Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig
That's not fair, he got to have all the fun and you just got a car. That's why it's called a hobby. I just never add up the receipts. 
It's still cheaper than writing a $60K check for a new one. |
Craig, I've got a bunch of cars to have "fun" with.
Yes, $1900 is cheaper than $60 large, but that's not my point.
If you have to "invest" 5k or more to get a nice looking and running car, you are better off to pay that up front and get a much better car.
Now, if you only have $1900, and are doing the installment plan.... you still should discount the car sufficiently to deduct your efforts. Why should the seller get the advantage of your labor?
I've bought a lot of cars over the years, and usually I tow them home, which should tell you about the price point I'm working at. I've also bought some very nice cars, and paid top of the market for them, and I've yet to find an example of a cheap car being "cheap" if they are brought up to the level of a nice car. It's always a case of mucho effort, and a lot more money to equal the nice car.
Now, when I don't have the disposable income to spend on the nice car, I buy the needy car, and justify the time as hobby time and pay for the car piecemeal. Or I accept the car as a flawed example, and minimize the investment....
And Craig, I'm not fixated over the money.... but the better I can control the costs, the more cars I can buy!
Right now, I have 11 cars on the road, and 10 more as project/parts cars....
Regards,
Jim