Lots of engineers kicking around it seems...
Jeff
Of all the folks I meet at SIV every year, I'd say at least one in four is an engineer. Lots of military folks, as well as a pilot or two, couple doctors, etc... I think I'm in the wrong field haha.
That's about what it takes to keep a mk3 running these days.
OR
You've got to be as stubborn as an engineer to keep working on one of these.
Heh, well said Andy. These cars suffer no fools, that's for sure! Mine has only tried to light itself on fire once... so far. On the plus side, I've learned a lot about how fuel systems work and how the car operates (or rather, doesn't) when the fuel system doesn't work.
The potential fire situation was an unpleasant reminder that I need to learn electrical systems... tip for those of you just gleaming the thread, some free knowledge: terminate or solder ALL connections. Don't just twist and tape like an idiot.
Even saving on labor its a money pit.
I used to track how much $ spent on parts.
Gave up a couple years ago, its far too depressing when the number ends up near the cost of a 2000 era Porsche 911 or Boxter.
If I didn't like the vehicle so much it would make zero sense financially to continue rebuilding it.
Until I put insurance on the car, I had no idea how much I had into mine. Only reason I dared add it up was so I knew how much would be a reasonable amount for an agreed-value policy, as far as parts value cost.
There is a damned good reason I jokingly refer to it as my Ferrari. Had I just saved up my cash for the ~6 years I was buying parts to build the dream Supra, I could have bought a Ferrari 360... with cash. Granted, now the values of those are climbing up, so that no longer really applies, but still. All together though, I really enjoy driving my car, it has taught me more than I ever thought I would know, and has led to a passion of metal work that I wouldn't likely have had the inspiration or courage to pursue otherwise.
As for my occupation, I'm a warehouse lead technician. Essentially, I am a professional shit packer. Not in that sense though haha! I do a lot of things around there, but mainly I verify every part number and quantity of every item you order, and package them safely for shipping, to make sure you can keep your machinery running correctly. Given that in our industry, downtime can cost thousands per hour, if not more, the folks I work for really appreciate how thorough I am.
Dream job? I have two. One would require winning the lottery, the other just a healthy investment from someone far wealthier than I'm likely to ever be. The lotto one is fun, I'd like to take the lesser loved cars from the past, and restore them in my own vision. This would allow some neat freedom of expression, but of course once you factor in the time it takes to build a vehicle, I'd probably only complete a vehicle or two in a year, if I did this the typical 40-60 hours a week, given my current skill levels. Sell the car once I'm done, profit be damned. Perhaps (likely, even) donate the proceeds to charities.
The realistic dream job, I'd like to do driving instruction, to show the next generation that driving can be fun. I'm not a professional driver by any means, but I have very solid fundamentals and am certainly above average, but more important than that, I can typically adapt to different learning speeds and relate to the folks I've taught. Driving is mostly mental engagement, the other small part is just getting your body to listen to your brain... Anyway, could also be tied in with local law enforcement, if you are dumb enough to text (or any other grossly inappropriate distraction) and drive, you get to take my special class. Only thing keeping me from doing this is a lack of an investment partner, and the mortgage I have. Other than that, we're all set!
