Yours is a bit of an exception though - not many people can do all the mods you did, and keep it under $3000.
35" tires & backspaced wheels = $1000
T-Case gears = $500
Front & rear lockers = $500
5.125 gears = $200-$300
And that's not getting into the tube doors, lift & cost of the tracker. But, if you're patient, buy used and have the tools to make your own stuff. That rig is an excellent example of what can be done with a budget. There's not going to be any $3000 Jeeps keeping up with you.
My brakedown was this:
Truck: $450
Transfercase Gears: $650
Valve, headgasket kit and waterpump: $160
Tires: Free from friends jeep
Wheels: $50 from junk yard
Tube doors: Trade for Zuki junk
26 Spline front: $45 from junk yard
Home made body and suspension lift: $120
Camber Bolts $25
Autotrans swap $120
Lockers$500
NSX Nitrous System: $200 complete used system on ebay
Header:$45 found on Samurai in junkyard.
The 5.12 gears came with the manual tranny Sidekick , I kept them and switched out to the autotrans. I have a couple of other small dodads, but that was it. It runs great and I still get to keep all the Zuki parts without changing to a Yota front. If you start out small and work your way up, watch for deals and are willing to do the work yourself, you can do a bunch with a little money. That was my goal, im pretty happy now and may build an exo cage for it later this year.