When do you stop?

[ScottD3]

I was up early this morning unable to sleep. To help pass the time untill work I looked at what i've done to my car and how much I spent. This included, servicing, fuel and mods.
The total amount was alot more than I bought the car for or even sell and this got me thinking.

At what point do you stop and think you've spent enough time and money on your car?

For me, I wait untill the car is smashed up, dead or for some personal issues I had to sell the car.

 

[Tobiasnugent]

I agree with you, a car is a hobby and a passion to most of us. Same as people collecting boats or something. Everyone has one thing they spend there money on.

 

[aragorn]

Yep i agree. For me no attention is paid to the value of the car when considering mods. Only what they give me.

I spent over 800quid fitting a new engine and clutch to the old FWD then sold it to my parents 2 months later for a grand when the quattro came up. Most would never have bothered fitting a new engine to a 200k 1996 car, but at the time the car needed an engine so i fitted one. Some would have said sell or scrap it and spend the money on a new car, but again, i had spent a lot of time sorting out all the bits on it, brakes, suspenison, bushes and the other personal touches you make to a car, and there was no guarantee that selling up and spending the new engine money on a new car would have got me anything better.

I suspect the difference is that some people buy a car, specifically because its nice and flash and only 3 years old, and from the get go they are never intending on keeping it, a year or two down the road it will be sold and they'll buy another new or nearly new car. I've had friends and "mates" exclaim "Wow, thats pretty nice for a 10 year old car" or other similar comments, because to them a 10 year old motor is an old heap thats just about fit for the knackers yard. For me, i'd much rather have my 10 year old quattro, maintain it well, and use it until i cant use it any more. That way i'm not up to my eyeballs in loans and finance.

 

[smudge_don]

With the Corsa and the Audi, i wasn't satisfied until it was finished

Luckily my income and a little bit of savings were good enough to keep that expensive hobby up! Only reason i didn't finish the Audi was because of the new house purchase that is looming!

It's a passion, and to most of us on here, our cars are our pride and joy. Much better than spending money on booze or collecting stamps...

I think the limit all depends on your passion for it, and of course your bank balance. I wouldn't be taking out loans to finish a car as that's just silly. But if i can easily cope with the expense, then i'll mod to my heart's content!

 

[eoeumc]

I think that it really, once you start to spend on a car no matter what your spending it on (mods or just to kep it on the road) you think well I have spent this much on it to keep it going, why not spend a couple of hundred more etc lol
I do that normally and get moaned at about it!

Like atm I have a MK4 Escort Rs Turbo Cabriolet for sale, now I have tried to sell it on Ebay. It needs brakes sorting out and it would be fine to drive around. It comes with the parts it needs so all it needs is either someone who knows what there doing or to spend a little bit of money to get it sorted and then you got a ****** quick car for the spring/summer months. been told its too cheap at what it is to sell atm and still get stoopid offers on it!
So what I have decided is that I will spend the money to get it sorted (around £150-£200) and then I will sell it (hopefully). But that money I want for the car and will spend on it I want to buy bits for my A4, so its a right pain in the butt atm

 

[adamss24]

I allways had very good mechanical running cars but not flashy. I tend to buy broken cars every month wich i fix and then pass it on- its not only for the money but the feel good factor. Remember that human beeings get bored pretty quick of everything so for some changing the cars gives them pleasure. I have more pleasure driving me 180k audi- wich is tight as a drum- than driving a new pentium4 driven flash motor wich i cannot fix when it breaks at the side of the road ! New cars are just not reliable anymore and they are very pricey when things go wrong. I have spent thousands fixing cars wich i intended to keep for myself then a new one comes along and i focus onto the next project. Missus aint happy but she does not give a damn if the car has brakes or needs a service or how much will cost if we put the car in a garage to repair ! For me a car is a tool but i got quite attached by me 98 a4 tdi quattro as there are not many cars wich can thrill me as much as this unless they have a 20k asking price- yet it only cost me 3-4 grand fixing it (suspension,tuning,wheels,engine rebuild,etc.) and maybe 1500 to buy a few years ago. The look on the drivers faces with 20k+ motors who cannot keep-up or shake a 12+ years old diesel audi even in their souped-up petrol engined cars IS PRICELES ! That's make's it worthwile. The sensible thing is to buy a newer unmodified car and drive for a while then sell-it on but there's not fun in it...

 

[eoeumc]

I can relate to the faces of the flashy motors when there struggling to get away or keep up.
My best one was when I had a scooby wagon (estate to those who think wagon! wooden wheels etc) and there was a Saab can't remember what it was but it was a new one and he's throwing it around the country lanes with this big old 1995 wagon sticking to its **** and then over taking it on a nice straight. He then backed off and was in the distance before we got to the next bend It a great experience and to think all of this and still staying around the 60mph mark

 

[N16KSH]

really have learned now not to spend money on them no more with my old golf i spent not far of £30k with buying the car and modding it (over 4 years thou) and for what ...... some little **** to come and smash the ****** up and get **** all back from insurance (very sore point)
i just think now money is better spent being invested in things such buying a 2nd house to rent out (think iam just getting old now) =)