summernuts

hi all,

just came back from spending the day (and a small fortune in admission costs) at the annual street machine gathering called "SummerNats" - also called Summernuts.

some of the machines/cars on display were amazing, but honestly, i could never devote the amount of money that the people spend on building these type of cars away from anything that doesn't generate me an income.

I love cars, and i really do love classic cars, but seeing a 20 something year old guy proudly showing off a car that he has done a lot of work, and spent his income on (and this includes putting a $28,000 stereo in the car*), then i think that my priorities are just a bit different to some of these people.

But i guess souping up a car is a right of passage for many people - not for me though. Even though i have a 32 year old V8 sitting downstairs that i really love to just cruise around in, it is still a basic car that only cost me 1k 12 years ago and the only money/work i've done on it is registration and basic maintenance work. but i dare say that if my 1k V8 got into the hands of some of these young chaps who soup up these cars, then they would easily spend a house deposit and a few years of mortgage repayments on doing it up.

I do know that there are some folk on this forum who have also spent a good deal of money in doing up cars, but i do wonder if many of these 20 something year old guys end up regretting their expensive hobbies?

I also wonder how these young guys pay for their hobby and how much debt they accumulate in making a car louder, shinier and faster.

* I could never, never justify forking out 28k for a car stereo. I would never spend that amount on a home stereo either.


thanks


g
 
Hi,

You may suprised as to just how little money some guys have spent on their cars to turn them into an 8-10second car, shiny, system and all. Alot of these guys do their own work on their cars ie, build their own motors etc. They don't regret it one bit as their passion is cars, it's what they enjoy doing, its something they are proud off and so they should be. It's a hobby to them just like buying property to others is.

Then their are other guys who spend loads on their cars. Why? because they get someone else to do all the hard work for them because they either dont have any idea whatsoever or its just easier for them to do this. They may regret this later on in life however if its what they enjoy and it's what they are into they why not.

I too am into the whole car scene and have a done up car. {Can't wait for it to be 8-10 seconds car soon LoL} You only live once, so why not do it. I have no regrets whatsoever and don't plan on stopping with it all anytime soon. Sure i could have put that money aside for another IP but why should i. I enjoy it.

If petrol was to reach $3 a litre i would still be cruising the streets of sydney most weekends.
 
I have been to easternats (I think that is what it is called) a few years back, made the dvd too as the other half had friends competing.
My other half has one of those cars. His best mates are/were mechanics, panel beaters etc and have really been into cars since their teens.
My other half was into it too. He got as a shell at 16 and spent a considerable amount of money, time, sweat and tears.
He stopped spending on it at around 23.
He still has it as I don't think he can bring himself to get rid of it though.
Looking at the money he spent on things like custom built engine, turbo, rims, paint work, dyno and all other sorts, let's just say that money spent would have bought me a cracker of a engagement ring!

Even now, my other half has another expensive hobby, not related to cars. I think that there are people out there who have these hobbies and spend a lot of money and time, and there is a large proportion of the population whose heads will always roll when they when they find out how much they have spent.

Horses for courses I suppose. It could be worse, I know people who have blown just as much partying over the years.
 
I regret the dollars I blew on cars when I was younger.

Millions in potential compounding blown to figure out that with all the pressure from cops and other d*ckheads on the road who felt they just had to race you at every set of lights that it was better to just runaround in a bunky and have something fun for the track where you don't run the danger of death, dismemberment or imprisonment just for putting your foot down.

When I have money to chuck I plan on collecting ex works rally cars.
 
I spent a fair bit of money in my late teens doing up a car that I imported from Japan. I loved every minute of it and have no regrets. However, I couldn't justify doing it now.

Although, in 20 years time....and hopefully in a better financial situation....I might just relive those late teen years and import myself another :)

Cheers,

Jamie
 
{Can't wait for it to be 8-10 seconds car soon LoL} You only live once, so why not do it.
Hmmm... you only live once, yet you want a super fast car that can take everything away in the blink of an eye. Doesn't sound right to me.

To each their own. Just be careful and do as many defence driving courses as you possibly can.

Regards
Marty
 
I've got a a big old Ford Bronco which I like to muck around with. It's a bit ratty and definetely no show car, but I love it just the same. Mechanically it's very good though.

We went to a custom car show/day last year out near Hanging Rock, along with a couple of mates with their immaculate street machines. Enjoyed looking at all the cars there.

But the best thing was my mates stunning Mustang featured in one the hot rod/car magazines on the day, and my lovely old Bronco featured in the background, by accident.:)
 
Hi,

You may suprised as to just how little money some guys have spent on their cars to turn them into an 8-10second car, shiny, system and all. Alot of these guys do their own work on their cars ie, build their own motors etc. They don't regret it one bit as their passion is cars, it's what they enjoy doing, its something they are proud off and so they should be. It's a hobby to them just like buying property to others is.

Dunno about that. Just reading in the Canberra times of the person who won the top street machine award. She is 33 years old and is a truckdriver up at the mines in Qld and proudly says she spends all of her money and time on her prized car. It is a Torana and she claims to have spent close to 250k on doing it up!!!!

She also says that her dad rebuilt the engine himself.

The full story is here:

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/new...-ceiling-first-woman-takes-title/1721476.aspx


A 32 year old person spending 250k on a street machine is something to ponder. Yes it is their hobby, but what of their future? What type of resale value do these things have?




Thanks


g
 
Dunno about that. Just reading in the Canberra times of the person who won the top street machine award. She is 33 years old and is a truckdriver up at the mines in Qld and proudly says she spends all of her money and time on her prized car. It is a Torana and she claims to have spent close to 250k on doing it up!!!!

She also says that her dad rebuilt the engine himself.

The full story is here:

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/new...-ceiling-first-woman-takes-title/1721476.aspx


A 32 year old person spending 250k on a street machine is something to ponder. Yes it is their hobby, but what of their future? What type of resale value do these things have?




Thanks


g

250k somehow I think that someone else did alot of the work have got quite a few mates with similar cars done up to the max none cost them 250k

but then again not everyone enters summernats:p
 
I think sometimes one of the things we forget in life in general is that every experience, every rlationship and every hobby ( sometimes obsession) forms the vary basis of who we are.

The positive sides of such focus at such an early age are

1. Goal Setting
2. Expectation
3. Learning to focus on attention to detail

Yad have to agree that Summer Nats and the like is the worst case of that obsession and there are many more light versions of the same addiction.


ta
rolf
 
Have been involved in quite a few major car builds from street, show, track and custom. This week I'm off to the Tokyo Auto Salon as a guest of the promoters and some of the exhibitors. 250K is a fair bit of money for a car especially if show or street legal. It can cost easily up to 1 million a year for a private person to run cars in events like V8 super cars. Leasing an engine from Honda can cost anywhere up to 300K a year if you race a NSX.

Once you get known in certain circles it is amazing the opportunities that can arise and the friends you can make. One of the nicest or broadest collections I have ever seen in person is Jay Leno but some of the Japanese ones aren't too far behind

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/

I do get surprised when I see the amounts some young guys spend on cars and I'm for ever preaching (as some say) for every dollar you spend on your car put a dollar in savings. Most of it falls on deaf ears. I do prefer to see a group of guys wasting money on cars than on drugs and alcohol.
 
250K is a fair bit of money for a car especially if show or street legal. It can cost easily up to 1 million a year for a private person to run cars in events like V8 super cars. Leasing an engine from Honda can cost anywhere up to 300K a year if you race a NSX.

I used to be into racing open wheelers and even five years ago some of the top formula ford competitors were reported to be running budgets of $250K+ per year. Bear in mind that this is for an amateur series that gets almost no mainstream media coverage so the ROI for sponsors is generally pretty low. Still can't see the thrill in driving a hotted up street machine on public roads - but horses for courses I suppose.
 
Hmmm... you only live once, yet you want a super fast car that can take everything away in the blink of an eye. Doesn't sound right to me.

To each their own. Just be careful and do as many defence driving courses as you possibly can.

Regards
Marty

Yes i do wan't a fast car however that does not mean that i plan on street racing, or behaving like an total imbecile on the roads (Im not saying that you are suggesting this either). I have respect for all other road users. I see many individuals on an daily basis throwing their lives away by such stupidity. I do not intend on going down that path.

The car is just for me, i won't even be racing it off the streets on the tracks. You may wonder then what is the point? Well that's a matter for me.

Nika
 
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Dunno about that. Just reading in the Canberra times of the person who won the top street machine award. She is 33 years old and is a truckdriver up at the mines in Qld and proudly says she spends all of her money and time on her prized car. It is a Torana and she claims to have spent close to 250k on doing it up!!!!

She also says that her dad rebuilt the engine himself.

The full story is here:

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/new...-ceiling-first-woman-takes-title/1721476.aspx


A 32 year old person spending 250k on a street machine is something to ponder. Yes it is their hobby, but what of their future? What type of resale value do these things have?




Thanks


g

I know a few guys who have spent next to nothing on their cars (Less then 10k) as they have done all the hardwork themselves then i know off guys who have spent $100k + on the same setup because they got someone else to do all the work.
 
I'm one of those people who wishes that they had never sold their cars.

One of mine was a HQ GTS Monaro coupe which I sold to fund my first IP. Over the first few years, the car appreciated in value more than the house.

Now I'm just an ebay dreamer.
 
I'm one of those people who wishes that they had never sold their cars.

One of mine was a HQ GTS Monaro coupe which I sold to fund my first IP. Over the first few years, the car appreciated in value more than the house.

Now I'm just an ebay dreamer.

HQ, Such old school. Now that what you call a real car. :D
 
HQ, Such old school. Now that what you call a real car. :D

Yeah, I've had bigger, lower, older, but nothing tougher.

A neighbour down the road once complained that the car rolling down the street made his windows shake.

I bought my next door neighbours a six pack of beer in anticipation of bringing the car home.

After I brought her home they told me that it should have been a carton.

The good old days.
 
I have a couple of 'toy' cars, '60's to '80's US V8 things.
It's my only vice, however it doesn't cost a lot. Because it is my hobby, I do everything myself, except upholstery, I don't sew :)

I don't understand 'chequebook' car guys who claim to be 'into' old cars, but haven't the faintest clue how to do any of the work involved.
 
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