Overview
A guide to making money along with the associated research.
Generalized Advice & Observations
Advice
- Using upgraded parts is only worth the cost if you plan to utilize the Restoration bonus from restoring a car to 100%.
- This means when working on a customer’s car you should not use performance parts.
- Body parts add the most value.
- This seems to be because they have the largest difference between base part cost and upgrade part cost.
- Swapping engine adds value, but not much.
- Tuning the ECU / Carb does not add any value.
- Painting do not add any value.
- Swapping tires does not add any value.
- There is no bonus for matching rims.
Observations
- If utilizing the Restoration bonus, it seems to always be worth upgrading.
- For example, the upgraded Flywheel costs 650. It also increases the Car Value by 316. The base part (repaired to 100%) sells for 375. 316 + 375 – 650 = a net gain is 41.
- If you destroy a part while repairing it, you would have needed to buy one at 100% anyway.
- However, if not utilizing the Restoration bonus it is rarely worth upgrading.
- For example, the Flywheel would be 316 Car Value + 375 base part sale – 650 upgraded Flywheel costs – 98 Restoration bonus = -57 net.
- An example where money is still made would be Spark plugs: 40 Car Value + 4 base part sale – 25 upgraded Spark Plug cost – 12 Restoration bonus = 7 net.
- The body parts seem to always be worth upgrading.
- There are multiple points of rounding error when the Car Value is calculated. Sometimes it will be +1 while other times it might be -1. You can see this in my Spark Plug measurements which add 39, 40, or 41 to the car value.
- When doing an engine swap, some items count as engine while others don’t.
- Brake Servo is not part of the engine.
- Battery is not part of the engine.
- Fuel Filter will be sold as part of the old engine.
- Front Exhaust Pipe (V8 OHV) will be sold as part of the old engine. (Even though it can be disconnected from the exhaust manifold.
Raw Data (Salem Kieran L6 part 1)
This Raw Data section is for those who want to check my work or build upon it. You can stop reading if you were only looking for the advice. 🙂
Salem Kieran L6
Before
After
For this car, I started with a completely fixed base model. Then I added 1 performance / body upgrade at a time, rebuilding the car back to 100% each time. This let me measure the effect each part had on the final car value.
I forgot to add upgraded air filters. But the trend still shows.
Part name
Car value
Car value difference
Restoration bonus
Restoration bonus difference
Base part cost
Upgrade part cost
Part cost difference
Base part sell value
Base
53,232
16,520
Flywheel
53,548
316
16,618
98
500
650
150
375
Clutch Plate
54,095
547
16,788
170
90
350
260
67
Clutch Pressure Plat
54,287
192
16,847
59
88
180
92
66
Fuel Pump
54,666
379
16,965
118
120
300
180
90
Rear Muffler (V8 OHV)
55,297
631
17,161
196
150
450
300
112
Middle Muffler
55,759
462
17,304
143
110
330
220
83
Catalytic Converter
56,075
316
17,402
98
200
350
150
150
Front Exhaust Section (Sebring)
56,358
283
17,490
88
75
210
135
56
Exhaust Manifold (I6) (1x)
56,548
190
17,549
59
40
130
90
30
Exhaust Manifold (I6) (2x)
56,737
189
17,608
60
Alternator
56,947
210
17,673
65
200
300
100
150
Ignition Distributor
57,054
107
17,706
33
69
120
51
51
Ignition Distributor Rotor
57,138
84
17,732
26
20
60
40
15
Ignition Distributor Cap (Sebring)
57,212
74
17,755
23
45
90
45
33
Ignition Wires (Sebring)
57,485
273
17,840
85
130
260
130
97
Fuel Filter
57,611
126
17,879
39
30
90
60
22
Ignition Coil B (1x)
57,989
378
17,996
117
100
280
180
75
Ignition Coil B (2x)
58,368
379
18,114
118
Carburettor (2-barrel side draft) (1x)
58,684
316
18,212
98
80
230
150
60
Carburettor (2-barrel side draft) (2x)
58,999
315
18,310
98
Carburettor (2-barrel side draft) (3x)
59,315
316
18,408
98
Piston with Conrod (1x)
59,619
304
18,502
94
80
225
145
60
Piston with Conrod (2x)
59,924
305
18,597
95
Piston with Conrod (3x)
60,230
306
18,692
95
Piston with Conrod (4x)
60,534
304
18,786
94
Piston with Conrod (5x)
60,839
305
18,881
95
Piston with Conrod (6x)
61,143
304
18,975
94
Engine Head (Sebring)
62,194
1051
19,301
326
1,000
1,500
500
750
Camshaft (I6) (1x)
63,141
947
19,595
294
200
650
450
150
Raw Data (Salem Kieran L6 part 2)
Part name
Car value
Car value difference
Restoration bonus
Restoration bonus difference
Base dart cost
Upgrade part cost
Part cost difference
Base part sell value
Camshaft (I6) (2x)
64,087
946
19,889
294
200
650
450
150
Spark Plug (1x)
64,127
40
19,901
12
6
25
19
4
Spark Plug (2x)
64,168
41
19,914
13
Spark Plug (3x)
64,207
39
19,926
12
Spark Plug (4x)
64,248
41
19,939
13
Spark Plug (5x)
64,287
39
19,951
12
Spark Plug (6x)
64,327
40
19,963
12
Spark Plug (7x)
64,366
39
19,975
12
Spark Plug (8x)
64,407
41
19,988
13
Spark Plug (9x)
64,446
39
20,000
12
Spark Plug (10x)
64,487
41
20,013
13
Spark Plug (11x)
64,526
39
20,025
12
Spark Plug (12x)
64,567
41
20,038
13
Salem Kieran Left Headlight A
65,618
1,051
20,364
326
100
600
500
75
Salem Kieran Right Headlight A
66,669
1,051
20,690
326
100
600
500
75
Salem Kieran Front Bumper B
68,247
1,578
21,180
490
250
1000
750
187
Salem Kieran Left Taillight B
69,088
841
21,441
261
100
500
400
75
Salem Kieran Right Taillight B
69,929
841
21,702
261
100
500
400
75
Salem Kieran Rear Bumper A
70,874
945
21,995
293
250
700
450
187
Rim Modern 02 (1x)
71,190
316
22,093
98
150
300
150
112
Rim Classic 09 (basic part, just to check)
71,190
0
22,093
0
Remove Rim Classic 09
Rim Modern 02 (2x)
71,505
315
22,191
98
Rim Modern 02 (3x)
71,821
316
22,289
98
Rim Modern 02 (4x)
72,136
315
22,387
98
Raw Data (Salem Spectre Fastback)
Measuring the difference between engines is a little different. We cannot compare how each part contributes individually because there will be different parts. Instead, we can measure the total Car Value of the different engines as well as the cost of the added parts.
Engine name
Car value
Restoration bonus
V8 2carb OHC
81,427
25,270
V8 2carb OHC Supercharged
88,663
27,516
That is an increased Car Value of 7,236 and an increased Restoration bonus of 2,246.
Buying the empty engine costs 2000. And the added parts cost:
Part name
Supercharged engine part cost
Base engine part cost
Base engine part cost difference
Base engine part sell value
Upgraded engine part cost
Upgraded engine part cost difference
Supercharger Water Pump Pulley (V8 OHV)
150
15
135
11
Supercharger Intake Manifold (V8 OHV)
1,000
210
790
157
550
450
Supercharger (V8 OHV)
2,000
Supercharger Serpentine Belt (V8 OHV)
50
Scoop Air Filter (V8 OHV) (2x)
100 x2 = 200
Air Scoop (V8 OHV)
300
Round Air Filter Base (2 carb)
33
Round Air Filter (2 carb)
90
Round Air Filter Cover (2 carb)
26
The sum of all the new parts purchased minus the sale of the base parts (which is assumed to be at 100% value) is 5,383.
Since the total Car Value went up 7,236, that means a net profit of 1,853.