Heavy Performance Modding...a bad investment but THAT BAD?

[allset]

I wouldn't even use the word " investment " relating to modding even with 'bad" in front of it.

Its more like reverse consensual loansharking.

 

[xytbyk]

I wouldn't even use the word " investment " relating to modding even with 'bad" in front of it.

Its more like reverse consensual loansharking.

:laugh: So true.

Looking at any enthusiasts' car as an "investment" in financial terms alone is a weird concept to me. I'll lose 3k or so when I part out the GTI (a bit less if they keep the same wheel specs on the mk7 R/A3). I'd still rather have something I've scoured ads and car shows and scraped my hands up making uniquely mine over just buying an older Cayman or 911. The idea that I can run with those cars in the canyons with a car that has the same badges as the one I bought for $500 and worked so hard to get running when I was 15 makes it seem like I'm profiting.

I can't imagine keeping ANY car bone stock either though, so I'm probably weird in that regard. Typing this makes me want to buy some crap for my TDI.

 

[johnny_p]

Did I say that spending money on your car makes you an enthusiast? My point being is some people like to be hands on with their cars while some can barely change a spare tire. But to each their own if they want to be called an enthusiast.

Still holds true. You don't need to wrench on your own car to be an enthusiast. I don't understand what's so hard to see about my point. If you're a true enthusiast you're all about the drive. Changing your own oil has nothing to do with it.

 

[Thumper]

Those of us who do enjoy modded cars do not want a "package deal" handed to us; we want to start from scratch and build it up ourselves.

Exactly.

Built, not BOUGHT. Part of the fun and joy are in scraping your knuckles, ripping a fingernail off and banging elbows, knees, and your head on the undercarriage.

Agreed, but the 5% is right here on this forum...and judging by all the salivating this forum does over APR products , I'd have expected him to find a buyer by now. Other than the wheels, the rest of his mods are also fairly mainstream here.
QUOTE]

Another thing to keep in mind is the economy. Buying a car from a private seller is tough, you have to secure a loan on your own. When you buy from a dealer they can check lonas from several places in the blink of an eye, they can assert some influence, they may have a personal relationship with the underwriter making the decision to encourage them to make the deal. When you walk into a bank and apply they just look it over and stamp yes or no.

I have been trying to sell my limited edition 2002 35th Anniversary Edition Camaro SS 1LE for months. Granted, that's not a car to be driven, slightly different marked as a collector, but.......money is scarce now, it is a HORRIBLE time to sell a car.

 

[Rotaryknight]

Ha the funny thing is I was originally was going to get a DSG because of how much I drive. I intentionally did not drive a GTi. My fiancé was the one who pointed at it and said to drive it. I even told her "it's gonna be a whole world of shit again if I get a car I can mod."

Oops....

 

[allset]

also most ppl view any car tuned/modded as automatically beat on and tracked which lowers the value; when the exact opposite is true. we take better care of our cars than any average joe car owner

 

[Rotaryknight]

also most ppl view any car tuned/modded as automatically beat on and tracked which lowers the value; when the exact opposite is true. we take better care of our cars than any average joe car owner

Yes and no hahaha I beat mine up but maintain it like crazy.

 

[Thumper]

Still holds true. You don't need to wrench on your own car to be an enthusiast. I don't understand what's so hard to see about my point. If you're a true enthusiast you're all about the drive. Changing your own oil has nothing to do with it.

I understand your point, I just disagree. Having someone else install all your mods and then just driving it makes you a customer and a driver, not an enthusiast.

That's like saying any idiot that buys the top of the line AlienWare gaming monster PC with custom water cooling for $4000 is a computer geek. He's not, he's a customer with money. The guy who spends $2000 on parts and builds it all up himself is the computer geek.

Not saying there is anything WRONG with not building it yourself, I'm not hating on anyone who doesn't. Too each their own, no skin off my back if someone else pays for installs. But a true enthusiast loves the joy that comes from doing it themselves IMHO.

 

[allset]

Yes and no hahaha I beat mine up but maintain it like crazy.

lol of course, me too, the reason i maintain and dump money into it is b/c i drive street hard and believe in preventive maintenance

I understand your point, I just disagree. Having someone else install all your mods and then just driving it makes you a customer and a driver, not an enthusiast.

That's like saying any idiot that buys the top of the line AlienWare gaming monster PC with custom water cooling for $4000 is a computer geek. He's not, he's a customer with money. The guy who spends $2000 on parts and builds it all up himself is the computer geek.

Not saying there is anything WRONG with not building it yourself, I'm not hating on anyone who doesn't. Too each their own, no skin off my back if someone else pays for installs. But a true enthusiast loves the joy that comes from doing it themselves IMHO.

+1000000

 

[Halvie]

I understand your point, I just disagree. Having someone else install all your mods and then just driving it makes you a customer and a driver, not an enthusiast.

That's like saying any idiot that buys the top of the line AlienWare gaming monster PC with custom water cooling for $4000 is a computer geek. He's not, he's a customer with money. The guy who spends $2000 on parts and builds it all up himself is the computer geek.

Not saying there is anything WRONG with not building it yourself, I'm not hating on anyone who doesn't. Too each their own, no skin off my back if someone else pays for installs. But a true enthusiast loves the joy that comes from doing it themselves IMHO.

Get what you are saying, but tossing together a pc is a hell of a lot easier than most mods.

Do you look at it like that for all mods, or is there a point where it is ok to have a shop install something. Is Steelcurtain not an enthusiast because he didn't do the piston install? Where do you draw the line?

 

[allset]

Get what you are saying, but tossing together a pc is a hell of a lot easier than most mods.

Do you look at it like that for all mods, or is there a point where it is ok to have a shop install something. Is Steelcurtain not an enthusiast because he didn't do the piston install? Where do you draw the line?

i think everyone has their own line...of comfortability with what they feel they can do them selves

 

[MaliciousMK6]

Get what you are saying, but tossing together a pc is a hell of a lot easier than most mods.

Do you look at it like that for all mods, or is there a point where it is ok to have a shop install something. Is Steelcurtain not an enthusiast because he didn't do the piston install? Where do you draw the line?

True, you don't have to be a grease monkey to be an enthusiast. You just have you enjoy your car as more than just a white good. You don't have to even mod it, it just happens that mods are so easy and cheap now that most do.

Building a computer is different. You don't go to computer meets in parking lots and admire their led lit fans.

 

[Halvie]

i think everyone has their own line...of comfortability with what they feel they can do them selves

So more that they just try to do something on their own?

 

[Halvie]

True, you don't have to be a grease monkey to be an enthusiast. You just have you enjoy your car as more than just a white good. You don't have to even mod it, it just happens that mods are so easy and cheap now that most do.

Building a computer is different. You don't go to computer meets in parking lots and admire their led lit fans.

Forums basically equate to the same thing. You don't think computer guys have build threads for impressive systems? Car meets don't interest me. I don't think that prevents me from being an enthusiast.

 

[allset]

So more that they just try to do something on their own?

thats the best way to learn. i started in 1993 with a jeep wrangler, cant tellu how many valves i bent, or struts i destroyed trying to do stuff my self. Its a bit different with cars today being more complicated but there also was no internet back then