What percentage of your cars VALUE would you spend on Modding it?

[Zak33]

I ask this because you all have so many excellent cars....and therefore you are all in the best position to reply.

Lowe.....you are a cracking example

If a car is worth £3000 on the openb market...what percentage of that cars value will you spend on it to make it better?

Because...why not simply buy a better car?

I realise that Insurance is often a factor, so a small engined car gets low insurance and then all the mods go on....BUT...all the mods could be used on inusrance on a faster car.

I am intrigued.....so please, each of you answer in a way that realates to YOU..not other people who also post.

I also realise it happens over a period of time, and therefore you would not have been able to afford it all in one hit...BUT....

If a dude goes and spends £4000 on his £4000 car, and it clearly is onlt still worth £4000 (or worse....even less ) cos its his own personal style.....

when does the line get drawn?

[Maldonado]

it's all about balance... i bought the 1.8 focus because of the low insurance (group 6) and spent my maximum budget on the car and insurance, and now i have a bit of spare cash i'm doing it up with performance parts. i think if you compare the car that i'll have at the end, with how much i spent on it, it's worth more than what it will cost

[kaillum]

personally... i'd rather spend the extra on a 'better' car to start with.. I have the advantage now that i'm not to bothered with insurance costs, 28 y/o max no claims... so i'm more inclinded to go with the bigger engined/bigger bodied car to start with without worrying about modding it to how i want.

but then again i've never spent a huge amount on a car.. much prefer to buy an older bigger car rather than spend the same on a new small mota... eg current car Minter J reg Rover 820i... cost £1k with full service & 12 months TnT and £300 a year TPFT...

but in my younger days, 18/19 I was well into the Mini modding scene.. bought a base car (1986 Mini Mayfair) for £500... then spent the next 2 years and about £3k building it to how I wanted it.. 1380 Turbo engine, 5 speed straight cut box, fibreglass flip front, full cage, quick rack s/box 12" mini lites, cooper disc brakes... went like stink, but then i got old so in effect i'd spend 6 times the value of the car just on parts alone.. did all of the labour meself, so if you take that into account as well i'd hate to guess how much extra it cost me!

[Zak33]

there's 2 different examples....straight away.

I understand the desire to make "the best of what you have" but the money seems to be increasing...big time.

And the dough people spend on ALLOYS or SPOILER KITS....quite exceptional because they MAY have been better buying a prettier or even faster car, in the first place.

[CocoPops]

Yup I agree with Mald'

I paid £10,000 for my 2002 Primera 2.2 Tdi (14months old when I bought it). I bought it because it's a car with lots of toys for the money and I knew if I had a saloon car I might behave more. Plus it's still pretty quick for a larger car, yet it is only insurance group 8 which is important for me with 0 NCB etc.

I've had hatches before and they've got me into trouble etc.

So far I've spent:-
Lowering Springs £120
Carbon Fibre Induction Kit £180
Tuning Chip for TDi £450 (Being fitted Friday)

I will also be adding a rear spoiler to improve looks.

I guess whatever car we own, everyone does their own little things to it.

I've taken the power from 126bhp and 207lbs/ft to 144bhp and 216lbs/ft so far, and with the chip on friday it should see me to at least 160bhp and 235lbs/ft torque.

Ultimately every car is a compromise to a certain extent, is there such a thing as a "perfect car"?

[Bunjiweb]

If i had the spare cash to buy a decent car in the first place i would.... then the only "mods" i'd do to it would be to fit a decent head unit and speakers, some multi-spoke alloys and thats about it really.

Sooooo i'd have to say i would never spend more than 10% of the value of my car on mods...

Ben

[IainB]

Originally posted by Zak33
If a car is worth £3000 on the openb market...what percentage of that cars value will you spend on it to make it better?

Because...why not simply buy a better car?

when does the line get drawn?

Good question...

'cars worth' (when purchased) £2k,
mods err going on £10k
when does it stop - as soon as the wife founds out its real cost
Looking back (and If I had known the total cost) would have bought a ready built car... hey ho
Life is all about learning from your mistakes

[Shad]

I'm deffinitely with the 'buy a decent car in the first place' school of thought. I don't intend to do much to my Alfa when I get it, but I may buy the Eibach lowering springs for it at some point.

[Lowe]

Car's worth a grand at the most, it's had 3 spent on it in mods, and there's at least another grands worth going on it yet.

Why?

Cos I can for one. I'm not in a position where I have any dependents or any real responsibilty. I have disposable income.. Some people spend it on drink and drugs. I get my kicks from terrorising boy racers. Secondly, I'm never going to sell the car so the resale value is of little significance to me. If I end up getting married or whatever the Clio will become a weekend/track car.

Find me a car where there's less than 20 in the UK that performs the same, brings the same smile to your face every time you get in it for the money that's "pre-made". The Clio combination is one of the best conversions that can ever be done. The R5 GTT is known as one of the best hot hatches ever, mainly due to the old, yet fantastic engine. The Clio is one of the best handling hatches ever, the Williams version sharing the same chassis as my basic RT. Chuck uprated dampers and springs on it and you're very close to Clio16v/Williams "chuckability". Mate that with a GTT engine and well.. like I say I wish everyone could drive one!

In fact Zak, I'm more than willing to pay you a visit on a weekend mate. I assume you've got more than enough insurance.. Drive the Clio for an afternoon and post your honest opinion on it afterwards.

[Zak33]

Originally posted by Lowe
Secondly, I'm never going to sell the car so the resale value is of little significance to me. ....

....brings the same smile to your face every time you get in it for the money that's "pre-made". ......Mate that with a GTT engine and well.. like I say I wish everyone could drive one!

In fact Zak, I'm more than willing to pay you a visit on a weekend mate. I assume you've got more than enough insurance.. Drive the Clio for an afternoon and post your honest opinion on it afterwards.

Well....that 2 people, who's opinion I value highly, who have offered me a drive you and RocketmanX....now HIS car sadly just pips yours to the post in terms of getting me very excited, and that is NO derisory comment on your car at all

And yes I have sufficient insurance, so thank you very much. I won't take you up on it, but its very kind.

What I was really after that lot you, that you typed. It defines what I was getting at.

Thanks mate....

[sdp]

I paid 450quid for my car, and I'd happily spend whatever it takes to get it the way I want it, probably 4 or 5k - shame I don't have a job Basically I want a top quality respray when I can afford it, some 10" alloys, disk brakes and a seriously tuned engine when insurance allows. I don't care how much it's worth to other people, it's my baby.

OK it'd probably make more sense to go out and find a mini that's already been done up but then I wouldn't get to learn how stuff works and the satisfaction from doing the work myself. And finding 4-5k up front isn't as easy as doing it in little stages.

If I only wanted an A to B car I'd do what kaillum does and only spend 750-1200quid on a car. My dad does that and usually gets 2 or 3 years at least out of each one. I don't see the point of spending loads buying a normal car when there are plenty of cheap normal cars around.

[[GSV]Trig]

My cars a 13 year old Cav, its worth 1k tops...

If I had the money I'd get some throttle boddies (£2k)
Direct port Nitrous (1k)
Its being lowered in 2 weeks (£300)
Wheels (£700)
Leather interior (£350)
Different Kit (£500)
Respray (£1k)
UniChip
Cams
Rebuild

At the end of the day tho its still a Cav and if I sold it as a complete car with all them mods I'd prolly get £2500 tops, I'd get more if I stripped it down but hey....

[jon bda]

Right then bought my the Mk1 Escort i'm doing now as a bare shell for £100 way back...listed below are all the bits and pieces it will end up with, most having already been bought...total cost when done...i don't even want to think about it...



Body
1972 Base model 2 door
Mexico wings
Anti tramp bars
Panhard rod
Battery in boot
Seam welded
Gusseted
Skidded
Turreted
Four Cibie Super Oscars
Chrome Cibie reverse light
RS Strut top plates
Strut brace
RS1600 badging
(Lots of new panels!)

Interior
Full Safety Devices cage
RS1600(?) 140MPH 8000RPM Concave faced clocks
Escort RS Turbo Recaros
Momo Model 07 steering wheel
New carpets

Engine
1700 x-flow
1300cc pistons
Kent 234 cam
Duplex vernier timing gear
HP/HC oil pump
Bigwing sump
Vulcan Maxiflow 1A bigvalve lead free head (when I’ve got the cash!)
Lightened and balanced
When the motors finished (started?) with following the Vulcan spec sheet,it should make 139BHP on a pair of Weber 40’s.

Transmission
5 speed Sierra box
RS alloy bellhousing
RS single piece prop
RS 3.54:1 diff (might get changed for a 3.89:1 I’ve got here or an LSD if I’ve got enough cash)

Brakes
Fronts
Princess calipers
Rally Design 257mm drilled & grooved vented discs
Rears
Cossie 2wd rear calipers
Mk1/2 Fiesta x-drilled solid front discs
Rally Design braided hoses
All new fixed pipes run inside car
Bias adjustable box

Suspension
Front
2.8i Capri Bilsteins
2 inch lowered 145lb springs
Rear
Turreted Spax adjustables
Capri RS3100 single leaf springs
To be lowered to match the front when I put it together to find out what size lowering blocks are needed

Rally Design poly bushes throughout
WCXM
Twin Cam anti-roll bar
Anti dive kit

Wheels
Alleycat MX Minilites 51/2 x 13


And heres what i want it to look like, but with four big Cibies on the front of course...

[Zak33]

that's not a fair comparison.....

that is SEX on 4 wheels.

Even people who HATE Ford can see that it will be stunning

[TiG]

Well just to put a spoiler to your party Zak, but you know me, i'm always the person who puts a spoiler on things, but seriously i think the mods to my new car will be 0% of its value.

I think 180bhp is more than enough for me. The car looks nice, smooth lines well positioned.

But my disposable cash has been saved up to allow me to spend £12k on a car, most people aren't really in the position to do this and considuring i'm buying on more than just power and performance. I want a car i can live with.

I can see why you might like to actually mod your car just for the sheer hell of modding it itself being pleasurable.

I think that actually knowing what you are doing with the modding in the first place is truely a wonderful skill but my knowlegde doesn't go that far and i wouldn't know where to start so i would have to have any mods i wanted done - paid for which to be honest i can't see the point of.

I think modding is great if you do it yourself, otherwise i struggle to see the benefit?

Just my 2p worth

TiG

and yes Zak even i like the above picture

[[GSV]Trig]

LOL, I thought a 150Bhp Cavvy GSi would be ok for me, then I wanted 200Bhp (as its a 2 Ltr engine) now I want 200Bhp per tonne....