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

[Modshack1]

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

Sometimes it's a necessity....When I bought my first car and chipped a tooth in the trans, the only way it was gonna get fixed was if I did it myself...Bought a manual, some tools, and taught myself. Over the years, and more than a few cars, I've saved enough by doing my own work to MORE than pay for my GTi...

 

[johnny_p]

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.

I said nothing about installing mods. I said wrenching on the car, performing maintenance yourself, etc.

By your own analogy, installing a new hard drive or more RAM in my computer would make me a computer enthusiast. When in reality I hate computers and anything that goes with them.

 

[Halvie]

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

Learning how to do different things on this car is by far my favorite thing about it. Was definitely a "couldn't change a tire" person before the gti. Nice learning how to do different things on your own...even if they are all relatively easy.

 

[allset]

Learning how to do different things on this car is by far my favorite thing about it. Was definitely a "couldn't change a tire" person before the gti. Nice learning how to do different things on your own...even if they are all relatively easy.

and thats how it goes, the more u do the more confident u get and the more u are willing to attempt.

 

[Rotaryknight]

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.

According to you other post it seems like to be an enthusiast you need to track your car. I could be wrong sometime the internet back and forth sucks.

I'm saying that I am one of those who likes to tinker. Yes I take my car out, I do as much installations and maintenance as I can on my own and yes I spend money. I don't get out as much as I want but I enjoy it. But some people don't, some people don't track. So what are you saying about those people.

Back to the original topic. You like to mod then mod. You have the money for it. Then do it. Is it a terrible investment? Cars in general are terrible. But some people want to make their cars their own, make it drive better, faster, look "cooler" no matter what level or car they get.

I will always mod in one way or another. I had to drive a truck for awhile wasn't worth doing anything performance wise so I called a friend at Pioneer and did the mobile entertainment thing. Was it financially worth it? Not really but I got a good 260k miles out of that truck so to me it was worth it having that in there.

 

[Rotaryknight]

Sometimes it's a necessity....When I bought my first car and chipped a tooth in the trans, the only way it was gonna get fixed was if I did it myself...Bought a manual, some tools, and taught myself. Over the years, and more than a few cars, I've saved enough by doing my own work to MORE than pay for my GTi...

Learning how to do different things on this car is by far my favorite thing about it. Was definitely a "couldn't change a tire" person before the gti. Nice learning how to do different things on your own...even if they are all relatively easy.

and thats how it goes, the more u do the more confident u get and the more u are willing to attempt.

That's the most fun about moding. You take something apart, put it together and now it's faster or handles better. The best part being you did it and know how it works and of course when things break you have a better idea of how to fix it or if someone else has to do it you are more knowledgeable and won't get ripped off.

In college I missed so many classes because my "attempt" to do certain things left my car in pieces at the house we were renting. I remember installing beautiful ceramic coated headers and forgetting to put the oil dipstick back in before I test drove it.....ass brown headers sadly never became popular.

 

[johnny_p]

According to you other post it seems like to be an enthusiast you need to track your car. I could be wrong sometime the internet back and forth sucks.

I'm saying that I am one of those who likes to tinker. Yes I take my car out, I do as much installations and maintenance as I can on my own and yes I spend money. I don't get out as much as I want but I enjoy it. But some people don't, some people don't track. So what are you saying about those people.

Yeah I probably didn't convey it correctly. My apologies. My argument is that automotive enthusiasts are passionate about their cars, which may or may not involve mods or DIY repairs or doing regular maintenance themselves, but there is more to that. They are passionate about the drive. Tracking the car, driving their favorite back roads, spending time perfecting a heel-toe downshift, driving around with the windows down and the radio off to better hear the engine so they can better feel the car itself. Any one of these are things that true car enthusiasts enjoy. And it doesn't matter if its a bone stock dealer maintained Ferrari F430 Scuderia or a home garage maintained modded to the brim GTI.

 

[DarkCloak]

Truth is it depends. Modded cars that are late model can go for more but it has to go to the right buyer. The buyer. Who says "Hey I get a Wavetrac LSD and a K04 pre installed sweet!" especially with all maintenance paperwork.

Used car lots will always prefer stock vehicles. Why? Because their operation is set up to buy stock vehicles and then resell them at market value. A heavily modded car is more difficult to appraise the value of. It then has to be marketed towards the correct potential customer. This takes a lot more work and with no guarantee of the pay off. They do not want to pay as much for a risky, higher effort exchange. This is Business 101.

The biggest holdup for me if I were to buy a modded car is that I would not accept the emissions sticker from the person as I know they are often paid under the table. I would require my own test to make sure that I do not get stuck in a smoggy hornets nest. Getting a car with a swapped motor that you did not do yourself and/or was not done at a nearby shop can become a wild goose chase. I have seen people run this route before. Avoid. Also, if the work is custom simply diagnostic work can be a mess.

If you are modding your car to make money I would advise against it. Probably not going to happen. There are no shortest of people selling cars on the internet that they restomodded. Claiming I put $25k in so I want $25k and people offering only $10k. Also, plan on owning a car a bit of time if you intend to mod.

Some items, like wheels, BBKs, exhaust, will always be resellable.

 

[Rotaryknight]

Yeah I probably didn't convey it correctly. My apologies. My argument is that automotive enthusiasts are passionate about their cars, which may or may not involve mods or DIY repairs or doing regular maintenance themselves, but there is more to that. They are passionate about the drive. Tracking the car, driving their favorite back roads, spending time perfecting a heel-toe downshift, driving around with the windows down and the radio off to better hear the engine so they can better feel the car itself. Any one of these are things that true car enthusiasts enjoy. And it doesn't matter if its a bone stock dealer maintained Ferrari F430 Scuderia or a home garage maintained modded to the brim GTI.

I get it. I agree. But I think the argument in general was more "why mod." Though sometimes the modding takes over more than the driving. I do take that back. If i had a Ferrari F430 I would not mod that HAHAHAHAHA. It would be driver mod I'd go take more classes.

 

[Desert MVIGTI]

Here's where my lack of "enthusiastism" runs a bit dry.

Do I have a garage? Yes. Decent set of tools? Yes. Enjoy a day of wrenching? Yes.
But I won't ever by confused with Junior Johnson. I'm SLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOW.
Putting cool mods ON is a helluva lot more fun than taking it OFF. Sure, exhaust, intake, etc. easy to take on and off (see plac) but while I might be up for putting a new FMIC ON, reversing the process to take it off sounds less fun. Same with a front sway bar, springs, subframe dropping, etc. It's definitely easier to just leave your stuff on and hope for an enthusiast purchaser. But of course, easier rarely produces better financial results in any arena...

 

[Gunkata]

New one intro'd at the LA show this week!

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121128/LOSANGELES/121129884

yeah man, the new design theme Porsche has going is absolutely incredible, they must have moved some of the Audi designers over or something. I saw a leaked photo previously, here it is:

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.

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.

Have to really disagree with you. So a racecar driver is not an enthusiast because he doesn't "wrench on the car" himself? I mean, I see where you're coming from, but I think its pretty far off base.

It's a car. To be enthusiastic about it, would require driving it , not building, maintaining, or repairing it.

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?

Indeed, would be a slippery slope there.

 

[Desert MVIGTI]

Modshack (Steve) I went to go look at your old Corvette.

Damn, man , long tube headers and intake=441 whp?

I just bought a super nice used Tahoe to eliminate the need for the practical aspects of the GTI. I live in the land where snow never falls, and where persistent heat despises forced induction engines.

The used LS3 C6 waxed by old men with bad knees is singing to me....

 

[Baldeagle]

I know this thread is about mods and excessive depreciation, but this loose definition of a car enthusiast bothers me. According to Webster an enthusiast is “one who tends to become ardently absorbed in an interest.” In our case, that interest is cars. I understand that through modifying a car, the owner becomes more intimate with it. It is a hobby. That is one form of enthusiasm.

But an owner does not have to modify his/her car to be an enthusiast. I have a friend who owns a Porsche GT3 and races it on a track once per month depending on the season. His ardent interest is driving. He performs his own maintenance but would never think of modifying his car. He is far more of a car enthusiast than I. I have another friend who has a three car garage. First bay has a Z06 Vette, second bay has a Rousch 427 Mustang, third bay has a Shelby GT500 Super Snake Mustang. This guy is crazy-bonkers over cars, an extreme enthusiast by any measure, and each one is bone stock. A neighbor owns a stock 1970 442. He bought it restored and only takes to local car shows. He’s into looking at cars. He is neither a mechanic nor a driver, but still has a passion for cars and is therefore an enthusiast. An ardent interest or passion can take several forms.

 

[Grundlepunch]

Obviously you don't. Someone that likes to tinker and work on their car will mod no matter the car. So lets say someone spends 10k on a 25k car. Some people will see it as why not get a 35k car.

While I see it as if I buy a 35k car I'll still put 10k in to that and probably more since the 35k car will probably be more expensive to mod.

Yes there comes a point like I posted before about an 11second Civic. But if people always said well I could should got a more expensive car then when does it stop? When are you happy?

Right now the GTi fits what I need. I could have bought a STi, BMW etc etc. But for what it is and especially for me, the DSG transmission, GTi was my choice.

If I had bought a S2000 or STi I would have been able to mod those cars way cheaper, most of the parts probably at cost, master distributor level or free....but I wanted the GTi for good/bad. The car is perfect for my lifestyle at the moment.

You buy a car, you like it, you make it your own. If I didn't care I'd buy a Prius and be done.

Some people like cars and doing things to them. Many can't even change their own oil and spark plugs and call themselves enthusiasts. To each their own.

Well put, i agree. Doesn't mater what car/truck/bike/whatever that i own, i always end up modding it haha

 

[grambles423]

I'm glad people share that same mentality. I hate having my car look like everyone else's. That being said, buying a GTI is enough to be "different from the norm" but modding it to a high degree kind of separates me from the OTHER pack.

I'm definitely a tinker kind of guy. I mean, its whats I do for a living, why not extend it to my personal life? Even more, I love that the GTI is so easy to tinker with. Easy power, cheap power (relative), and easy to work on. Yeah, you need a few special bits, but outside of that......its pretty straight forward.

I ALWAYS tell myself, I want better "out of the box", "straight from the factory" power. But I need to quite fooling myself. I want that, PLUS easy power and easy to work on.