 How do you budget for your 914?, a bit ancillary to Quennie's thread |
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| nebreitling |
 Mar 29 2004, 11:57 PM
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#1
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Member Emeritus  Group: Members Posts: 3,314 Joined: 26-March 03 From: San Francisco Member No.: 478  |
reading Quennie's recent thread got me thinking a bit.
i'm a doctoral student. 24. i earn my income primarily by teaching core classes at stanford university, and this doesn't add up to a particularly large sum (especially by Bay area standards)... and i own a 914. obviously, this presents a problem. now, my 914 has been unusually reliable, but it is still the hassle (and joy!) of a 30 year-old sports car. similiar to queenie, i have only owned vintage cars -- and am not about to change that! most of my free time and money go to the car, and over the course of the year that i've owned it, i have significantly improved its condition. it's a source of pride and joy for me, and i've never considered selling it. so i'm curious: how do you budget for your 914? do you ever feel like you spend too much on your car? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) n |
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| John |
Mar 30 2004, 12:11 AM
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member? what's a member? Group: Members Posts: 3,393 Joined: 30-January 04 From: Evansville, IN (SIRPCA) Member No.: 1,615 Region Association: None |
How do I budget? I spend what the wife lets me.
When I was younger with little money (in college) with my 914, I would scour the papers for DIRT CHEAP parts cars. The more complete, the better and never, never pay asking price. Now, some 15 years and many many parts cars later, I don't find that I budget that much, as I have most parts available, or I can fab what I need. Sometimes I need an occasional part but it is rare as the 914 is no longer the primary daily driver. As for the race car(s), the annual budget is usually 8-10 sets brake pads (about a set per event), 2-sets tires, a gallon or two of brake fluid, three gallons of oil (per season), 3.5 quarts gear oil, lots of windex and paper towels, and huge amounts of gas (or is that DILLIGAS). Budget? we don't need no stinkin Budget....... |
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| Bruce Allert |
Mar 30 2004, 12:12 AM
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#3
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Hellions asleep Group: Members Posts: 3,289 Joined: 19-March 03 From: Eagle Creek, Orygun Member No.: 441 Region Association: Pacific Northwest |
QUOTE(nebreitling @ Mar 29 2004, 10:57 PM) how do you budget for your 914? do you ever feel like you spend too much on your car? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) n I don't budget... tried saving for a Raby engine once... used the $ for Bilstein shocks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) don't feel like I spend too much cuz I don't think about it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) don't wanna bring my self down about a car I really enjoy (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) Plus, my wife does the finances (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif) so I just put it on the card & that's how we get air fare for vacations! Money spent = air miles (IMG:style_emoticons/default/boldblue.gif) free air fare! (I know... delusional, huh?) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ..........b |
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| jonwatts |
Mar 30 2004, 12:18 AM
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no rules, just wrong Group: Benefactors Posts: 2,321 Joined: 13-January 03 From: San Jose, CA Member No.: 141  |
What is this "budget" you speak of? I have heard my wife use this word many times. All I can do is look at her (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)
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| Red-Beard |
Mar 30 2004, 12:27 AM
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#5
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"Ya canna change the laws of Physics" Group: Benefactors Posts: 1,124 Joined: 11-February 03 From: Houston, TX Member No.: 288 Region Association: None |
I wait for the value of my house to go up and take out a home equity loan....
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| bernbomb914 |
Mar 30 2004, 12:45 AM
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#7
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one of the oldest Farts on this board Group: Benefactors Posts: 1,873 Joined: 29-December 02 From: Temecula, CA Member No.: 36 |
what ever it takes
Bernie |
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| Bleyseng |
Mar 30 2004, 12:50 AM
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#8
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Aircooled Baby! Group: Members Posts: 13,036 Joined: 27-December 02 From: Seattle, Washington (for now) Member No.: 24 Region Association: Pacific Northwest |
I figures spend about $1k a year on the 914. Its race tires/rims one year, then shocks, A- arms rebuilt the next. I have owned it for 9 years but for 2 years in was in storage. So that is about right for the money spent, $7k total but I have also made some money on parts and parting out a car sooo the bottom line isn't so bad.
Compare that to buying a used car and spend $1000 a year on payments Then the repairs so I figure I am ahead of the game with this car. Geoff |
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| Andyrew |
Mar 30 2004, 01:04 AM
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Spooling.... Please wait Group: Members Posts: 13,377 Joined: 20-January 03 From: Riverbank, Ca Member No.: 172 Region Association: Northern California 
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Umm.. I buy stuff cheap..
I dont have a job either... I dont think I can do that for very much longer, and I dont have an excuse.. Andrew |
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| anthony |
Mar 30 2004, 01:07 AM
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#10
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2270 club Group: Benefactors Posts: 3,107 Joined: 1-February 03 From: SF Bay Area, CA Member No.: 218 |
I also figure keeping a stockish 914 going will cost about $1,000 per year over the long haul - that is if you can do most of your maintenance yourself. So, some years you spend $300 on tune-up parts, fluids, and small stuff then maybe another year you spend $4-5K on a new engine or paint job. Of course, it can be cheaper with parts trading and buying used parts.
If you pay someone else for maintenance then you should probably figure on $2K/year. And if you start improving the neighborhood (5 lug, flares, six conversions, sway bars, etc. the sky's the limit). |
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| McMark |
Mar 30 2004, 01:53 AM
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#11
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914 Freak! Group: Retired Admin Posts: 20,179 Joined: 13-March 03 From: Grand Rapids, MI Member No.: 419 Region Association: None |
I went right to the source. I started working for Brad and he pays me in parts. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Plus I put every other cent I get into my cars. I fully embrace my addiction. |
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| madd_dogg_914 |
Mar 30 2004, 02:01 AM
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#12
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Member Group: Members Posts: 480 Joined: 30-March 03 From: Vacaville, CA Member No.: 497 Region Association: Northern California |
Every time I need $$$ for the teener I just hire myself out as a hitman errrr . . . I mean florist. Yeah, floristing pays really well nowadays. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
-Chris (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif) |
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| mightyohm |
Mar 30 2004, 02:26 AM
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#13
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Advanced Member Group: Benefactors Posts: 2,277 Joined: 16-January 03 From: Seattle, WA Member No.: 162 Region Association: Pacific Northwest |
My 914 costs me pretty much all of my spare time.
Monetary costs are insignificant compared to the time spent fixing things (especially LEAKS - water goes in, oil comes out.) |
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| RON S. |
Mar 30 2004, 06:09 AM
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#14
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9140430841, FINALLY RUNNING Group: Members Posts: 1,216 Joined: 22-May 03 From: WALTERBORO,S.C. Member No.: 724 Region Association: South East States |
I budget 2-3k into restoring my 6r.
I figured when I started,I'd need about 20k to do a good original 1970 914/6 w/a 993 3.6 & 915 gearbox. 2-3 k per year works out to 2-300.00 a month. For me w/no kids at home or a house payment it's no big deal. Most of the time I'm saving for the last few big ticket items needed to finish it. I do all work myself,no farm outs to $50-60 ph shops.Sorry,I gotta save all I can. I scan all classifieds available online everyday.It's allowed me to buy quality pieces from other peoples abandoned projects,and save a fortune over buying things new and @ retail. Finally,I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel,and it's a good light. Whatever,ya gotta keep spendin$ Ron |
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| 72914S |
Mar 30 2004, 06:50 AM
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#15
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love this shot Group: Members Posts: 1,290 Joined: 10-July 03 From: Pensacola,Fl. Member No.: 900 Region Association: South East States |
I know what I can do , if I cann`t I barter or trade for what I need done,(for the paint job I rescreened a pool enclosure, for the engine powder coating I rescreened a patio cover.Everything else i`ve done myself.
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| VegasRacer |
Mar 30 2004, 07:30 AM
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#16
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ELVIRA Group: Benefactors Posts: 8,751 Joined: 27-March 03 From: Between Scylla and Charybdis Member No.: 481 Region Association: None
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QUOTE(campbellcj @ Mar 29 2004, 10:29 PM) Budget ??? The race car comes first. If there is any money left over I use it for luxuries like food and rent. |
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| tat2dphreak |
Mar 30 2004, 08:47 AM
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#17
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stoya, stoya, stoya Group: Benefactors Posts: 8,797 Joined: 6-June 03 From: Wylie, TX Member No.: 792 Region Association: Southwest Region |
I actually have a very small credit card(500$ limit) that is my paypal money(which I buy 90% of my car stuff with), once the card is close to being maxxed out, I pay it off, and then do it again... it's not a budget as much of a tracking system, this way I don't forego food for car parts... I cheat and use my bank account occasionally though, for small stuff (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
my wife trys to help me budget since she's the "frugal one" but she gets carried away too... she told me last week, "why don't you just buy a NEW Dash for the 914 instead of scamming the better(though still cracked) dash from the other car?" when I told her they go for 300$+ she was like "so? we're keeping this car for a long time right?" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) |
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| lapuwali |
Mar 30 2004, 09:11 AM
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#18
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Not another one! Group: Benefactors Posts: 4,526 Joined: 1-March 04 From: San Mateo, CA Member No.: 1,743 |
No budget here, either. However, as I tried to relate to Queenie, the key to using a 30 year old car as a daily driver is to do the work yourself. Learn how to diagnose the minor problems you can fix for next to nothing yourself, but can easily cost $100-200 to get someone else to fix it (not to mention all the hassle of getting it there, waiting, getting it back). If you pay someone else to do 100% of the work, you're going to be paying serious money no matter what 30 year old car you're trying to use daily. Here in the Bay Area esp., labor rates are sky high. I'm about to rebuild a used transaxle (which I'm getting free from a friend, but I could have gotten from Ebay for $100). If I did this the checkbook way, it would be roughly $1000 plus parts to have this done (and parts will be $500). Using Red-beard's helpful guide, I'll be doing it myself, spending about $200 on tools and materials, $500 in parts. Half the price and I'll have a spare tranny at the end. The only downtime for the car will be the one weekend I take swapping transaxles.
I sold an Alfa just before I bought my current 914 (two months ago). Bought it for $1000, spent about $500 on it, and sold it for $750 two years later. The PO was a checkbook mechanic, and had sunk $3000 into it over the two years he owned it, more than half in labor costs. I've owned about 30 cars over the last 20 years, and that story isn't unusual. Buy a decent car some other guy has spent too much money on, and maintain it yourself. I spend less on my three 30+ year old cars than my wife spends in interest payments on her '04 Subaru (which is a bloody nice car). They don't have to be money pits. |
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| Bleyseng |
Mar 30 2004, 09:20 AM
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#19
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Aircooled Baby! Group: Members Posts: 13,036 Joined: 27-December 02 From: Seattle, Washington (for now) Member No.: 24 Region Association: Pacific Northwest |
If you are a woman get a boyfriend who knows how to work on cars. Schedule a day when you both work on them. Much cheaper them paying someone or if you are in the Bay area go to HighPreformanceHouse.
On older cars the learning curve is pretty steep as most mechanics don't see these cars enough unless the mechanic is older and remembers them. Its not uncommom for FI troubles to pay $500 just to troubleshoot and they still don't know what was wrong. One guy I know won't even work on Djet, just rip it out and install carbs, idiot. Geoff |
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| ninefourteener |
Mar 30 2004, 09:30 AM
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#20
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Perfectly Normal Guy :) Group: Members Posts: 1,216 Joined: 3-June 03 From: St. Louis, MO Member No.: 779 |
I'm not into restorations anymore.... and I'm not into "fixxer-uppers" either.
I saved as much as I could..... and I financed the rest of the car like you would a new car. Why? Because I bought a car that needed nothing. 100% rust free, new engine, tranny, brakes, suspension, etc. Anything I do I consider an "upgrade". When I have a little extra money left over, I "upgrade". When I'm short, I don't "upgrade". For example.. it took me a couple months to put together all the componernts for my stereo. When I had some extra cash, I bought whatever I needed, and kept it till I had everything.. then I installed it. No credit cards, no "tracking system"..... its all about self control. Oh yea.... Kids are expensive.... but being "without wife" helps a lot too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) |
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