I have been curious to see how much folks have been putting into their cars - especially the nice ones. Please don't forget to post a pic also!

 

This is mine I do take it to shows but its not ultra show quality.
$1500 for the car
$820 paint and body work
$1300 Interior
I have alot of worn out parts that were replaced and right now I am working on the undercar stuff for the second time. As of right now I have $5000 to $5500 into my car including purchase price.

 

total...I have about 16k into mine bought the car for 3k

 

I got about 5k into mine. But my parents payed 2800 for the car, and I got all my tires for free. Well the rears cost $500 but those were a graduation gift and a friend gave me some front tires for free to help me out. I personally have put in about $2500. I'm gonna hold off posting a pic cause I just got new tires and haven't taken photos yet.

 

So far I have lost count lol, I have about $1500 in the motor and another $850 in the interior. I have $850 in materials for the paint, $500 in stereo. I paid a little less than a grand for the car. I still need wheels and tires, exhust and 100 other little things. These are all at my cost, if I add the labor, oh boy, don't even want to think about it. the last car I did (my 67 GTO Vert) I spent nearly 20 K restoring her, again my cost. You can dump tons of money into cars, its better to not remember what you spent LOL

 

i payed 3000 for mine. i believe that i have 12,500 wrapped up in it right now. plan on spending at least another 15,000 before it is complete. still am going to do and engine, trans and diff. need to finish the interior and then get her painted.

 

Lookin' at about $30 grand here so far

 

gscz28, what color paint is that?? it looks awesome!

 

$16.000 car (original owner)
$2500 sound system
$3000 tire/wheels
20 years of sweat and worry (priceless)

 

This topic makes me depressed...

I won't post a picture because just about everyone here has seen ol' BlueZee.

$12,000 purchase price @ 32,000 miles
$750 new convertible top
$1,000 in wheels and tires and front spacers
$300 in LS1 brake swap
$500 in various interior upholstery
$2,300 total for the custom Ford 8.8 swap
$750 in suspension (phb, lca's, lcarb's, 2 sets of sfc's, springs, struts/shocks)
$550 in gauges (AEM wide band and Aeroforce Interceptor)
$1,200 in audio system
$13,500 for LS2/T56 swap (purchase price of block and trans, block rebuild, all parts including the forged internals/cam/valve train, tubular k member, Tick master cylinder, SSW longtubes, offroad stainless y pipe and muffler, Trans cross member, and every other part and labor cost associated with the swap included)

There's a bit more than that in it but I can't remember everything, this is the big stuff anyway.

I still have another $4,500 to spend on a custom paint job this winter before its a true show car in my eyes. That will be done before March I'm hoping.

All of this and it's only insured for $17,500 with my insurance company

 

I always say buy the car the way you want..
I spent:
10K on car
500 total on wheels (formula wheels perfect cond -then powdercoated)
500 on tires.
all stock with 21K on the clock

 

Built>bought

No offense

Might be cheaper your way but I have a lot more sentimental equity in a car that I built from the ground up

 

I have right at 15k in mine now (paid $700 for the car). Only things left are a turbo upgrade, subframe connectors and I will have the wheels refinished some day. Should have about $17k total for 10.90's in the 1/4

 

None taken... i will not part with my baby. Many cars go for sale that people spent much $$$$ on... just to lose over 1/2 of it when they have to sell. never resto a car when somone else is willing to do it for you for almost nothing.
I am glad ur happy with your car though!

 

I used to bring it to shows now its just a cruiser but with all the mod engine tranny paint ect. Im around 14k over ten years

 

Nick
I can see your point, but it is nice buying something that doesn't need much. My 82 is an ongoing project. My 89 is show quality, and it was nice detailing it and bringing it to a show already done. Hopefully someday I can have both of them at shows.

 

35k+ in it without even trying to add everything up I'm sure.



at the 2011 chicago world of wheels on the old pro star rims

 

firemist orange from tcpglobal.com

 

gscz28--

Very sweet!!!...

Nice touch with the black hi-lite too!

Great background choice with the diner!

 

its less painful to not think about how much i've spent

 

thanks everyone for the compliment

I real nervous with the paint...bought sight unseen off of the website.

but everyone that has seen it says it looks great

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gscz28/6255152859/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gscz28/6255152859/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/gscz28/, on Flickr

 

Don't know. Don't want to add it all up. Far from SHOW car. Needs Paint.
Over 10k under 30k. See sig for mods.

 

That's some sweet paint man.

 

I plan to hit some shows next year after repaint. So far I am about 9k in it. I still see myself doing another engine swap to it down the road and picking up yet another project soon.

 

Got some new pics:

 

I don't have a showcar but man, I'm envious at how relativly "little" money some people here have into very nice rides. I truly am on the wrong side of the ocean. I must have well over 30K into mine + buying it for a good 9K or so....and it's still a POS

 

I wouldn't call any of them true show cars. I enjoy driving them too much for that.

The 1992 is well over $35k. But about the only thing left stock on it is the sheet metal.
The 1988 GTA is on it's 3rd engine so you can start to guess what that one is up to.

The only one that is under $2k still is the 82Z in my sig and that will get real expensive once it's turn to be upgraded comes around. Current plan is a twin turbo LS motor with plans to run in events like the Silver State Classic

 

mine. bought it for 3200. and put about $1,000 into it. I do know a guy with his custom 82 trans am mid engine car. I think he told me its racked up $70,000. His paint job alone was In the $10,000

 

Like anyone who really restores or correctly repairs one,......it will be way more than it would ever sells for. jmo

 

When we were in NJ we had a restoration shop (no collision work) we did vintage correct restorations, I am talking correct factory markings here. People would come in in 1985 and spend 20K on a 69 Camaro, we did a Pierce Arrow once and it hit nearly 70K. The cars you have to fabricate parts for are the most expensive to restore. I know I have sold cars at a loss numerous times, its all about the build for me. Take a car and bring it from A to B is the true high.

 

This.

Nowhere near what some have spent but still a lot to fathom considering from the outside it looks near stock.

 

too much! my car is a weekend warrior and not show car. The last time I counted I was between $20-25K

 

I've put well over 50k into my 89 since 92 including a 7,500$ purchace price.

 

Man, it hurts just thinking about it! My Camaro has close to 30K in it.

 

Interesting read... people who bought cheap and built tend to pay more than what they would have had they bought the complete package from another individual, but it may not be exactly what they're looking for.

I understand the sentiment of built versus bought, but I also understand the "sentiment" of saving cash and time and having the complete package from the get go. Of course, the odds of finding exactly what you want right away are not always the best.

 

right around 10k into this beater.
Paid $500 for the car.

 

Some of us never intended to have a show car when we first purchased it. The one I normally qualify as a show car was originally purchased cheap as a beater to leave in airport long term parking when I needed to travel. A couple acts of vandalism resulted in the insurance company paying for the repaint which was too nice to park at the airport any more. A trip to Bowling Green for a FBody Gathering in 2006 got my wife seriously thinking about building it up and the rest is history. And, yes, I'd definitely do it differently if I could do it over again. Which is why it will never be 100% finished.

 

WOW! your reading my mind!!!

I also have a shitload of cash into my z28, and man, it still rattles, leak and bogs.

POS...yep

 

Let's see....

1. Car: FREE (previous owner was going to junk it, had not turned over in 6 + years)

2. Minor items (new hoses, plugs, oil, fuel pump, etc...)to get car running: $500

3. Wheels (came of my vette): FREE (not really compaired to what I paid for the vette....)

4. 4th gen seats: $200

5. Minor perf mods: $500 +

6. Paint: $3,000

I've had the car since August 2011 & if you add the above, about $4,200 into it, & by my calcuation I'm about 1K from "finishing" it. I still need to redo the tint, carpet, + sound deadning.

I say finished because after I'm done with the interior it will be semi-show + great driver. As far as speed goes, it will stay how it is for now (or I can drive the vette for speed, over 30K into the vette...LOL).

IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE PAINT SHOP, should get it back next week.

 

Mine isn't exactly a show car, but most people joke that it is, because I hardly ever drive it lol. I have over 10k in it not including the price of the car which was 5k. I haven't even touched the drivetrain yet.

 

Me and my dad have been working on this car for a while now. Around 10k in major stuff. Probably closer to 11-12k with all the nickle and diming though.

And it only looks like this so far:

 

im on the same page. i have around 17k invested so far and here is how it sits now.......

 

I have about 9k into it and thats just documented purchases. The purchases made locally not included which is the motor rear and tranny and countless trips to the parts store are not in this. That would add up another 5k easily. Yet I still have to start working on the interior and exterior which will be a getting a good a ttention to detail. This is how it is atm.



I am finishing up the Suspension at the moment which is all practically brand new. I still have to purchase the Konis and front end rebuild kit which will add easily another $1000 to the total. Interior is gonna run me another $500 to do and....

Let me just cut it short there, point is its never gonna end.

Still in the end I know I will have a one off ride built for me. No matter the price tag or no matter of what else I could have gotten. Its worth putting the money into it for me just for that.

 

That is what it is all about, IMO

 

i get alot of people asking why im building mine the way i am. i know when i go to a show that i will have the only one like mine. ill have roughly 50k in mine when done.

 

I have just over $15K in just parts into my IROC and it's not put together yet. $3K for the NOS interior alone.

 

Hey not change the subject, but that DINER reminds me of the one in the movie "Here On Earth"

 

Based on what some of you guys have quoted, I will stand by my comment that it's cheaper to spend more up front than to try and gradually build from a $500 car.

I have $10,000 in the car itself and about $4000 in repairs over the past 10 years. A lot of them were done because of age and preventative maintenance like belts/hoses/tires/fluids, etc. Now I need a $1400 tranny rebuild. I'm at about $15500

 

I got around $5,000 and still counting,most of it went to 26 year old interior replacement ,under carriage,gaskets,tires,all new brake calipers,4 rotors and all that dry rotted weatherstripping.Next project,Paint.

 

i wish i could say i dont have much money tied up in my car, i am close to 40k by the end of next month! I still have a little ways to go to. haha