I'm probably over $25,000 by now total.

And finally slowing down on the spending after 15 years.

I made a lot of expensive mistakes along the way, but it's been worth it.

Of course now it needs tires...

 

I've had the car for 12 years. Below is the short list of what I have done.
ZZ4
Rebuilt TH400
Brake Lines
Power Steering Rebuild
Calipers
Front Suspension
Seats
Carpet
Autometer Gauges
Diff Rebuild
New Gas Tank
FlowMaster Mufflers

Most of this came in the last two years. That is after my 5th deployment. The first 4 went to paying away all debt, two kids college, and a car for the wife.

Like most here, this is an expensive hobby (not as expensive as some). I just enjoy cruising around in the vette on the weekends. Won't get out of it what I have in it but that was never the purpose. Hope I can still be driving it when I'm 70 years old too!!

 

i have kept costs down by doing all my own work and making the special tool necessary to complete a repair.around $2700 in 2 1/2 years.it being a '76 and needing paint i may be upside down already.like go vette go said it's a hobby and cheaper than most.we are getting our exercise too.tim h said about being able to view beautiful scenery,well he is part of the scenery when cruising in his vintage vette.nice thread and to all a great winter.

 

Cheaper than a mistress and and I don't have to sneak around : )

 

If it's just about the money for you then...well.

 

If you worry more about the money than the car, you are not an enthusiast, you are an accountant.

 

Definitely true, within rationalized limit, I buy a car and don't worry about how much im getting ready to spend on it, but I don't pull home a car that needs $30000 worth of work either.

 

I bought my 74 in 2000 and up to just a few weeks ago I spent $15,125.00 in parts...





Then a few weeks ago the door panel where your elbow goes split so I just got new ones and a few other interior parts, so ad in another $938.00.

New parts total-----$16063.00
Labor $ 5991.00
Cost of car $ 5400.00
Grand total $27,454.00

 

Who cares!!!!! I had the money when I bought what ever I wanted, so why would it matter now how much it was?

 

I would like to think I`m smart enough to follow this logic, but the evidence points elsewhere! But it is fun to see the end result....
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/z_0002-1.png
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/z_0005-1.png
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/z_0003-1.png
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/z_0004-1.png
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/z_0006-1.png
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/z_0007-1.png

And our latest... (still working on it)
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...vette1nose.jpg
http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/100_2272.jpg

 

Just about anything other than a rubber bumper C3 or maybe a Maverick is worth some money so you can spend a little more and not feel too bad.

 

95% of Corvette's as an investment:cra zy: only if you bought it, didn't put a mile on it and kept in a garage it's whole life (zero enjoyment). You may make money on that investment. I knew before I started this body-off resto-mod that I would at best only get maybe .60 cents on the dollar on my money. But I will have the only Vett like it anywhere and I can hardly wait to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Not done yet but probably north of 32 grand

 

Yes I don't feel too bad spending the money on the old horse after all each time I turn the start key on it I smile that's a priceless feeling makes it all better

 

Exactly! And as many others have mentioned, the money they dumped into it, doesn't matter. It is the experience! It is also about the mission of bringing a 'Vette back to life, from the dead.

And I'll add this too, this is my first 'resto' which really isn't a resto, but making the car as happy as possible. I find that I'm developing a strange bond with the car. My hands have been all over that car, fixing stupid stuff, replacing broken crap and rebuilding what needs to be rebuilt.

My homely brown 74' L48 may be no 69' 427, four-thirty-five horse car, but as I recently told the guy who owned one and was kind of superior about it, while leaning on the fender, this car loves me! It has repaid me tenfold already and I've only driven it a few times so far! It ain't no torque monster or the fastest thing on the planet, but she sure loves to roll out and stretch her legs! I swear the car is thanking me!

I row through the four speed, with the headers cranking their happy tune and it just excites the hell out of me (and meanwhile a VW Toureg SUV is still pulling away as I grab third...), but man, it sure looks good and sure sounds good doing it!!!

Screw what it's worth at the end! I could give a flying ferp about it, because when I'm sitting in my Dark Brown 74' in traffic, idling and hand on the shifter, I know that this car is very unique and it's highly unlikely I'll see another one.

 

I keep a spreadsheet on everything.. ( except my own labor ) I am at 42% above my purchase price.. I expect to come close to break even when selling.

selling my car will trigger a big deposit into my bank account and I need proof of my capital gain ( which will be at or near zero ) if the tax man asks.

you guys should be tracking your expenses for this very purpose.

 

Imagine what a combined total some of these cars have in them.

Mine was fully re-done by the last owner and he spared no expense from the ZZ4 to all new everything under the car in the car and a custom paint job. My guess is he spent up to 25k.

I come buy and buy it and he got about 1/3 of that cost back from me . I have just put a 700R4 into her and am taking the ZZ4 and cloning it to the ZZ430. so add another 4500 to the car.

I would guess from dealer to owner to owner this car will have had up to 50k spent on it including its original selling price. BUT each one of us have gotten a lot of pleasure from owning it and changing it and have made a lot of friends at cruse nights and car shows.

So as a hobby ( which for me use to be boating ) I can honestly say this is a lower end costing hobby in comparison.

 

I have more in my interior than I bought the car for.

When I go deep sea fishing and do the math - around $100 a fish....

I SPEND MONEY TO HAVE FUN.

 

I bought my car in 2005 for $12,300 when my son was born. I put another $10k into it (easily). I used to have motorcycles. I'm enjoying the corvette hobby much more ... the time spent with my son has been truly priceless. We attend 3-4 local cruise nights per week during the summer, and we went to Carlisle this year. The license plate even has his name on it - Jake71.

 

I had a 77 that I had about 50k into it. Pro street car with a blown 540. Right now I have an 80 that I paid $12,000 for, decided I didn't like the way the paint , interior and engine was done by the previous owner so I am redoing it. I have $12,000 into that now. I also have a pro street 67 GTO that I probably have about $45,000 into it.

I don't care how much I spend, I want to get them the way I want them. This is my only vice, I don't drink or do drugs or gamble. I pay all my bills on time, have some credit card debt and I put money away for retirement. I also have a greta wife that lets me get away with this crap.

I have one life to live. And I plan on living it as happily as I see fit and I don't know when I will die so I get what I want when I want it. I do not need to be the richest man in the cemetery.

 

It is to him and that's all that matters.

Adam