View Full Version : Is modding cars really a mug's game?
Ok, so for £4-5k I can develop my car into something that will give 911s a very hard time. :) And how else could I get a well-handling 400bhp car for that little?
But if I spend that £4-5k (even spread over a year, this is ~£400/month :eek: ) at the end of it I'll still only have a fast rusty Nissan, which will still not be worth very much, and I will eventually will piss most of that £4-5k away down the drain.
And if I want to then trade up to a nice newer car, I'll have very little trade-in value to work with it.
:( :( :(
mattygti-r
17-05-2004, 23:02
i think it is in a way.,.. :nod:
still ifu like the car youve got at the end of it thast cool and the gang :thumbs:
one word: NO
modding is one of the few true pleasures i have left in life anymore....
there is no financial gain to modding unless you own a modding business
I just do it for fun and to learn about how cars work :D :wave: aka because I can and because I like to.
Obviously don't beggar yourself by modding. Also, set yourself a sensible goal and avoid buying more than you need to - and the old trick of bodging what you can... that is, diy catch tank but buy yourself a fluffy new turbo because you can't bodge a turbo.. not unless you're a specialist turbo engineer or have access to interesting materials and equipment.
modding is one of the few true pleasures i have left in life anymore.... What happened to w*nking? :D
PulsatingStar
17-05-2004, 23:17
Could combine them both and have w*nk mods :wack:
w*nk mods are boyracer mods :D - you do those to saxos and novas :)
and it was once done to a yellow s13.. ;)
you could call it the w*nk-into-a-mug game
Could combine them both and have w*nk mods :wack:
The Yellow Peril's been there & done that already :nod:
Could combine them both and have w*nk mods :wack:
Is that alternating from the right hand to the left hand :smash:
(And back on topic.. :) )
If I continue modding the car, all I'm doing is just spending more and more money that I'll see very little return on, other than enjoyment.
(And back on topic.. :) )
If I continue modding the car, all I'm doing is just spending more and more money that I'll see very little return on, other than enjoyment.
Uhuh. :nod:
I'd have a better rate of return buying that Alfa on Top Gear last night - the one with £17k depreciation in 1 year :eek:
Sideways Danny
18-05-2004, 01:49
that's why so many modded cars are de-modded when they're sold and the mods sold separately. shame really cos we've lost some of the best modded 200 (Garys, Barrys) because selling them whole is just not cost effective :(
In terms of SXOC style modding, it's safe to assume that 90% of what you have spent is wasted,
Only the 'famous' cars can recoup even that 10%
Richie is putting feelers out for selling his 612bhp S13.
A great car, granted, but any potential buyer has no interest in R&D costs, only what he/she is buying.
I doubt even 10% of what has been spent is saleable value.
A mug's game ? Yes, unless you can afford it.
A mug's game ? Yes, unless you can afford it.
I like to think of it as a hobby, something I enjoy and dont really care about the money :)
Similar amounts of money can be spent on motor racing, golf, a nice holiday, fishing, having a motorbike or classic car for weekends, eating and drinking out regularly, getting married, private flying lessons, paintball ........... etc.
Id rather put the money into my car :thumbs:
None of the above will leave you with anything at the end of the day (except a wife :wack: ). Anyway - who wants to be the richest man in the graveyard?? :)
Actual_Ben_Taylor
18-05-2004, 10:17
Absolutely agree with docwra :)
I know lots of people who spend a fortune each year going snowboarding, scuba diving, getting flying lessons, etc. They don't do it for any financial gain, they just do it because they enjoy it.
I don't plan to sell mine, I will keep it even when I can afford a new one and will keep modding it after that. So the selling price is unimportant to me.
As said if you enjoy it then fine it's a healthy hobby, people spend more than that on porn :rolleyes: and that enjoyment last about 5 seconds :wack:
I don't plan to sell mine, I will keep it even when I can afford a new one and will keep modding it after that. So the selling price is unimportant to me.
As said if you enjoy it then fine it's a healthy hobby, people spend more than that on porn :rolleyes: and that enjoyment last about 5 seconds :wack:
agreed completely - this is my attitude to my own car. It's worth more to me to keep.
Absolutely agree with docwra :)
I know lots of people who spend a fortune each year going snowboarding, scuba diving, getting flying lessons, etc. They don't do it for any financial gain, they just do it because they enjoy it.
Feel much better myself now that I can join this club.
As long as you keep tabs on what you are spending, and keep it within limits you can afford they you are enjoying a hobby. :D :D
I disagree though when I see muppets who put everything on a credit card, loan etc, then come on here complaining when they are in a financial mess :eek:
Just only spend what you have :thumbs: :thumbs:
Papa Lazarou
18-05-2004, 11:27
Just only spend what you have :thumbs: :thumbs:
Too late :wack:
Yep, I also have thousands tied up in Scuba Gear ;)
Fair points all, but the comparison should perhaps not be between modding and a purely hedonistic, no-return activity, but between modding our 200s, and owning other nice standard cars. I suppose :)
It's like renting vs owning...
I like to think of it as a hobby, something I enjoy and dont really care about the money :)
Similar amounts of money can be spent on motor racing, golf, a nice holiday, fishing, having a motorbike or classic car for weekends, eating and drinking out regularly, getting married, private flying lessons, paintball ........... etc.
Id rather put the money into my car :thumbs:
None of the above will leave you with anything at the end of the day (except a wife :wack: ). Anyway - who wants to be the richest man in the graveyard?? :)
Exactly how I feel about it. If I wasn't spending money on my car I'd be spending it on something else I get bugger all return from (PCs for example).
I enjoy, I do it, job done :)
Dave
Papa Lazarou
18-05-2004, 13:03
It depends on circumstances.
If you don't NEED the car (for example to do your job or for commuting, as in other transport is not an option) then you can look at it in the same sort of way as any other expensive hobby as mentioned above.
If its a need, then you can't view it like that, and I probably would never consider heavy tuning of a car if my livelihood depended on it. They just become too unreliable or impractical, and all the while the miles are piling on.
I suppose the only reason you are going to gain financially from it has got to be someone like Bren, or Simon Norris who are using it to promote their businesses.
Ok, so for £4-5k I can develop my car into something that will give 911s a very hard time. :) And how else could I get a well-handling 400bhp car for that little?
But if I spend that £4-5k (even spread over a year, this is ~£400/month :eek: ) at the end of it I'll still only have a fast rusty Nissan, which will still not be worth very much, and I will eventually will piss most of that £4-5k away down the drain.
And if I want to then trade up to a nice newer car, I'll have very little trade-in value to work with it.
:( :( :(
I do see your point, especially going "extreme" and spending as much as as your car again. I got round this by purchasing my Bren device, Front pipe/decat, K&N Air filter all second hand, and bought cheap gauges. But if you go past "stage 1 tune" then yeah, your mod money is basically down the drain. But so it would be if you pissed it up a wall, or smoked it to ash ...
If you keep your car long enough then it seems worth it, and if you would have spent £40K on a 911 or £12K on a S14a that would keep up with it round a track then you have saved cash, even if you sold the 911 for £30K and the S14a for £4K after 3 years ...
Theres also the "stealth" factor, giving M3's a hard time when they expect to blow away "Jap Crap" easily ... I think I could argue either side of the situation.
You just have to decide what you want, how much your prepared to spend, and which is the best route to go .. that will vary for everyone, I would never do what Richie has done, or what some people do to Nova's, but spending £500 on my £7K car to amke it have 35% more power and 40% more torque seems good value to me ... and I'd get most of the cash back selling the mods 2nd hand.
The other advantage of tuning a 200 over say owning a standard 911 is running costs.
Ins. even on a 20k 993 non turbo would be a lot more, and it is the servicing and parts prices even using a specialist...
Isn't it about £1500 for a clutch change etc. An engine or gearbox out job on a 944 isn't it :eek: :eek:
MattyGee
18-05-2004, 13:12
I like to think of it as a hobby, something I enjoy and dont really care about the money :)
Similar amounts of money can be spent on motor racing, golf, a nice holiday, fishing, having a motorbike or classic car for weekends, eating and drinking out regularly, getting married, private flying lessons, paintball ........... etc.
Id rather put the money into my car :thumbs:
None of the above will leave you with anything at the end of the day (except a wife :wack: ). Anyway - who wants to be the richest man in the graveyard?? :)
i agree with the streets man, i mean docwra ;)
if i went out clubbing every weekend or took up smoking i would spend probably even more cash and not much to show for it. as it is i have a car that i love to bits :smitten:
if i went out clubbing every weekend or took up smoking i would spend probably even more cash and not much to show for it. as it is i have a car that i love to bits :smitten:
Exactly my view on it :) My car is the only thing that is guaranteed to put and keep a grin on my face :D
PhilMorrison
18-05-2004, 14:39
I've always done it, from BMX's to Mountainbikes to computers, to cars, I always spend more than I earn because I just can't sit still.. To mod the the 200, I 1st had to give up going out, smoking and drinking, unfortunatly, I now do all that stuff about 3 times as much as I used to before I bought the car :wack: but I still 'just' manage.. At the end of the day, I work a shite paying job 5 days a week so I can mod my car, and the reason? It makes me happy :)
I have just done some calculations and:
20 fags a day = £32 a week = £1664 a year :eek:
2 pints a day = £35 a week = £1820 a year :eek:
Pack of sarnies a day = £1000 a year :eek:
Heres the kicker though - Optimax is what - 8p a litre more expensive??
Say you use 60 litres a week - thats £250 a year!! Just using Opti over normal petrol :eek:
So there we go - I have just saved £4,734. What shall I go and spend it on then?? ;) :D
scimmy ben
18-05-2004, 15:01
I have just done some calculations and:
20 fags a day = £32 a week = £1664 a year :eek:
2 pints a day = £35 a week = £1820 a year :eek:
Pack of sarnies a day = £1000 a year :eek:
Heres the kicker though - Optimax is what - 8p a litre more expensive??
Say you use 60 litres a week - thats £250 a year!! Just using Opti over normal petrol :eek:
So there we go - I have just saved £4,734. What shall I go and spend it on then?? ;) :D
That's £7,890 before tax :furious:
So there we go - I have just saved £4,734. What shall I go and spend it on then?? ;) :D
A set of new pistons for the ones you'll melt running normal petrol.
Dunc.
dont start adding up things like that, or youd never go out again!!
i have a pile of receipts for my car that ill probably never add up, as id rather not know the exact amount i spent, although i got a rough idea :eek:
on a different note, just noticed papa's new wheels in his sig.... boooooooottttiifffuuulllll...... :smitten:
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