For people who've done build threads, or just purchased cars with the intent of it being a project car with an initial build out, I'm trying to get an idea of the budgeting aspect of it.
So, I'm wondering ....
What car?
What was the vision of the build? Street, track, autocross, show, combination?
How much was the total budget?
How much was the car?
How much was go-fast parts?
How much was labor?
I know it's going to be all over the map, but I'm trying to figure out baseline figures...
Mg midget.
Goals where street developed to autox developed to track day/hilclimb type car.
Total so far is $4000 for the car and I have everything to Finnish. Tools spend is probably similar.
The car cost $150 origionally.
Go fast parts/steel/paint etc. are the rest.
Labor is "free" and a bunch.
scardeal wrote: For people who've done build threads, or just purchased cars with the intent of it being a project car with an initial build out, I'm trying to get an idea of the budgeting aspect of it. So, I'm wondering .... What car? 1993 Escort GT What was the vision of the build? Street, track, autocross, show, combination? Autocross/Hillclimb How much was the total budget? Not quite done yet, but ~$20k. How much was the car? $700 How much was go-fast parts? ~$20k How much was labor? "Free." I know it's going to be all over the map, but I'm trying to figure out baseline figures...
Boy that's depressing.
I refuse to acknowledge how much I've spent on my car.
red5_02 wrote: I refuse to acknowledge how much I've spent on my car.
I wish i hadn't. I'm a little mad now.
Here's how I do research for how much I need to save up to do a particular mod.
Seems like Lesley wrote an article that mentioned not knowing and not wanting to know how much you'd dumped into a project...
What car? '64 Spitfire
What was the vision of the build? Vintage Racer
How much was the total budget? Probably around $10k for the build
How much was the car? Free
How much was go-fast parts?
How much was labor? Free (maybe a few things I pay for not sure yet
What car? 1973 Triumph Stag
What was the vision of the build? Daily driver/weekend fun car
How much was the total budget? something like 10-11k or how ever much the E36 M3 sedan I passed up was.
How much was the car? 3000, now Ive got 12000-13000 in it.
How much was go-fast parts? something like 5000, but mostly restoration bits
How much was labor? Free
Also probably about 1000-1500 in shipping from the UK, and Pennsylvania.
The confidence to take apart any part of my car and rebuild it...Priceless 
What car? 1963 Triumph TR4
What was the vision of the build? Street, track, autocross, show, combination? vintage racer
How much was the total budget? $7,500
How much was the car? $1500
How much was go-fast parts? $3000ish
How much was labor? free
How much was safety equipment? $1800
Edit, if I want to run at the front of the pack I would need to spend closer to 10k on the engine. This budget (realistically 10k all in) will get me on track and having fun.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:scardeal wrote: For people who've done build threads, or just purchased cars with the intent of it being a project car with an initial build out, I'm trying to get an idea of the budgeting aspect of it. So, I'm wondering .... What car? 1993 Escort GT What was the vision of the build? Street, track, autocross, show, combination? Autocross/Hillclimb How much was the total budget? Not quite done yet, but ~$20k. How much was the car? $700 How much was go-fast parts? ~$20k How much was labor? "Free." I know it's going to be all over the map, but I'm trying to figure out baseline figures...Boy that's depressing.
Pics or thread?
The_Jed wrote:92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:Pics or thread?scardeal wrote: For people who've done build threads, or just purchased cars with the intent of it being a project car with an initial build out, I'm trying to get an idea of the budgeting aspect of it. So, I'm wondering .... What car? 1993 Escort GT What was the vision of the build? Street, track, autocross, show, combination? Autocross/Hillclimb How much was the total budget? Not quite done yet, but ~$20k. How much was the car? $700 How much was go-fast parts? ~$20k How much was labor? "Free." I know it's going to be all over the map, but I'm trying to figure out baseline figures...Boy that's depressing.
I'm behind by about 3-5 months of updates, but you get the idea. The biggest one expense to date is coming up in November when i make my final decision between a Haltech Platinum Sport 1000 + Racepak IQ3 or a Syvecs + Racepak.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/yeah-yeah-i-need-to-add-this-to-readers-rides/34254/page1/
My project budget is figured (simply), by totaling up ALL the planned parts, and estimated costs, to arrive at a $$$ number.....and then doubling it. It is always pretty damn close.
RX5.0. Car cost $250, 5.0 heads cost $1500, I stopped counting then.
This thread is a reminder to start with somebody else's project. I'm getting to a point that I want to spend my time driving instead of building (I say that, but I already have a list of builds I still want to do).
What car? 1973 AMC Javelin What was the vision of the build? Street, track, autocross, show, combination? Street cruiser, drag racer, autocrosser How much was the total budget? $2013-ish How much was the car? $250 How much was go-fast parts? ~$1500 How much was labor? Free
Yes, I am still within challenge budget on this car.
Some older builds:
What car? 2001 Ford P71 CVPI What was the vision of the build? Street, track, autocross, show, combination? DD, drag racer, autocrosser How much was the total budget? $5500-$6000 How much was the car? $2350 How much was go-fast parts? ~$1500 How much was labor? Free How much did you sell it for? $4,000
What car? 1986 Porsche 944 What was the vision of the build? Street, track, autocross, show, combination? Fun street car, autocrosser How much was the total budget? $3,500 How much was the car? $2000 How much was go-fast parts? ~$1500 How much was labor? Free How much did you sell it for? $4,000
oldtin wrote: This thread is a reminder to start with somebody else's project. I'm getting to a point that I want to spend my time driving instead of building (I say that, but I already have a list of builds I still want to do).
I tried that ONCE. Got so fed up with all the corners that got cut, hacked up, or drilled through, I sold it. It may cost me more and take longer, but I'd rather start with a clean slate.
What car? 1995 Dodge Dakota What was the vision of the build? Street, track, autocross, show, combination? Little bit of everything right now How much was the total budget? $2013-ish How much was the car? $3000, but depreciation helps How much was go-fast parts? ~$400 How much was labor? Free, but the tools ain't cheap
Ranger50 wrote:oldtin wrote: This thread is a reminder to start with somebody else's project. I'm getting to a point that I want to spend my time driving instead of building (I say that, but I already have a list of builds I still want to do).I tried that ONCE. Got so fed up with all the corners that got cut, hacked up, or drilled through, I sold it. It may cost me more and take longer, but I'd rather start with a clean slate.
I'm sure both ways can go wrong, but my last project was the same deal. I ended up getting a decent deal given the difficulty of sourcing OBD-I parts for the BMW M52 engine and the Treehouse wiring adapter for the E30, but the M50 that came swapped into the car turned out to be a dud, and most of the swap was done so badly that I effectively did almost everything except round up those bits all over again. And all this contending with a car that had a horrible '80s-"euro" monochrome paint job and nasty giant-stereo foam-filling and all the other attendant stupidity.
It would've been a much more pleasant job on a basically sound, stock, tired E30.
Bought it for $1700, ended up into it for between $6000-$7000 by the time I'd replaced everything from the engine to the front suspension (with a number of further-displace parts along the way)...
I remember noting at one point that I was averaging a $500/month car payment on a 23-year-old car that wasn't running 
I still think it was a lot of bang for the buck when it was "done" (hell, I was going to spend that sort of time on projects anyhow; why count my time?), though I only had it briefly in that state before it was rear-ended and totaled.
EDIT for OP's actual question:
What car? 1987 325is
What was the vision of the build? DD/Street Mod autocrosser
How much was the total budget? Didn't really pre-budget, spent something over $6k
How much was the car? $1700 with a dead M50 swap (didn't know it was dead...)
How much was go-fast parts? Erk... Parts were a combination of go-fast bits (bilsteins, coilovers up front camber plates), used M52B28 ($900), and a lot of replacement bits (heater core, window regulator, fuel pump, many others)
How much was labor? I think I paid $400ish to have a vibration looked into, but they weren't really able to improve it. It was fixed by building a new transmission crossmember that wasn't stressing the mounts like the original hack job. The rest was all me, so only at the cost of having free time...
scardeal wrote: For people who've done build threads, or just purchased cars with the intent of it being a project car with an initial build out, I'm trying to get an idea of the budgeting aspect of it.
Once I acquire a car I usually throw small amounts of money at it (unrecorded) until I either make progress or get fed up and sell it for a screaming deal. Just ask MetalMan and DukeOfUndersteer.
I've found in our hobby it is best to not keep score.
slefain wrote: I've found in our hobby it is best to not keep score.
^^^Sound advice. I haven't even bothered to keep a receipt shoe box for the BMW engine swap project. I will see it through to the end though.
Gasoline wrote: My project budget is figured (simply), by totaling up ALL the planned parts, and estimated costs, to arrive at a $$$ number.....and then doubling it. It is always pretty damn close.
^ bingo, my theory too
What car? -1972 Lotus Europa Twin Cam
What was the vision of the build? Street, track, autocross, show, combination? - A street-legal XP autocross car, that meets minimum weight for the class.
How much was the total budget? - No total budge yet, as I'm just getting started. But the idea is to follow the same ideals/mentality of the GRM challenge, but on a bigger scale. To that end, I'm up to about $4500 now, but I just recouped a grand selling one of the stock engines(the other will bring $2500). I'm expecting total spend to be about $10k spread out over several years, but I think I'll recoup 1/2-that once it's done. Unfortunately, there are quite a few parts I don't want to sell until I'm sure I won't need them.
How much was the car? - I picked up a pair, in pieces, for $3750.
How much was go-fast parts? - I guess that depends on what you factor into it? Beyond the obvious - like the windshield I just got a steal on for only $538, or paint/bodywork, I'd consider anything mechanical to be a "go-fast" part. Based on that, I'd say roughly 1/2 the budget is for go-fast goodies.
How much was labor?
- I charge $25/hour when I do side-jobs for other people. Unfortunately, I'm a cheap SOB and don't pay myself, so - zero. 
My Triumph is at around $7000.00 right now, plus $2000.00 to purchase including a parts car. And all I have so far is a paint ready body and completed frame suspension and brakes. Although I do now have wheels and a custom crankshaft which was expensive. But I just buy what I want, and if its expensive it takes longer.
1995 impala ss
fun street car
initial purchase - wrecked roller with no engine/trans $1400
total budget $5000
go fast/handle better parts included 5.3 LSx swap $3600
sold for: no chance in hell will i sell this car
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