In '07, I bought a frame, fork, wheels, and boxes of parts, and spent 8 wonderful (bitterly cold and snowy) days assembling my Jamis Dakar XLT 1.0.
By the time I got done buying and building, I'd invested the same amount of $$ as the MSRP of a Dakar XLT 2.0 -- same frame, different paint...and comparable parts. Jamis was a Shimano 'customer' at the time, and I wanted SRAM, Race Face, and Manitou.
I got the parts *I* wanted, level of quality was roughly equal, for about the same cost. Deep discounts for 2-y-o parts are wonderful.
XLT frame: 67% off
Nixon fork: 50% off
BB7 brakes, 185: 60% off
Race Face crank/BB: 35% off
SRAM X.9 drivetrain: 25% off
Sun wheels: 40% off.