The eternal question......how much have you sunk into your tub?

Don't ask!!

 

It's a lot more than $9,500 but the enjoyment from having the car plus the events and good friends I have made, plus some of the SOC site (certainly not all of it) has been worth it.

 

I doubt you will get many answers to this and I wonder what is the purpose of your question---just curiosity? 

It's kinda like my house.  After the initial purchase price & significant upgrades, I'll never get my money back, but that wasn't the point.  I bought a house to live in and a car to drive, neither one as investments.

That's a great question. I've got a few as well:

 

1. How would you rate your wife, on a scale of 1 to 10? Go get her to see if she agrees.
2. Do you pick your nose?
3. How much money do you make?
4. Any problems with impotence?
5. Did you wet the bed as a child?
6. Have you ever been betrayed by someone you really trusted?
7. How many times a week do you have sex? Go ahead and rate it on a scale of 1 to 10. Get your wife and see if she agrees.

I think Gary's well aware that we all spend more than he does in Cape Town. For the past 150 years or so, slavery has been against the law in this country, so our cars cost a bit more.

 

There can be no value in talking about any of this. Seriously. We could save a bit of time and mail in a net-worth statement.

That's a great question. I've got a few as well:

 

You guys can answer Stan's questions (at your own peril) if you like, but I won't touch them. Especially the first one.... 

Gawd, loads of reasons, curiosity is obviously the main one, thinking of what a car costs to buy/ build/ maintane/ modify around the world. I know that majority of the forum is US based, but are the amounts being spent the same or are certain states cheaper?

 

Also how much cheaper is it to do the work yourself compared to a shop? I know that there are a lot of guys/ girls on here who do the bulk of the work themselves, so I was wondering if that makes a huge diffs at the end of the day?

 

With regards to what I paid and my estimate, I've noticed that parts wise, buying locally is actually way more expensive than the US, where we do score is labour. Bear in mind that locally you don't just take your speedster to someone, you're pretty much forced to learn to wrench yourself.

Sorry, can't put info like that out on the web for anyone (read wife...) to see.

Obviously FlatFour (Fatty in the future) is a bald face lier with his 9500.00, and trying to make points with his wife...

 

to answer Stan

1. 10+(never had a bad BJ either)

2. yes

3. right at 6 fig (but going down)

4. yes, but it's not a problem

5. still do

6. nobody still alive

7. often (see no. 1)

 

Maybe it's just me, but I think FFF's request was simply an effort to gauge a ball-park 'cost of ownership' and not so much a query as to your financial status. Tough crowd! 

 

Reminds me of the joke; 'I meant to say, honey, please pass the salt; but what came out was...you ruined my life you miserable BIATCH!!'

 

Jeeze...I gotta be with Jim on this one. I'm sympathetic to Gary's question as I'm a builder much like him. Building something with your own hands invariably, at least for me, will bring about the question...should I just have gone out and paid someone to do it for me or should I have just gone out and bought what I wanted or am I content that I built it myself costwise ? I just like building things...plain and simple. I've built four boats, three scratch built airplanes ( not kits ) and I'm just starting another boat with plans for one more a year from now. I've always kept cost records as a reference to my addiction to building. Right now I'm on my third engine in the speedster, everything seems to be running quite well and I've got about $12,000 into the thing total. It's no beauty queen, maybe a 6 out of 10 in the big scheme of things, but we do have plenty of fun with it and have met a great group of friends with it also. 32,000 miles in two years ain't to shabby either.

I have about $9500 in my...........................engine & transmission.

 

Looking back on this morning's post, I'm sure I came off pretty strong.

 

But let's look at this in light of the bulk of recent posts. We've become a group of guys who talk as much about the money aspect of this hobby as we do about the cars themselves. It's becoming the dominant theme of this site. Frankly, it's getting old. There's a plurality of self-appointed "value-police" here who seem bent on turning the SOC into old fashioned populist class envy.

 

Collectively, we've come to think it's normal to decide who paid too much when they bought, who's asking too much when they sell, and who's spending too much for a plastic toy car along the way.

 

I have a hard time believing this is an innocent attempt to get a handle on what it costs to own a speedster, as the original poster has a long personal history of ownership to draw upon. He's not new to the site. I've enjoyed watching his build. Meanwhile, there have been multiple posts from other guys about how much it costs to build a nice Type 1 or Type 4, etc.

 

I'm glad there are guys who can do this for pennies on the dollar-- and if you want to toot your horn, by all means go ahead! I really am impressed.

 

But, it's a really short hop from talking about what you spent to critiquing what other guys spent. We don't have a great history in that regard, and I don't really trust the intent when we start talking about money.

 

Sorry for being ham-handed. I think it'd be best to just take an SOC sabatical for a while. Talk amongst yourselves on whatever topic you see fit.

 

I think that flatfourfan was bragging a bit, on how little he has spent on his speedster,  but that's okay with me.   He has talent and has worked damn hard on his project, and he wants us to know it.  Many on this forum have done the same, including me (me meaning with a hell of a lot less talent).

Flatfourfan, I wish I had your talent, or lived close by so I could constantly drop in for help.  Keep posting on your budget speedster project. 

LMAO @ the replies. A few points to make. Seriously my skin is thick, I can take a good jibe from time to time.

 

1) $9500 for a toy locally is a lot of money, if my wife knew how much I really spent, then she'd make me sell it, because I still have quite a bit mroe than needs to go into it.

2) My car is currently a 2/10 at best and so I was wondering to get the look that pretty much most of you have, what would it cost elsewhere in the world to get that look, and also those that have the look, how did you get it?

3) I think that everyone is a smidgen worked up after the "dumb question" thread.

4) If I was bragging, then I'd do this when my car is done, but then again, are they ever "done"?

5) Ron, not much talent here, just a passion for having some fun with my ride even when she's not riding. I've had it on the back of an A-frame behind my truck for the last 5 months while I wheel her around from place to place working on it. I have the better part of 50 holes and cut out sections to fill up when I'm done because of trial and error.

6) I dig the wide cross section of members that we have on here.......pretty much all walks of life are represented.

 

 

"I think that flatfourfan was bragging a bit, on how little he has spent on his speedster,  but that's okay with me.   He has talent and has worked damn hard on his project, and he wants us to know it.  Many on this forum have done the same..."

 

Ron:  I don't have that kind of ability, but I have worked damn hard all my life to be able to afford the car I have, so to me, it all balances out. 

 

And I can understand Stan's reaction to this thread.  Like he, I get tired of the value based comparisons that get made here.

You guys are reading WAY too much into my question. Mods, feel free to lock this thread if you see fit as the last thing that I want is ANOTHER drama thread.

I think it's hilarious. But, not to be an considered an offensive kind, I will never again post anything related to the amount of cash I've got into my speedster. Politics, guns, slavery, the size of someone's boobs, ass or penis, jokes, the economy in general, Chinese (parts) bashing, bashing in general ( parts suppliers, car builders, engine builders ), business plans of some upstarts are all ok, but Louie...fer the sake of all good, don't you ever talk about how much you've spent on your Speedster. Hilarious.

I think Gary's question only applies to the do-it your selfers.  There are a lot of home builders that are really awesome fabricators many that are not so good.  We see the good and not so good on Ebay and craigslist all the time.  Out of all the home builders I like Mango's the best  for traditional work and Joe Soltis for his outlaw build.  Alan is the far most expert on "cost" and his builds are first rate too.  Today most new buyers are buying turn key cars and we all know the different builders prices "it's not a secret"

 

I also get Stans point based on other post but it really does not apply here.  Stan, I chalk it up to IM Envy; Its in the newest Webster edition. If it did not exist, the topic of what the cost is would not be relayed the way it often is.

 

Gary, like Ron said your about 85% to what my Engine, Tranny, & 911 Clutch cost.  So tell your wife if she ever finds out that she is lucky that she has a handy guy like you and that you only have pennies in the game as far a this hobby goes.  In the end, we all just want to have fun, say we did things that were cool or outside the box, and hopefully croak with a permanent SEG on our face.   

I didn't take his question like I do the "how much did you pay for that" question I occasionally get on the street, but I guess that really was part of his question.  Here is how much I have spent on mine after I purchased it new from Vintage.  Estimate. $4000 mostly to rebuild the engine from a 1915 to a 2065 and the Sidewinder.

I've "invested" more money in my car than I'd care to mention.

Buying the car "turnkey", I expected to have many low maintenance miles.

Not the case. In the 40,000 miles, now on the odometer, I have gone through two engine rebuilds, three exhaust systems, four sets of tires, numerous upgrades and modifications, not to mention the plethora of wheels....

 

I use the word invest because I feel that every dollar I've spent has meant more to me than a cost factor. The dollars have brought me: 1)knowledge on how to do most of the work myself. 2)relationships with the various vendors and mechanics who have shared their knowledge with me. 3)friendships I have developed with a lot of you here and on other hobby-related sites. 4)many hours of fun derived from working  on and driving Penny.

 

How much have I spent? Obviously, that's relevant to JPS, Beck or any of the builders who need to know so as to determine what they sell their cars for. It's relevant to Alan and Troy as they need to be able to turn a profit on their hobby-related ventures. But for schmucks like me, who got into these little plastic cars because they sent a tingle up our leg (thanks Chris Matthews), money is irrelevant. You spend what you can to enjoy what you have. Once you start counting you lose the tingle.

 

As far as my wife, Andie, is concerned, she doesn't care what I spend on Penny. As long as I'm not neglecting my other financial obligations I'm free to do what I want (with the car).

She is a 10 in every way!

I'm going to let this thread end on a good note and lock it from here on out.

-=theron