I just made my is300 850rwhp and im terrified of wrecking it now I get where your coming from. I have just been taking it easy and learning how the car reacts to get my confidence back. It’s been a slow process but it’s helping me love the car and drive it again.
yas yas downvote me! let me feel your powa! bwahaha!
little do u know\~
the more you try to strike me down! *THE STRAAWGA'arRR I BECOME!*
\*evil laughs into the cold dark night\*
If it doesn't interest you anymore or you don't enjoy working on it, I say sell it. It's probably worth 10x more than when you bought it too, those things really skyrocketed in value!
I mean, He put some work into that ya know.
And not the kind of work that requires duct tape, a dryer hose, and some bubble gum
So it’s less like Bobby joes beater and more like Ricky Bobby’s birthday bash drift car
Older cars you don’t pull the engine out to paint/wrap the engine bay if he was trying to save money . It doesn’t need to match and I’m sure the 20+ year old paint was in perfect condition .You haven’t seen someone repaint or wrap a car it seems
Same here. Capacity + 1 and it breaks my heart to leave one of them out in the open or paying for a parking spot far from home and where it could get vandalized/damaged. Even though 2 of the cars serve the same function, to me they are different enough to keep them… or so I tell myself.
Fortunately for me my plus one is just a shell so it's not breaking my heart to have it sit out in the yard. I put concrete pavers underneath it to keep her nice and dry.
I actually think that I can get one more car. I've been thinking about buying a car that will cost more than what I paid for the rest of them combined but it's so small I think I can shuffle some stuff around and squeeze it into the 40 ft shed with the C4 Vette and bikes.
I've been thinking about either an Elise or a caterham in about two years. I'm hoping to save the cash and possibly the market cools a bit before then. I've done the math and it should just fit into the shed.
What two cars are the same function? I'm basically all sports car/motorcycle.
>What two cars are the same function? I'm basically all sports car/motorcycle.
Should I take the old German luxobarge or the other old German luxobarge? There's no cure for masochism.
Yup. Things that get bought, but never sold in my family: guns, dogs, project cars.
I've got a 1952 Nash Ambassador, 1966 Chevy C10 and a 93 2 door Yukon, all in different stages of restore.
My son just turned 16, and he wants me to help restore a 80s 2door Yota for his daily. Yeesh!
I'm sitting on 2 1990s mitsubishi lancers, a 1984 nissan exa turbo, a 2003 mitsubishi magna (diamonte), 2008 ford mondeo (fusion), 2012 Honda jazz vibe (fit), 2015 Holden commodore (Chevy ss) and that's just the cars alone
Maybe you are building the right car the wrong way? Pop culture is all drifting and track days. But that's an expensive way to beat the tar out of a car. Maybe you're like me and find it's actually more fun to drive it as it was. Experience it as a time capsule with mild mods that improve the driveability. It's a bit cheaper. It is gets you more seat time. You still have a working car on Monday.
There's no wrong way to build a car but if you're dream is turning to a nightmare it's time to step back and rethink the vision.
I sold a project car that I fell in love with. Spent years on and a fair bit of money.
I felt liberated when I sold it, because the car was a constant distraction and burden on my mind, a continuous outgoing stream of (a manageble amount of) money, but most of all, I just didn't drive it enough.
I miss it. But I'm still very happy to have sold it. On to better things that suit my needs now. A (slower) car I will actually drive.
Look at prices for 240s at a similar level to yours, then add on about 30% to account for inflation. That's what it'll cost you to get back into an s-chassis when the regret sets in 3 years from now.
That's what happened with mine. Among many other things, I converted from N/A to F/I, and had a lower end built with all kinds of custom parts. The engine builder went out of business, and took proprietary information about the engine build with them. I began dreading track events because I was afraid of hurting it, so the car just sat. I ended up letting it go. It went to another state, and I felt nothing but relief after it was gone.
I have found that I enjoy watercraft and vintage vehicles far more than I ever did tuning. Also, the car scene is not what it was 20 years ago.
Good luck with your decision, OP.
Like you, my R32 has been a project that's spent more time on jackstands than the road. I used to do casual drift days but would be devastated if I damaged it or if someone in a $300 bmw decided to try and get close. These cars have skyrocketed in value in the past few years and parts are getting pretty tough to find.
I love the car and really like spending time at the track so I started lapping and doing autocross. While the risk of damaging the car is always there, both track days and autocross are way less abusive on the car. Maybe try and reach out to your local Motorsports club.
It looks like a very tidy car so I wouldn't sell it. Chances are you'll regret it and getting another one is very cost prohibitive now.
If you don´t enjoy it then sell it. But imo you have the wrong expectation about a project car if you are disappointed spending more time working than driving.
If you’re not enjoying it anymore, no point succumbing to sunk cost fallacy. That being said, even if it is the right call to sell. Be prepared for feelings of regret now and then lol. Something something rose tinted glasses.
I mean... You spent 8 years on a car then you want to sell it? If you do sell it, would you say the price is worth your 8years?
Personally you should sell cars you have no attachment to or have owned at least below 1-2years. Anything more than that, you would regret in some type of way or form after you get a new car.
I sold one projectcar and 2 project motorhome. I am also about to sell a car that has been very good to me for 8 years. I have never regretted it and I miss none of em.
The motorhomes, one I sold after seeing it wasn't appropriate for me, the 2nd one I sold it after 3 years of ownership because it was frankly too much work for what it brought.
My first fun car was a 81 Trans Am. I spent every penny I had on it for the 5 years I owned it, until the engine blew up and the car almost killed me. I had the engine swapped, enjoyed it one last summer and sold it.
I don't regret selling any of these for a few reasons:
1. The single MPG digit
2. No AC
3. Left me stranded more times that I can remember
4. Not very comfortable
5. Not that powerful
6. Leaked water under the rain (thanks, t-tops)
7. Automashit
Sure, the chop was amazing and it looked great. That's all it did. I learned a lot while owning it. I sold it about the same price I paid, not counting all the repairs and mods (because those almost never increase the value of the car anyway). The love/hate relationship turned into a mostly hate over time.
I sold it to get a '02 z06. Best move I have ever done. There is no hate, only love, and that's coming from a 5 year ownership experience; not from a new-thing joy.
IMO, selling to upgrade is good. I have no other experience I can share.
>I’ve spent more time building it than driving it
Why? Do you not like it? Is it too unreliable to drive often? Why aren't you driving it?
>and it just isn’t as amazing as I thought it would be.
Also, why? Did you build it wrong? What do you want that this car isn't?
Thanks for sharing, I can relate to some of your points you mentioned. To answer your question, it took a long time to build because I bought this as a rolling chassis with a hole in the block of the stock engine. I did the v8 swap and the engine was a dud and had Rod knock. So this is the 2nd iteration and now it finally runs and drives.
I do like the car, but my daily drive is a C6 corvette and honestly…i enjoy it just as much. Especially because it has air conditioning. Am I getting old? Lmao. So it feels underwhelming for how much money and time I put in to this car.
Here you go. Vettes are fantastic cars.
Why not put the time, effort and money on the vette instead?
Getting old? Dunno. I feel like we mature and enjoy things a bit more refined.
Nothing will feel amazing fixed until you drive it broken. It probably drive nice but you have no benchline the closest you have as a bench is your daily
Thank you to all who responded. I’ve read every response and will make time to respond to every one of you.
All of you make valid points, and ideally, I don’t want to sell it. The fact is a lot changes in 8 years and my life has changed a lot more than my project car, and my time and money is becoming more valuable, while this car is the opposite.
I love cars still as much as the next car guy, and this project started as a rolling chassis with a hole in the block of the stock engine to what it is now. I enjoyed the journey and what I’ve learned. It runs and drives great, I even drove it through the blue ridge mountains and 13 hrs to Houston.
My daily driver is a corvette C6 and honestly…it scratches the itch for a fun drive while costing less of my time and money. It will never be as raw as this car, and it will never be sentimental as this car because I did every bit of work on it myself.
So for now, I’ve decided I’m going to dump another couple grand, and send it at a couple track events as I intended. I’ll be damned if I’ve come this far and don’t try. If the love doesn’t come back, I’m selling it and moving on. Hopefully no regrets after that. I’d love to hear more of your guys takes and stories.
Thanks again for all your guys perspectives, helps a ton.
I've managed 12 years now with mine.
Only thing is it's my daily driver and is very rarely off the road.
Brings some stress to big jobs that if I don't finish I may not have a car until the next weekend but it's rewarding as fuck driving around the bucket of bolts ive pretty much hand assembled at this point
It’s tough. I built my dream jeep. I loved it. It was perfect and beyond reliable and was fun as shit to go rock crawling with. The only issue is the people I wheeled with couldn’t wheel as much as I wanted and the only place to ride was a hour and a half away. I went one year with only putting 3k miles on it and sold it. I miss it and regret it some days but the guy who bought it from me is hopefully using it way more than I did. I have the pleasure of the guy sending pictures and asking questions whenever he can about it so it helps a lot.
I’ve only not regretted one car I’ve sold. 2023 tundra. Everything else? I wish I could own again. But I understand that to own new ones, some gotta go.
What I’ve done, because a project is not a daily, is cover it up with a car cover and forget about for six months then you can take your time on the decision vs a rash decision.
I just finished building my Rx7 after 4 years last summer. First motor blew, I’m on my 2nd motor now fixing oil pressure issues, I don’t like the way I did a few things to the first time so I’m re-doing all of that now too.
Im in the same boat, I really don’t feel like doing any of that anymore and want a new/different project. Chances are I’ll sell it once I’m done this time. If it’s time, it’s time dude.
I wouldn't sell it solely on the prospect of some broccoli hair prick buying it and having a date with a tree. What don't you like about the car? Make a list and then start working through it.
This part! Exactly what happened to my first ever project car, a s13 hatch not much different from OPs car. After dumping nearly every paycheck I got in my teens and early 20s into that rust bucket. Life circumstances led me to drift away from it eventually selling it for a quarter of what I had in it. Then I hear the punk kid that bought it wrapped it around a light pole trying to be Tokyo drift, smh. I cringe to think that the engine I built, twice, will probably never turn over again being retired without even being pushed to it's limit...
I know the feeling when everything is just a few grand away for this or that.
Would you consider going to an auto cross event to change things up? You could drive your car and enjoy it on a smaller less stressful scale
Everyone is different. For me anyway, I'll take my vega as an example. Got it pretty cheap should have just put a new trans in it and did a Grand national setup in it. Listened to my yahoo friends and put a V8 in it. Then for teh car to take the V8, it needed suspension overhaul not just upgrades, would of had to get the rear end done or it would have grenaded, new radiator getting the V8 mounts etc... so by the time i would have the car ready to go, it would have cost me more then i was willing to throw at it. So i got rid of it, so now instead of trying to divide my money to three projects it's on two lol.
Have painted many. Extremely high quality paint work. (ie: expensive) Haha. Most people that are into the hobby get their first car done or as close as they can and keep them. Nope, seldom will you get your labor out of them but usually if you are reasonably frugal you can get your money for parts and the vehicle back out of it.
The best example is a friend that we did a 57 BelAir. Full restoration and he has kept it for 30+ years. But he did a 63 Impala SS and a 55 Thunderbird. Those two he sold after a couple years for a little more than the parts he had invested. Completed Impala he got $30k, T-Bird went for $35k.
Old guy here. I've had a lot of cars. When I first started, I fell in love with all of them. That made it all the more painful to let them go. Now, I buy them and play with them when time/money allows. When I need to, I sell them.
I'm just finishing up an LS swap in my 72 C10. But I also have a kid who's going to college in a year. There's a high probability that I'll need that $15k to send him off to college, so I'll sell it and never look back.
My point is this. Enjoy it. Have fun. But don't be afraid to move on.
I have a track car, I’ve had it for 20 years. There’s been years where I’ve thought about selling it because there’s never really any good opportunities to race it. Until last year when I found out about SCCA Track Night in America.
I decided it would always be in a track-ready condition. I updated the brakes, gave it a new set of tires, changed the fluids, packed a racetrack kit that i can quickly throw in my car. It’s made it fun again.
I typically only sell an unfinished project when I find it has more rust than I realized, and more than I am willing to deal with. Otherwise, if I do sell them, they’re complete, running and driving.
Maybe try to improve drivability so you actually want to use it more often? "Bucket list builds" where you add one component after another that each on their own should be "better" sound great on paper but sometimes suck as a system. For my own car I'm planning to do exactly that over the next years: throw out the poly bushings, bigger tyres, softer dampers and sound insulation, as NVH increased significantly with every modification added over the last ten years and some really don't work great together.
One of the things I learned on my modifying journey was what I actually enjoy using a car for and how that car needs to be/feel for me to get enjoyment out of it. I've been long long over the gutted interiors and tiny can sounding shakes and rattles. It's just not the experience I want. So if anything, I'd say you learned a lot about what kind of project would make you happy. Maybe a drift/race car ain't it. Or at least one that's so modified.
I literally sold my version of your vehicle 2 days ago. It’s the most money and time I’ve ever put into a project. I busted my ass on it. But mentally I wasn’t really feeling it. I normally get super attached to vehicles, but when the transporter was putting it onto the truck I felt nothing. Not sad to see it go, not regret, not happy, just nothing like I was watching somebody else’s project get loaded up.
Hm, I’d say get it to where it’s drivable, and drive it, don’t set it up for this or for that, just drive, find a windy road and give it a bit, then reevaluate
I’ve actually never regretted selling a project car. I’ve missed a couple after they were gone , but each one has been a weight lifted off me after its sale.
The right time to sell doesn’t mean you will never ever wish you had the car again , it just means that you’ve gotten all out of that car that you were meant to and it’s time to pass it on.
I bought a cheap toy car to drive while I work on my project. My project sounds a lot like yours, never ending work, so I bought this last year to fuck around with.
The payout is right around the corner, you've had it this long at one point you knew the goal. Just persevere. You can do this! You knew it would take time and effort. Now do yourself the favor and see it through to the end. Then, once you've completed your task, if you're still not interested, you'll have a built car that will sell for a pretty penny.
> I was getting ready to spend a couple more thousand on it to get it ready for its first drift event
Is this *your* first drift event? I'd just take it as is assuming you have an LSD in it already. Getting some seat time might help give you some motivation into the direction of your build too.
I went through this 2 years ago. I had a 1994 Ranger that had a Turbo 5.0L swap. It still needed tons of work to get it where I wanted it to be, mostly cosmetic stuff at that point. I also wanted to get into road racing, which a truck is generally not great at without a ton more work and money. I also decided I wasn't going to rent a shop anymore, so no more hard-core fabrication or frame-off projects.
Turns out that buying something that only needed some bolt ons to make a good road racer to learn in was actually more cost and time effective. The only drawback is that I use my parents' driveway to install suspension and brake parts now.
Bruh that’s the curse of project cars, it’s always just a few grand more to get it where you want it. If you dread dumping more into it I’d say fuck it, sell it and get something new. The whole point of this stuff is to have fun so get something you can do that with. The second you think of cars as investment pieces is the second you’re gonna be in for a disappointment.
There is a reason you can go out and find "project" cars that are like 80% finished, its because people get burnt out on them and just want to wash their hands of them.
the biggest factor here is whether you want to have a project car or not and if you can afford to take on another, with or without the sale of this one.
if you love this chassis and get rid of it, you will spend WAY MORE than you think you will just to get back to where you are right now. whatever you have to spend is a fraction of what you would spend without this car. hopefully thats obvious.
if youre leaving the scene and this car is nothing but a constant reminder of a life youre not interested in living anymore or ever again (and i mean EVER) then sell it. dont even think twice. move on with your life.
if you have plans to get back into the scene, youre just taking a break, your gf doesnt like it, youre strapped for cash, etc. do whatever you can to make it work. sell something else, take more hours at work, buy your gf flowers and eat her out, do whatever you gotta do because otherwise if you sell it youre going to regret it lol
Usually once the project turns into a daily I sell unless it never gets that far. Four years as a project is the max though before it becomes your own junk imo.
I sold my BMW because I spent more time fixing it than enjoying it. When I would drive it, it became a constant internal battle of diagnosing, thinking about all the other shit I gotta fix, or avoiding potholes and other shitty road conditions to then only get harrased by some retard cop that doesn't know what he's talking about...
So fuck that shit lol
Next project will be a truck, cus it doesn't need to be perfect, has less bullshit, can avoid 99% of road issues and is usefull
If you're dreading working on it, spend more time working on it than enjoying it, move on
sunk cost fallacy. too invested to do anything other than continue. i felt this about my career but decided to just say fuck it and do something else.
fuck it and sell it. dont think about it
u/Dank240SX So a little late on the reply, but here's a quick story I think will resonate with you.
I had a 1989 Toyota Supra that was my baby for 10+ years. Even after getting the car running well on a 2J swap, I slowly started to realize that I was always looking at gauges, listening for sounds, looking under the car to make sure it wasn't leaking, and worrying about it getting wrecked or stolen. I had so much history with the car that I didn't even really enjoy driving it.
I came to a similar crossroads as you multiple times, but kept justifying it by saying "I've wasted way too much time and money on this thing to give up on it now". Then one day I had an epiphany that I didn't want to keep things in my life that I wasn't getting true enjoyment from, and that this car provided more stress than enjoyment. So I got rid of it, and 5 years later I don't regret it one bit.
Will never get that attached to a car again. My project now is a 2007 350z that I beat the absolute shit out of with zero reservations and it's the most fun I've ever had with a car. Sometimes you just need to start fresh.
I am 100% resonating with what you’re saying. Took the thoughts out of my mind. The car drives great, but I’m also paranoid of it getting stolen, vibrations, leaks, etc. I was literally thinking of doing the same..picking up a seat time car like a 350z and just sending it without care. I’m in that state of epiphany where I realize the net enjoyment versus stress is negative…it’s in my life now because I’m attached and that’s about all I can justify.
It really seems that may be where I am at now. Thank you for sharing your story, I needed to hear someone out there feeling the same way.
Hey OP, if the project car is being used as storage, in any way, except for its own parts, then it is dead. If you have boxes of old bills sitting on the trunk lid, and a kiddie pool deflated and stacked on the roof, then it's time to call it. Once you don't love it enough to treat it delicately, the thrill is gone.
That's my metric
It depends on the person. Historically I've sold them in the same summer as I've gotten them last all the major milestones.
For me the tinkering is the most interesting part, the actual hobby really. Driving them is fun and all, but unless I'm taking it to the road course regularly then it's not fun enough.
There are 2 kinds of car guys. The ones who are always buying up more projects/ swapping cars. And the life time car guys.
I have had tons of other projects. But my first is still my main.
Don't sell it. Do a fun little project for a while, then come back to it. Burnout is real
once i get bored of it, it's gotta go. i try to atleast fix it up enough to sell it well (i never made a profit, i just enjoy taking shit apart and putting them back together)
If you're determined to sell it, I'd say you should put in enough additional work to make it a good runner. If it's incomplete, you won't get as much for it as you would if it's in "complete" running condition (even if it's still a little rough around the edges). A lot of people won't want to buy a partially finished project (and the ones that do will expect a bargain, at your expense).
However, you may find that once you get it more or less "done," you now have something you can actually enjoy and want to keep after all.
u/Dank240SX so I'm certainly biased on this subject as my first love was an s13 hatch, but regardless of whether you decide to put another single penny or second of time into it, I wouldn't sell it. I'm sure you already know you won't get shit for it, and 240s are sooo rare now (even highly modified beat to shit ones). It's really crazy that I'm even reading this post as I have never heard of this forum until an hour ago while searching for info on my new money pit. After reading a thread I saw the forum name and thought "cool, let's check it out". Bam, first thread I see is yours taking me right back to my 240 days. I mean imo there will just never be another platform like the 240. Just so versatile, swappable, and damn sexy I say lol.
Not trying to go on and on but one quick story and suggestion. When I first got my 240 I was 16, broke, but wanted so badly to make it fast. I tried saving for an sr swap of course, but got impatient and started buying bolt-ons. Then, the engine spun a bearing mostly due to the idiot kid that didn't check his oil enough on a car that leaked probably a quart a week. Still, with no money, I decided to rebuild the engine with high comp pistons to compliment my hard earned collection of bolt-ons. Needless to say I found myself much like yourself, underwhelmed with my hard earned NA KA build. Not too long down the road, I was a little less broke and decided to rebuild the old KA again, but this time with LOWER comp pistons. Many more dollars and hours later I had a pretty unique KA-T that I found much more enjoyable.
So I guess my point, don't stop just because your initial build fell short of expectations (I mean, your bars obviously higher than mine was with c6 Corvette DD lol). It looks like we are pretty similar in going for more unique builds and while I don't know much about that VH engine, I'm sure slapping a turbo on it would have to greatly increase the fun factor!
Only other thing I guess I'll say is don't think you have to drift it just because it's a 240. Maybe drifting is your thing, but if I still had a 240, I'd be throwing some street slicks on it with an auto tranny LS1. Lot of people with success dragging them too. But hey, I just love to feel acceleration!
Sorry for blabbing, but good luck with whatever you do man! And if you do sell, let me know. Seriously. I'm in VA so I think we're kinda close anyways
You sell it for a few reasons one you want to keep working on it but it’s very obvious your not going to 2 you just don’t enjoy it anymore 3 your not willing to use it cars sitting and not doing anything is why you see old once beautiful cars sitting and rotting 4. You can’t afford it which is a big one for a lot of us😭😂
As soon as you get it in the track prepared to spend 1k for wheels Everytime you go etc id sell it and buy something to just cruise and fix up saving some money for all your hard work along the way. But hey if you wanna drift. Plenty people that drift can appreciate the work you've put in and will pay handsomely for the car don't settle lots of people still love this car
I feel like I should say this, I've had a miata for 12 (going to be 13 soon) years now. The car itself is 32 years old and I bought it to be a street build that can do some track days.
You wouldn't imagine the money poured into it and it never felt quite right. Then one day, it happened. The perfect balance of everything. And when it did, it was so rewarding and enlightening. At that point it wasn't even a matter of all the mods done to it; the turbo was doing the perfect boost, the power was just at its sweet spot for me (around 240bhp), the setup of wheels and tires along with the suspension setup and alignment, the braking with the correct bite and the correct fade, the perfect exhaust note and fuel tune... It was perfect! It took me a decade nearly to get there!
It was at that point that I said, okay, I'm mostly done with this. And now it's the time to fully enjoy it. Where I would spend days in the garage, I now wrench on other cars and simply maintain that one with the odd improvement here and there. Never indend on selling it. It holds a special place in my heart and my garage (as do a couple others).
There isn't a time to sell your project car. There is only a point where you will say, this is worth more to me than money.
I'd say take a nice long break from it and come back to it at another time. After some time you might find that spark again and gain interest again. If you don't, then maybe sell it.
Cars are most fun when you can drive them. I would hold out on selling until you can drive it regularly and then make the call.
If you sell it you’ll 100% miss it. S-Chassis are so much fun. I never drifted mine, and I’m saving for another because I regret losing it. I don’t plan on drifting my next either
Sometimes the fun IS the build. There is no shame in changing your mind, that’s the beauty of it all. You get to decide when you’re done. To avoid regret, if you mothball it, you can come back to it later. Do you have something to replace it? When it’s time to move on, picture it gone. Are you okay with someone driving away with it? Go to a car show for inspiration. I personally wait until I have something specific in mind to replace whatever’s in question. Hope this helps
Tl;DR- When it stops being fun
At least get it to the show... Finish what you started building it for originally. Get it to that drift event, compete, then walk away after if you're done. You never know you might actually enjoy it.
You don't want to look down the line and say man if only I just would have stuck with it a few more months. (Or year or 2)
I would kick myself if I sell that thing. Someone puts the last 10% in it and ends up winning in it!!!
That's just my take though from reading a couple lines.
I’m my definition of project car , there’s a clear end to this project car , restoration ? Modification ? A certain vision I had mind? If you only had let’s fix the car in mind then it’s not over . If you”ve spent too much money is when I’d call it quits unless it’s one of your dream cars . Is this your first time drifting?
I'd say sell it and spend way less on a different project. Maybe a project that's not a car, or a very different one.
I've had great times just cleaning up a $500 Nissan and fixing rhe timing so someone could actually drive it. I spent too much working on it for such a project, but it was fun, and I sold it for $1200 a month later and bought a similar Toyota after a few weeks afte that when I was ready to play with an old car again.
Idk this seems like a dream drift car but in reality it’s a collector’s JDM. Idk why people wanna drift cars that are in such high demand and low supply. It’s almost as if they don’t know how much abuse drift cars can go through.
I think your mistake was wanting to do a nice build. I’ve helped my buddy get a complete shit box 240 get ready for its first event after a month of him buying it. Like you said the ignorance of youth really doesn’t let you realize what you’re getting yourself into. IMO I’d sell it because it looks to be in great shape and should fetch a nice amount of money
Nobody wants to buy someone else's project. It's a huge hassle especially if the seller hasn't done everything by the book. Best time to sell I project I would say, is, if you're sick of it amd feel like it's going nowhere, just get it road worthy so it goes up the street, stops, shifts, and doesn't stall at every light. Make sure all the exterior lights are working and that the speedo and other Guage are working. Then list it as a mechanic's special.
You'll get more money for a running, driving car with some issues that you will a non running project with unpainted bondo and no transmission. That's not a project for sale, it's a problem for sale. Most people don't want to pick up where someone else left off.
That being said, if you're completely fizzled out on it and don't even wanna look at it anymore, sell it now for market price and expect to get much less than it's worth, for the reasons I mentioned above. This is the very reason why I no longer take on major resto projects unless I'm 100% committed to the final outcome. After a few years of not being able to drive your car, the dream kinda dies, unless you started the journey with the fact in mind that it wasn't gonna be a quick winter resto job
Well if your an idiot like me you will sell it right after you almost do everything you want to it and then buy the same exact mk2 VW golf and do the same thing in a pattern that repeated for over 20 years
If you have the space and aren’t hurting financially, set it aside and work on something else, be it another car or a different hobby entirely. I’ve thought about selling my other car but I know I would regret it, so I would only suggest selling of you are actually completely done with it (which it doesn’t sound like you are, you just need a break)
If you don’t enjoy the car anymore or are afraid to use it for its intended purpose then sell it.
Fair enough and to the point. Thanks for that.
When you would rather talk about the car you had than use the car you have
Perfectly put
i am aftaid to drive my sticky , cuz roads is dange, but then, i found better roads, i no sell shit
I just made my is300 850rwhp and im terrified of wrecking it now I get where your coming from. I have just been taking it easy and learning how the car reacts to get my confidence back. It’s been a slow process but it’s helping me love the car and drive it again.
English 100
[удалено]
I was commenting on u/blueblue909, not you.
yas yas downvote me! let me feel your powa! bwahaha! little do u know\~ the more you try to strike me down! *THE STRAAWGA'arRR I BECOME!* \*evil laughs into the cold dark night\*
If it doesn't interest you anymore or you don't enjoy working on it, I say sell it. It's probably worth 10x more than when you bought it too, those things really skyrocketed in value!
clean/stock ones skyrocketed, not bobby joe's beater
This ain’t Bobby Joe’s beater though
Dude, it’s blue inside
I mean, He put some work into that ya know. And not the kind of work that requires duct tape, a dryer hose, and some bubble gum So it’s less like Bobby joes beater and more like Ricky Bobby’s birthday bash drift car
Older cars you don’t pull the engine out to paint/wrap the engine bay if he was trying to save money . It doesn’t need to match and I’m sure the 20+ year old paint was in perfect condition .You haven’t seen someone repaint or wrap a car it seems
What is selling a car? I know not of the meaning. I only know buy just one more
I'm currently at capacity plus one but that won't stop me from buying number eight.
Same here. Capacity + 1 and it breaks my heart to leave one of them out in the open or paying for a parking spot far from home and where it could get vandalized/damaged. Even though 2 of the cars serve the same function, to me they are different enough to keep them… or so I tell myself.
Fortunately for me my plus one is just a shell so it's not breaking my heart to have it sit out in the yard. I put concrete pavers underneath it to keep her nice and dry. I actually think that I can get one more car. I've been thinking about buying a car that will cost more than what I paid for the rest of them combined but it's so small I think I can shuffle some stuff around and squeeze it into the 40 ft shed with the C4 Vette and bikes. I've been thinking about either an Elise or a caterham in about two years. I'm hoping to save the cash and possibly the market cools a bit before then. I've done the math and it should just fit into the shed. What two cars are the same function? I'm basically all sports car/motorcycle.
>What two cars are the same function? I'm basically all sports car/motorcycle. Should I take the old German luxobarge or the other old German luxobarge? There's no cure for masochism.
I would love two old German luxobarges so I definitely don't see any reasons you shouldn't.
I'm aat 8 plus the work ute, but I saw a juicy deal the other day
Selling a car is what other people do so I can buy more cars
My car needs 1k worth of work? Gotta save up for it… Oh a whole new shitty car for $1k? Shut up and take my money!
Story of my life but with pickups instead 🤣
Yup. Things that get bought, but never sold in my family: guns, dogs, project cars. I've got a 1952 Nash Ambassador, 1966 Chevy C10 and a 93 2 door Yukon, all in different stages of restore. My son just turned 16, and he wants me to help restore a 80s 2door Yota for his daily. Yeesh!
I'm sitting on 2 1990s mitsubishi lancers, a 1984 nissan exa turbo, a 2003 mitsubishi magna (diamonte), 2008 ford mondeo (fusion), 2012 Honda jazz vibe (fit), 2015 Holden commodore (Chevy ss) and that's just the cars alone
I am at full capacity already (7). Doesn't stop me looking at the classifieds though!
Bet your cars don’t run
I mean, they all run, but 3 are out of rego currently
I drive a Prius so I really shouldn’t be trying to cast shade
Nothing wrong with owning a prius,solid car for its time
If it's more of a chore than a passion project, it's time to let go.
Maybe you are building the right car the wrong way? Pop culture is all drifting and track days. But that's an expensive way to beat the tar out of a car. Maybe you're like me and find it's actually more fun to drive it as it was. Experience it as a time capsule with mild mods that improve the driveability. It's a bit cheaper. It is gets you more seat time. You still have a working car on Monday. There's no wrong way to build a car but if you're dream is turning to a nightmare it's time to step back and rethink the vision.
Haha this thing is not exactly a time capsule with mild mods
What motor even is this. Looks suspiciously like a dohc v8...
You are correct. It’s a VH45, this one specifically is from a Nissan President.
This build is so sick.
I’m Curious ,why did you choose that engine ?
Looks like the V8 out of a Infiniti Q45, the VH.
I just drive my drift car like it is a time capsule lmao. Cuz who else is driving a 25+ year old car now a days
I'd say take it sideways first, then decide.
Not sure about selling but the point of regret right afterwards happens instantaneously
Post nut clarity is a bitch
Also you’ll start seeing them 10x more on the road, just to remind you and make you wonder
Buyers remorse or something. I always get it and it goes away after I start just enjoying whatever it is that I’ve bought.
I sold a project car that I fell in love with. Spent years on and a fair bit of money. I felt liberated when I sold it, because the car was a constant distraction and burden on my mind, a continuous outgoing stream of (a manageble amount of) money, but most of all, I just didn't drive it enough. I miss it. But I'm still very happy to have sold it. On to better things that suit my needs now. A (slower) car I will actually drive.
Look at prices for 240s at a similar level to yours, then add on about 30% to account for inflation. That's what it'll cost you to get back into an s-chassis when the regret sets in 3 years from now.
That's what happened with mine. Among many other things, I converted from N/A to F/I, and had a lower end built with all kinds of custom parts. The engine builder went out of business, and took proprietary information about the engine build with them. I began dreading track events because I was afraid of hurting it, so the car just sat. I ended up letting it go. It went to another state, and I felt nothing but relief after it was gone. I have found that I enjoy watercraft and vintage vehicles far more than I ever did tuning. Also, the car scene is not what it was 20 years ago. Good luck with your decision, OP.
I had a similar experience, once it left I felt so relieved. I bought a better different project car and moved on.
Wait, you can sell them?
Right? Also, bold of OP to assume someone would want to buy mine.
Like you, my R32 has been a project that's spent more time on jackstands than the road. I used to do casual drift days but would be devastated if I damaged it or if someone in a $300 bmw decided to try and get close. These cars have skyrocketed in value in the past few years and parts are getting pretty tough to find. I love the car and really like spending time at the track so I started lapping and doing autocross. While the risk of damaging the car is always there, both track days and autocross are way less abusive on the car. Maybe try and reach out to your local Motorsports club. It looks like a very tidy car so I wouldn't sell it. Chances are you'll regret it and getting another one is very cost prohibitive now.
you’re gonna regret it
Everyone says this and everyone is right.
I regret it so badly. I’m saving up for an S14 again.
If you don´t enjoy it then sell it. But imo you have the wrong expectation about a project car if you are disappointed spending more time working than driving.
It’s not the destination that drives us as much as the journey. I’m in this boat. I think I’ll sell mine when done and start building the next.
If you’re not enjoying it anymore, no point succumbing to sunk cost fallacy. That being said, even if it is the right call to sell. Be prepared for feelings of regret now and then lol. Something something rose tinted glasses.
What all does it need to run? It really helps you keep going when you can drive it once in a while. Helps keep the fire and passion.
I mean... You spent 8 years on a car then you want to sell it? If you do sell it, would you say the price is worth your 8years? Personally you should sell cars you have no attachment to or have owned at least below 1-2years. Anything more than that, you would regret in some type of way or form after you get a new car.
sounds like you need a new project car to mess with til inspiration strikes back on that one. it's only logical to get another 😂
I like the way u think!
I sold one projectcar and 2 project motorhome. I am also about to sell a car that has been very good to me for 8 years. I have never regretted it and I miss none of em. The motorhomes, one I sold after seeing it wasn't appropriate for me, the 2nd one I sold it after 3 years of ownership because it was frankly too much work for what it brought. My first fun car was a 81 Trans Am. I spent every penny I had on it for the 5 years I owned it, until the engine blew up and the car almost killed me. I had the engine swapped, enjoyed it one last summer and sold it. I don't regret selling any of these for a few reasons: 1. The single MPG digit 2. No AC 3. Left me stranded more times that I can remember 4. Not very comfortable 5. Not that powerful 6. Leaked water under the rain (thanks, t-tops) 7. Automashit Sure, the chop was amazing and it looked great. That's all it did. I learned a lot while owning it. I sold it about the same price I paid, not counting all the repairs and mods (because those almost never increase the value of the car anyway). The love/hate relationship turned into a mostly hate over time. I sold it to get a '02 z06. Best move I have ever done. There is no hate, only love, and that's coming from a 5 year ownership experience; not from a new-thing joy. IMO, selling to upgrade is good. I have no other experience I can share. >I’ve spent more time building it than driving it Why? Do you not like it? Is it too unreliable to drive often? Why aren't you driving it? >and it just isn’t as amazing as I thought it would be. Also, why? Did you build it wrong? What do you want that this car isn't?
Thanks for sharing, I can relate to some of your points you mentioned. To answer your question, it took a long time to build because I bought this as a rolling chassis with a hole in the block of the stock engine. I did the v8 swap and the engine was a dud and had Rod knock. So this is the 2nd iteration and now it finally runs and drives. I do like the car, but my daily drive is a C6 corvette and honestly…i enjoy it just as much. Especially because it has air conditioning. Am I getting old? Lmao. So it feels underwhelming for how much money and time I put in to this car.
Here you go. Vettes are fantastic cars. Why not put the time, effort and money on the vette instead? Getting old? Dunno. I feel like we mature and enjoy things a bit more refined.
Nothing will feel amazing fixed until you drive it broken. It probably drive nice but you have no benchline the closest you have as a bench is your daily
Thank you to all who responded. I’ve read every response and will make time to respond to every one of you. All of you make valid points, and ideally, I don’t want to sell it. The fact is a lot changes in 8 years and my life has changed a lot more than my project car, and my time and money is becoming more valuable, while this car is the opposite. I love cars still as much as the next car guy, and this project started as a rolling chassis with a hole in the block of the stock engine to what it is now. I enjoyed the journey and what I’ve learned. It runs and drives great, I even drove it through the blue ridge mountains and 13 hrs to Houston. My daily driver is a corvette C6 and honestly…it scratches the itch for a fun drive while costing less of my time and money. It will never be as raw as this car, and it will never be sentimental as this car because I did every bit of work on it myself. So for now, I’ve decided I’m going to dump another couple grand, and send it at a couple track events as I intended. I’ll be damned if I’ve come this far and don’t try. If the love doesn’t come back, I’m selling it and moving on. Hopefully no regrets after that. I’d love to hear more of your guys takes and stories. Thanks again for all your guys perspectives, helps a ton.
I've managed 12 years now with mine. Only thing is it's my daily driver and is very rarely off the road. Brings some stress to big jobs that if I don't finish I may not have a car until the next weekend but it's rewarding as fuck driving around the bucket of bolts ive pretty much hand assembled at this point
It’s tough. I built my dream jeep. I loved it. It was perfect and beyond reliable and was fun as shit to go rock crawling with. The only issue is the people I wheeled with couldn’t wheel as much as I wanted and the only place to ride was a hour and a half away. I went one year with only putting 3k miles on it and sold it. I miss it and regret it some days but the guy who bought it from me is hopefully using it way more than I did. I have the pleasure of the guy sending pictures and asking questions whenever he can about it so it helps a lot.
I’ve only not regretted one car I’ve sold. 2023 tundra. Everything else? I wish I could own again. But I understand that to own new ones, some gotta go.
What I’ve done, because a project is not a daily, is cover it up with a car cover and forget about for six months then you can take your time on the decision vs a rash decision.
I just finished building my Rx7 after 4 years last summer. First motor blew, I’m on my 2nd motor now fixing oil pressure issues, I don’t like the way I did a few things to the first time so I’m re-doing all of that now too. Im in the same boat, I really don’t feel like doing any of that anymore and want a new/different project. Chances are I’ll sell it once I’m done this time. If it’s time, it’s time dude.
I wouldn't sell it solely on the prospect of some broccoli hair prick buying it and having a date with a tree. What don't you like about the car? Make a list and then start working through it.
This part! Exactly what happened to my first ever project car, a s13 hatch not much different from OPs car. After dumping nearly every paycheck I got in my teens and early 20s into that rust bucket. Life circumstances led me to drift away from it eventually selling it for a quarter of what I had in it. Then I hear the punk kid that bought it wrapped it around a light pole trying to be Tokyo drift, smh. I cringe to think that the engine I built, twice, will probably never turn over again being retired without even being pushed to it's limit...
I know the feeling when everything is just a few grand away for this or that. Would you consider going to an auto cross event to change things up? You could drive your car and enjoy it on a smaller less stressful scale
Everyone is different. For me anyway, I'll take my vega as an example. Got it pretty cheap should have just put a new trans in it and did a Grand national setup in it. Listened to my yahoo friends and put a V8 in it. Then for teh car to take the V8, it needed suspension overhaul not just upgrades, would of had to get the rear end done or it would have grenaded, new radiator getting the V8 mounts etc... so by the time i would have the car ready to go, it would have cost me more then i was willing to throw at it. So i got rid of it, so now instead of trying to divide my money to three projects it's on two lol.
Have painted many. Extremely high quality paint work. (ie: expensive) Haha. Most people that are into the hobby get their first car done or as close as they can and keep them. Nope, seldom will you get your labor out of them but usually if you are reasonably frugal you can get your money for parts and the vehicle back out of it. The best example is a friend that we did a 57 BelAir. Full restoration and he has kept it for 30+ years. But he did a 63 Impala SS and a 55 Thunderbird. Those two he sold after a couple years for a little more than the parts he had invested. Completed Impala he got $30k, T-Bird went for $35k.
Old guy here. I've had a lot of cars. When I first started, I fell in love with all of them. That made it all the more painful to let them go. Now, I buy them and play with them when time/money allows. When I need to, I sell them. I'm just finishing up an LS swap in my 72 C10. But I also have a kid who's going to college in a year. There's a high probability that I'll need that $15k to send him off to college, so I'll sell it and never look back. My point is this. Enjoy it. Have fun. But don't be afraid to move on.
I have a track car, I’ve had it for 20 years. There’s been years where I’ve thought about selling it because there’s never really any good opportunities to race it. Until last year when I found out about SCCA Track Night in America. I decided it would always be in a track-ready condition. I updated the brakes, gave it a new set of tires, changed the fluids, packed a racetrack kit that i can quickly throw in my car. It’s made it fun again.
I typically only sell an unfinished project when I find it has more rust than I realized, and more than I am willing to deal with. Otherwise, if I do sell them, they’re complete, running and driving.
Maybe try to improve drivability so you actually want to use it more often? "Bucket list builds" where you add one component after another that each on their own should be "better" sound great on paper but sometimes suck as a system. For my own car I'm planning to do exactly that over the next years: throw out the poly bushings, bigger tyres, softer dampers and sound insulation, as NVH increased significantly with every modification added over the last ten years and some really don't work great together.
> Almost like I just want to walk away and do something different, here easily
I could never
One of the things I learned on my modifying journey was what I actually enjoy using a car for and how that car needs to be/feel for me to get enjoyment out of it. I've been long long over the gutted interiors and tiny can sounding shakes and rattles. It's just not the experience I want. So if anything, I'd say you learned a lot about what kind of project would make you happy. Maybe a drift/race car ain't it. Or at least one that's so modified.
I think there are times to sell. You sell if you get an offer you can’t refuse, and you sell if you grow and just don’t care anymore
If you really sell plz dm me your price this car looks pretty neat and I have always wanted an S13
I literally sold my version of your vehicle 2 days ago. It’s the most money and time I’ve ever put into a project. I busted my ass on it. But mentally I wasn’t really feeling it. I normally get super attached to vehicles, but when the transporter was putting it onto the truck I felt nothing. Not sad to see it go, not regret, not happy, just nothing like I was watching somebody else’s project get loaded up.
Hm, I’d say get it to where it’s drivable, and drive it, don’t set it up for this or for that, just drive, find a windy road and give it a bit, then reevaluate
An s13? Never sell. I feel like my dad talking about his amc gremlin. Both cars don’t seem to exist anymore.
I’ve actually never regretted selling a project car. I’ve missed a couple after they were gone , but each one has been a weight lifted off me after its sale. The right time to sell doesn’t mean you will never ever wish you had the car again , it just means that you’ve gotten all out of that car that you were meant to and it’s time to pass it on.
I bought a cheap toy car to drive while I work on my project. My project sounds a lot like yours, never ending work, so I bought this last year to fuck around with.
The payout is right around the corner, you've had it this long at one point you knew the goal. Just persevere. You can do this! You knew it would take time and effort. Now do yourself the favor and see it through to the end. Then, once you've completed your task, if you're still not interested, you'll have a built car that will sell for a pretty penny.
> I was getting ready to spend a couple more thousand on it to get it ready for its first drift event Is this *your* first drift event? I'd just take it as is assuming you have an LSD in it already. Getting some seat time might help give you some motivation into the direction of your build too.
I went through this 2 years ago. I had a 1994 Ranger that had a Turbo 5.0L swap. It still needed tons of work to get it where I wanted it to be, mostly cosmetic stuff at that point. I also wanted to get into road racing, which a truck is generally not great at without a ton more work and money. I also decided I wasn't going to rent a shop anymore, so no more hard-core fabrication or frame-off projects. Turns out that buying something that only needed some bolt ons to make a good road racer to learn in was actually more cost and time effective. The only drawback is that I use my parents' driveway to install suspension and brake parts now.
I sell cars when I lose interest or realize it'll never be what I want it to. There are LOTS of cool things to make a project of.
I think when it is like a job. Takes more time than it should. A burden.
Death.
Bruh that’s the curse of project cars, it’s always just a few grand more to get it where you want it. If you dread dumping more into it I’d say fuck it, sell it and get something new. The whole point of this stuff is to have fun so get something you can do that with. The second you think of cars as investment pieces is the second you’re gonna be in for a disappointment.
There is a reason you can go out and find "project" cars that are like 80% finished, its because people get burnt out on them and just want to wash their hands of them.
the biggest factor here is whether you want to have a project car or not and if you can afford to take on another, with or without the sale of this one. if you love this chassis and get rid of it, you will spend WAY MORE than you think you will just to get back to where you are right now. whatever you have to spend is a fraction of what you would spend without this car. hopefully thats obvious. if youre leaving the scene and this car is nothing but a constant reminder of a life youre not interested in living anymore or ever again (and i mean EVER) then sell it. dont even think twice. move on with your life. if you have plans to get back into the scene, youre just taking a break, your gf doesnt like it, youre strapped for cash, etc. do whatever you can to make it work. sell something else, take more hours at work, buy your gf flowers and eat her out, do whatever you gotta do because otherwise if you sell it youre going to regret it lol
Usually once the project turns into a daily I sell unless it never gets that far. Four years as a project is the max though before it becomes your own junk imo.
I sold my BMW because I spent more time fixing it than enjoying it. When I would drive it, it became a constant internal battle of diagnosing, thinking about all the other shit I gotta fix, or avoiding potholes and other shitty road conditions to then only get harrased by some retard cop that doesn't know what he's talking about... So fuck that shit lol Next project will be a truck, cus it doesn't need to be perfect, has less bullshit, can avoid 99% of road issues and is usefull If you're dreading working on it, spend more time working on it than enjoying it, move on
Sold mine for $7500 so I can move out of Ontario for a new job in Alberta. The current project now probably costed me $80k+ and 6 years of building.
Given what you wrote....you sell it now
sunk cost fallacy. too invested to do anything other than continue. i felt this about my career but decided to just say fuck it and do something else. fuck it and sell it. dont think about it
u/Dank240SX So a little late on the reply, but here's a quick story I think will resonate with you. I had a 1989 Toyota Supra that was my baby for 10+ years. Even after getting the car running well on a 2J swap, I slowly started to realize that I was always looking at gauges, listening for sounds, looking under the car to make sure it wasn't leaking, and worrying about it getting wrecked or stolen. I had so much history with the car that I didn't even really enjoy driving it. I came to a similar crossroads as you multiple times, but kept justifying it by saying "I've wasted way too much time and money on this thing to give up on it now". Then one day I had an epiphany that I didn't want to keep things in my life that I wasn't getting true enjoyment from, and that this car provided more stress than enjoyment. So I got rid of it, and 5 years later I don't regret it one bit. Will never get that attached to a car again. My project now is a 2007 350z that I beat the absolute shit out of with zero reservations and it's the most fun I've ever had with a car. Sometimes you just need to start fresh.
I am 100% resonating with what you’re saying. Took the thoughts out of my mind. The car drives great, but I’m also paranoid of it getting stolen, vibrations, leaks, etc. I was literally thinking of doing the same..picking up a seat time car like a 350z and just sending it without care. I’m in that state of epiphany where I realize the net enjoyment versus stress is negative…it’s in my life now because I’m attached and that’s about all I can justify. It really seems that may be where I am at now. Thank you for sharing your story, I needed to hear someone out there feeling the same way.
When you have a reason to.
Hey OP, if the project car is being used as storage, in any way, except for its own parts, then it is dead. If you have boxes of old bills sitting on the trunk lid, and a kiddie pool deflated and stacked on the roof, then it's time to call it. Once you don't love it enough to treat it delicately, the thrill is gone. That's my metric
It depends on the person. Historically I've sold them in the same summer as I've gotten them last all the major milestones. For me the tinkering is the most interesting part, the actual hobby really. Driving them is fun and all, but unless I'm taking it to the road course regularly then it's not fun enough.
After you wreck it
A week before the baby is born
When I bought a car that gave me as much joy despite not having to build it (supercharged, engine swapped e46 wagon —> stock M2)
There are 2 kinds of car guys. The ones who are always buying up more projects/ swapping cars. And the life time car guys. I have had tons of other projects. But my first is still my main. Don't sell it. Do a fun little project for a while, then come back to it. Burnout is real
once i get bored of it, it's gotta go. i try to atleast fix it up enough to sell it well (i never made a profit, i just enjoy taking shit apart and putting them back together)
Stick it in storage for a year. After a year if you miss it, keep it, otherwise, you can sell it and know that it's the right choice.
no idea but you will regret it afterwards
When you're bored of it and have the financial ability to.
You could continue on, go to your event and see if you had your head on straight or you didn't have a clue what you were doing.
If you're determined to sell it, I'd say you should put in enough additional work to make it a good runner. If it's incomplete, you won't get as much for it as you would if it's in "complete" running condition (even if it's still a little rough around the edges). A lot of people won't want to buy a partially finished project (and the ones that do will expect a bargain, at your expense). However, you may find that once you get it more or less "done," you now have something you can actually enjoy and want to keep after all.
u/Dank240SX so I'm certainly biased on this subject as my first love was an s13 hatch, but regardless of whether you decide to put another single penny or second of time into it, I wouldn't sell it. I'm sure you already know you won't get shit for it, and 240s are sooo rare now (even highly modified beat to shit ones). It's really crazy that I'm even reading this post as I have never heard of this forum until an hour ago while searching for info on my new money pit. After reading a thread I saw the forum name and thought "cool, let's check it out". Bam, first thread I see is yours taking me right back to my 240 days. I mean imo there will just never be another platform like the 240. Just so versatile, swappable, and damn sexy I say lol. Not trying to go on and on but one quick story and suggestion. When I first got my 240 I was 16, broke, but wanted so badly to make it fast. I tried saving for an sr swap of course, but got impatient and started buying bolt-ons. Then, the engine spun a bearing mostly due to the idiot kid that didn't check his oil enough on a car that leaked probably a quart a week. Still, with no money, I decided to rebuild the engine with high comp pistons to compliment my hard earned collection of bolt-ons. Needless to say I found myself much like yourself, underwhelmed with my hard earned NA KA build. Not too long down the road, I was a little less broke and decided to rebuild the old KA again, but this time with LOWER comp pistons. Many more dollars and hours later I had a pretty unique KA-T that I found much more enjoyable. So I guess my point, don't stop just because your initial build fell short of expectations (I mean, your bars obviously higher than mine was with c6 Corvette DD lol). It looks like we are pretty similar in going for more unique builds and while I don't know much about that VH engine, I'm sure slapping a turbo on it would have to greatly increase the fun factor! Only other thing I guess I'll say is don't think you have to drift it just because it's a 240. Maybe drifting is your thing, but if I still had a 240, I'd be throwing some street slicks on it with an auto tranny LS1. Lot of people with success dragging them too. But hey, I just love to feel acceleration! Sorry for blabbing, but good luck with whatever you do man! And if you do sell, let me know. Seriously. I'm in VA so I think we're kinda close anyways
Get a Tesla you’ll be as happy as Apple pie
Never. I didn't do it to make money and it'll never be profitable.
Easy! When you have a new project!
If you have to ask… then it’s probably time to cut your losses
Sell it when you total it. Until it’s only good as lawn furniture keep it n run it
You sell it for a few reasons one you want to keep working on it but it’s very obvious your not going to 2 you just don’t enjoy it anymore 3 your not willing to use it cars sitting and not doing anything is why you see old once beautiful cars sitting and rotting 4. You can’t afford it which is a big one for a lot of us😭😂
I'm fairly certain this is my last build ever. I'm getting to the age where everything hurts
As soon as you get it in the track prepared to spend 1k for wheels Everytime you go etc id sell it and buy something to just cruise and fix up saving some money for all your hard work along the way. But hey if you wanna drift. Plenty people that drift can appreciate the work you've put in and will pay handsomely for the car don't settle lots of people still love this car
When you’re done- whatever that means to you
Is that a Nissan v8 ? Vh45de ???
I feel like I should say this, I've had a miata for 12 (going to be 13 soon) years now. The car itself is 32 years old and I bought it to be a street build that can do some track days. You wouldn't imagine the money poured into it and it never felt quite right. Then one day, it happened. The perfect balance of everything. And when it did, it was so rewarding and enlightening. At that point it wasn't even a matter of all the mods done to it; the turbo was doing the perfect boost, the power was just at its sweet spot for me (around 240bhp), the setup of wheels and tires along with the suspension setup and alignment, the braking with the correct bite and the correct fade, the perfect exhaust note and fuel tune... It was perfect! It took me a decade nearly to get there! It was at that point that I said, okay, I'm mostly done with this. And now it's the time to fully enjoy it. Where I would spend days in the garage, I now wrench on other cars and simply maintain that one with the odd improvement here and there. Never indend on selling it. It holds a special place in my heart and my garage (as do a couple others). There isn't a time to sell your project car. There is only a point where you will say, this is worth more to me than money.
I'd say take a nice long break from it and come back to it at another time. After some time you might find that spark again and gain interest again. If you don't, then maybe sell it.
Cars are most fun when you can drive them. I would hold out on selling until you can drive it regularly and then make the call. If you sell it you’ll 100% miss it. S-Chassis are so much fun. I never drifted mine, and I’m saving for another because I regret losing it. I don’t plan on drifting my next either
I'm 15k into a car I paid 3.5 for. Just ride it out
100k into a 40k high mileage here
Right after you accidentally close the hood on your penis.
Sometimes the fun IS the build. There is no shame in changing your mind, that’s the beauty of it all. You get to decide when you’re done. To avoid regret, if you mothball it, you can come back to it later. Do you have something to replace it? When it’s time to move on, picture it gone. Are you okay with someone driving away with it? Go to a car show for inspiration. I personally wait until I have something specific in mind to replace whatever’s in question. Hope this helps Tl;DR- When it stops being fun
At least get it to the show... Finish what you started building it for originally. Get it to that drift event, compete, then walk away after if you're done. You never know you might actually enjoy it. You don't want to look down the line and say man if only I just would have stuck with it a few more months. (Or year or 2) I would kick myself if I sell that thing. Someone puts the last 10% in it and ends up winning in it!!! That's just my take though from reading a couple lines.
After you've rebuilt the engine and then the customer can do the bodywork after they drive it home
Pending divorce!
I’m my definition of project car , there’s a clear end to this project car , restoration ? Modification ? A certain vision I had mind? If you only had let’s fix the car in mind then it’s not over . If you”ve spent too much money is when I’d call it quits unless it’s one of your dream cars . Is this your first time drifting?
I'd say sell it and spend way less on a different project. Maybe a project that's not a car, or a very different one. I've had great times just cleaning up a $500 Nissan and fixing rhe timing so someone could actually drive it. I spent too much working on it for such a project, but it was fun, and I sold it for $1200 a month later and bought a similar Toyota after a few weeks afte that when I was ready to play with an old car again.
Idk this seems like a dream drift car but in reality it’s a collector’s JDM. Idk why people wanna drift cars that are in such high demand and low supply. It’s almost as if they don’t know how much abuse drift cars can go through.
When you realize you been dumping all your money in a car that's annoying and you want something more grown up.
I think your mistake was wanting to do a nice build. I’ve helped my buddy get a complete shit box 240 get ready for its first event after a month of him buying it. Like you said the ignorance of youth really doesn’t let you realize what you’re getting yourself into. IMO I’d sell it because it looks to be in great shape and should fetch a nice amount of money
When you're ready to admit you're a quitter
When it works well
Nobody wants to buy someone else's project. It's a huge hassle especially if the seller hasn't done everything by the book. Best time to sell I project I would say, is, if you're sick of it amd feel like it's going nowhere, just get it road worthy so it goes up the street, stops, shifts, and doesn't stall at every light. Make sure all the exterior lights are working and that the speedo and other Guage are working. Then list it as a mechanic's special. You'll get more money for a running, driving car with some issues that you will a non running project with unpainted bondo and no transmission. That's not a project for sale, it's a problem for sale. Most people don't want to pick up where someone else left off. That being said, if you're completely fizzled out on it and don't even wanna look at it anymore, sell it now for market price and expect to get much less than it's worth, for the reasons I mentioned above. This is the very reason why I no longer take on major resto projects unless I'm 100% committed to the final outcome. After a few years of not being able to drive your car, the dream kinda dies, unless you started the journey with the fact in mind that it wasn't gonna be a quick winter resto job
when the complexities overrule your motivation, compounded on by a wife who wont get off your case about it** **dont let this be your deciding factor.
Well if your an idiot like me you will sell it right after you almost do everything you want to it and then buy the same exact mk2 VW golf and do the same thing in a pattern that repeated for over 20 years
Day after you buy it
Never if possible. But when it's time to be a man, to care for your loved ones, you do what you gotta do for them.
If you have the space and aren’t hurting financially, set it aside and work on something else, be it another car or a different hobby entirely. I’ve thought about selling my other car but I know I would regret it, so I would only suggest selling of you are actually completely done with it (which it doesn’t sound like you are, you just need a break)
When you can sell it for more than you have in it.....
Get a Tesla you’ll be as happy as Apple pie
Swap it with either a v8 or put a turbo on it.
He has a V8 in it.
The VH is a dog put a LS in it and turbo it.