My Cost Analysis of FAIL

SON240sx Automotive
1

1993 Nissan 240SX SE Build List

Parts
1993 240SX SE 2500
Rockford Fosgate Amp + Infinity Reference 10" subwoofer 250
Alpine CD Player + 6.5" Component speakers 130
17" Gunmetal SE-R Spec-V Rims 300
Nexen N3000 225/45/17 W-Rated Tires 480
Rebuilt KA24DE 1200
Waterpump 80
Thermostat 25
Bosch Premium Wires 80
NGK V-Power Platinum Spark Plugs 30
5 Speed Swap 600
Rust Repair 700
Bing’s TC Rods 210
Nismo Subframe Brace 260
Russel Stainless Steel Brake Lines F&R 120
Hawk HP+ Rear Brake Pads 120
J30 Front Brake Calipers + OEM Rotors + OEM Pads 120
Walbro 255lph Fuel Pump 130
Clutchmasters FX100 Clutch 375
Polyurethane Steering Rack Bushings 20
Inner & Outer Tie Rods 40
180SX Front Lower Control Arms 140
Mint OEM Steering Wheel 25
Winter Tires & Rims 300
New Passenger Seatbelt (Dealership installed) 0
Various OEM Bolts & Gaskets 200

Total 8435

I got pretty decent deals on a lot of my stuff, and in the end I still drive a pretty much stock S13. FUCK ME SIDEWAYS! So much money…

Please post up your costs, I want to see how much you guys have invested in this little hobby of yours. It’ll make me feel a lot better for sure, knowing I’m not the only retard that spent 8+ grand so far without much progress. lol

Cheers :),
Ahmad

2

no worries i spent over 14g’s on my s14 that i parted out for about 6g’s 3 months later

3

try 4.5k on paint alone. -_-"

4

lol i started like that… just because i bought it auto for 800$ as a non drivable project car… first spent alot of money restoring it MINT as a super clean daily… looked awesome always got compliments… then decided i wanted to turn it into a track car… face palm meh we all learn the hard way sometimes. And I too got ripped off on paint work… everyone gets ripped off once in a while… meh. Invent a time machine or something lol

5

^That’s exactly what’s going to happen to me, I can see it. lol

Right now I’m going for a quick and nice daily driver, just pure driving pleasure. There are so many sacrifices made when doing so because you buy parts for comfort, and some performance, but not like all out track where you gut the car, buy awesome spherical bearings everywhere, and solid bushings, then badass unsprung clutches, and large laggy turbos. hahaha

The most I want to see right now is a relatively comfortable, firm, yet smooth"ish" setup that’ll be a joy on the street and the track. Then for engine, I’m planning for a T28 KA-T bottom mount setup with a ROM tune. Should be decent, and very responsive down low vs. your average T3/T4 setup.

And Trutrax, I feel your pain man, it must be a BITCH working on that with the thought that you might drop a ratchet accidentally and scratch the paint, or whenever someone parks near your and hits your car with their door. You’re pretty much living in pure paranoia, all for that baller white shine. :stuck_out_tongue:

CSK, holy shit 3 months later and an $8k loss? FUCK, so many lowballers. I feel bad for anyone selling their modified car because honestly, it takes so much money to make it that vs. stock, and people don’t account for even half the money in the sale price. That just isn’t fair. I actually am willing to pay for the mods…I was pretty close to buying Benson’s car, but the timing just wasn’t right and it got sold to Noobie240, congrats to him btw.

Now I’m building the evil twin of that car. He had a nice C5 vette red, with silver spec-v rims and an SR. I’m going to go for the same thing but I have gunmetal spec-v rims and it’s going to be a KA-T. lol Evil twin indeed.

6

Remember those long conversations on msn me giving you advice… and you not wanting to follow my advices from experience face palm…

…

SMACK

7

1200 for complete forged rebuild ahmadG ?

8

Nope, OEM.

9

all that money and still stock you say or close to… whomp whomp!!

10

EDIT: wrong thread

Thats quite abit man, damn. I’m probably somewhere around that mark with my green car.

11

Unfortunately, that is the sad reality of modding any car. I went a very similar route with my 240 when I had it, doing everything right, making sure everything gets changed out with a new part, and in the end I had a very nearly stock car, but it felt very nice and solid.
You’re not alone though, you gotta pay to play. Anyone that didn’t spend the money, either has insane hookups, or is ghetto building their car and the quality won’t be there. Don’t feel bad, just enjoy your ride and be proud of what you have done to it, even if it’s not a lot.

12

To keep a car running if your not mechanically inclined with cost you an arm and a leg.
To put performance parts in and so on is even more expensive. Shit i do not want to revise the money i spent on previous cars let alone the car i currently have

13

Thanks for this post Solarian, it put a smile on my face. :slight_smile:

14

Junior, I don’t buy and sell cars every 2 weeks…lol

15

hey not every 2 weeks… every few months geeeezzzz cant even get that right!!:slap:

16

I have been into cars for along time, spent alot of money. But then, if someone buys a nice new tight car you loose big time depreciation in the first 2-3 years (good chunk when they just drive it of the lot!). So either way you pay to have a dependable good running car. But build it and fix it yourself and you have something unique and sweet to drive…and its the way YOU want it!. The trick is to drive it enough to be able to smile and enjoy it…cause you gotta drive it to get your moneys worth out of it, most of the time you wont get it when you sell it LoL.

17

I’ve spent about 12-13g’s all parts but car wont look stock after winter…but yea this hobby is money draining if you want everything done properly so dont worry.

18

y didnt you buy hawk for the front ? u know that 80% of brakng power is on the front right?

How are the Hp+ in winter?

19

Def would have suggested Hawk for the fronts but clearly you don’t take it to seriously as you are running Nexen tires. You gotta pay to play home slice so enjoy the mods you did or else they are truly worthless…

20

I figured since I have stock S13 brakes at the back, I’d try using HP+ for the rear to see if that helps the front bias. Most people reported that they locked up the front wheels very easily with Q45/J30 brakes at the front.

My rear pads were done anyways, and the J30 calipers I brought from AdamS13 already had meaty OEM pads on them. They work well, just need to be bled properly, and I should probably get a new booster and BMC. I will upgrade the fronts to HP+ once these pads run out. The rears ATE my rotors, the rotors are like 3mm thin now, I have to change those.

In the winter, I noticed that even though I have ABS, if I stomp on the brakes in low grip conditions, the car wants to go sideways, too much rear bias, feels like I’m pulling the e-brake.

About the comment on the Nexens…I really like these tires, a little sloppy with their sidewalls, but they have much better grip than my previous tires, even in the wet, and they are W-rated (270km/h). They have gotten nothing but good reviews, especially considering the price. I decided to go with them instead of the Exclaim UHP’s or something of that sort. They still look almost new, I bought them in the summer of '08, although I haven’t put much mileage on them.