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View Full Version : Are you realisticly going to do everything to your car?


NiteKids
02-21-2003, 07:14 PM
Many of us of big plans for our cars like motor swap, turbo-KA, built internal, wheels and tires, Full Coilover systems etc. Basicly alot of expensive stuff. Realisticly do you think your going to be pulling off everything you have planed for it and have the patience for it or do you think posibly sometime down the line you'll give up and just not care anymore. (or just simply lack of funds.)

Bbandit
02-21-2003, 07:17 PM
Originally posted by NiteKids
do you think posibly sometime down the line you'll give up and just not care anymore. (or just simply lack of funds.)

im getting there :)
hopefully not though..
thats why i autox regularly
just having fun with what i got right now

NiteKids
02-21-2003, 07:30 PM
Yeah often times I think damn all this stuff I wanna do it's just not gonna happen. (Due to insufitiant funds which i believe describes most of us.) Also no matter how much we work at our deadend jobs (well I guess mine kinda is) there's always other stuff to pay for and saving up isn't even an option. I'm not exactly wanting to sell the car just gets frusterating sometimes.

mrdirty
02-21-2003, 07:33 PM
funding my expensive hobbies is what drove me back to get my
B-Eng; I owe this car :D

drift freaq
02-21-2003, 08:13 PM
I will do everything I planned on doing . I was almost there when my 91 got totalled . It will happen with my 92 plain and simple.
where there's a will there's a way.

Yoshi
02-21-2003, 09:59 PM
I concur, I think I'm more than halfway there now.

SilviaDriver
02-21-2003, 10:04 PM
everything i have planned i have done so far.

HaLo
02-21-2003, 10:07 PM
I'm pretty much done... I only need bodywork and a z32 maf to make it everything I wanted... :)

Jsquared
02-21-2003, 10:10 PM
as of now i'm still trying to get the car in the first place :D but i will probably get all the big stuff i wanted (e.g. upgraded turbos, JIC coilovers, JDM bodywork) within a couple years (timeframe limited solely by funding :D ) and can probably do everything i want for 10-15k total when all is said and done (that includes all the little junk like rollbar, harnesses, new paint, HIDs, CD player and good lightweight speakers, etc)

AceInHole
02-21-2003, 10:10 PM
hmm... fjo standalone system... only like $6000 fully loaded :p

JDM180SX
02-21-2003, 10:48 PM
I'd say I'm about 75% done. I didnt make major plans to start with so its not as expensive...but i wouldnt let the car get in the way of something like a apartment or house, family, etc...

-Eddy

silnv
02-21-2003, 10:56 PM
I am going in stages. Like this winter I wanted to get my sr in along with suspension and body. That is all about done. Next windter i want to upgrade turbo or throw in a rb, and I will do it regardless.:)

KiDyNomiTe
02-21-2003, 11:00 PM
I see what you are saying, I have had so many different plans with so many different cars, but when you begin to work you get more of a feel for how much money you will have. I have sometime when bored in school just drawn up some plans for the my soon to be 240. But whenever I do plan I take off quite a bit of the money I think I will have to ensure that it will be possible for me. But with me not bieng able to find a job right now I basically just pushed everything back quite a bit.

I originally was going to get the car in February, then do swap in summer, but I figured why bother getting the car if I don't need it, especially in winter, so I am waiting till spring. And the swap was pushed back to some time after June, I really want to do autocross, and I would rather get as much experience as possible, prolly just have a couple suspension mods while I await the swap.

Good thing is I am good with saving money, I hate spending money on things, so money won't be an issue as long as I get a job in spring.

MorganS13
02-22-2003, 12:32 AM
i've thought about this quite a bit as well. i decided i'm pretty much done with my 240 for a while, but i'm too attached to it to sell it so if i do end up getting a new "project" this will probably be my daily driver or backup car. its definitely not going anywhere or having anything done to it till i at least get out of college in a few (lol, i can hope can't i) years... its sad, but its just the truth. i've thought about it countless times and i can't justify spending $5k on an engine swap that i don't *need*. i'm thinking a nice high powered luxury coupe as my next toy...

misnomer
02-22-2003, 12:39 AM
I have absolutely no intention to complete my major plans for my car.

nrcooled
02-22-2003, 07:31 AM
I am pretty much done w/ her. I have my radiator on the way and rims will come soon. I am just maintaining the level of performance and reliability by not adding tons of horse power. 14lbs (estimated 220hp) is plenty fun.

Edit: maybe a t28 will go in if I can get a good deal on one:D

masta
02-22-2003, 07:52 PM
Well for me I guess I do set high goals so i have something to reach for. I may not get there, but I just hope I have fun and learn in the process and meet lots of cool people on the way.

That way when I end up selling it and getting angry because I can only get like 20% of what I paid for it, I will be happy with the experience. I may not be able to do this again for a while since I am currently not married or with kids.

Not like that is bad or anything to the people in this situation... :P

sr20driver
02-22-2003, 07:57 PM
I will get there in a couple of months :D

Zemus
02-22-2003, 08:38 PM
Im not even close.


I'm sure some of you are in the prodicoment i am in, I buy the car, plan on a quick engine swap and rims and call it a day right.

Wrong..

I end up wasting all my money on foolish stuff and gas cuz i love driving my car so I dont got **** to show for having my car almost a year now other than Rims, Exhaust, and lots of miles.

My plans are this:

Get Wheresmytofus spare engine, put in SOHC pistons, and do some headwork and whatever else i can do for cheap or do myself and then get it blueprinted, and maybe get some cams and an intake, and other lil stuff. I truthful would be very happy with 180RWHP.

Suspention and drive train wise go this way. Eather save for coilovers or just get springs and shocks, who knows. The same goes with LSD, eather just get a N/A 300zx rear end, or a nice KAAZ LSD. My next plan my shock and scare you but, im getting a new tranny, which is from a 200zx, 1981. I was told the gearing is perfect, and it will bolt right up to that KA, and its a AWESOME tranny. And with that I will put a Stage 3 Clutch in, so i can get all that 180RWHP to the ground :D ;) .

My wheels right now arent to bad, but Im thinking about buying this one kids pair of 16x8.5 rims (awesome meshes) for the back.

Body: Get an 91 front bumper, and one day get the eastbear front - side and back underspoiler, for a great look, at this point my car will look beautful. For lighting, all i want is H4 headlights, and maybe that cool sleeply look, i like that. And maybe one day, 180sx taillights with a matching 180sx wing, but those are all pipe dreams.

I think the worse thing to do when i add all this up it comes to be a unimaginatable amount of money for a Highschool student with a part time job... its quite depressing

In reality im about 7% done with my goals, i guess its a start

X3n0ph0b3
02-22-2003, 08:48 PM
The major problem is that we can dump all the money we want to make our cars kick ass, but when the time comes to move on, we will not get anything close to our investment on resale. The market is not good for 240sx's. They are not a well known car and it is hard to sell them to those outside the 'circle' of 240 owners. Very few realize the potential of these cars and the powerhouses that they are. If we had Honda's and had invested as much as we have in our 240s into them, we could still get a decent return on our investment, sadly this isn't true for the 240.

Zemus
02-22-2003, 08:53 PM
Originally posted by X3n0ph0b3
The major problem is that we can dump all the money we want to make our cars kick ass, but when the time comes to move on, we will not get anything close to our investment on resale. The market is not good for 240sx's. They are not a well known car and it is hard to sell them to those outside the 'circle' of 240 owners. Very few realize the potential of these cars and the powerhouses that they are. If we had Honda's and had invested as much as we have in our 240s into them, we could still get a decent return on our investment, sadly this isn't true for the 240.

Im not sure if thats as true anymore. I bought my car for $2400s, and with rims and exhaust i have been offerd 3k for it. Their super rare now and ppl will take em for good money. Honda ppl are converting and things are good

X3n0ph0b3
02-22-2003, 08:59 PM
Originally posted by Oni
Honda ppl are converting

No good can come from this...

Dousan_PG
02-22-2003, 09:09 PM
simply.

yes.
and i get a little help from my friends (well, ok, maybe a lot)

SimpleS14
02-22-2003, 10:03 PM
Yes...but I'm keeping everything simple. Also thru out time my mind changes and I decided to go with something more expensive or what's available. I'm not going to get rid of this car since it takes me to work, school and gives me a social life.

thelinja
02-22-2003, 10:37 PM
I'd like to say that I'm going to do everything that I say I am going to do. I'm not totally positive it will all happen though. After college I would like to get turbo kit. I would like to get 3" N1 Dual exh. I would like a fmic, I would like black metallic paint, and finally I would really like a vlsd. The vlsd will probably come within the next year and a half though.

nrcooled
02-22-2003, 11:13 PM
Originally posted by X3n0ph0b3
The major problem is that we can dump all the money we want to make our cars kick ass, but when the time comes to move on, we will not get anything close to our investment on resale. The market is not good for 240sx's. They are not a well known car and it is hard to sell them to those outside the 'circle' of 240 owners. Very few realize the potential of these cars and the powerhouses that they are. If we had Honda's and had invested as much as we have in our 240s into them, we could still get a decent return on our investment, sadly this isn't true for the 240.

It's not an investment its a hobby....it's love. If you are modding your car to get better resale value you my friend are sorely mistaken. You do it for the enjoyment of workng on cars and bettering your ride not the value.

FYI Cars in general are horrible investments. If you want a good investment I think livestock and porkbellies are doing well

Jeff240sx
02-23-2003, 01:12 AM
I didn't build my car to sell. I built my car to please me, and it will untill it gets totalled. And after that, the engine will go into a new body. I'm not selling except for what I put into it, so I can make another one for myself.
I also think that people that buy cars that are already built are pussies. Cars take on the apperance and personallities of their creator, as they are built to be one person's. I for one am not going to buy a car built to someone else's standards and tastes. And yea. Once my built engine gets in my hands, my last goal will be to put it in my car. And that WILL happen.
-Jeff
This should be in OT, but I'm on web-tv and cant move stuff.

AKADriver
02-23-2003, 01:26 AM
I don't have any major plans for my car, so, I guess.. YES! I am going to do everything to it :D

I don't know, I used to think about cars from a big picture sort of way... coming up with a big plan then trying to work towards it. It just doesn't work that way, especially when I'd actually get the car...

Before I bought my 240SX I had all sorts of plans. After buying the car... I like it so much that so many things I wanted to change are looking just unnecessary.

Owning this car has been all about finding weaknesses... either by actually breaking parts, or just finding things I'm not happy with.. and replacing them with upgraded parts.

This isn't as glamorous as a big long mod list, but it saves a lot of time, headaches, money, and regret. I don't think I'll ever be "done", but in the meantime I'll have a car that as time goes by will just make me happier and happier... instead of slowly approaching an arbitrary goal and possibly never reaching it, which is why most car guys get tired of their project cars.

BLiTz
02-23-2003, 08:00 AM
I think this is a great thread because ive often thought about how many people are b/s'ing about there cars, now let me start, i have a dang stock 92 SE FB, so im a prime example, my plans have somewhat changed, due to recend accident involving my front end, well i have a S13 front coming in about 2 weeks with Bomex front bumber, this wasn't origionaly planed but i kinda wanted to do it anyway, then theres engine which will probly come in April or May, then suspension, which will probl be late summer, because im gonna be pretty spent after engine, and then light-weight bronze or gunmetal wheels, with S14 hubs, because i believe 4 lug is stupid, by then i should have the rest of the matching bomex aero, so im going to focus on gettin a coat of probly a gunmetal or silver color laid down, at the time of the engine swap, i will have exhaust too, and im gonna TRY for a FMIC, and BOV at the time depending on how many hours i end up with at work...my outlook has somewhat changed after my wreck, because now i drive around somewhat scared of wrecking my car, my worst fear...and i really wanna get suspension, wheels, and LSD, Brakes on new Hubs, to really knock up control and handling so it feels a little more stable because right now there is none. Granted this is alot of money, that is my point, but i have about 6 saved right now, just for my car, and about half that is in one acount and the other 3 somethin- 4 g's is in another acount, so im getting there, but not that close. I hate being poor:(

logo20
02-23-2003, 05:54 PM
I almost done with my plans for my 240sx. I just want cams and a good clutch and i'll be done. After that i'll be moving to another 'project' I'll be looking for a 300zx tt. :p

240racer
02-23-2003, 05:55 PM
If somebody "finshes" they're car, I will be suprised. I don't think I'll ever have a car that is done. To me a done car is either sold or hauled to the junk yard.
My car won't be done untill it has a complete tube frame and about 400-600 hp (depending on how soon I get a Supra). Since it will never actually have these things and the other things that complement these things, it won't be done till I haul it to the junkyard.

transient
02-23-2003, 07:42 PM
I'm definately going to complete my goals. It may take a while, but i'm going to do it. I plan on keeping my car for a long time.