Project: My stealth can not be a money pit... again!

Pretty random first post here, but I have walked past my stealth rotting in the garage enough times that I'm finally motivated to get it back to a reliable/dependable state. It left me stranded a year ago, and I got fed up with it, and was pretty broke at the time. I easily have over $20k into this car and it makes me sick that it doesn't even run. On the flip side this car has caused me to put myself in a financial hole multiple times via credit cards, and I will not make that compromise anymore. The plan is to treat the car like I'm making payments on it, and only allow myself to spend $250-$350 each month toward the stealth, and only after I pay my bills, and put $1k in savings for that month.

It needs an ecu rebuild, coils, carrier bearings, and eventually bobs dualcore :). So hopefully it will be running soon, and running strong by summer.


Obviously we all make a range of different salaries here, but how do you guys beat the "mod bug", while still maintaining and upgrading your car?

I bought mine 1.5 years ago, has been an absolute dream to own. Bought an oxygen sensor and wheel bearings, that's all it has needed in the 30+k I have driven it in that short time. 6 autocrosses and 6 track days, too.

Not to say I haven't spent money on upgrades but so far I haven't had to spend money on anything not needed for the car to drive me 30 miles a day to amd from work + fun times.

8 years and 44k miles later of DDing and all it's cost me was a 60k service, new tires, and a trans.

I have had 6 of these cars everyone I mod a little less but some times stock parts cost more then aftermarket like my new radiator cheaper for an aluminum one then a factory one.


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7 years and counting, i have put 106,000 miles on her and its pretty easy to avoid when she is your DD..

...thats not to say that a good ol forced upgrade once in awhile can be ignored :D

It seems most of the responses are from people that are still on stock injectors/fuel control. I think what seeded my issue was putting bigger turbo's, 550cc inj, and an arc-2 on a pretty tired/weak ignition system, and I have blamed the car running crappy on the arc-2. The car ran worse and worse until it lost spark completely. The ecu caps have also been leaking (main suspect). It has a lot of potential to be a great car, it just needs some refreshing in a few areas.

I DD'd a few different 3S's back in the day. One was a 92 TT Stealth with 79k on it. Pretty much stock and never really had any issues with it. My way to beat the mod bug on that one was having a second stealth to dump money into lol.

Currently looking to buy another 3S for a daily driver, whatever I get I'm going to leave it fairly stock as I'm also building a 750 whp stealth right now :D

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Originally Posted by 75blackray

It seems most of the responses are from people that are still on stock injectors/fuel control. I think what seeded my issue was putting bigger turbo's, 550cc inj, and an arc-2 on a pretty tired/weak ignition system, and I have blamed the car running crappy on the arc-2. The car ran worse and worse until it lost spark completely. The ecu caps have also been leaking (main suspect). It has a lot of potential to be a great car, it just needs some refreshing in a few areas.

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...cant speak for most, but i have been running 550's on 15g's for 70,000 miles now. i started with an SAFC2 and moved to ARC2 about 2 years ago, so i hesitate to point at anything but your ECU :)

This is why most of the 3/S's in my sig are in ALMOST running condition, or various stages of broken. :lol: I get so effing fed up with one, we just go out and buy another one.... and the vicious cycle continues..... Or they end up being parted out or sold... see bottom of sig :laugh:

Want to beat the mod bug? Get a wife.

:D

Haven't beat it yet. Pretty much have run out of mods I want to do though.

Only so much you can really do.

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Originally Posted by Forest Gump

Haven't beat it yet. Pretty much have run out of mods I want to do though.

Only so much you can really do.

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Even if my car was running great I would want more. I think I really set myself up by going with dr-500s. Before, I was in college and just wanted a good 12 second dd. Now I have a work truck, a 4x4 samurai that sips gas, and I want something more in the 425+ on pump gas range. Thus, why I need to limit myself to a couple hundred dollars/ month, otherwise I would find an excuse to spend the rest of my paycheck on bigger turbos.

I also failed to mention that I'm getting married this year, and plan on buying a house over the next 2 years (I'm looking now). :D so life is great, I just have bigger plans than a fast car.

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You always end up wanting more then what you have for power lol. That's why I am going with a 750 whp turbo, but I'm building all the supporting mods for 1000+whp lol. Congrats on your upcoming wedding