[Re: budgets]

[losinit@usa.net (Cathy Boyko)]

I'd really hate to think about it, I added it up last year and it scared =
me a
bit. But at least I drive the car and enjoy it tremendously.

If you count stuff that didn't work or was on death's doorstep, then almo=
st
everything except the paint could be considered "performance upgrades". S=
till
not up to the original sticker price of the car , let's put it that way.

On a side note, I talked with an appraiser at the track today, and he com=
monly
sees imports appraising at $10 000 - 25 000 CDN, which equates to 50% mor=
e in
dollars actually spent in most cases ( so that would be $10 000-$25 000 U=
SD
spent I guess). So at least at the end of the day, we don't have just ano=
ther
"done up Acura" for our input of time and money. (there's the other varia=
ble
in the equation, how much sweat equity do you have in your car?)

Anyway, I'm not giving a number. Cathy