RESTORATION

[GH0ST013]

I enjoy restoring cars, however performing all that work and not be rewarded stinks. It's frustrating to invest all that time to profit very little. I use upgraded parts from the Tuning Shop whenever I can and perform a Dyno Test to see the overall upgrade result compared to factory stats. In a few restorations I had up to 96% HP upgrade which is awesome! Did it affect the car or engine value? Nope! I just finished a full restoration on a car. When all said and done, I profitted around $7.000!!! I can make more just working on customers vehicles AND gain XP AND get an opportunity to gain a gift crate. Where is the incentive to restore cars? Obviously a more valued car will profit more, but either way the current system in place needs some serious attention.

[Doc Savage]

On the flip side of this... I just bought 3 cars from the junkyard and 4k worth of parts for over 100k. I redid one of those cars top to bottom all new/rebuilt and sold it netting me all the money I spent back so I broke even with 2 cars left to restore.

I'd agree if you're going to be in the business of making performance you should be able to actually turn one. Unfortunately it seems the game is looking at performance as more a personal choice just for one's self ATM.

YMMV... Cheers..!

[GH0ST013]

That's awesome!!! I haven't tried the junkyard cars yet. I will give it a shot. As for my experience in profit, I have had a few cars that netted me around $20k or so, but that is rare. The performance side isn't much of an issue except what I noted above which I hope someone from the creators reads since I don't know how to get feedback to them. I get some small net profits without using performance parts as well. I agree with you in that I believe it's more for personal gratification than anything else. Hopefully they give this area some TLC. Cheers!

[n0bby_SG]

I've never checked to see whether replacing all the parts possible with performance parts means the car is worth more as a result - I just do it for the satisfaction of seeing the dyno output increase massively (and the LOLs that result from trying to drive it afterwards!). So it's interesting to hear that it doesn't effect the value when you restore a car - that's a bit of a shame and a missed opportunity to reward the player for making the extra effort when they're restoring and selling cars.

In my most recent game, I've currently got $10.5m in the bank just from buying scrapyard and barn cars and restoring them, the biggest jump coming from saving for a McLaren F1 which I bought for 1.6m and sold for around 8.5m!

[Spitball]

Profitability depends on many factors, the vehicle, parts, and mileage. Depending on the vehicle, one can make significant profit. I actually have the opposite problem, I make too much money with nothing to spend it on. I’ve stopped collecting cars and, I have filled up every floor of the parking garage many times over. I love restoring cars too; however, one needs an outlet for cash flow, if one knows how to make it!

Current Cash Flow
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1230373642

Current Parking Garage
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1230373675

I Have Four Profiles

[BonPadre]

I'll drop a few examples.... so maybe you can decide better how you choose to do things

Cars I bought from auction, so somewhat decent to good conditions. PLEASE remember that I use prices from top of my head and with STANDARD parts. Cars sold at 100% condition

Elenti Callope ~92'200 km bought for 82k $, sold for 116k $. Due to condition bought only unrepairable parts + ofc parts that broke, at full price, the total of parts non repairable is ~7k $
, maybe add a 2k max of broken parts (could be engine block, gearbox, whatever big...), add also maybe 1k $ of repair costs (which in this case seems abusive but whatever, for the example) and finally the 1k optional, as it does not bring any value to the car, 1k$ for repaint
Total price, 82k$ + 7k$ + 2k$ + 1k$ + 1k$ = 93k$ total cost... so restoration over 20k

A chieftain bandit, just under 300k km from junkyard, probably paied around 12k$
EDIT : nope found the pic, bought in auction, very bad shape (2 stars) for 22.5k$
IF you buy ALL parts from shop, without any discount (so whatever level you are) you have a grand total bill of 26k$ add 1.1k$ for the 2 magical clicks (interior restoration + shell restoration)... + 1k$ painting. Car selling price 64k$

Bought some big newer SUV from auction, around 120k$ sold for ~180$

Barns are probably that middle grey area. cars not really cheap, but also not really in great shape as far as parts go... Those, while still beeing profitable, are really a bit trickyer.

Furthermore, you probably would take into account :
Parts you buy and repair from junkyard, I would say cost you about 50% (probably even less due to te fact some claim it worth to buy repair and sell parts, and those parts sells for 1/2 the oprice of full amount in store).
So stockpiling parts from junkyard thaty you can repair cuts also quite a good part into your restoration bill.

AND never diminish the value of spare parts not 100% you keep to do jobs on which you can place them...

So maybe as Doc said, performance is a choice. I did indeed never really checked the car value when I add those or not, if it was worth it, because again, from the margin I already described... I never bothered. Maybe do not fully tune them if for selling. I usually partially tune only cars I keep.

Also I recommend you that guide
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1146473030

[GH0ST013]

Thanks all for the different advices. I am currently working on 4 restorations from the junkyard and so far have over doubled my money from just getting the body and frame to 100%. Working on parts now. Thanks for the above guide too. That will come in handy for sure. As for finding and building out a rare car such as the McClaren, I won't be doing that anytime soon. I subscribed to some of the cars through the workshop and I had issues with all five that I restored. Each one had it's own glitch. One didn't increase in value whatsover...lol. So until those cars get the bugs worked out then I will stick to the cars the creators put in the game. I would like to find the car (I don't know the name) in the picture above with the blower. That would be a sweet car!!!

[n0bby_SG]

Damn, GH0ST013, it's a bummer you've had problems with workshop cars. I have a whole bunch of them installed (I've restored well over a dozen different ones now) and haven't had a single problem yet, so it looks like I've been lucky.

I just got my first Ferrari F40 at auction - I had to pay 1.1m for it, it was valued at 999.9k (God it was tedious increasing from the starting price of 200k to winning it, in $1000 increments!). I've already increased its value to 1.3m just by fixing up the bodywork and frame... And the mechanicals are by far the worst part so I expect it'll top $3m after it's all done.

[Doc Savage]

I don't use workshop cars yet, but I do use the Car Placement mod so any car can show up anywhere. I like repairing, not going to the Salon and buying. (I do have a 0 mileage SC Spectre though that set me back 250k or so) I highly recommend it just to be able to work on all the game cars. It can help alleviate some $$$ woes, but only if you use it right, the old addage it takes money to make money applies.

If you're just trying to make cash, pick one or two profitable cars and stick to them for a bit till you have a really nice bank roll. Buy up any you can find. Don't do the low mile cars less than 100% across the board. (I don't do any below 100% later game) Low mile cars pay top dollar...

The Auction is only good for one thing: Early game buy any cars that have bodies and interiors that look really clean. Don't buy rust buckets until you get the welder. After that, I don't bother with the Auction at all. Those early "clean" cars that only need mechanical work are a nice way to get some early 100%ers.

After a time, we all end up where Spitball is. You just have money and what you want to do.

Which is good... Cuz performance parts and collections eat money.

Cheers..!

[BonPadre]

Originally posted by Doc Savage:

but I do use the Car Placement mod so any car can show up anywhere.

Trying to find it from workshop, seems I must be really dumb, can't get my hand on it...
Sorry I'm tired so I could simply not even see it...
if you have a link ? I would truelyappreciate ;-)

EDIT : NVM found it... how come it does not appear in workshop...

[GH0ST013]

Originally posted by Doc Savage:

I don't use workshop cars yet, but I do use the Car Placement mod so any car can show up anywhere. I like repairing, not going to the Salon and buying. (I do have a 0 mileage SC Spectre though that set me back 250k or so) I highly recommend it just to be able to work on all the game cars. It can help alleviate some $$$ woes, but only if you use it right, the old addage it takes money to make money applies.

If you're just trying to make cash, pick one or two profitable cars and stick to them for a bit till you have a really nice bank roll. Buy up any you can find. Don't do the low mile cars less than 100% across the board. (I don't do any below 100% later game) Low mile cars pay top dollar...

The Auction is only good for one thing: Early game buy any cars that have bodies and interiors that look really clean. Don't buy rust buckets until you get the welder. After that, I don't bother with the Auction at all. Those early "clean" cars that only need mechanical work are a nice way to get some early 100%ers.

After a time, we all end up where Spitball is. You just have money and what you want to do.

Which is good... Cuz performance parts and collections eat money.

Cheers..!

Doc Savage I am not familiar with the Car Placement mod. I did a search through the Workshop with no results. What is that for and where is it located? In regards to your SC Spectre, you recommend buying it to access all game cars or am I reading that wrong? Just curious because I thought I had all cars available to me already. I bought all DLC's as well.

I am doing well now with my restorations since buying from the junkyard. I do the body and interior first which doubles or more my car value, then I finish up the parts. So far so good.

Now if they can fix the repair issue happening on my workbench that will be great!

[Vellari]

Originally posted by GH0ST013:

In regards to your SC Spectre, you recommend buying it to access all game cars or am I reading that wrong? Just curious because I thought I had all cars available to me already. I bought all DLC's as well.

He means there is a unique car for each location that can only be acquired from that location (without using said mod or otherwise editing config files). DLC cars are not unique in that way though, found in multiple locations (that is, salon, auction, barn, junkyard).

Mod/workshop cars are found where the mod maker intended, but generally atleast auction/barn.

[Doc Savage]

Originally posted by GH0ST013:

Doc Savage I am not familiar with the Car Placement mod. I did a search through the Workshop with no results. What is that for and where is it located? In regards to your SC Spectre, you recommend buying it to access all game cars or am I reading that wrong? Just curious because I thought I had all cars available to me already. I bought all DLC's as well.

I am doing well now with my restorations since buying from the junkyard. I do the body and interior first which doubles or more my car value, then I finish up the parts. So far so good.

Now if they can fix the repair issue happening on my workbench that will be great!

You don't need the Spectre for anything. Unless you want a new one of course...

Some of the game cars are only available in some places normally. Some are only available at the Salon for instance. I think that's sorta silly, so I make everything pop up everywhere. Mods don't have this AFAIK, but I don't use mods so...

You can actually do this manually without a mod with a text editor like notepad or notepad++. It's a single line you can cut/paste in. The mod just makes it easier to do it.The Mod is in the Mod Discussions in a thread if you want to give it a go. Just be aware it needs to be updated when DLC's release if you want those cars in. It's a good idea to verify the files and then fresh install it when it's updated.

As for the workbench... Did you happen to change the little preview sample size..? I was running at 4096, so I dropped it to 2048 to see if I'd get rid of some of the lag with 1.5.1. The bench stopped working... I set it back to 4096 and now it is. Just something to try...

Cheers..!

[Bromstine]

Originally posted by Spitball:

however, one needs an outlet for cash flow

Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos and the like never worried about having too much money in the bank… ;-)