two years plus

[thrash]

wow.. I've been thinking it's only been a year that i've owned my starion.. but to confirm i checked the date I joined austarion.. seems i've been on here harrassing you guys for exactly 2 years yesterday..

So i've owned a starion for over two years now..


a run down of the costs that i can remember
- cost of car - 3400 (yes, i got ripped off)
- accident - got slapped a 400 dollar fine for "negligent driving", plus cost of repairs, which i cannot remember, but let's say 500, not including parts
- cost of parts car to fix accident damage - 1100 (yes, i got ripped off again, because the asshole told me the car was in perfect running condition, only for me to find out on the way home that there were a myriad of issues, plus lies about stuff like it having an lsd..)
- mpi bits so far - 1400 (I have 2 sonata manifolds and 1 l300.. will only use one obviously)
- 2 clutch changes.. is it normal for the clutch to go after only a year?? - 500 first one, 1200 second one
- drag link reconditioning - 160
- ADR Approved braided brake hoses - 600
- new front hilux 4x4 brake pads - 200 (this included some other work too)
- second hand dished rims + new tyres - 1200
- braided clutch line thanks to JD_Brendan :beer - 40
- Rear strut tops courtesy of Jeff in the US :beer - 200
- JB front bumper and foggies from redzone - still to come - 300
- JB reo - still to come - 200 - 250 depending on postage I am hoping

So.. that's about 11500 so far *cries*

That's all I can think of.. not including normal maintenance costs like servicing, lots of fuel, plus all the tools, paint and other tid bits bought, etc

And I haven't even started spending on the important stuff..

Things in the future:
- ECU for sequential injection.. Haltech E6X seems to be a good pic - 1300
- intercooler + piping - 200
- New turbo and exhaust manifold - 2000
- Tuning - 1000 (not sure what the actual cost is, so this is just a guess)
- MPI installation if I chicken out of doing it myself - 3000 let's say
- LSD - 1000 (i know list price is about 700)
- suspension - quoted 3500 for new springs, adjustable koni inserts + new bushes all over - or might look into the coilover thing
- brakes - have to think about what i want and need here, not sure yet
- custom front end - 3000 (this will be much less i'm hoping.. currently researching how to make a plug myself exactly the way i want it, so all the fiberglass guy has to do is make the mold and then the front itself)
some sort of spoiler or boot lip.. perhaps just a JD one but without the side bits.. or something a bit more custom.. don't know yet


So that's another 14000 or so.. wait, i have to go throw up...

ok.. back now..

and I haven't even thought about any bodywork or painting.. :o wait.. i have to go throw up again

ok.. back.. let's not think about how I can't actually afford this car again..

So it's been a fun and frustrating journey.. everyone around me has been telling me this, and I know it to be true.. i woulda had a much better "lifestyle" if I hadn't bought it and stuck to something like a corolla..

for the sake of working towards a decent future and then a decent retirement, i suppose i shoulda never bought the car.. but then again.. what would i have gotten instead??

[JD_Stazza_Brendan]

I counted close to 25K

Motor still isnt in, Suspension isnt finished, Car hasnt been resprayed.
:roll:

[dirtygalant]

I estimate my car will cost about $10,000 all up.

That's including initial purchase, wheels, coilovers and suspension, LSD, oh and the V6 conversion :D but that definitely wont stretch to a panel and paint, tidy up the rust and interior tidy up.

[redzone]

hey its all good i'm up to about $38K on the gemini and its not on the road yet. and the uneducated wont see anything other than an old car.

a man has got to have a hobby though.. and there are more expensive hobbies out there.

[WANTSOM]

I think when we did Marie's JA 4 or 5 years ago, with new motor, MPI, Motec, new suspension, spray etc etc etc we stopped counting at $25K.

The track car owes me in excess of $40K without the new motor thats being built (and that, my friends, is starting to scare the hell out of me but it will be a gun motor when its finished )

Like Redzone says, you gotta have a hobby and if you compare what some guys spend on yachts, boats and women we come out pretty well off.

eg - a guy at the track day last weekend broke a rim on his Porsche on the way to the trac. Replacement cost - 2 grand for one rim. It was some special Carrera rim or something but it gives you the idea LOL

[panda]

Thrash, hang in there, don't give up, cos you've come too far to turn back. I own horses as well as Starions, believe me, cars are cheaper :)

[Alspos]

There's no point counting....it will just make you feel worse if you have to sell it.

I have nearly tripled the money I've put into my silver car. Mind you, it only started at $500 :) rofl

But it makes a great table in the garage.

[WidebodyWoody]

Car cost $13,500. First lot of upgrades, $8000, Fixing what they fucked up $3000, Current lot of upgrades estimated $9000. That doesn't include future interior, brakes and suspension.

But still, so far that is $30,500.

Man I love my Starions

[JD_Stazza_Brendan]

Is it just me or do Australians/New Zealanders spend the most money on their Starions?

I spend alot of time on the US site and most of their cars are dirt cheap, not many are more then mildly modified. Yet here we have no problems spending the money on a MPI or DOHC conversion. Building custom suspension, painting a car etc etc.

[kiwieurospec]

I've had 10 years of trouble free mototring, 40,000miles.

Sure I'll throw some money at it in the future, but I won't mind, Its been good to me.

Should have my widebody done for under $12,000 but it doesn't matter how much it costs, you know they're never worth any money to anyone else.

[airbats801]

well dont have a hole lot on my scorpion turbo conversion, but I think I have spent more on beer while working on the carm then what I actually paid for the car itself :beer


as for spending money on cars, mayeb its cheaper to live down there hell if I know lol.

[thrash]

lol, my first "expensive" hobby was racing remote control cars.. was heaps fun.. but nothign as fun as a spirited drive in a real car..

the way i see it, the guys who own and drive porsche track cars, etc, have the funds to throw away at the car... i don't.. i don't own a home.. i don't hve any savings.. the most valuable thing in my possession? my car.. and guess what?? i'm pretty sure i couldn't get much over a grand for it if i sold it..

I was reading somehwere that one of the common things among thee wealthy is that they do not spend big on their cars.. they may have really nice cars.. things that you and i can only dream of, but it's a very tiny tiny portion of their income that goes into buying the car..

So.. i keep thinking i should stop spending on the car and work towards making more money first.. when i earn more, I can spend more on the car too.. but bleh, i can't help it sometimes.. :roll:

[WidebodyWoody]

Yeah you see the problem with that thinking is what if you don't ever earn that kind of money. Then you missed out on the cars.

[S0LJAH]

I estimate my car will cost about $10,000 all up.

thats what i estimated for mine too

lets just say LOL

[redzone]

Yeah you see the problem with that thinking is what if you don't ever earn that kind of money. Then you missed out on the cars.

yeah the main problem with that thinking is that when you've got heads down bums up working your ass off earning money geting setup etc, you hook up with a chick, then get married, have kids, buy a house etc, and before you know it you're in your 40's and frustrated coz u havnt had much fun.

then the mid life crisis hits and the wife leaves you coz u start spending the money she wanted to spend buying jewelery on "a shitty old car".

f*&k that, own the car first, dont sell it, that way when you can afford to spend big $$$ at least it was always in your posession. with women i've found its all about precedence......