How much does it cost to own/operate a Terminator?

[xxForgedxx]

We all know some cars are great in theory but possibly a different story once you get into repair/maintenance/gas mileage costs. I am wondering what costs come with owning a Terminator. Anyone help me out with this? I'm looking to buy one after I get home from Iraq. My goal would be 500whp and then done...

DON'T COUNT MODS

 

[lloyyd]

If you can keep from modding the hell out of it it's not too bad. Once you go down that road the money just disappears.

 

[About2bite]

A lot

 

[Tommy98016]

once you get the mod bug you cost goes way up

 

[CobraKid04]

Alot of variables exist in your question. such as is it a DD, will you mod it, and how old you are/driving record(insurance).

 

[Juruense]

It costs a damn fortune...

Last summer - $1000 for tires
This summer - $1000 for clutch and some other stuff
Next summer - $1000 for God knows what...

Plus ga$ and insurance...

//wish I would have bought an SVT Focus

 

[xxForgedxx]

MINUS MODS... without mods. I am only going to shoot for 500whp anyways.

I mean shit breaking, wearing out, MPG (what is it with 500whp) and mixed highway/city/nice/not nice on the peddle driving.

 

[Juruense]

My car is stock my post was about owning without modding. I cannot imagine spending money on mods as well. Get an SVT Focus man...

 

[xxForgedxx]

That's not going to happen. I will be getting one of the cars on my list. an EVO/M3/C5 or Terminator. Cheap, economical and slow is not an option.

 

[jm@ReischePerf]

MINUS MODS... without mods. I am only going to shoot for 500whp anyways.

Well it's not a fair question if you're planning to mod. Modding tends to lead to more stuff breaking/wearing out sooner and a closer attention paid to the little issues that could cost you a motor. However I have a list prepared for issues that could come up on a totally stock Cobra, many of these things may not bother you at all or ever even come up:

·Excessive wheelhop from IRS
·Throwout bearing/sleeve issue
·Stalling issue
·Excessive driveline clunking and vibration issues
·“Tink” noise from halfshafts (from inner CV cup or splines)
·Head defects: the “tick” and 4 sparkplug threads
·Premature alternator failure
·Premature IC pump failure
·Weak differential cover/leaking diff cover
·Improperly designed clutch cable adjuster
·Steering rack bushing sleeve/creak issue
·Warping on top of rear bumper cover
·Air dam not securely attached
·Coolant system prone to trapping air bubbles at refill
·Unusually poor turning radius
·Strange (high and forward) seating positon, difficult to enter/exit vehicle
·More difficult to shift than most cars, shifter too far forward
·Clutch too stiff for heavy traffic
·Poor traction control system

No offense meant to anyone with this list, so hold your criticism please.

Fixing, improving or just living with these problems on top of the other expenses already mentioned like insurance, tires and gas mileage will be significant on the bottom line if it's a DD. But hey you gotta pay to play!

:burnout:

 

[Wease]

It really depends on a lot. How much you drive the car, do you drive it hard, how will your insurance be, are you going to mod it, are you going to race it and break things, etc. You have to figure all of that in before you can come up with a total cost of ownership.

My car is almost stock, and I drive it maybe 3K miles a year. Gas mileage is typically between 18-20 MPG for me. Insurance is less than $30 a month, since it's insured as a collector car. I have a car payment, but it's not that bad. It will be paid off within a year. I have yet to do any maintenance on it, other than oil changes and new tires, but those came off of my old 2000 Formula. I've put only 6K miles on it in two years, so that might be why I haven't had any other costs. It is a lot of fun to drive though...

 

[jm@ReischePerf]

EVO/M3/C5

That's quite a span of choices... it's only fair to say that a Terminator will smoke any of these cars with similar mods. So I guess it depends upon what your priorities are. If you're going to daily drive the car and don't know how to turn a wrench I would go with something else. If you enjoy working on cars and want to own the street then the Terminator is for you :rockon:

 

[xxForgedxx]

I live in the North East (Will I hate having to put it up for the winter and drive shit?)

I will drive it as MUCH as I possibly can, as long as it isn't weather bad enough to get me into trouble with it... the car will be on the road. Hell if it's January and the roads are dry I'd probably take it out (12,000+ a year for sure)

I would drive city/high way... hard at times, other times not so hard. You can only take so much of WOT and crazy driving, some times you need a break from it as insane as that may sound.

Mods: I'd like to be in the 500whp club. That's about it.

Track time: Ugh, maybe a few to see what shes got but thats about it.

If I had a $25,000 LOAN on this bitch then it'd be a different story. But it will be paid for so high gas prices and insurance won't put as large of a dent in my wallet. I'll just try and forget I paid cash and act like I got the car free?

 

[exdeath]

At 500 RWHP gas is the least of your expenses... you'll be replacing tires at most every 10,000 miles, even if you drive like grandma. 17/18" high performance Z tires aren't cheap, doubly so for any kind of drag radial, which you will NEED, otherwise the car won't be fun to drive under 50 mph.

 

[jm@ReischePerf]

I will drive it as MUCH as I possibly can

Actually many of us have found we enjoy the car more if we drive it less. If you drive the Terminator all the time you tend to get used to the insane power level and start desiring more power and more expensive mods, not to mention any other car you drive seems sickeningly underpowered.

 

[xxForgedxx]

At 500 RWHP gas is the least of your expenses... you'll be replacing tires at most every 10,000 miles, even if you drive like grandma. 17/18" high performance Z tires aren't cheap, doubly so for any kind of drag radial, which you will NEED, otherwise the car won't be fun to drive under 50 mph.

Why tires every 10k even if youre not losing traction?

 

[xenodragon]

I have 32,000 miles on my car. 25,000 it was daily driven all over. To work, to the beach, fast, slow everything.

The only problem I had that I had to fix was a broken Fuel Rail Pressure Sensor. This broke about a month ago...cost $50 to replace. I had my original stock tires for 25,000 miles, and if they didn't get a nail in them, i would probably still be on them.

I am still on my stock clutch.

Oh I changed the brakes at 20,000

Other than normal fluid/filter changes this car has cost me close to nothing in STRICT maintenance.

MPG - Realistically I get aroun 220 to a tank. If I romp on it, probably 175 a tank, if I am only driving highway in 6th gear closer to 280 a tank.

 

[xenodragon]

At 500 RWHP gas is the least of your expenses... you'll be replacing tires at most every 10,000 miles, even if you drive like grandma. 17/18" high performance Z tires aren't cheap, doubly so for any kind of drag radial, which you will NEED, otherwise the car won't be fun to drive under 50 mph.

Wrong see my above post

 

[xenodragon]

Actually many of us have found we enjoy the car more if we drive it less. If you drive the Terminator all the time you tend to get used to the insane power level and start desiring more power and more expensive mods, not to mention any other car you drive seems sickeningly underpowered.

Lol, I drive it like once a week, maybe, and I think the port I just got (2 weeks ago) is already too slow

 

[EVILNSS]

MINUS MODS... without mods. I am only going to shoot for 500whp anyways.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

I think all of us said that at one point... its like those chips, once you pop you can't stop.... Once you start modding its a costly addiciton...