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?



n

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.......

I don't budget... tried saving for a Raby engine once... used the $ for Bilstein shocks don't feel like I spend too much cuz I don't think about it don't wanna bring my self down about a car I really enjoy Plus, my wife does the finances so I just put it on the card & that's how we get air fare for vacations! Money spent = air miles free air fare! (I know... delusional, huh?)

..........b

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

I wait for the value of my house to go up and take out a home equity loan....

Budget ???

what ever it takes

Bernie

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

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

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).

I went right to the source. I started working for Brad and he pays me in parts.

Plus I put every other cent I get into my cars. I fully embrace my addiction.

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.

-Chris

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.)

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

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.

The race car comes first.
If there is any money left over I use it for luxuries like food and rent.

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

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?"

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.

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

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

My budget is whatever I can sneak in under my wife's radar, and I try using the excuse that it's really no more expensive than any other car. Actually, all that stuff's beginning to sound kinda lame. I think I'm headed for a train wreck soon.

Dave

"If you are a woman get a boyfriend who knows how to work on cars."

I guess in spite of the extensive restoration the Bee went through, my 914 work hasn't been complete - I have yet to come across the tool or part that REQUIRES a penis to operate the tool. As far as I know, that would be the ONLY reason I'd NEED a 'boyfriend' to help me work on a 914.

-Pam

I had a 73 that was more than a money pit. Sold it after 3 yrs and $5k in parts & repairs and it was still a POS.

When I bought my 70, I found one that had the work already done. It does need some minor body work done, but nothing major. I learn to by the best 914 you can find. For budgeting I figure $1k a year misc stuff. I am lucky enough to have room to buy parts cars and strip them down to help pay for 914 sickness. My wife understands that my 914 is very important to me so the cost of keeping it on the road is ok with her since I am not out at a bar or playing golf every weekend. She enjoys going for rides in the car and so does the boy.

- Garold

Good point but a boyfriend might make the rest breaks fun.

Dave

go PAM go

I was waiting for someone to jump on that, heehee. But in a sense Geoff has a good point. If your goal is to own and drive a nice classic car, not spend countless hours learning how to repair it, then get a buddy who can help out. Otherwise pay the mechanic.

They don't, haha. If you don't know how to work on a car find someone then or learn.
Queenie is in school and has no time, doesn't know how and can't afford it soo the third option is to get a boyfriend who knows how. That was why I made that comment.
Sellling a car cuz its expensive to fix, well all cars are expensive. Buy new and you pay monthly or buy used and pay to repair it from time to time.

I like to work on cars and I can cook ok. Monique loves to cook and not work on cars, so we are a match made in heaven. haha


Geoff
(due to new FCC rules is it ok to say "penis" here?)

A much smarter guy told me a long time ago.. If it has wheels, floats, or flies (yeah, I know the other one) it's gonna cost you.

Sad thing is, if you can't afford a new one, you can't afford an old one. Teeners may be cheap to buy, but no less expensive to maintain than a new 996. If cheap transportation is your goal, buy an Asian car with a forever warranty. If you want to have fun, it will cost you. IMHO Queenie should not drive an old car.

maybe she needs a older boyfriends with money!

Sell blood and other fluids when big things are needed...
Otherwise, pinch Dominoes delivery guys...generally they give up the cash quick. I know I did when I was a Dominoes dude

Great question but I think this ranks up there with the whole sound in the forest thing...
If you cant hear the sound, was there sound????

Its hard to budget for something you love and I mean REALLY the people on this board have a passion for the 914 that rivals old Italian families.

Just throw what you can afford at it, find a mechanic (good or bad), learn how to do some things yourself. Me, I know how to replace my fuses and am learning how to fill the tires!

very elequent! and I agree... I learn more and more about the cars every time I work on them. I've pretty much have the brakes DOWN PAT! since that was my first project and I've done it twice now... a couple more engine drops and I'll feel good about that too...

remember kids, learning IS FUN!

Yea, try supporting two P cars. As a wise man has already stated above. new cars cost every month. The way I see it my 25 yr 928 will spank most Mustangs. at 1000 bucks in parts a year average over 12 years way cheaper that anything else. My 70 914 will get WAY better gas milage.

Then there are the "Cool Points" for driving a Porsche to work everyday. So how much does that cost? Priceless.

I put 1000 dollars in the Explorer this year too. So ??????

Oh yea I do side jobs like ceramic tile, Dry wall, Electrical,General carpentry, Cabinet making, I'll paint it if you can hold it down. and now Brick. If you can break it I can fix it. NO PENIS required. But it comes with the rest of me.

well, when i bought the car, i still had a "real" job that paid 120,000 a year. most of the expensive addons (5-lug conversion & wheels) were done during that period.

now i run my own company. most of the money goes right back into growing the business.
on a good month, i get $2000 net out of it.
usually less.

i'm just glad the car runs right now cause otherwise it would be non-oped ...

Andy

I work on all of the cars around here. Occasionally I farm some work out. The wife's last new car went bye-bye along with the $460/mo car payment. I bought her a 10 year old Jeep. She likes it, and it's paid for.

My 914 budget pretty much got shot to hell as I stripped the 914 and found rust, rust, and more rust. I told my wife I didn't have the money to have it fixed and she said don't worry we'll get it taken car of.

now that's funny ...

i wonder if there are any tools that require a vagina to operate?!?

Andy

I don't know if you'd really call it a tool...

You go girl. I have learned to put a roof on a house, drywall, paint(not well), rewire a outlet, change oil, I can clean, cook, raise 5 kids while my husband travels for business(a least that is what he tells me).... I can fry it up in a pan...... surely I can learn to work on my car if I had to. If you want something bad enough you do what you have to!!

THANK GOD I DON'T HAVE TO!!

The penis thing comes in handy sometimes though,

Sherry

As a doctoral student at Stanford, perhaps we should ask how you budget for your tuition?

Budget for the race car: buy what I want when I want it and take a business tax deduction, up to the highest reasonable limit for advertising a one person business.
Budget for the street car: any parts that come of the race car, or traded from a customer's car, are eligible for the streeter.
When my 2002 Dodge Dakota is paid for ($400/mo) at the end of this year I'll have a few $$ to get the street car painted. Until then I'm too embarassed to drive it much.

I will teach anybody how to work on their cars, male or female.
Last night I helped a ex-Microsoft programer (retired to be an actor) to adjust his valves in my garage which I let him use (he lives in a Condo). I have been teaching him how to do auto mechanical work for 2-3 years and he loves it. He grew up in NYC so this is all new to him, tools, clutch cables, Djet and he now loves it. I guess he feels impowered instead of (he can afford it) dropping off the car to a auto repair place.

The point is you have to be willing to learn and that isn't penis or vagina dependant, so if you not willing or have the time, you have to hook up with someone who can do it for you. I am sorry but most shops in the Seattle area just butcher 914 when they work on them. I have spend alot of time helping the above friends car just to repair the damage mechanics have done on his car. These were some of the top Porsche shops in the area!
Geoff

Hey Geoff want to move Indiana, there are a few lots available in my subdivison . That's the kind of help I really like. I found a lot of memebers here that have been willing to give up their free time to help me not only with the 914 but other projects also.

I'm always willing to help someone when I can. My friends and I have always been "you help me, I'll help you" types.

I've learned a lot about cars from friends, and I try to share that knowledge every chance I get.

perfect example, I was really intimidated about dropping my engine/tranny the first time, a local board member came over and helped, and showed me the way! less than 2 months later, I got to share that with another club member.. though he really already had the hard part of the job done...

no shit, huh?

i'm on a fellowship, minimum 5 years of support. that adds up to a package deal of about $300k. i see very little of that in cash, but thank GOD. it's a good deal for a grad student.

OMG, I couldn't get $5.00 to help either one of my college students(one is a lazy genius). We make a decent living and they refused us any help other than loans. I am priming my youngest son for scholarship since we will be bankrupt by the time these two finish. Alos have a daughter going to collegenext year, thank God she want to go to community college and continue to work at the bank(she likes money). I couldn't get a dime for law school either, unless I divorced my husband and was a single mom with kids then they would give me the moon.
I need to get a fellowship or something. I hope for that much money you are going to cure diabetes; something where a nobel prize is in your future.
Sherry

to create a budget i have opted to to commute for an hour(2 hours if i don't take the BUS!), and go to work for a slave driving prick .

kevin