up for the crap I want. But, I'm not gonna cut corners. With my opinion on the table, you're still gonna do what you want to do, and I respect that. Ebay can find you some cheap...err...inexpensive bumpers. I've seen a few that look pretty sweet on XJs but the price is still around 3 hundo. I hope you can get something you really want that will really work for your pocket book and needs. We'd be glad to have you at WF!
Edit: And from what I have seen with my research, you get much more than what you pay for from JCR.