240hoke Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Hey Guys, I have been considering selling my car on and off for some time now. Now that the car is almost complete I have really been enjoying driving it. I have most of the kinks worked out and have been able to put some miles on her. However throughout the 4 year building process I have learned so many things, and there are many things that I would like to redo again to the best of my abilities...many items on my list are large and require tearing the car completely down, like a full repaint. I am a pretty particular person and doing things myself makes it even worse because I realise all the areas that I could have improved or done better. So what I'm trying to decide is, should I sell the car and start fresh with a new project (probably another 240z). Or keep re-doing everything that I have already done... essentially throwing away the money and labor that I have already spent on the car. A lot of the things that I want to re-do really don't need to be changed (like the paint). I'm sure that somebody would be extremely happy to have paint as good as mine. Ive always had the dream to fly out the California or the midwest and buy a really nice bone stock 240z and drive it back across the country. Then start modifying it from there. One of the main things that worries me about selling the car is the fact that I'm about to move on to another stage of my life and I worry that I wont have the time or money to do what I have done so far and I would end up with a 10 year project. Which brings me to another option, sometimes I feel like I spend too much time focusing on my car in the garage and it might be wise to buy a fun car (like a lotus) and play with it for a while until I can afford to build the true 240z of my dreams. Some of you may say just keep it and enjoy it, but thats hard for me!! If I have something sitting there I like messing with it and changing things. If I keep it Ill soon have a turbo to go with the header flanges that are sitting on the desk beside me right now! Anyway Im rambling now My baby: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rturbo 930 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I vote keep it. Like you said, you've got most of the kinks worked out. If you buy a new car and start fresh you will have to start all over again. What exactly do you want to redo besides the paint? If you bought a new project, you would likely have to redo the paint on that as well. Not to mention, problems ALWAYS seem to be hidden in new projects, whereas you know your car in and out. I feel you on that dream of buying a nice, clean, rust free, bone stock Z out of California though. It's something I will probably do as soon as I get the chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris556452 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I also think you should keep it... I've always been a huge fan of your car and your comment of turbos really has me interested. Besides, didn't you just land a great job? It seems like a whole new project would take as much time and devotion as work would, one of the two would obviously have to take a back seat... Just drive it and keep a smile on your face Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garvice Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 There weren't enough options. I say keep it, enjoy it, and buy another 240z. Who cares if the new one is a ten year labour of love. You won't mind taking the time to do the new one right because you will still have a nice 240 to drive around in for now. I know it is a bit expensive doing it that way, but if you take your time the expenses will come, and the body work (rust repair/strengthening not paint) isn't really that expensive, just very time consuming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240hoke Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 I will be starting a great job in January and the car will definitely be taking a back seat. I also just purchased a house, so starting another project in addition probably wont be an option for a while My list right now in order: Rear Adjustable LCA's Crossmember engine mount (In preparation for turbo) Fuel Safe Fuel Cell Full Repaint (Including removing all interior and painting gloss) Single Turbo (utec ems) Yea I need to admit I have a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rturbo 930 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I will be starting a great job in January and the car will definitely be taking a back seat. I also just purchased a house, so starting another project in addition probably wont be an option for a while My list right now in order: Rear Adjustable LCA's Crossmember engine mount (In preparation for turbo) Fuel Safe Fuel Cell Full Repaint (Including removing all interior and painting gloss) Single Turbo (utec ems) Yea I need to admit I have a problem. Aside from the repaint, none of that seems like something worth getting a whole new car for. As far as the repaint goes, your body is already straight, and the body work is already done, right? All you need is the paint. A new project like you described is bound to need some body work. Definitely keep it. That's not as much as I was expecting, and you'll have to do those on the new car anyway in addition to the restoration process that you would need to do again. You're WAY ahead with your current car. In another thread you mentioned you wanted to put the fuel filler back in the stock location. This answers my question as to if you were planning another paint job. But, have you considered mounting it behind the license plate? That seems like it would be a good solution with less work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I also just purchased a house, so starting another project in addition probably wont be an option for a while All the more reason to keep what you've got and enjoy it. Houses cost...period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockerstar Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 ...Or keep re-doing everything that I have already done... essentially throwing away the money and labor that I have already spent on the car... ... My list right now in order: Rear Adjustable LCA's Crossmember engine mount (In preparation for turbo) Fuel Safe Fuel Cell Full Repaint (Including removing all interior and painting gloss) Single Turbo (utec ems) ... None of those things on your list sound like they're throwing away the money and labor you've put into the car so far, with the exception of paint. Sounds like you just want to add some boost and other performance goodies to what you've already built so far! I vote you gather everything you'll need to do the things you want, and do them over a peroid of time. Do them right, and do them to the level of craftsmanship that you'll be happy with. In that time (even if it may be a few years) you'll be able to consider many many things for the paint and possible body work options. While you modify even more you might do things, like seam welding and frame strengthening (bear with me here, not completely sure what you've done so far off the top of my head ) that you would have regretted not doing if you jumped into a repaint now. You have an excellent car thus far, and everyone knows that with your skill and level of dedication that you're only going to make it better. It really sounds like you're realizing that no matter how much we work on our Zs, they're never going to be done in our minds, no matter what we do to them. We're always going to want something that's drives better, goes faster, is more comfortable, and looks better while doing it. For us, it's a labor of love. We enjoy working on our cars almost as much as we enjoy driving them, and for that sole reason, we'll never stop doing either if we can help it. Some call it a disease. Others call it an addiction. I call it me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amorfin Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I say sell it. And just to help you out, I will buy it. But man, a car needing new paint and all those things can't be worth that much. So I will give you the $1,000 that it's worth. And since I'm the first one to say sell it, I got dibs on it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatBlack Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I trust you so I'm not voting. Whatever you decide is the right thing to do, even if it means a S30-hiatus, hopefully you will get to come back and do a proper 240Z, in a low-stress environment. I know many of people love that car and all of the work that has gone into it, I can't even imagine what a car done "properly" in your mind would look like. I would really like to see what a boosted VQ35 S30 would be like though Good luck at your new job and congrats on the new house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I say keep it and keep it how it is. selling it would be the biggest regret you would ever have, plus its already paid for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxfiend1967 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 keep it ,Im the same fricken way I got mine done and just started a new engine i am replacing 406 with 427 . and while im at it tremec trans ,blow proof bellhousing new clutch,new rear suspension ,and paint,lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Keep what you have and buy another project car to do the things you are thinking of? Thats assuming you need a daily driver, may as well keep what you have, enjoy it and use your creativity on the new one as time and money allow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garvice Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I reckon Richard is speaking from experience. Do you still miss your 260 mate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trippintl0 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 If it was me, I'd stop driving the car and drive something else for a while. Spend more time with family & less time in the garage. Then, when you get to come back & drive it or work on it, you'll remember what an awesome car it is and it will be much fun (for a little while at least). Everything in life is a compromise, and the way I see it, you're better off to compromise on the car than on time with family. Besides, your car truly is awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZR8ED Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 It sounds to me like you are just about start a next stage in your life (new job/house) That is definiately not the time to begin a new project car. You sound a bit like I do. The car is certainly "done", and any new work that you do requires undoing a perfectly running car making it inactive all just to satisfy your urge to keep going with it. After all I have spent/done to my car, I would like to to a "frame off" restoration to get the basic chassis top notch, but it seems so immense a project, as I will want to redo everything else I have previously done to the car in new and improved ways with my now 20years experience that I didn't have when I started with the car. My advice. Drive your current car, and do exactly what I also want to do. A trip to CA to get a clean 240 to roadtrip home to tinker and fix up from scratch. Your job and your house will require huge amounts of time/$ A home is a massive investment, that must be maintained (you have no idea how much work a home will become..trust some of us older dudes on this one) It is/will be your most expensive asset you will ever own, and has the potential to increase in value if you invest/maintain it. Not many other items that you can buy and use/enjoy, and NOT lose your investment. Buy another Z fix it the way you want, and sell your old one later on. I have vowed to never be zedless again. I will always have a z to drive when one Z becomes a "jackstand racer" Some here will get the joke. Scott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30TRBO Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I will be starting a great job in January and the car will definitely be taking a back seat. I also just purchased a house, so starting another project in addition probably wont be an option for a while My list right now in order: Rear Adjustable LCA's Crossmember engine mount (In preparation for turbo) Fuel Safe Fuel Cell Full Repaint (Including removing all interior and painting gloss) Single Turbo (utec ems) Yea I need to admit I have a problem. Austin, KEEP IT!!! You know this Z inside and out, tearing it down for another paint job will not be unchartered waters like another project will be. You can reuse a lot of parts thus saving money too. The rest of the items on the list don’t constitute another project. Just think you can put the money you save on a new project towards your big ‘ol detached garage if not already in the works!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wigenOut-S30 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Austin 100% keep it. You know the car inside and out.. I bet at this point the car with the right tires would be close enough handling wise to a lotus you will be happy with it.. For one.. its payed for.. and if you want to change anything.. you know the car and how to go about changing it. Congrats on the house by the way man! And of course the new career! I say in some time, fly out to Cali get that dream Z and drive it home to be garage mates with the Blue Z! I would just enjoy the blue as with some spirited autoX and maybe a track day here and there. What ever you decide, it will be the right choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilC Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Austin we are pretty much the same age and almost same point in life: I have been thinking about selling my car of late also ONLY for the purpose of getting more money for a down payment on a house. Your car is beautiful and like others said, you know it inside and out. If you are not in need of the money, I say keep it and buy another Z when the time is right and make that the 10 yr project. With a house purchase coming soon and maybe a long term gf, a car will take back seat for awhile. ZR8ED said it best, don't be Z-less if you don't have to be.....even though I just remember you own a 350z too. Sell if you have plans for the money ( house ) Keep and buy something else when you have the ( house ) Hope that help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240hoke Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 Thanks for all the replies guys, sounds like you all may be talking some sense into me...I never have it on the road long enough to enjoy it anyway. This weekend I did a Charity drive in the foothills of NC, its was a blast, I'll be making a post about it later but here are some pictures. Oh yea and I have video of the 4 wheeling I did. I learned two things this weekend, one dont follow a GPS in the mountains, paper maps are better...and two gravel roads never get better the farther you go! Clive I like what you have done with your LS1 chassis swap, I have considered doing this and it may prove to be my best option. I could find a clean shell and work on it slowly as it wouldn't cost much, I can strip it seam weld and and paint her and then swap everything over when the time is right and sell my current shell. The problem with my current body is the door alignment, they are pretty bad and will required extensive body work / straightening to fix. And would require nothing short of a complete tear down to make right IMO. I was planing on making a post in the body work section to asked some veteran body guys about it. For a daily driver its fine, but it bothers me to no end. I reckon I could also do body work will driving it as well. Just another option I reckon. Scott, jackstand racing I remember those days.... I never could admit that I had a jackstand racer though, even though I was wayyyyyyyy too qualified I never put the pic in my sig lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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