How Much Have You Spent On Your E Series?

[tommo74]

25,000 + and the reason I couldnt buy a ba(not that I want to) Is because at the time I couldnt get finance for a car(credit card debt) so I have to do everything cash or not at all...which Id rather do anyhoo.Something about still paying 200 bux a week 5 years later on when your car is only worth half the price just doesnt appeal to me....rather get finance for a house.

[chich]

Originally Posted by FlasherEF

It looks like there are a lot of people spending lots of money on their cars. For those that have spent 10-50k on thier N/A non-XR EA-EL Falcons, did you ever consider just buying a BA or BF and modding that, rather than spending way more than the car's value on mods? Or is it just the love of look 'shell' that makes us spend so much without upgrading?

Another thing is how do you blokes hide the $$ from the missus (if you have one) to spend on mods? Once my missus walked into my study and pointed to the new $500 stainless extractors i purchased (and hided) and said 'what's that under the bed'? i had to think for a second, then came out with 'thats just my replacement exhaust manifold i picked up for $60, my old one has holes in it and is getting old'.

For me personally its not just about having the latest or most convenient car to mod, its about building a car thats actually special to you in some way. In my case its my 96 Fairmont that i bought when i turned 18 (many years ago) - to me it was a symbol of all my hard work up until that point in my life and why i'd never get rid of it. I'd happily sink another $30-40K into that rather than buy a BA or BF that will only depreciate to the same level as the EF in 4 year times anyways.

In regards to hiding the $$ i just play stupid.. "don't know what you're talking babe - yeah the car looks lower but I havn't done anything to it. Maybe you've forgotten about a pair of shoes you bought"

[EBFalcs]

if you buy a BA and mod it to the extent of the EA-EL it will cost 30-70 instead of 10-50

[tommo74]

well said chich

[snypereb]

After seeing this thread thought i would go through the car and add up what i have bought for it and spent on it and i have spend just over 10k getting it to where it is and i still have heaps that i want to do to it!!!!

[tommo74]

yeah,I hear ya m8....Ive still gotta bloody supercharge this thing(10 grand)I might run a stroker later on (maybe sooner than later)and now ive got that bloody idea of a coupe conversion....i reckon another 30 grand will do it....I'm a complete idiot.....seriously...

[Quasi]

I paid $8,400 for my EBII Tickford Fairmont Ghia, and am up around the $21,000 now. The exhaust system set me back $2,500, and is about the only thing that will be left after the next 12 months off the road.

Basically, I have no idea what the next year will cost me (suspension, brakes, wheels, stereo, paint, body).

[FPVWEPN]

rmyers can i ask mainly where that 40-50k was spent on i know uve got straight gas, a s/c and bonspeeds but whats all the rest gone to???

[Rmyers]

Originally Posted by FPVWEPN

rmyers can i ask mainly where that 40-50k was spent on i know uve got straight gas, a s/c and bonspeeds but whats all the rest gone to???

Money adds up very very quickly. I'm not about to list every single expense, but things you gotta keep in mind is the new engine, ancillaries, engine work, transmission, diff, intercooler and piping, my audio system (adds up to be about a quarter of my total expense), my whole NL interior, EF dash and all accosiated items needed, paint, body kit items, (and ofcourse the supercharger, gas and wheels that you've already pointed out) etc etc.

[GreenMachine]

Originally Posted by HOON69

car $600
towing $350
MODS that were meant to be done $2,800-$3,200 money not well spent and in the end i came worst then i went in.
getting it home from 3 hrs away $200
lost parts from original mods $350
new engine and labour to fit new 4litre after old motor was found to of been dropped and cracked the sump etc $1,600

stuff to do
roof lining
rims
springs
paint
tinted windows

after that i cbf with it anymore gunna recycle the EA GHIA and get a EF for a daily driver and turn the EA to a skid n TnT car..

It's so "E-series" that towing cost more than 50% of the purchase price...

[fiery]

after buying the car spent around $3000 just so I could drive it without dramas.
Have probably spent a few more thousands that I don't want to add up to be honest. Put just over 60,000klms on her in around 12months.

If I decide to keep her (was thinking of selling) then will have a huge amount to spend - motor, trans, body & paint, interior, the list just goes on and on.......and thats without hoping for any mods!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers
Kerri

[DUMTEF]

Car - $9000
Stereo - $5,500 rougly
Under Bonnet - $2500
Suspension & Wheels - $3000
Brakes - $1000
Other Various Mod & Repairs - $2000

$23,000 and climbing :

and that doesnt include upgrades along the way eg. stereo uprades, suspensions changes, exhaust system changes ---- i feel sick now

[ilsautomotive]

My calculations indicate I'm just over the $22k mark including the car itself. But some items, like my 16" wheels, I later resold which strictly speaking should reduce the total.

Unfortunately it's going to get a lot more expensive soon, damn forced induction.

[DUMTEF]

my ea i had before the ef was also quite expensive

car - $6000
engine - $6000
gearboxes - $2000
suspension - $1500
wheels - $1000
stereo - $5000
other mods and repairs $5000+

total about $26-27k :MrT_anim:

luckily i was able to salvage and sell alot of it and made some money back when i crashed it

[NZ]

I would bet a lot of you wouldnt have thought you were going to spend so much when you bought your ea gl's years ago.

Real question how many of us can afford to spend that and live comftorbally. How many are hoping to get a house in the near future etc. I used to be like that spent a heap on my car just managed to scrape in the phone bill and a bit of it was keeping up with the club members syndrome but lately i've grown out of it.

[-jjM-]

thats the same wit me, id like to start saving on a house and get my own life start goin, at the same time i would like something i can be proud of, atm im just saving and whateva scrap i make or bargins i find i get

[DUMTEF]

i want a house in the near future but at the same time i want to get the ef going harder and looking better, but i think now i hae moved out my car expenses will die a bit until i start buying the turbo parts

[GreenMachine]

Originally Posted by Trouty

My calculations indicate I'm just over the $22k mark including the car itself. But some items, like my 16" wheels, I later resold which strictly speaking should reduce the total.

Unfortunately it's going to get a lot more expensive soon, damn forced induction.

Slightly off-topic, but hows about an update on your car, Trouty - followed your buildup with great interest for ages, but I've seen nothing lately...

[EA2BA]

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

Slightly off-topic, but hows about an update on your car, Trouty - followed your buildup with great interest for ages, but I've seen nothing lately...

Nothing much has been happening, it has a bonnet back on it, but as I have been providing the main assistance and my car has taken me for ever to get back on the road, but sooner then later, will be back to getting jack's car running.

[ilsautomotive]

Karl, that's a good point but personally, I think modifying cars needn't be a path to eternal financial woe. I know where I want to get my cars and it would be an anticlimax that I would regret forever if I just gave up. And besides that, what is $20k compared to about $350k for an average house in an average area?

Green, cheers for the interest. As Jase said, attention is being focused on his car at the moment which is actually needed for daily driving. I'm slowly working on a few things, I installed my XH tensioner today for example, but the real progress will come after Jase is done.

[tommo74]

350k average???man you eastern staters have it hard...get a 4x2 house here in perth on a 500 square metre block for around 250....maybe cheaper!
4 yrs ago i bought a 4x2 house on a 800 sq mtre block for 95 grand,sold it a yr later for 145.....went to london for a year with the profit.....now i live in a one bedroom doghouse....gee,now im depressed.....im going to the pub...

[BABOSS]

How did we get from cars to houses? :

[CHEF]

Hmmm, Im moving to perth then... 500grands gets bugger all here... and even thats way out in the boonies

[ilsautomotive]

(off topic) It is a fact that Australian cities (particularly Melbourne, Sydney etc) have some of the highest housing prices in the world. It is also a fact that 90% of the Australian population is crammed into just 3% of the land. I suppose if we had more cities it wouldn't be as big an issue, but the time will soon come when the average person here will never own land in their lifetime, as is already the case in Italy and various other parts of the world.

[efgiar]

Originally Posted by ScoopED

Sorry i must have had just N/A street vehicles in mind........

Mine is N/A and a street vehicle.

Car $3700
Engine $4000
Gearbox $3100
Exhaust $2000
Suspension $1300
Wheels $1200
Bits and Pieces $4000 Approx.

Total so far (approx)..... $19,300

Mike

$2000 on an exhaust? that somehow doesnt seem right... unless its stainless mandrell bent and has been chromed! and even still u could get it cheaper then 2000

[efgiar]

i havnt spent a terrible lot,but i wanna spend alot more!

[NZ]

Originally Posted by efgiar

$2000 on an exhaust? that somehow doesnt seem right... unless its stainless mandrell bent and has been chromed! and even still u could get it cheaper then 2000

Thats normal. V8 extractors are around the 7 - 800 mark fitted a pair of cats will cost 35 or so by the time flanges get welsed on - thats for normal generic ones highflow are more, an off the shelf 2.5 system is around 470 with one resonator, more if you want a muffler. costom system will be more than that too. add labour for fitting, misc items such as hangers, gaskets etc, also a tip is extra. Dont be so surprised lol.

[old_mate]

erm i think i have spend about 9000 all up including car. (including my T5)

im not bothering with spending 30k on a EL which i'll only get 10k for after. I'll blow 25k into a XY and get something like 20k back

[CHEF]

Originally Posted by old_mate

erm i think i have spend about 9000 all up including car. (including my T5)

im not bothering with spending 30k on a EL which i'll only get 10k for after. I'll blow 25k into a XY and get something like 20k back

Yep, this is a good way of thinking... clever spending is the key to not flushing $$ down to toilet

[UNR8D]

10k on top of 14k for the lane when it had 90k on the clock.