Customizing Cars

MazdaNoob123 · Post by **MazdaNoob123** » March 1st, 2006, 2:26 pm

For a school project i am going to customize my 1992 mazda mx-3.
But before i can start to do that i have to write a research paper about customizing cars.
I was wondering if anyone here was willing to help me out.
*=questions i really would like you to answer

*How much money did you invest? What was upgraded/Customized?

*How much time was invested in doing this?(of actual work)

What do you make a year?(roughly)

*Was it worth it?

*% Of work done your self

Also im looking for people to do some kinda iterview with.

Post by **Custommx3** » March 1st, 2006, 3:36 pm

*How much money did you invest? What was upgraded/Customized?
Thousands! Engine, interior, suspension, and body.

*How much time was invested in doing this?(of actual work)
8 years

What do you make a year?(roughly)
rather not say.

*Was it worth it?
Without a doubt.

neonkai · Post by **neonkai** » March 1st, 2006, 3:37 pm

I fail to see how these questions pertain to customizing cars. Personal income has no impact on custimization of cars, desire and priority do.
You really should rethink these questions so that the paper has a better standpoint.

BuGS · Post by **BuGS** » March 1st, 2006, 5:09 pm

*How much money did you invest? What was upgraded/Customized?
Money was probably around $3000. I upgraded engines to a BP, turbo'd it, and did suspension and other things to make it safer for that HP.

*How much time was invested in doing this?(of actual work)
Probably just over 200hrs

What do you make a year?(roughly)
I think I made $8k last yr, going to hs still so it was pretty good.

*Was it worth it?
Every time I hear the BOV.

hgallegos915 · Post by **hgallegos915** » March 1st, 2006, 5:51 pm

*How much money did you invest? What was upgraded/Customized?

around 2500
fkze swap
paint
hood check my signature im surely not done!
also car was on fire a while ago

*How much time was invested in doing this?(of actual work)

a year

What do you make a year?(roughly)

25 thousand and going for more this year

*Was it worth it?

yes and im not done with it at all

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » March 1st, 2006, 6:02 pm

Personal income has no impact on custimization of cars, desire and priority do.

I disagree completely. Personal income has the biggest impact of all on what and how we customize our cars. If I was making twice what I make at my current job.. my MX-3's would be sights to behold.. (No rice crap.. just clean and mean) And for some folks on this site.. if they were making more cash.. they wouldnt even have MX-3's at all. I think the majority of the people on this site would still own and or have still bought their MX-3's for what they paid for them even if they had more cash at the time. I know I would have. But then.. I paid $1600 for my RS and $225 for my GS. I dont have any mods to speak of on my cars.. just general maintenance so far.. but thats only cause I havent been able to afford to do the mods I want too. Oh and I make about $31k a year.

Tunes67

mx3optidrive · Post by **mx3optidrive** » March 1st, 2006, 8:42 pm

How much did I invest.........as Custommx3 says, Thousands.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars!

Probably going to be around $4500 just on BP motor rebuild and turbo. I paid ~$4-5000 on stereo, $1900 for rims and tires, $900 for suspension and brake upgrades, $7000 for body kit to be put on and whole car painted, $250 for tint, $600 for custom seats, $400 for custom interior, $600 for alarm/starter installed $400 for clutch, $350 for axels and probably about $3000 on just general maintainance over the years.

Took me 6 yrs and counting to complete (still not done).

Combined income of me and my wife is about over $100,000 CDN/yr and climbing and she has a '04 Acura RSX type-S that we are starting to modify and we just bought a house after the wedding last summer.

It has been worth every penny that I did spend and am going to spend on the car. The car isn't going anywhere for a long time because I will lose too much money if I sold it.

Aston Wards · Post by **Aston Wards** » March 1st, 2006, 9:33 pm

invest?!

thrown away more likely!

MazdaNoob123 · Post by **MazdaNoob123** » March 2nd, 2006, 3:10 am

I am thinking of better questions but income is on there because my essential question is (Is customizing a car worth the time and money for the average person)

income i know i can not requir because its a personal thing. Why it helps for me to know what the person makes a year is because someone that makes 26,000-80,000 a year will be looked upon as average. Now if someone that makes 125,000+ a year has alot more money at their disposal.

and those are numbers i think are about average for fulltime jobs 80,000 being a very high avg.
but everyone give me as much info as ya can please

twoie · Post by **twoie** » March 2nd, 2006, 9:07 am

it seems like income is relative to the amount of student loans for most people on here ( by looking at ages ).

twoie

Nd4SpdSe · Post by **Nd4SpdSe** » March 2nd, 2006, 11:00 am

MazdaNoob123 wrote:For a school project i am going to customize my 1992 mazda mx-3.
But before i can start to do that i have to write a research paper about customizing cars.
I was wondering if anyone here was willing to help me out.
*=questions i really would like you to answer

1) How much money did you invest? What was upgraded/Customized?

2) How much time was invested in doing this?(of actual work)

3) What do you make a year?(roughly)

4) Was it worth it?

Also im looking for people to do some kinda iterview with.

I'd volunteer for an interview

I'll answer the best that I can, I have quite the list

1) Money wise, I've calculated I've spend about $20'000 (Canadian) in modifications, so far, I have calculated it i

believe a year ago in a similar thread on here. I'll have to find it and update it. As well, this will not take info

effect some maintenance, as well as some items i've gotten for free as well.
J-SPEC 2.5L V6 [KLZE]
Bully Stage III Clutch
PRM INtake, OBX Headers, 2.5" Exhaust
Magnaflo Hi-Flow Catalytic Converter and Muffler
B+G Springs, Koni (Red) Adjustable Struts
Front and Rear Strut Tower Bars
MazdaSpeed Motor Mounts
Brembo Cross-Drilled/Slotted Rotors
PBR ULX Ceramic Pads
SDR Performance Shifter Bushings
Walbro 255LPH Fuel Pump
Konig Helium 17" Gunmetal Rims
205/40 Kumho MX On Front, Kuhmo Escta 712 on Rear
12" Racing Steering Wheel
Speedhut Guages and HVAC Panel
Painted Dash, Trim and Speaker Covers
JDM Drivers Side Door Panel
Blue Eurolite Underbody Neons
MazdaSpeed Front Bumper
JDM OEM Side Skirts
'99 Miata Mudguards
Supra-Style Spoiler
Pakfeifer Inverted Carbon Fiber Hood
Stock Tropical Emerald Metallic Paint with Gold Flake

In Car Entertainment:
Pioneer DEH-P8400MP Head Unit
Pioneer 10" Subwoofer
15" LG LCD with Touchscreen
AthlonXP 2500+ CarPC in Custom Trunk Cover
In-Dash DVD/CD-RW Drive and USB Hub

2)Time, that is countless. I can guestimate count the total hours of what's in, but that wouldn't count the hours of trial and error. My engine swap took 4 evenings, my suspension, headers,new brake and fuel lines, gas tank and fuel pump, trailing arms and shifter bushings took 5 evenings. My custom trunk cover took about 2 weeks. Painting the dash trim took a weekend. Installing the racing wheel was several hours, including driving around and getting it center on the column. Took an evening to install the second battery, including runing to Canadian Tire twice. Strut bar, front took 15min, rear took about an hour to modify the trunk panels and seat belt bracket to accomoditate the bar. The car itself was out for about a month getting painted. Wiring up of my car pc took about 2 straight weeks of going out after supper until about 11pm-midnight. I spend countless hours the carpc, 3 LCD mount revisions, several system upgrades, troubleshooting stability issues which were related to power.

3) I bring home around $26'000/yr (Canadian)

4) Every time I press the gas, hit the brake or take a turn. Basically everytime I sit in my car and go for a drive. Or even just sitting in the car, it's both fun moving or not. I could even just stand back and look at her. I enjoy working on her, looking forward to continuing or new projects, or even just cleaning her.

neonkai · Post by **neonkai** » March 2nd, 2006, 11:10 am

I understand the goal of the report now, so yea, income makes sense(sensitive topic for most though).
And the only backup I really have for my comment as to how income isnt as important as motivation and desire is this: If you had unlimited money, but not the desire, nothing would get done to your car. If you have to scrap by for cash, but have the desire, things will still get done to your car. You are right though. It wouldnt happen as fast or be as nice, but it will still get done.

Another good question for your report would be: % of work done yourself vs paid work aka body shops, mechanic fees, etc, etc.

LooseChangeRacing · Post by **LooseChangeRacing** » March 2nd, 2006, 11:41 am

Yeah and like someone said about school loans....a debt to income ration is deifnitly a factor as well...
LOL your 16, start going into your report and talking about debt to income ratio, A+ right there lol....

I make pretty good money $32,000 USD a year. I havn't driven the MX in months, and I lose my license on march 15th. I've spent maybe $1000 in upgrades for the MX, but prolly more like 3-4k on other cars I've owned...I have about $1000 in regular bills a month, but heres the major killer...I have a $25,000 school loan, and a $5,000 personal loan...so you can see where all my spare cash has to go...none-the-less when I finish paying those off in about 4 years I'll be making close to 2x what I do now and I'll be a completely different person

Hoodzy · Post by **Hoodzy** » March 2nd, 2006, 11:55 pm

neonkai wrote:I fail to see how these questions pertain to customizing cars. Personal income has no impact on custimization of cars, desire and priority do.
You really should rethink these questions so that the paper has a better standpoint.

personal income probably has a farily good chunk of customizing a car

if i was making 10 grand more a year it would all go to my car and i'd be done enough said

Juans_93_MX3 · Post by **Juans_93_MX3** » March 3rd, 2006, 12:09 am

Like said, it also depends if you can do some of the s--- your self
Like making your own custom turbo setup. If you know how to weld, you save $$$$$$$$$
If you dont know sh1t and just think of power, you end up like those morons who end up spending $5000 on a turbo kit