Robstar Posted January 28, 2008 Posted January 28, 2008 I figured for just boredom's sake, I'd start a topic on how much money we have/will invested. I'll start off with 5 grand (260z costs 3500 and VH41DE I bought for $1200!) and expect to spend 20k+ over the next year or two, having no obligations apart from rent/school and ditching a would-be girlfriend for a car helps a little. Bawhaha What about you guys? Quote
Moderators Zedman240® Posted January 28, 2008 Moderators Posted January 28, 2008 Well, I stopped counting after the $12,000 I bought the car for, then $5-6000 for the EFI setup, then came the Simmons which for the price of one, I bought 4 x 18" wheels for the Xtrail I have, you can see pretty much how and where this is going...and it aint going to stop for quite a while... heheh should put it off the home loan, but you ca't drive a house around Phillip Island in less than 1m:50s!! Quote
Scando Posted January 28, 2008 Posted January 28, 2008 Paid $6,500 for the car with the engine conversion, brakes, suspension already done. Since then I've spent about $5,000. This included bodywork and a respray, a new engine with forged pistons and P90 head, a CAMS approved cage and lots of other little bits and pieces to make the change from a club car to a proper race car. Could have easily been $20K without help from friends/family/sponsors. Figure I'll need to spend about another $10K to get the car how I would like it but for now I'm happy to be able to race as it is Quote
sexual_sushi Posted January 28, 2008 Posted January 28, 2008 paid $1500 for 2 260z's. have since spent around another $10000 and it is still a gray shell in the shed. in the meantime bought another 260z for $1500 and spent around $4000 on it over the last 2 years. it is a daily driver, interior is nice (when its clean) and the engine runs smooth but the body is full of rust. then spent just over $23000 on my 240z. so in conclusion i have spent around $30000 (from what i could be bothered to count) and i have a really nice 240z, a reliable but leaky and rusty daily driver 260z, a gray shell in the shed (rust free ) with alot of new parts and a parts car out in the yard TO GO... about $10000 for the engine in the 240z about $15000 on paint, engine, interior and other bits and pieces for the gray shell and i wonder why i can't afford to eat :S Quote
Robstar Posted January 28, 2008 Author Posted January 28, 2008 Damn Sushi, just.. damn. I'd gladly send you packaged seaweed to nibble on! > Quote
NA2JZED Posted January 28, 2008 Posted January 28, 2008 i paid $5000 for my 73 240z 2 and ahalf years ago,iam planning to spend another aleast $20000,i have no intension of ever selling it!!,actually i want another one,and a350Z!,i think i will wake up now!! Quote
620Z Posted January 28, 2008 Posted January 28, 2008 Personally I don't like to keep tabs anymore. But the wife has a button on the home finance package marked "Craig's Car" and it totals over 6 figures. I can't get away with anything anymore. I reckon I have another 30-40K to go over the next 10 years before it's close to finished the way I really want it. Having said that it is great to drive now and at a level I wanted to acheive but you always want that little bit more. Quote
RBZ 260 Posted January 28, 2008 Posted January 28, 2008 well i had a budget of around 6k to spend in total, for my 260z 2+2. car was 500, front cut was 1300. was on the ball till i started thinking cv shafts and LSD diff for the rear which easily ate over 2k. than came the new seats and rims. and kept going more than anticipated. last official tally i did on the car was just over 5.5k but as it stands probably close to 8-9k and probably another 1k to finish it off and whos know how much for engineering. but i did 99% of the work on the car. if i paid someone and didnt know the right people in the right spots it would be in excess close to 40K + and its only a RB20DET. at the same time i managed to add to collection a 240z that i paid 1.8k plus probably another 600 for parts that were missing from it. ie badges rubbers and other hard to get insignificant pieces.my next project that will take LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time to finish... Quote
sco_aus Posted January 29, 2008 Posted January 29, 2008 Sadly I have done a few things a few times to get it right and due to my commitments over the years, I havnt had time or knowledge to do it myself. The last tally was around $50k, but I have stopped counting. I nearly have it where I want it, so ill just keep pushing on. Quote
620Z Posted January 29, 2008 Posted January 29, 2008 Scott I am looking forward to seeing your machine next Tuesday. So make sure you get it finished. I am in the same boat when it comes to doing things 2,3 even 4 times. Current phylosophy is to spend up big and do it once, it will save you in the end. Quote
sco_aus Posted January 29, 2008 Posted January 29, 2008 Yeh thats it. Mate things arent looking good for the car though, a few brake dramas and workshops not willing to help me get it finished in time, but i will borrow money and hire a car if have to. Quote
Enzo Posted January 29, 2008 Posted January 29, 2008 This thread is starting to sound like a pissing competition. It doesn't matter how much you spend on your car as long as you are happy with it and it is safe to go on the road. I don't want to upset anyone because we all have pride in our vehicles, but with the different age groups and and financial resources available to us, not all can spend up big on our cars. If I have offended anyone I appologise in advance. Happy and safe motoring for 2008. Regards David. Quote
Robstar Posted January 29, 2008 Author Posted January 29, 2008 This thread is starting to sound like a pissing competition. It doesn't matter how much you spend on your car as long as you are happy with it and it is safe to go on the road. I don't want to upset anyone because we all have pride in our vehicles, but with the different age groups and and financial resources available to us, not all can spend up big on our cars. If I have offended anyone I appologise in advance. Happy and safe motoring for 2008. Regards David. No, I'd say you haven't offended anybody in this thread, because first and foremost, we aren't 'keyboard warriors' and we are all well over the high school stage of life. EDIT: I wrote this huge too long; didn't read, kind of post! But realised, who the hell really cares Rob (Speaking to myself). Quote
Administrators gav240z Posted January 29, 2008 Administrators Posted January 29, 2008 This thread is starting to sound like a pissing competition. It doesn't matter how much you spend on your car as long as you are happy with it and it is safe to go on the road. I don't want to upset anyone because we all have pride in our vehicles, but with the different age groups and and financial resources available to us, not all can spend up big on our cars. If I have offended anyone I appologise in advance. Happy and safe motoring for 2008. Regards David. I think this is a very responsible look at the way the thread "could go". To be honest I'm not sure I want to say how much I've spent yet, mainly because its not finished and mainly because I know how much still needs to be spent. I love my Z, so its never been about the money for me its about the satisfaction it brings. This is why I'm torn between a newer engine and the old L-series. I love the old "donk" but you can achieve so much more from a newer say RB engine. I'll be the first to admit right now i'm way to broke to blow anything on my car. I guess when you travel you forgo the luxury of a Zcar sitting back home in a garage. I realised that it wasn't going to be finished yet and why rush. I'd rather see a bit of the world and when I'm a bit older more experience and know what I want to do with it I'll blow big money on it . One of the best things I think I've done for my Z though was start this website with Sulio . Its probably the best resource and biggest help, plus I've met so many good contacts that will hopefully be able to assist when the time comes. Back on topic for now I guess Quote
sco_aus Posted January 29, 2008 Posted January 29, 2008 Depends on how you look at it. Hopefully someone coming into Zs can learn from others mistakes, so rather than it being based on how much money, maybe whats been done for that money. By no means am I proud of the fact I have spent a house deposit on my car, but I plan on keeping it for life and want to get it right. Just wish i got it right the first time. Quote
620Z Posted January 29, 2008 Posted January 29, 2008 I wouldn't be too negative about the thread really. We all started off buying a Zed for 5K or what ever. We all share the same passion. It is interesting to see what people have spent as it gives you an idea of the mods to their car. Most people are interested in who has done what mods to improve our cars. Mods usually cost money. I am well aware some or most people like to keep their finances private. No problems. I think it's a given we are all at different stages in our lives. Who knows in 10-20 years the same people may well have spent loads on their cars and look with interest at the new guys coming onto this site with the same hopes and dreams for their recently acquired pride and joy. Quote
RBZ 260 Posted January 29, 2008 Posted January 29, 2008 i agree with zzz8. it gives new people ideas what can you do for what money or how much u save by knowing the right people. and sites like this do help novices to steer away from traps most of us had. i think i had wasted at least 1.5k of my budget build going the wrong way and finding it out the hard way. Good thing is we have variety of different cars and mods. another difference between most cars is that some a street cruisers while others are racing machines (regardless if they registered and used on the road) therefore budget for these are very different. Quote
Moderators Zedman240® Posted January 29, 2008 Moderators Posted January 29, 2008 I think the most valuable thing we could learn from this thread is to save a crap load of money. How many of us have been screwed around by someone or some company by not doing their work right? I learned by building a second and third Z car, where to go and where NOT to go and get work done! As they say, experience is the best teacher... A powerful tool we have on the forum is the "prefered workshops/repairers" thread. I know of one autoelec I wont be using ever again.... Quote
matt drago Posted January 30, 2008 Posted January 30, 2008 Rather than list the details of the work I have done to my beauty, check out the shopping list on my blog. It is mostly up to date, just have to add a heap of stuff to do with fitting off things The shopping list also lists where I bought the stuff. I should have probably also put a date so as to give a better understanding of when the parts cost that much, too late now. Quote
RBZ 260 Posted January 30, 2008 Posted January 30, 2008 Rather than list the details of the work I have done to my beauty, check out the shopping list on my blog. It is mostly up to date, just have to add a heap of stuff to do with fitting off things The shopping list also lists where I bought the stuff. I should have probably also put a date so as to give a better understanding of when the parts cost that much, too late now. nice car mate very impressive.. should be better when new 30yr ago when finished... lucky you.. love to have a clean 240 like that one. Quote
modular9 Posted January 31, 2008 Posted January 31, 2008 interesting thread. I think it has some bearing on what you started off with. My z is in perfect condition body/paint/interior wise. Engine is so so and it needs lowering so i would be saying that my spend would be less than someone who glommed onto a low km/h rusty z. I really cant see me personally spending any more than $17 990 . This is because there is a motor dealer down the road that has a black 1981 porsche 911 SC 3.0 litre LHD on for that amount. And well do i need to say any more ? Quote
620Z Posted January 31, 2008 Posted January 31, 2008 Ah but do you want performance or prestige? You might be surprised that the Zed would most likely be quicker than the Porsche around the track. Or it would be cheaper to get going quicker around the track. A bit more comfortable inside as well. Those old Porsches are pretty average if you have a closer look. Don't be fooled by the name or the stigma attached to them. My brother had a 911 wide body kit etc etc and his straight 6 Zed was quicker in the quarter mile and around the track. For me I'm not a name brand man more a performance kinda guy but each to there own. Quote
sco_aus Posted January 31, 2008 Posted January 31, 2008 Well, another lesson to be learnt from my stupidity, my power fc died today, so now i am buying an Autronic and rewiring the whole car, but i cant afford that for a while. Quote
Administrators gav240z Posted January 31, 2008 Administrators Posted January 31, 2008 Ah but do you want performance or prestige? You might be surprised that the Zed would most likely be quicker than the Porsche around the track. Or it would be cheaper to get going quicker around the track. A bit more comfortable inside as well. Those old Porsches are pretty average if you have a closer look. Don't be fooled by the name or the stigma attached to them. My brother had a 911 wide body kit etc etc and his straight 6 Zed was quicker in the quarter mile and around the track. For me I'm not a name brand man more a performance kinda guy but each to there own. I've always agreed with this myself. The Z used to eat Porsche's for breakfast on the track and its well documented in its racing history. The 930 Turbo is an awesome car but I love the balance of the early Z. Quote
modular9 Posted January 31, 2008 Posted January 31, 2008 Before this topic goes off topic a little more : Track wise you guys are completely right. I know that a porsche putting out 180 bhp aint gonna cut it with a sorted ( suspension wise , tuning etc ) zed. But I am a classic car nut. Every classic car nut has to own certain cars in their lives : '69 mustang fastback, aston martin db4 ( yeh good luck on that ) and of course a porsche. I also add the zed ( though mine is a 2+2 ) to that list. Prolly R32 skyline as well. I could go on. With 17995 as the cutoff , I still got about 11 000 to go! Quote
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