Starting to have second thoughts on my "project"

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 5:01 am

For those of you who dont know. Its going on 2 years now since I found my 94 turbo wagon in a junk yard with a blown motor. I have pulled the engine and pulled the whole thing apart. I'm a little discusted at how much I've spent on this thing. I was going through my recipts, let me break it down for you.

Car: 150.00
Drivers door & front left fender: 150.00
Engine rebuild: 1500.00
Hydrolic Tensioner, oil pump, water pump: 350.00
Pistons and Rings: 390.00
Head Bolts: 135.00
Oil pan and misc bolts: 170.00
Coolant Res, misc belts: 200.00
Hoses: 35.00
Misc: 85.00
IHI VF34: 1000.00
Header w/up pipe: 500.00
sti engine mounts: 100.00

ok let me add that up quick........holy shit I'm gonna vomit...

FOUR THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY-FIVE.

Now its not ONLY the money that has me upset. I mean, I've had alot of fun working on this car. I've put every waking moment into it. Its just not really working out like I had planned. I took the car up the street to get some gas today and I'm just not impressed with it really. I should have it registered and insured this week so I'll start driving it more in hopes that I'll start to like it more. I'm just a little bummed because the was hit in the front left A pillar so its a little messed up. I need to take it to a body shop and have it pulled hydrolicly. That means more money to get the car to look good. Now I see that beautiful white 94 with the 91k miles in the parts shed and I'm pissed. I dont know.....I think I need some consoling lol

-Mike

MY92 · Post by **MY92** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 5:07 am

Can always reshell the beast....

douglas vincent · Post by **douglas vincent** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 5:43 am

If it makes you feel any better, I am into the $4k mark with my $400 1990 NA wagon. Of course that includes some N20 parts and the supercharger that I can easily sell off for cash, but still I am at least $2500 plain and simple, for a rig that is loud and not so fast.

But still fun as hell!

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:06 am

I won't mention what I've spent (especially on bodywork), but it's still cheaper than a new car I wouldn't like as much. Girlfriends and vacations don't make financial sense either but I want to enjoy and experience stuff. I just cut back on the daily bullshit that adds up (cable, junk food, and the like) and don't worry about it. Soon I'll have a real job and not have to cut back to the bone ...

The question to ask is, 'Was that money wasted?' If yes, then maybe you should consider something else.

Steve

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 8:08 am

it the value of the car + the enjoyment of the work + planning + what you learn on the road + enjoyment of driving >= 4750$ , then it was a good investment.

Sometimes it just takes one little thing to swing from really upset to really delighted with this sort of thing.

How much is a legacy gt these days? With a rebuilt engine, you're not terribly far away.

Post by **Legacy777** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 2:25 pm

If you're worried about the money.....you really shouldn't get an older car to mod and play with.

I've got around $5,600 into my swap project......and that's not including any of the previous stuff I've done.....so I'm sure I have a good $10,000 in misc mods/crap done to my car.......now that's sickening....

dzx · Post by **dzx** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 2:57 pm

I'm up around 8k

dzx · Post by **dzx** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 2:58 pm

I'm up around 8k. But other than my gf complaining about how much I spend on the car, I have no complaints myself.

Brat4by4 · Post by **Brat4by4** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 3:33 pm

about 7 total here. and over 2 of it uninstalled and sitting in my room

entirelyturbo · Post by **entirelyturbo** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 4:39 pm

I've spent over $5k in my car, and that isn't even to make it go faster. That's to restore it and make it run as smoothly as possible.

And the sucky part is, I still have some $3k worth of plans for it

Another thing you need to consider: Now that you've spent all this dough on it, are you going to actually sell it and throw all that money away? No matter how much you convince a potential buyer otherwise, what it's worth is what it's worth.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 5:00 pm

i'm at least up $4000 into my car.

I know you'll love it mike, with proper tuning it will also be very fast. do not worry about it, if it ever gets you down, think of how little you're goign to have to spend on it in the future to keep it running so smoothly

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:32 pm

I'm about 10k deep, give or take. It's been worth it, simply for the experiences I've gained. I never thought I would be able to do the stuff I've done with my car. I wouldn't want it any other way, really. I just enjoy immensely the amount of fun I have with the car. There are only like 3 newer cars that I'd want to have more than my BC, and all cost significantly more than 10k.

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 11:52 pm

Well guys (and gal

) I apreciate your kind words. All your words of encouragment make me realize that if I had not done all this work to a subaru I probably wouldn't have made soem cool people. Just think if I spent 5k on souping up my civic I had instead? If I had posted on nabisco that I spent that much the would have said I was a dumb ass or something......

Thanks, I think I feel better.

-Mike

Post by **Legacy777** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 11:55 pm

Remember....non-car people only think you have a problem when you actually tell them how much you spent......so just don't add everything up.

I sort of haven't done the whole adding everything up....pretty much for that reason, and I don't want to know how much I've dumped into the car. I didn't do the AWD swap costs until afterwards.....and if you include the truck I bought as a second driver, that's another $2,100.

Matt Monson · Post by **Matt Monson** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 5:56 pm

Those numbers sound about right. I am not in that deep on the Legacy 2.0GT conversion, but then I don't have $1500 sunk into headers and a turbo. Remember that if you decide to bail on it, you can sell those parts for around $1200. Replacing them with OEM parts will cost around $200. So, $1000 would easily be reclaimed beyond what you can sell the car itself for.

As for my own labor of love?
2.5RS: $18,000
Speed parts to date: $ 5,000+
speed parts pending: $ 5,000+
And that will ONLY have me pushing 250 CHP. Hell, for what I am in for, I could find a used WRX and drop in an STi EJ257 and be running 400hp. But I love my GC. I like to say that when I die they will push me off a cliff in that car...

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 6:11 pm

Yea, The way I see it, I'll be getting a Subaru to replace the Legacy, and my turbo and exhaust can both be used on the new car

Post by **DLC** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 7:08 pm

With my swap, mods and four suspensions, i'm on the high end of the numbers people have posted.

It's going to be someone else's project soon, and that's alright with me, because the car still has plenty of life left in it.

I really wish my GT had the power of the BF, but the rest of the car pretty much overwhelms what the BF has. How many of us have made a purchase, only to have that sick feeling in their stomach that they made the wrong choice?

No sick feelings for me.

mike is in the same situation that i was in. What he does is influenced by us, but his final decision. I'm happy with mine, and i can only hope he'll be with his.

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Starting to have second thoughts on my "project"

Starting to have second thoughts on my "project"