Money made on buying/fixing up a car.

[treker4747]

How have you guys done on buying a car at auction and then repairing it? How far do you go in the repairs? Do you shoot for 100% or go of it being at least operable. (By, say, fixing parts to a working state and not risking going for 100)?

I bought a Mustang Fastback (equivalent) at the auction for around $13K, in the shop I removed the damaged body panels and attempted repairs but lost some in the process necessitating buying new ones. After selling the damaged parts, buying new ones, and painting the vehicle the factory color cost came to $2080.

I started stripping down the mechanics of the car ( I work in blocks, first the engine/transmission and other engine-bay components; then the rear end; the the front end, with the exhaust in the middle of all that somewhere) repaired what I could to 100%, losing stuff in the process but was thankfully able to recover the engine block, engine heads and transmission, so three major costs I didn't have to shell out money for. All told, with the body work, repairs costs me $8359, sold it for $56K, BAM! 62% profit!

[ed]

You're almost always better fixing everything to 100%. The exception is the Maluch, that one you strip the parts, repair them, and sell them. Then sell the body for $0.

Those are the basic rules, if you follow them you won't lose money. After that you can start asking questions:
How much does it cost to fix a car? What does the initial quality in the AH have to do with this?

Is it worthwhile to buy tuning DLC parts? Under what circumstances?

How much does it cost to buy a car at auction? Are there any tricks you can use ti make this better? (If you answer this last one please let me know, I'm still working on it)

How can I fix a car most efficiently (meaning quickly)?

I have answers for most of these questions, but the main reason I love this game is that I can spend hours analyzing it. So for the moment I'm just giving hints :)

[LittleDog]

Name: Sell Price: All parts Cost
Maluch 7809 $ 10502 §
Katagiri Katsumoto 31856 $ 21085 §
Rino Piccolo 32726 $ 22325 §
Salem Flamo 33610 $ 18559 §
Royale Bianco 36318 $ 23325 §
Mioveni Urs 37137 $ 20959 §
Salem Kieran 44113 $ 20417 §
Mayen M6 45192 $ 22813 §
Royale Crown 47449 $ 23680 §
Bolt Hellcat 48545 $ 22265 $
Salem Spectre Fastback 56287 $
Bolt Reptilia 57087 $ 22443 §
Delray Custom 62041 $
Sakura GT20 64607 $
Tempest Magnum 65307 $ 22465 §
Bolthorn Grand Mojave 68948$
Castor Earthquake 71661$
Mayen M8 78169 $ 33429 §
Salem Spectre 80502 $ 30379 §
Delray Imperator 85853 § 32905 §
Royale GTR 91796 $ 31669 §
Castor Earthquake Rex 112670$

[xaagon]

I've been playing the game for quite a while now (140+ hours), so I have enough money in the bank that I'm not too cost-conscious anymore.

You make the most money by restoring to 100% (except the Maluch), but this isn't always the most fun way to play for me.

I will role-play a mechanic in this and when working on customers' cars I will do what a real mechanic would, such as replace brake pads on both sides, shock absorbers on both sides, all the spark plugs at once, etc. So by doing this, I eventually wind up with a lot of spare parts in my inventory, much of which is still "good".

I'll buy a car at auction and try to fix it up with as many of these leftover parts as I can, then sell them for whatever I can get. Generally I'll buy a new part if the best I have is in red condition.

Another way I like to play this is to buy several of the same type of car at auction, strip them all down to the frame, and rebuild one of them with the best parts. I probably lose a bit of money this way, but it's fun, and I'm an in-game millionaire anyway so I can afford it.

EDIT: As of when I write this, I have only 136 hours in the game. Did not realize that at the time that I wrote the above, but post it here for accuracy's sake... Just in case someone actually cares.

[strikertlj]

LOL to funny ya there is another post about the money. If you want tp make money buy at auction and repair to 100% reguardless. I agree with you xaagon I play around with it as I am a multi millionaire in this game. I replace all those things like you do. I have even lost money .(small amount on a customer car). I have painted my own cars 4 or 5 times just to get the color I wanted lol 1500 a POP. As for the Mulach I refuse to even work on that car. ;-)

[treker4747]

I've got a pretty good bank account too, not millions, but enough where I can "role play" as well. Like, there's been a few times when I had to replace/repair the transmission and "while I'm there" I replace the clutch plate, bearing, etc. behind the transmission if it's in the yellow. Because -in the real world- it'd be cheaper in the long run to replace this now while the transmission is off than to replace it later when it fails but everything else is fine.

Same with any work involving tearing down the engine to repair/replace the block. Might as well take care of the pistons, crankshaft, camshafts and whatever else while we're here. Interestingly enough actually had this experience in real life late last year where I needed potentially a new head on my car and the mechanic was basically, "and while we're in there we'll probably need to replace other stuff too", where he just recommended in that case to get a new/rebuilt engine as it'd be cheaper in the long run. I just ended up getting a new car as it made more sense to sink money into a whole new car as opposed to an old car with a new engine but other components that could fail down the road adding to the cost.


"How can I fix a car most efficiently (meaning quickly)? "

I'm not sure there's an "efficient" way to do it. Chances are a car bought at auction is going to need to be completely broken down and have many of its parts repaired or replaced. Even if you're only shooting for "green" and not 100% pretty much everything is going to need to come off as some things need to come of just to get to other parts.

As I said, I prefer to work in blocks and usually I have a pad and pen with me to write down things I need, how many, etc. But, granted, this way isn't terribly efficient. I just get overwhelmed and OCD sometimes with an inventory full of stuff.

Probably the most "efficient" way to do things is to take things off while you're there all at once. Put the car on the lifter, open the hood, take out everything you can. Put the car on the lift, take everything you can. Lower the car again, grab the things you can now get from the lower parts being gone and you should have one more round of this and have the engine stripped. (Like you have to remove the heads and top-side components to expose the pistons, then get under the car to expose the crankshaft and remove the caps, then back to the top to actually get the pistons, back to the bottom to get the crankshaft, finally back to the top to get the block. "Realistically" a mechanic would take the whole engine out of the car and work on it outside the car to prevent all of the up/down nonsense.)

And really, I'm so okay with money I don't even bother with the oil-catch thing. If I'm "into" my roleplaying, maybe, but a $100 clean-up is easier than walking to the other end of the shop to fetch it if the shop has been reloaded (back from outside, starting a new session), lining the silly thing up and then moving it when I'm done. It'd be different if it were possible to reuse any "good" oil from it.

On painting the cars. I know it muddies the "reality" of the game, but I do wish it were possible to preview the paint color on the car before actually painting it. The look on the GUI is often different than what ends up on the car itself.

[strikertlj]

Hmm about your comment on having to move the car up and down the hoist. I only do that basicaly once start with the car down remove everything that can be removed. Really down to the block. I raise the car. drain the oil some times i take more off underneath but I then lower the car and pull the pistons out. so at this point all i have down is raise it once lower it once. then i raise it one more time and remove everything under the car only thing left should be the be the egine block. thats just me and I do not know how that fits into your role play. I do not find the hoist movement any problem. really I get that oil drain if I do not have it over there while the car is being lifted. Typically I get it at the begining before I ever walk over there. Hey I am still waiting for a clean up crew the garage is a messy place I changed colors so i don't see all the stains as much.. I want a clean place.

[treker4747]

I'm trying to think through this...

Car starts lowered on the hoist remove everything possible in engine bay.

Raise car, remove everything that can be removed on underside of car, including oil pan and bearing-caps for crankshaft.

Lower car, you can now remove the pistons.

Raise car you can now remove crankshaft.

Lower car you can now remove engine block.

[strikertlj]

well basicaly I thought about it from the starting on the hoist you have to raise it twice and lower it twice does not matter what you take off. last thing I take is engine block and that is where I start when I put it all back together so for a full restore I guess you do it four times each not a big deal really I even raise it when all that is needed is the brake job which you do not have to do. Personal prefrences I guess.

[xxxstefxxx]

repair all you can to 100 percent when the car is 100 percent on all things the price you get wil jump up to max if 2 parts are 70 percent or missing the price drops by 50 percent