Opinions: Upgrade vs. Mod?

**DaleD** · 05-09-08, 07:53 PM

Just kicking some things around on a slow night. Might be interesting to others here.

I saw a 98 the other day, and have been planning to upgrade next year to a C5. Then I got to thinking. C5 prices are falling, do I really want to buy something on the way down? Not only that, a new used car is an unknown. I know my car.

Would it be better to just wait and mod my 87? I know mods don't add value to a car, but I believe my 87 won't lose much in value either. So, I'll lose the cost of the mods, but that's about it. If I do decide to mod, what would be the best bang for the first mod? Intake? Headers? Shift kit?

**WhalePirot** · 05-10-08, 01:44 PM

Is this about money? Few cars are investments and I have found the best that most of us can do is to minimize our losses from our rides, as I have done for 40+ years. Hence, my favorite car is the one that is paid for.

I started with headers.

**DaleD** · 05-10-08, 08:28 PM

Everything is about money sooner or later.

My Corvette isn't an investment, never even imagined it would be. I'm just trying to be smart, and that's a tall order for me.
If I sit tight, and just drive my 87 as is, that's the most cost effective, but I wouldn't be satisfied. I think it's fair to guesstimate, that if I buy a C5, I'm going to absorb at least a $5k loss in value. If I mod my 87, it's fair to assume I'll end up with $4k - $5k in mods, (intake, headers, transmission shift kit, custom tune). I'm not skilled enough, nor equipped well enough to do most of the mod work myself, but have found a reasonable performance shop near me.

As I see it, it's a coin toss. That's why I'm kicking it around here.

**WhalePirot** · 05-10-08, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by DaleD

I'm just trying to be smart, and that's a tall order for me.

Man, I am with you. Age has taught me to keep spreadsheets of the ownership costs of my cars. That way, my sense overrules my lust, given a self-imposed overnight wait. The spreadsheets calculate monthly maintenance and depreciation costs and serves as a maintenance record.

That said, this guy just has to know what he wants and to not buy 90% of it; rather to wait and go for what I really want. Having done it both ways, I now wait...usually. FWIW, my last 'lesson' involved a certain triple black '05 Z51. Thank goodness, the dealer had double sold it and asked if I would return it, which I gladly did. So, I got 23 hours of free Corvette 'rental'. (I really wanted a BG-delivered Z06, which was not out yet.) Besides, I did not like the seats, the touch screen of the nav system, the amount due OR the (my mind) second choice nature of it.

**JT ZR-Won** · 05-13-08, 10:10 AM

I know where you are coming from. I started out with an '85 which I had for about 4 years. I had all the bolt on mods and was having fun with the car until my good friend with his '92 ZR-1 passesd me like i was standing still. That's when I became addicted to ZR's and did tons of homework on the car. I then sold the '85 and bought a ZR-1 and had that for 4 or 5yrs before selling the car to my Dad due to the housing market here in FL.
Now I'm getting close to getting another vette. I'm very partial to ZR-1's but am also very interested in Callaway TT's & Grand Sports. Part of me also wants to look into the C5 Z06's just to try something other than a C4. So...my problem is that I like them all! I'm going to have to do my homework on quite a few cars before deciding. In your situation, some money wil be lost either way, so I say go for whatever makes you happy. If you don't get the C5, that curiosity might never go away. Good luck!