When people hear I like cars, they often assume I’m good at math. In fact, just the opposite is true. One must be terrible at math to start a project, or at least only good at project-car math. In project-car math, actual dollars fall prey to theoretical horsepower gains and fantastic future savings. It’s an accountant’s nightmare and the aftermarket’s salvation. Project-car math is when you decide that a Sixth gear is worth $600 over just five, even though you barely even get out of Third on most of your drives. It’s when carbon-fiber beckons even though you’re going to paint it and you don’t race. Project-car math is responsible for the decision to go with the coated big-tube headers, the 68-way adjustable shocks, and anything chromed in the engine bay. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dissing any of those things—well, maybe the chromey bits, but the rest of it is all temptation I understand, and project-car math is the false logic used to convince ourselves to give in. It’s when you look at the cost of driving your current car and decide that, somehow, spending $3,000 on a ’71 Opel GT is going to save you money, “in the long run.” Oh wait, that was me, seduced by the spectre of gas mileage. In the long run, three grand could buy a lot of 91 octane for my ’70 Challenger. Too late now. So now I’m in this Opel GT, which was a bargain! Of course, it doesn’t run, so take that $3,000 and add a new cooling system, carry the master cylinder, multiply by two brake lines, exhaust, and a Weber carb, tack on some rewired headlights, and where are we? In real math we’re at about $6,000, but then the engine isn’t really running right and rebuilding it stock would cost at least $1,000, but upgrading it to a 2.0L with a new head is only $1,600, and it’s just not worth $600 not to do it because bigger valves. Bigger valves! That’s totally worth at least $800 right there. It’s around this point that I stop adding the columns in real math. Because how do you put a number on the enjoyment value of those amazing rotating hideaway lights? Read more: hotrod/techarticles/1401_daily_driver_diaries_project_car_math/#ixzz2t9Rh9KeW
Posted on: Wed, 12 Feb 2014 22:57:41 +0000
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