How Much Have You Invested?, More than your car is worth? Options

[vesnyder]

I want to get an estimate of how much everyone has invested in there cars- now be honest! Has everyone invested more than they are worth? I would estimate an investment of at least $8k - estimated value $6k (optimistically!). Pictures welcome!

I'll start - I have $5,500 invested and would be luck to get $4k. I am going to quit counting.

Will have to post pics later - wrong computer

[wbergtho]

I did almost all my own work excluding the transaxle work. I left that task in the hands of a professional. If we were to add an hourly labor bill to all our various projects (even if we did all the work)...the value of our projects would be astronomical! Rick's Alien would be worth $60-100K. A great deal of other projects would be worth upwards of 100K...It get ridiculous if you think about all the blood, sweat and tears we put into our cars. And that includes the guys that are just trying to build a nice mostly stock daily driver on a budget of $5,000. From the $800 dollar car that barely runs to the extreme projects...I take my hat off to you all! Keep those 914's alive in what ever form.

Bill

[JoeSharp]

Fuch
Which one?
Besides what about the driveway and the trailer?
Towe vehical?
Tools?
Fuchs?
Last year 2 items 35K.
:PERMAGRIN: Joe

[Dead Air]

QUOTE (wbergtho @ Jan 17 2006, 09:04 PM)

..It get ridiculous if you think about all the blood, sweat and tears we put into our cars. And that includes the guys that are just trying to build a nice mostly stock daily driver on a budget of $5,000. From the $800 dollar car that barely runs to the extreme projects...I take my hat off to you all! Keep those 914's alive in what ever form. Bill

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/burnout.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/thumb3d.gif)

[Maltese Falcon]

Even Jay Leno is frugal with his car money...only walking into the Ferrari dealership he just gets to hear this : "We don't have anymore Jay".
It really does'nt matter what you do with your 914 money, think of it as a blank canvas which you can express your artistic talent onto (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)
Marty

[brant]

this is a funny thread....
your joking right?

I don't think I want to know the actual number.

and the labor... phew...
If I actually counted the labor that would be over 30K alone.... but my dad and I work slow, and I'm bad at math.... so I will (luckily) never know.

brant

[rick 918-S]

QUOTE (wbergtho @ Jan 17 2006, 09:04 PM)

I did almost all my own work excluding the transaxle work. I left that task in the hands of a professional. If we were to add an hourly labor bill to all our various projects (even if we did all the work)...the value of our projects would be astronomical! Rick's Alien would be worth $60-100K. A great deal of other projects would be worth upwards of 100K...It get ridiculous if you think about all the blood, sweat and tears we put into our cars. And that includes the guys that are just trying to build a nice mostly stock daily driver on a budget of $5,000. From the $800 dollar car that barely runs to the extreme projects...I take my hat off to you all! Keep those 914's alive in what ever form. Bill

BILL!!! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/clap.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wavey.gif)

PM sent! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/aktion035.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/driving.gif)

[double-a]

paid $400 for a 75 914 1.8 that had been sitting in a portland garage for 20 years. this was back in december 04 (see signature).

a year later. i'm finally doing the body/paint in a few weeks, which will easly match the $5k or so that i've put into it so far. but i can't complain, i've managed to install some nice components:

- new windshield + trim
- new gas tank and fuel lines
- new fuel pump/filter
- all new german vacuum lines
- new afm
- new pushrod tube seals
- temperature sender
- pressure sender
- optima battery with cutoff switch
- backdated exhaust setup with new ssi exchangers
- bursch exhaust
- turbo tie rods (the only thing i didn't do myself)
- euro turn signal lenses front and rear
- euro driving light mod
- h4 euro headlights
- koni sports all around
- adjustable rear spring collars
- sourced new, uncut door panels
- dr evil visor mounted rearview mirror
- third brake light
- passenger side mirror
- backdated to chrome bumpers
- factory new fog light grilles
- pilot fog light kit with stainless mounting bracket
- fog light switch
- set of five mahle wheels (in the process of being sanded and polished)
- set of bridgestone potenza re950 tires
- new brake rotors all around
- rebuilt and polymer coated calipers + speedbleeders
- new soft brake lines
- welt 22mm front swaybar
- factory rear swaybar
- triple gauge temp + pressure + fuel from palo alto speedometer
- momo steering wheel + porsche crest horn button
- rennshift
- new shift bushings
- new headlight switch
- new ignition switch
- new double relay
- new rocker panels and valences
- cocomats!
- stripped and rebuilt pedal cluster, installed bronze bushings and new springs
- new 19mm master cylinder
- i'm sure there's more...

and coming soon:
- new bf torino le mans seats with custom orange plaid insert fabric
- bodywork and paint
- new horns

every time i get behind the wheel... priceless. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

~a

[rick 918-S]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/idea.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/idea.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/idea.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif) I really don't think I have that much money in my car. Time is another issue.. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/screwy.gif)

[SirAndy]

QUOTE (Dead Air @ Jan 17 2006, 08:56 PM)

Are you guys counting your own "hours" at like $50 per as though you were doing programming?

no hours, $30k+ is just the original purchase price ($3500) plus parts and shop expenses.

if i had to add my own hours at $50 per hour, i could have bought a house instead ...
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif) Andy

[cobra94563]

$1 for roller, $3800 parts and parts car so far, estimate of $5800 left to buy.
Sound about right? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[vesnyder]

The responses are exactly what I expected - insane isn't it!! If I counted up the hours (~250 @ $50 over the past year) - $10/hr is probably more appropriate in my case - I'd really be sick. One of the reasons I ask is my car is getting to the point of being road worthy, but taking the next step - 5 lug conversion and motor rebuild - I will at least double the investment from ~$5k to at least $10k?? Probably not the wisest decision but I get inspiratrion from this group! At least it looks like it's road worthy for the first time!

[vesnyder]

My interior - another $600 ... (at least)

[ClayPerrine]

I have had my 914 for 19 years. The recent rebuild/repaint list....

Steel flares 2500.00 (Porsche Original)
Replacement fender and door post 500.00
Replacement rear panel 250.00
Chassis stiffining kit... 250.00
Brad Mauyer kit ~ 300.00
Floor pans ~ 400.00
Paint and body work... 12,500.00

Approximate paint and body total... 16,250.00

That doesn't include the engine, transmission, suspension, interior, wheels, tires, and all of the little detail parts....


I am feeling a bit sick now.. I think I will stop totalling it up. But I figure that I could have bought 2 brand new 911s for what I have into my 914. But a brand new 911 would be just another 911, it would not be MY 914, created by my hands. There is a lot of pride in knowing that I have personally sweated and labored over each and every one of the details and parts in my 914. I put in every bolt, nut and screw. The guy who goes and buys a 911 has probably never seen a differental, much less held the one for his car in his hands. The blood, sweat and tears that I have shed on this car make it uniquely mine, something no one else could ever hope to create.

I figured out a long time ago that a 914 is a hole in the garage that you attempt to fill with large amounts of money. The problem is that the hole just keeps getting bigger and bigger. And we have 2 of these holes to fill........

But the fun of driving my car is priceless...

[ClayPerrine]

The hole in my garage.....

[ClayPerrine]

The second hole in my garage...

[RON S.]

QUOTE (SirAndy @ Jan 17 2006, 10:48 PM)

QUOTE (Dead Air @ Jan 17 2006, 08:56 PM) Are you guys counting your own "hours" at like $50 per as though you were doing programming? no hours, $30k+ is just the original purchase price ($3500) plus parts and shop expenses. if i had to add my own hours at $50 per hour, i could have bought a house instead ... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif) Andy

I bought my rust bucket POS 914/6 for $1500.00

8yrs later and a copule of 10's of M!@#%^&*N 1000's$$$:wacko: (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif) +

I coulda had my house too.But then I would'nta had all the fun too.


Ron (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[72914S]

Double numbers for sure.I`m sure that I have fondled (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wub.gif) every part of this car!
AND IT`S NOT FOR SALE!

[gfulcher]

OK guys (n' gals) - you have it ALL WRONG..

The solution is rather simple to reduce the cost of your various 914 endeavors.. It all comes down to a modification of how the monitary unit is measured.

I prefer to use what I call VCU's to pay for things.

VCU's are Vintage Car Units

In my case, 1 VCU is equal to $100 USD. When asked by a skeptic, "so, how much did you pay for those new wheels and tires you got there?", without hesitation, I can say "oh, about 13 VCU's".

So, those of you with 15k "invested": only 150 VCU's.

Let's say you're the poor sap (pun intended) who has 45k into your 914.. I would suggest making a single VCU worth a bit more, say 150 dollars, thereby allowing you to tell your Financial Advisor (aka: Wife) it only cost "about 300, dear... What's for dinner?"

Sounds a lot better, huh? You don't have to disclose your monetary unit to anyone - unless they ask, of course. If this happens, quickly offer them a ride and they'll forget about everything else.

Cheers,
-greg-

[mudfoot76]

QUOTE (neo914-6 @ Jan 17 2006, 10:03 PM)

That financial term does not apply to these cars or most cars for that matter. "Investment" applied to a car is an indicator of how bad an investor you are. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)
Funny thread! Reading all of this, if there is still anyone who thinks that there is a fortune to be made from owning a 914, there is this Prince from Africa who is trying to move $30,000,000.00 from his home country to a US bank, all he needs is your account numbers and he'll split the fortune with you (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)


But since we're telling war stories, for what I've spent I could have gotten a new Miata that I never have to worry about, would never make me smell like oil and gasoline, keep me cool in the summer with airconditioning and warm in the winter without the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. All of this while cruising around in a ubiquitous Japanese roadster with a fancy stereo system.

But no thank you, I'll take the 914 and not get too upset about the vacancies in my bank accounts!!

[Bruce Allert]

Enough, too much, more than ever of any other car, gazillions and got back maybe 5%.
But I loved that car (when) it wasn't shit'n on me which = (maybe) 65% (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif) and my stereo ain't fancy (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer.gif)

....b