My spending/build/maintenance cost

[Smokey Eddy]

I was just wondering what you all spend on your diesels. well... not so much what you spend but if you think my spending is justified?

in 4 years I've spent 3,000 and driven the car 75,000km.

here is a break down of my purchases as accurately as i can figure out. i excluded things like coolant, fuses, tires, relays, brake pads, oil and filters and other similar things.

400 suspension ALL/EVERYTHING adjustable springs, nitrogen struts, all bushings
86 heater core, heater hose long, steel water distribution pipe, lower radiator hose
229 oil pan baffle, turn signal/high beam switch, IM seal and bearings, main bearings, crank case gasket & seal set, oil filter stand gasket

342 clutch and pressure plate
220 both axles and 4 CV joints, crank gear, o-ring, door handle

850 AAZ head, expansion tank, misc coolant hoses, ARP head studs, intake and exhaust valves, intake, egt gauge and sender, oil temp gauge and sender, boost gauge, head gasket, valve stem seals, rings, all head gaskets, ported head, dash lights, a couple switches, glow plug relay and switch

112 2 door handles, head gasket, cam seal, water temp sender, water pump, timing belt & tensioner, oil pan gasket, 0.25 over rod bearings

46 mahle STD rod bearings
56 head gasket
70 2.5 inch Exhaust
100 fake BBS rims
40 injection pump - veggie oil safe seals and pressed in shaft seal
50 new injector nozzles and heat shields
60 timing belt and tensioner
120 glow plugs
73 intercooler
60 intercooler pipes and fittings
40 T-clamps for intercooler
20 oil cooler sandwich
25 Grant piston rings

$2,997

I just added the last 1,000 in the past 6 weeks with suspension, clutch/pressure plate and bottom end overhaul. I also rounded all my costs up to account for things i've broken.

Am i being stupid or have i done well so far? it is exactly 1/3rd of what i've spent on university since graduating high school 2 yrs ago.
I got the car for free because it didn't start/run very well. was getting 20mpg. now it gets 45 if i drive it normally.

[Vanagoner]

It sounds like you have a lot of car for $63 a month.  Plus, instead of making payments to the bank for something which is deteriorating, you are making payments to yourself for something that is getting better as you go (and gives you something to be creative with).  BTW that's about what I spend on mine every month on basic maintenance and restoration.  There are too many old things to replace on mine to get fancy with it at this point, but I'm good with that.

[GEE-BEE]

Yep , I hate too add it up but here are my number's:

1981 caddy with 35K original, 4250.00

Complete Citi South African front end/ rear bumpers and plate lights:650.00

1.9 AAZ  2750.00

Giles Pump OHC 950.00, traded for new T3

CHD gearbox OHC with Peloquinn 1075.00

Extrude A Hone head ( plasma polish ) 550.00

PD130 intake and  Plasma Polish 450.00

Exhaust: Techtonics S/S  2.5 650.00

KO4/KO3 Hybrid with balance and ceramic coated housings 915.00

Axle flip with air shocks, poly spring mounts , s/s hard lines, Weitec Coilover's front
Powder coated springs and axle 850.00

New paint and seals and new glass all around 2750.00

new window regulators 150.00

Int: G60 seats, carpet kit ( u.k. ), all Pilliars covered,Cabby remote mirrors
TMI door panel's 1250.00

G60 brakes,MKII pedal assy , new master, new booster 550.00

15x6 new Le Casletts 880.00

195-45-15 Kuhmo's 246.00

Mcnally Gauges :775.00

new hoses , turbo feed line and return 250.00

Clutch and all new cables 300.00

Optima battery and cnc mount , new wiring 300.00

Well at least it's a complete business write off...

This is my second build , My last caddy is owned by a jetta tdi vw cup driver

My daily driver is 2008 997TT Porsche with Dymag wheel's ( 28 K) miles

new products coming soon...

GB

[8v-of-fury]

Eddy dude! why you always doubting what you doing man!?

I mean think if you got a brand new car.. well one a couple years old.. so that your payments were $70 a month. this would just be to own the car. not counting anything you want to upgrade! you would easily be paying double to own and upgrade a newer car, that as said, would be loosing value.

Cheer up buddy, your car rocks.

[Smokey Eddy]

Thanks fellas.
It's just ... seems like as of late everytime i give someone a ride something breaks and leaves us stranded.
this is all in the last 2 months

belt snaps - no alternator
heatercore blows up
battery doesn't charge

i have no turn signals still or highbeams and the oil light/buzzer comes on periodically. the car is just a mess.

[truckinwagen]

that all may be true, but if you are like me, you would be lost in a car that never needed to be fixed.

I really thrive working on my car, its where I feel the most at home.

and the old beast is cheap(I have put $2500 into the thing including purchase and building/swapping the diesel in the last year)

I would hate to be stuck in something that costs money every month(payments/full coverage) and never changes.

[Smokey Eddy]

trueee dat. i too love working on it.

[rabbitman]

Yup the more you play with it the more it cost........but think about how much fun it is!

You spend that money, tinker some, and you have a car that you like, and it can spank lots of newer, "nicer" cars.

[Smokey Eddy]

weeelll sorta spank.
when its not busy breaking it's self.

[Rabbit79]

I would say that versus the cost of what they want for a new car, or even just a newer used car, you're doing quite well. From your list of things you've fixed it sounds like you should just about have your reliability problems under control. There will always be things that need fixing to be sure, but it looks as if you have the major stuff out of the way and the rest should just be tinkering.

[Smokey Eddy]

yeah i guess thats true. the next things are brakes... and a turbo rebuild i think. just because its so old.