What would you do with a $20k budget?

Honestly... As much as I love my car and the platform in general... You're a fool for wanting to dump 20k into an SL. I'd spend a little bit of money for upkeep/maintenance on the SL if you want to keep it, but then buy a TT if you're planning on modding it. Spending all the money on an SL for mods is truly about the equivalent of setting that money on fire.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IPD

you won't even be REMOTELY able to get all of that done for 20k. i promise you. a 3.8L conversion will run you well over 10 grand alone...and that's just the longblock--if you're lucky. good set of ported heads is ~2500. you'll be lucky to swing a 3.8L shortblock for <6000. add in the 120k parts package & stuff to make it complete--and you're at 10k. then add in a turbo kit. and supporting mods.

you MIGHT be able to swing 3.8L on 20k with a little room to spare...but that's about it. don't count on extras.

p.s.
i did the awd conversion. and if i had to do it over again, i'd have atx converted a tt; rather than awd converting an atx.

---

I should have probably mentioned the Montero MIVEC swap not one of Ray's longblocks.

oh lordy.. if i had twenty grand, i'd try to do nothing with it.

i'd start all kinds of projects that i didn't have to finish. spending as little as possible on each one.

i'd start with finding some land that i could try to live underground on. i already have a vr4, so i'd probably try and find CHEAP tdo5 parts (ips manifolds if i could find them for a little less than a grand)

i'm very undecisive, so before i bought much of anything, i would try to find someone to live with. hopefully a good friend that i could mostly save my money with.

or maybe i'd make the stealth run, and pay someone (that i Trust!) to let me park ani in their garage, then go on a long long drive.

if i'm feeling stupid bold, i would go back to thailand and spend no more than 6 grand the entire time. hopefully relocate there, and find a job. at that point i'd be sitting in thailand (hopefully happy) with around fourteen grand in the bank. and a vr4 sitting somewhere in the states.

after i had a job, i would probably start looking for a car to build. probably a skyline or something since i could find one around at a somewhat reasonable price. mmmm, that sounds like fun.

good luck!

Do you have to spend it or can you invest it? I would invest it and pretend like I never recieved it. It takes less time to double than you realize. I'd sock it away. In ten years I might pull out 20k and leave the other 50k I made in the bank. Wait 20 more years and walk away with 500K :)

I'd add a little more and buy a Q7. would never spend $20k on any 3000GT SL.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DrkZide

I should have probably mentioned the Montero MIVEC swap not one of Ray's longblocks.

---

afaik, there's 2 ways to do 3.8L: 75 swap & 74 stroker. good luck swapping in a 75.

I would buy new Kitchen cabinets.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IPD

you won't even be REMOTELY able to get all of that done for 20k. i promise you. a 3.8L conversion will run you well over 10 grand alone...and that's just the longblock--if you're lucky. good set of ported heads is ~2500. you'll be lucky to swing a 3.8L shortblock for <6000. add in the 120k parts package & stuff to make it complete--and you're at 10k. then add in a turbo kit. and supporting mods.

you MIGHT be able to swing 3.8L on 20k with a little room to spare...but that's about it. don't count on extras.

p.s.
i did the awd conversion. and if i had to do it over again, i'd have atx converted a tt; rather than awd converting an atx.

---

:scratch:

We could do all of that, and quite a bit more for $20k. :lol:

The last thing I would do with $20k that fell in my lap is spend it all on a car. Invest it. You'll thank yourself later.

If you feel the need to spend some money on the car, invest in some nice wheels and suspension and call it a day. You could get some fantastic wheels for $2000 and spend another $1000 on QUALITY suspension work and the car would look great.

buy a supra