The Value of Things

You can't talk about cars without talking about value. I mean you could, but if you took action (say bought, sold or modded) one without first thinking about value, you'd be in a world of hurt. So I want to take a second to talk about the value of cars and stuff and relate it to some good and bad decisions that can be made when it comes to value. After all, the less you spend on things you don't need, the more you can focus in on what's important. This means reaching your personal goals sooner whether that's just taking your main squeeze (sorry, it's the most neutral yet non-clinical sounding phrase I could think of) on a date or saving for a track day and some tires.

Bruh. What's your next mod? You should do a bigger turbski.

Before we get into the meat of the article, let's talk about the elephant in the room. Why isn't this article about a supercar I took photos of and test drove over the weekend. Why doesn't it feature an attractive woman and her badass daily? Well... if you thought running your own personal magazine guaranteed you bags of cash, hot women and mobs of supercar owners just begging you to drive their rare, collectible rides, you are absolutely right. Except for when none of that is happening... which is most of the time. You get interest and kudos and yes, you get people volunteering to participate, but scheduling shoots with people who have lives whilst living your own life means that one does have to continue to simply write about topics that are top of mind. This is the kind of writing I can do on my chair at home after work with a cup of tea in hand. At some point, I may even touch on other stuff gear heads and men/women of culture might want to read about like watches and knives and whiskey and travel and ... things. But for now, let's keep it fairly simple. Let's first talk about the value of cars and the things that make them go vroom.

This is a great time to talk about the value of cars. With the economy going down and the price of goods, strangely going in the opposite direction, value for money is top of mind for many of us. The technology sector has laid off 200,000 workers last I checked and most people don't know when we'll hit the bottom of the downward trend. The cost of the average new car in 2022 was just over $48,000 dollars in 2022 according to Kelly Blue Book and conversely, we don't know when we're going to hit the top of this trend. In 2012 (for those who aren't great at math, that's an astonishingly short ten years), the average new car price was just over $30,000 according to Forbes). Here's another fun fact. The median income in the US is currently around $54,000 per year according to firstrepublic.com. If smell what the Dalton is writing, you'll notice there's a massive disconnect between what people are earning and the luxury, sports, modified/restored cars we see posted online all day everyday. Some might say it's more disconnected than the throttlebody boot becomes every time I floor my Stage 1 B5 S4. That's an inside joke that applies to like 20 people nationwide, but I'm keeping' it. Anyhow, there're a lot of explanations for this disconnect between cars and cash and they range from honest hard work to pure fraud and plenty of hardship in between.

Financing. This is how many people get their cars in the US. Not even dream cars or specialty cars, but just the four wheeled things that move people and their possessions from A to B. And according to TitleLoanser.com, 2.2 million vehicles are repossessed every year. That's 5,148 repossessions everyday. That tells you that if many Americans are getting in over their heads for basic transportation, the allure of a car they actually love could get some in major trouble. Let's talk about some current desirable cars that are meant for the ... masses? The Nissan Z has an MSRP of $54,015 and the GR Corolla's top trim is $50,995. Mercifully, Toyota is selling the base version for right around $37k. Wait, did I say $37k was merciful for a hatchback? Shaking my head (SMH for the cool kids). What more is that it's not uncommon for dealers to mark up s

ought after cars by nearly twice MSRP. Personally, I would not buy a car for significantly MSRP. Firstly I buy to drive, so it's going to depreciate rapidly as I clock miles.

Secondly, the car market is fickle. You could buy over MSRP hoping to turn a profit only to see the market correct itself making you very upside down on your loan or sitting with a loss on your cash investment. Look at the price drop on this Nissan Z Proto. That's your money gone had you paid the

Three words: Shake. My. Doggone. Head.

nearly $80k asking price pre-correction. Can you buy a car as an investment? Sure you can and some people do quite well. But those are typically well studied people buying blue chip exotics.

Credit cards are another form of financing that you'll see gear heads use to mod or restore their current cars and it is a form of payment that can also get you in over your head. I'm not a financial advisor, so take everything I say with a grain of salt, but if you are going to use a credit card, set a limit you can handle. Try to get low to no interest and have a plan to pay it off before the interest inevitably skyrockets when the honeymoon period ends. While fixing and modding your car on credit can relieve you of the fear of repossession if you already own the car you're fixing up. But uncontrolled debt can cause you so much stress that you'll wished you'd simply sold the car.

OPP. Other people's petrol. I have seen people take photos next to someone else's car and post as if it's their own. Heck, I've seen people take photos next to entire collections and say the cars are theirs. Not kidding. Beware of clout chasers on line. While they probably can't hurt you unless you sign up for one of their learn to build a business like I did courses, they can lure you into feeling your ride is inadequate and can lead you down the road of making the wrong car decisions.

The last thing I want to touch on in this article is, choices. When it comes to choosing a car, pick the one that is right for you. Latest model year doesn't matter. High horsepower doesn't matter. Even badge doesn't matter. What's most important is finding the right ride for your driving

Not the Porsche I drove, but they all look pretty similar, right?

style, driving needs and most importantly, driving budget. I've always wanted a Porsche 911 and I could have gotten one. But I didn't want to spend what people were asking for them because when I drove a few they were absolutely amazing, but didn't give me what I wanted at that time. If I was looking for the last word in precision driving and pedigree, I would have been sold. But I was in the market for mind bending, easily tunable speed in a package that was budget friendly for a guy with a propensity for buying dumb project cars. Let's be real. A late model Porsche 911 that's two or three times more expensive than the 370z I had, is typically not that much faster than it. And that's the car I was leaving to upgrade into my next sports coupe.

Ugh... I still miss that 370Z. What's wrong with me?

For the money, the Jaguar F Type R gave me so much more of what I was after and was easier to repair to boot. It's amongst one of the most beautiful cars on the road and being the spiritual successor to the E Type, the pedigree though less continuous, isn't half bad. Did I mention it's got a maniacal supercharged V8 growl? So I made my choice and you know what? I haven't looked back. I take that back. I look back every time I walk away from it in the parking lot.

That's that look back at it booty. Ok, I feel pretty gross saying that about my car, but the joke was worth it. You're welcome.

Take into account cost to repair, insure and operate. Can you pay for expert labor and expensive parts? If your answer is no, there's probably a more reasonable option (with a less sexy badge) that could be right for you. Looking for a mid-engined roadster on a budget and don't have new Porsche money or old Porsche repair funds? Check out the last generation MR2. Take your time and research. Find the car you want at the price you can pay, set aside money for repairs and enjoy your project and the peace of mid that comes with knowing you chose what's best for you. I once had a super rare German Roadster. A BMW Z4M.

Track day'ing in the Pacific Northwest. Did I tell you about the time I melted my brakes?

While, it was great when it was running, I once had to wait an entire summer for a rear bumper to come in from Germany after that car had gotten rearended. It was a huge disappointment considering I lived in Seattle at the time and basically would not be seeing the sun again for another 8 months by the time I got my car back. Production numbers count. If you're looking for a droptop to take to the track that has plenty of aftermarket and forum support, the more examples the manufacturer made, the better. Which is why my current roadster is a Miata.

Photo Courtesy of Lightspeed Photography. I was too busy to snap the picture.

I haven't always made the best car decisions but I've learned. In order to have what you want, you gotta want what you have... and what you can truly afford.